Rivers Landscape Construction Inc

We started the process of getting estimates for our backyard pool/landscaping project in April 2019. Gabriel from Rivers was one of the first landscape contractors we met and we immediately liked him and loved his complimentary 3D design of our pool and landscaping. We proceeded to get several other estimates and though some were slightly less expensive, we kept going back to Gabriel's design and detailed estimate. Fast forward to late July, we decided to go with Gabriel and also hired Black Rock Pools for the pool construction. They were a great team and we love our back yard now! We needed everything for our backyard, demolition, retaining walls, 2,800 square feet of pavers, 2 fire pits, irrigation, drainage, tree removals, plants, sod, trees, fences and lighting. They also remodeled our fireplace in our home and mounted the TV over our fireplace. Every worker was competent and respectful. They were on the job every day, always on time and though we had some miscommunication issues over the 3 month project, they always made things right until we were happy.

I joined AL to write this review. This is it. It's the only review you need to read. I'm pretty sure I'm a pain in the butt to work with. I'm demanding. Opinionated. React badly to surprises. Of all the projects I've done to my house, I pretty much never work with that contractor again. I've long felt it's impossible to find a contractor that has the three aspects we all desire: High quality, responsive and meets deliverables, and reasonably priced. Two of the three, sure - but quality and responsiveness usually comes with a price premium. Rivers Landscape Construction is all three. About a year ago I contacted Gabriel after reading Yelp reviews and he was out the next week to meet with us. We had about 1200 sq foot back yard which was basically concrete and some struggling lawn, and wanted to tear it all out and build a massive outdoor living room. An outdoor man cave. A salute to sneaky-drinks on a lazy Sunday afternoon and making the most of this glorious climate. We'd already drawn up some architectural diagrams through a friend but Gabriel did his own in Sketchup. He came up with ingenious ideas we'd not thought of, how to place the patio posts to maximize the covered space, and where to put the fireplace. At the same time I got bids from 4 other shops. Or at least, I tried to. 1 of them didn't even return my calls and another came out and did measurements but then just ghosted my calls afterwards. The other two gave me bids which were 50% more than Rivers for one, and 100% more for the other (but strangely included wanting to re-stucco my whole house, switch out my windows and a bunch more stuff I told them explicitly I wasn't interested in.). So we made the choice and signed the contract with Rivers. This was a Milestone payment plan, which I liked, with rules on any changes would require a Change Order. They gave me a time frame of 6 weeks. They were done in 7, but lost two weeks due to rain. Every single day Gus our foreman was here. He even came up with ideas Gabriel hadn't thought of, like added buried conduit for lighting and some additional irrigation zones at no cost. Like every project, it was not without some problems. The difference here though they addressed them all in a timely fashion, always answered the phone, and in the end my project cost exactly what they said it would. End result? LOL it's kinda insane. I can't believe this is our backyard, it looks like something from a magazine. It's the little things that really stand out. While building the fireplace, Gus asks me hey man wouldn't it be cool if we recessed that mounted TV and put tongue and groove behind it to match the ceiling? And we could do a raised planters around the back wall to close off the turf, but stagger them at different heights. Who does that?? They even custom ordered black gutters to match the black painted iron work - again no extra cost. All I can say is, thank you so much to Gabriel and Gus and his team of consummate professionals. I don't plan on ever selling this house, but if I do, and move somewhere that needs a backyard makeover - Gabriel will be the first person I call. If you're tired of working with contractors that dick you around, or don't deliver on promises, come in over budget, or quality is less than perfect do yourself a favor and call these guys.

Everything went great! Our landscape designer Richard explained everything in detail prior to beginning the project. The demolition was done with minimal impact to our existing structures, and the replacement deck was done with precision. Our drainage system was replaced with updated piping, the base was placed in layers and leveled, and the pavers were set artistically! We are extremely happy with the outcome of the project and would certainly consider Rivers for any future jobs.

It was such a pleasure working with Rivers Landscape Construction from the moment we met them. We initially met with Gabriel and he helped us designed our front and back yard areas. He took our vision and made it reality! He made our design, presented it to us, and it was exactly what we wanted. We had a big job to complete, but they finished in a timely manner (4 months) and the results were magnificent. We did pavers, turf, basketball court, landscaping, firepit, patio cover with BBQ, etc. This company is nothing but professional and provides one of the BEST Customer Service experiences we have ever encountered while doing any project. Tony was our project manager during our job. He is nothing but professional, informative, and provided us the best customer care. He always answered all our questions (yes, I had several ) and was there during our whole process. We had a few changes here and there during our project, but never did Tony hesitate or push back. He always supported our decision and continued to help us. The crew that works with Rivers is wonderful. They were here on time every single morning and they worked 6 days per week on our project to get it done. One of their team members, George.. He was also such a pleasure to work with. He definitely knows how to do everything! He helped us very much. Thank you, Rivers for giving us such a beautiful outdoor living space. We enjoy it every single day. You were a pleasure to work with!

We highly recommend Rivers Landscape for your residential landscape and structural construction needs. Gabriel did a great job working with us to develop our design using 3D modeling that helped us get a visual of our entire yard before beginning construction. He provided ample documentation to achieve HOA approval and permits. Gus was our site superintendent who was very courteous and his team was very respectful and professional with our family throughout the entire project. They worked closely with our pool contractor (Majestic) to coordinate their work. Our outdoor kitchen, cabana and dining room exceeded our expectations. Great quality workmanship on the carpentry, fireplace, retaining walls, plumbing, electrical, stone, stucco and concrete flatwork. They also installed a fire pit and beach volleyball court. They invited us to spend the day with them at the nursery to select each plant for the entire project. We have had a few warranty issues and they have been very responsive. This project earned the cover of an outdoor living magazine. We are thrilled with our new outdoor living space.

GREAT, SO HAPPY WITH THE FINAL RESULTS! FINISHED ON TIME AND GREAT PRICES

We are so happy with the results! We enjoy our backyard everyday! He finished on time and we had great price! We had some specific ideas coming from europe and Gabriel was able to adapt them in his design! So thankful!

We would highly recommend Rivers Landscape. Our project was huge and took months to complete, but we couldn’t be happier with the end result. From the beginning, Gabriel Rios listened to our vision for our backyard renovation, paying attention to what we liked and disliked, my favorite plants and colors, even incorporating a statue that was sentimental to our family. Working with Majestic Pools, he designed a backyard that incorporates all that we hoped. Along the way, we ran into a few obstacles, as any large construction project will have, and Gabriel addressed the issues immediately. With his foreman Orlando and brother Tony, Gabriel gave our project the attention and care that we expected, and the results speak for themselves. During the build out phase, Gabriel made suggestions for colors and materials that would complement the design, and was receptive to our ideas as well. He was also clear about the cost of additional items that were outside of our original estimate, so our final cash outlay was what we agreed upon. Gabriel’s crew even built us a “succulent wall” based upon a picture I printed off from Pinterest, even though they had never done it before. Our backyard is now our favorite place to spend time with family and friends, and we feel like we just added 1000 square feet of living space to our home!

As a homeowner with a large lot, Rivers Landscape was fantastic. There entire landscape team of workers were well mannered, professional and very attentive to our needs. Rivers Landscape not only listened to our desire, but then collaborated with additional landscaping ideas and highlights to our yard. Most of all they were economical, timely and accommodating. As a family run business, they worked on our landscaping design and project as if it was for themselves. My entire family and I appreciated what they did for us and how they transformed our back yard into a year round ?get away?. I would highly recommend them to anyone in San Diego. Paul B. Valley Center, CA 3-6-16

Gabriel seems like a nice guy, after the first visit he made unrealistic promises of drawings in a couple of days. He only responded after I told him that I assumed he was too busy to work on our project. After our last visit we hammered down what we wanted, and I followed up with a picture I found on the Internet. After many emails and a couple of calls when he promised me he would get right too it, we never heard from him again. We are beyond disappointed. He came recommended by my employer. I was warned that the communication was frustrating with Gabriel. I had no idea it would be this bad. They walked away from an $80.000 to 100,000 job. My guess is it would have gone much higher.

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Would highly recommend Rivers Landscape Construction. Did an excellent job for a very fair price. It is a family owned and operated business. Company head Gabriel designs your project and provides all contract info and supervision. Gus provides the day to day management of the employees and project. Tony handles all the plant selection and placement. All of the employees are professional, courteous and easy to work with. They were flexible in responding to small design changes along the way. Showed up on time every day. I would use them again and highly recommend them to others.

Update 11/2015 - We asked Gabriel to build a Patio Cover, and once again he and his team did an outstanding job. We couldn't be happier and will continue to use River's Landscaping for all of our outdoor and indoor projects!! Rivers Landscaping did a wonderful job. Gabriel was great to work with and had a vision for our property that came out amazing. His team was very professional and hard working. I can't say enough good things about this team. Gus was extremely helpful in coordinating and listening to what we wanted tweaked. Majestic Pool and Spa recommended Rivers Landscaping and I couldn't be happier with the whole process. We are definitely going to be working with Gabriel and his team again in the near future to work on other landscaping and home renovation projects. We are lifetime customer's and would highly recommend their team.

Our backyard project began with a pool and we soon discovered we were going to need a professional landscaper to complete our dream backyard. Gabriel was referred to us by Majestic Pool and Spa and we couldn?t have been happier. We interviewed several companies, but felt that Gabriel?s input on what we should do matched our visions and pocketbook as well. Gabriel, his brothers and crew were very hard workers, considerate and kept to schedule. Gabriel was quick to respond when our dog gained access to our backyard shortly after the concrete had been poured and sent someone out to re-finish the concrete within the hour. Gabriel stopped by and checked in frequently to keep up updated on what was going on and to look forward to. His crew kept to the time schedule and although we had a rain delay, the project was still finished on time. We couldn?t be happier with the results. Thank you Gabriel and Rivers Landscaping team.

Rivers Landscape and Construction were referred to me by my pool contractor Majestic Pools. I was putting in a pool last year and after deciding on the pool design, it was time to focus on the landscaping aspect. I met with about 4 landscape companies. Some of which came out and never called back. I met with Gabriel from Rivers and told him what I wanted. He suggested we look at some of his other completed jobs. We looked at a few homes where I actually met the homeowners and they told me how happy they were. Their yards looked great too. My job was going to be big with a lot of detail. I had to be sure I picked the right company and more importantly the right person to deal with. I was very comfortable with Gabriel Rios and knew he would do a great job. I knew they were family owned and I liked that. I had the opportunity along the way to work with Gabriel, Tony, Gus, David and other family members. Each has their own specialty and brings a lot of experience to every part of the job. Every one of these guys treated me with respect and continuous caring that I was happy as things progressed. Each worker that came to my house was talented, friendly and very willing to satisfy any requests. To give you an idea of what they did, here is a description. As mentioned I was building a pool. Here is the scope of what was built. They of course removed the old landscape and graded. Then the fun began. They made an incredible 20? L shape BBQ kitchen with 42? Twin Eagles BBQ, smoker, side burner, sink hot & cold, storage cabinets and fridge. The island was covered in Nevada Quartz ledger stone, each being hand cut and placed. The top was Sienna concrete and added a beautiful pergola with lights. I challenged them to make the round seating area to be supported by a giant quartz vertical boulder. They pulled it off and it is like no other. They also built a fire pit to match with a travertine tile top and blue glass. As the construction was going on, I kept adding things like an additional pergola over the back patio, waterproofing the deck off the master with tile and lower lighting, adding a spiral wrought iron stairway to the upper deck. Then I came to Gabriel and said that I want to add an outside bathroom with an indoor and outdoor shower. This was to keep wet people from walking through the house. He gave me a quote and I said go. They pulled all of the permits and all inspections were good. The bath looks like it was part of the house originally. It is perfect! It?s actually better than the ones inside. It has a glass shower, sink, toilet, travertine floors and walls. It is beautiful! The outdoor shower has a bench and pebble tiles. These guys can do it all! I had a blank side yard and decided to finish up the job with a putting green. Gabriel said no problem and made it happen. It was a great addition and is getting a lot of use. Other features Rivers did would include planting nearly 300 plants and adding a drip system to each on a timer, stepping stone path and a vertical herb garden. They also built new fences and installed retaining walls and gates. Like I said, these guys can do anything. More importantly they want the client to be happy and are extremely quality conscious and detail oriented. As the job was going on my front yard was becoming a mess with pallets of pavers, construction equipment and digging up for the new sewer line. Gabriel said don?t worry; we?ll take care of it. I left for work one day and came home to a new front yard with sod, plants and sprinklers. They really showed me how much they cared. My yard is complete and it looks fantastic! It looks like it should be in a magazine. My neighbors cannot believe how great it all looks too. The job is done and that should be it. No, Gabriel, Gus and Tony have all come or called by multiple a time to make sure everything is ok and that I?m happy. You can?t ask for more than that. I would highly recommend Rivers for any landscape or construction jobs. Give them a call. You will be happy you did. I?m looking forward to my next project with them.

I would use them again.

During our initial meeting with Gabriel in March 2013, we explained to him what type of landscape we wanted and that we wanted to only do our front yard now and our rear yard with a pool after the first of the year. He said this wouldn't be a problem and that it would only take only 2-3 weeks to complete the front yard. He also said to pay him when the job was complete since it wasn't that big of a job. After waiting almost 3 months, a few not returned phone calls and a missed appointment by Gabriel, we finally got Gabriel's plans (which were very good by the way) approved by communicating with our HOA directly. The HOA told told us this is a constant problem with Gabriel even though River's Landscaping has done several landscaping jobs in the neighborhood. Finally, on June 26, 2013 we met with Gabriel at Evergreen Nursery where we spent over 2 hrs. picking the trees and plants for our landscaping. Prior to leaving Evergreen Nursery we asked him why none of the items we had chosen had been tagged. He then proceeded to tells us that even though we chose our plants here, he was going to purchase them at Home Depot and elsewhere because they're cheaper. My wife and I were somewhat surprised by this, but we figured he knew what he was doing and we didn't want to wait any longer than we had already. While at Evergreen Nursery, Gabriel repeatedly promised us that his workers would be at our home on July 1st at 8:00am to start our landscaping. Well, July 1st came and no landscapers and no call. I left phone messages and still received no return call. Then July 2nd came and went as well as July 3rd and still no landscapers and no calls. After several calls to Gabriel and no return calls or explanation we finally had to scramble and find another landscaper at the height of the season, which was very difficult. Prior to contacting River's Landscaping we were warned by several people that this was common when dealing with Gabriel and that he frequently takes on more projects than he can handle. It is my understanding that River's Landscaping is a family business and that all landscaping designs and contracts are done by Gabriel. Ironically, I never heard back from Gabriel, that is until this week. Apparently, a pool contractor that we are considering, told Gabriel that we were putting a pool in our rear yard and we may need a landscaper. Gabriel called me and apologized for not showing up last summer or calling with an explanation, he then had the nerve to ask me if I wanted him to do our rear yard landscaping!

Overall the design...through Permit and construction took 4 months to build the 400 sq foot outdoor kitchen with fireplace and built in grill,frig,tv etc. He and his team cleaned up everyday and asked for our opinions anf feedback as appropriate.

My outdoor kitchen,covered patio with stone fireplace turned out beautiful. More beautiful than we even expected. I cannot find one negative thing to say about this company. There were a variety of workers , they all had their own speciality, and they were all very hard workers. They were all very polite and did everything possible to make sure the project was going they way my husband and I envision it. I would highly recommend this company.

I contacted Gabriel Rios in early July to discuss the 12 pages of landscape drawings, and go over the scope of work. I asked him at the 2-hour onsite meeting if he1) was interested in the project, and 2) if he had the time to do the work which was estimated to take 8 weeks. He said yes, and we agreed to a date for submittal of his bid. He delivered the bid late, and only after I called/emailed to chase down the bid. Then, the bid did not include pricing for all elements of work, so we met again. Another one hour meeting, and agreed to a date for submission of his bid. Again, I did not recieve the revised bid, and dispite phone calls and emails, he did not submit the bid. He never even called to say that he wasn't going to be the project. Instead, each time he told me that he'd provide the bid and that he had time to do the project. If I had known that he wasn't going to bid the work or didn't have time to do the work, I would have gotten another contractor to bid the work. So, he wasted a lot of my time, and then I ultimately only had to bids to select from for the yard work. The way that he handled my project was very unprofessional.

The project went great. They were on time everyday and worked hard to complete the project.

The workmanship is excellent, they did the work we agreed on. Some small details weren't communicated to the workers, not sure if it was due to a language barrier or something else. Once we let them know, it was resolved immediately. Overall we are very happy!

It was a big job and they did a good job, I'd recommend them highly. The slab and stone pavers are beautiful. I have 1/3 an acre of yard and they redid the whole yard with a barbecue, redoing the sprinkler system, adding two beautiful new gates, etc. I am very pleased with the work they have done. They listened to what I wanted, the guys were here every day on time and worked a full day. They were very hard working. They got along beautifully and there was never a day they didn't work hard. They showed up on time and left on time every day. They went above and beyond, they worked very hard. They came in and completed the job on time and on budget. I think the price was good for what they did.

Went well.

Great