Method Paving

Quote/Planning: Clear discussion, answering all questions (even pulling/prompting new questions from me I didn't think of). Thorough discussion of options, choices and the process. Execution: Arrived on time, worked quickly and efficiently. Great attention to detail and follow-through to complete the job 100%. Results: Beautiful driveway. Many compliments from neighbors and friends.

This job required scheduling the concrete demolition work prior to a separate project to replace water and sewer services in front yard, and returning about 7 days later to complete the paving work. Rick's crew did a fantastic job scheduling their work around the sewer and water project and stayed on schedule to complete the job. This driveway project was challenging because it curves and slopes down to the street. Also, part of the driveway required additional reinforcement which Rick and his crew handled extremely well. This driveway and porch was installed about 8 months ago and shows no sign of any problems or issues. We get a lot of positive comments about our new driveway and are well pleased with the result.

The process was extremely easy - Nathan met with us, went over what we wanted, made a few suggestions, and created an estimate on the premises. We don't have a large mansion that needed major work--we simply wanted a good, solid, beautiful driveway and walkway. They ran into an issue with very wet soil on our property, and had to delay while they changed out equipment. The workers were incredibly dedicated, and even worked into the evenings to get the job done on time. And even more impressively, on budget. Nathan has been extremely easy to communicate with the entire time. Job well done.

Rick and his team were awesome and very professional. My driveway is a common driveway for a 6000 sq. lot, but it's curved and further back than a typical front facing one. Rick gave me a great detailed estimate with measurements, and an overview of all the paver choices. After a few days of thinking, I picked a simple gray on gray color (though the price was the same even if you mix other colors in of the same type). Day One, Rick and his team cleared all the old concrete and old brick, cleared the roots and leveled the driveway. The next day it was substrate / gravel and prep for the pavers. Day Three, pavers were in and adjustments were made. There were several people here each day, especially making sure each and every paver was flat and aligned perfectly. The work was absolutely perfect, I cannot see any bad cut or angle anywhere. A few days later, the sealer came and finished the job, and the pavers look amazing with the seal, highly recommended. Rick and his team have been flawless. There are few contractors I've worked with that get everything perfect, and Rick is one of them. Sure I could have negotiated a discount or shopped around, but I trusted Rick and he was true to his estimate, not one penny more. I've asked my brother on the east coast what it would have cost, he said "$19,000", maybe that's east coast prices, but I know I got a deal!

We used Method Paving to enlarge and pave our driveway. We had an existing asphalt driveway that was narrow and had 10 feet of useless bushes on the side. We got three bids for a new driveway and Method was our pick because the price was competitive and Rick's personal commitment to detail sealed the deal. Rick (the owner) personally came out and spent a couple of hours walking us through his recommendation for the driveway. He gave us a lot of good advice (from his years in the business) and a drawing that detailed exactly what work would be done. He then sent us photos of previous work and a list of driveways that he had done. We drove to all of the properties and they looked gorgeous. We met three of the owners who all praised Method's work. All had glowing reviews and nothing negative. His crew has been with him for years, which also gave us confidence. We soon realized that our porch would look a lot better if it was also upgraded during the paving. Rick also gave us a bid for stone paving that would match our existing walkway. He had a crew of experienced stone layers that was able to interweave the new stone into the existing walkway so that it looked very natural. It is very hard to tell that the walkway had been installed 10 years before the new porch. The crew came out and did the entire job in exactly the time frame that was given us. Our BIGGEST mistake was saying "no" to the sealant. We just thought it was an add-on that we probably didn't need. WRONG !!! By the third day on our beautiful new driveway, there were tire tracks everywhere. I called Rick in a panic and he quickly scheduled the sealant. I personally scrubbed the tire tracks off the driveway. Don't make the same mistake we did! Say "yes" to the sealant. It looked AMAZING after it was done and we have not seen tire tracks on the stone after that. The walkway also turned out great. We had a couple of concerns and Rick personally came out to address them. He had his crew return to remove some spots and it looked great after that. It's the personal care that stands out with Method Paving. Neighbors have commented on how gorgeous it all turned out. We are very pleased.

Rick and all of his employees were so easy to work with. They kept me informed, and responded promptly when I had questions. They started when they said they would, and completed the job on time. They were also very flexible when it can to changing the design halfway through the installation, and Rick recommended other changes that improved the final project greatly.

We're very happy with the quality of their work, and the look of our new driveway. Even before they started the job, they were helpful with choosing materials - we were indecisive about a few options, but Nathan was helpful with suggesting materials that would look good with our house, giving us addresses to look at, and fielding questions ("what stone does this neighbor have?") When they started, they were punctual and completed the job in a week, as expected. Nathan appeared to keep a close eye on what was going on, checking in frequently on things, kept an eye on the weather (there was an evening with expected light rain, but explained why things would be fine), and ensured things went smoothly. The result was very good quality work, and would use them again if needed.

Excellent, from beginning to end. The price quote is easy to understand, Rick, the owner, gave me the quote and he is very straightforward and practical. You can tell he is not looking to up-sell you anything and he is very direct and straightforward about what is to be expected, what can be done and what cannot be done. He is not looking to expand his business too much, as he has enough customers to keep him busy, and this is no surprise (that the company is consistently kept busy), because they do such good quality work. The price quote (for the backyard only) was higher than I was expecting, but this is because they had to come in and fix the problems that the last company already did on the job. I also received a separate quote to pave the front yard from scratch (that is, not to come in and fix problems that a prior company had already made but to pave the front from the beginning) and this separate quote is a reasonable price (I am hiring them again to do the front and I will write a separate review for this job). So please note that the "B" price rating on this review is only for the backyard fix job, not for the front yard brand new job that the company will do in the near future (again, the front yard quote price is better in value). Quality of work is night and day when I compare the prior company (that started the backyard paving job) and Method Paving. The last company left dips in the sloping of the paving, and the borders were not straight in various areas. Also, their cuts were not straight. There were somewhat complicated shapes in the design that needed careful measuring and cutting, and the last company did not do a good job with this. Method Paving came in and fixed as many of these problems as was possible, and the on-site workers even pointed out to me some additional areas that they thought needed fixing so that the job would be done right. You can tell the on-site workers really care about doing the job right. The company has a few on-site installation teams, I worked with Nemias and his team. Really nice on-site team, very skilled, all three of the on-site workers know exactly what they are doing. They are also extremely fast, but they do this without sacrificing quality in any way. They are just that good at their job. Also, the on-site team is very willing to listen and work with your requests if anything comes up. For example, there were some things that I wanted done differently, such as the way the pattern was laid out along the borders in a few areas, and they were very happy to redo these areas for me. They had an excellent attitude about everything. A few days after the job was done Rick came by the house to look over the work. I pointed out some things that needed improvement and he also pointed out some things that he thought could be improved (but note these were minor things) and he promised me they would do this later when they returned to do the front. One thing that Rick thought had to be done immediately was that the extra pile of bedding sand on the front (old) driveway had to be hauled away, so that I could park my car in the driveway again. He promised it would be done a few days later, and on that day the on-site workers came after work hours, at about 7:00 PM, to haul away the sand. Very hardworking and dedicated crew! I can't recommend this company enough. Believe me, I have now had the experience of hiring a bad company versus a good company (this is my first time doing a big home improvement project like this), and the lesson learned for me is that when the company is bad, it is an absolutely horrible experience, like a nightmare that you can't wake up from. Then when the company is good (like Method Paving), it is like you can't get enough of the work they do, because it is such a nice experience and the job looks so good that you want them to do more work for you! If you receive a bid from this company for your paving job, don't hesitate to hire them. You won't regret it. The quality of work and experience you will get is absolutely worth it.

We chose Method Paving, Inc. to do our driveway based on the write-ups in Angie?s List, mainly the customer write-ups and the multiple service awards. We contacted the main office. Their estimator, Nathan, contacted us and set up an appointment. He was very nice and very informative. He quoted a price during our visit. He also recommended that we visit the Calstone plant in Sunnyvale to look at samples. That was a really good suggestion. Behind the office at the Calstone plant, there is a display area of the various paving stone styles and typical installation patterns. The Calstone office can provide you with a map that indicates what the names of the paving stones are in the different sections of the display. They also have samples of the different paving stones that you can take home. That was a big help in helping us pick the type of paving stones that we wanted and the pattern we wanted them to be installed. We chose the Brown-Beige-Charcoal paving stone style to complement the gray color on our house and the brown shingles and red front door. We chose the Old Town 2 pattern because it was not too busy an arrangement. We wanted the driveway to still look like a driveway that complimented the house without being the main attraction when someone looked at the house. When we made the final decision to accept their offer, we asked Nathan to come back. We finalized the contract and he drew up a sketch of how the driveway and walkway would be laid out. That was July 8. The start of the job was scheduled by the main office to happen on August 11. The week before, PG&E came out to make sure that there were no power lines or gas lines involved with our job. UtiliQuest also came out to mark where the cable TV lines were located. On August 11, the demolition crew showed up. Using a Bobcat, they demolished the old concrete driveway and excavated down 10 inches. The walkway was demolished by hand and excavated down 7 inches. Our main water line and the pipes for our front yard sprinkler ran under our walkway. The sprinkler pipes were evidently damaged during the excavation but they were repaired before we ever knew anything about it. After the excavation was complete, a composite sheet was laid along the bottom and then covered with foundation stone. Then they compacted the stones. Then they spent time making sure the stone foundation was level. Then they started laying the pavers and then cut the curves. They left the borders for last. The border pavers were set in concrete. Then polymeric sand was applied, compacted in, and watered to make it set tightly. The front porch was done last because it needed specially cut pavers. Nathan was very cordial and supportive with any concerns we had. He also made suggestions along the way that enhanced the quality of the final product. Watching them work, you could tell that the workers paid attention to detail and had pride in their work. The job started on the morning of August 11 (Monday) and finally finished on August 16 (Saturday). It would?ve been done earlier but the special cut pavers needed for the front porch were delayed coming from Calstone. Overall, we are very pleased with the results. We have received many compliments from our neighbors and passersby about our new driveway. The curved lines along the border really enhance the quality of the finished product. We?re looking forward to our next project with Method Paving next year. Lesson learned: If you have your driveway done, you?ll probably need to have your garage door open during the demolition phase if they use a Bobcat like our contractor did. It can get pretty dusty during the demolition phase. You might want to consider putting up some plastic near the opening of the garage to prevent most of the dirt and dust from getting into the garage. The total cost of our job was $10,150. The driveway and walkway along the front of the house was approximately 620 square ft and cost $8650. The front porch was approximately 32 square ft and cost $1500.

They have very high standards. They are very good at staying on the job until it was completed. It took a while longer because of their standards; it was a big job. They stuck with the price. Mr. Rick was the supervisor of the work and saw something that I didn’t like though I had not mentioned it had them do it over until they got it right. They were excellent to work and the job that they have done is beautiful. They took care of all of my needs as an elderly person. They were easy to manage. They did a great job and it’s gorgeous. They were quite a bit less expensive than the others but were not the least as well; they were less expensive than most of the others. They gave me a list of references and I checked out the references; everybody was pleased with them and informed me that they would be using them again.

The backyard now looks fabulous. They were great to work with.

This was the first time I had done a project like this so I struggled some. Perhaps I had unrealistic expectations. There were a couple miscommunications that could have been prevented had I been more proactive in checking status. Method Paving will not start a new project until they finish the current project, even though there is a scheduled start date. I am happy with my patio.

Their quoting was pretty good. They were not the cheapest quote but I like the fact that they were upfront and honest with stuff. They scheduled the work very fast and they got it done very fast. The owner was very responsive. Everything was as described and the work was excellent. The people that work for them are pretty nice. The workforce is good.

Nathan came out and gave us an estimate for the driveway and made suggestions that turned out to be exactly what we needed. They did a beautiful job on the driveway and also ran the drainage under the driveway so that water would not drain into the garage. They were right on time and finished exactly when they said they would. My husband asked them if they could use some of the pavers on a cement sitting area in our front lawn, which they did for a very reasonable price (and still kept to schedule). They were not the cheapest estimate that we got, but the quality of their work was more than well worth it. Also, there were no surprises. the price quoted is what we paid. We continually get compliments on our driveway, and even notice folks slowing down to look at it. I would definitely use them again. Also worth noting, they are a diamond certified company.

I did my research by talking with my neighbors and friends who had put in pavers for driveway, pool and walkway. Online I also found (via Angie?s List) that Method Paving was highly rated. I got two quotes that were similar in price, and I chose Method Paving because of their online rating and Nathan Cohen was very responsive and professional. I ended up picking a yellow quarrystone pattern and the work was done in 3 days (demolition included). The installers were professional and did a great job. Frankly, they did a perfect job. I have dealt with many different home related service providers in the past and this project went perfectly smoothly in terms of process and result. If I ever need pavers again, I will use this company.

It took longer than they tell me.

Nathan responded promptly to my inquiries, gave an immediate estimate, and scheduled the job within a week. Not only did Method do a great job in only 3 days of work, but Nathan also worked with me when I had issues with my new bank account and needed to revise the payment plan. I will definitely use Method in the future for any brick/masonry work.

Nathan from Method Paving responded very quickly to my request for a quote. He looked at the area in our back yard where I wanted to install a patio and brought me a written quote for the installation using California pavers. When my husband and I saw the pavers at a store in person, we decided we didn't like them as much as natural stone. Nathan had explained that the installation of natural stone vs pavers would be much more labor-intensive and so would be more expensive, but we decided that the expense was worth it. The workers showed up to excavate the area and did a careful job. A different set of workers laid the stone and did a marvelous job. They were very careful to fit the stones in place like a puzzle, and use the largest stone possible. There was a little mix-up on the height of the step from the house to the patio but that was quickly corrected. We asked Nathan if the workers could pour a small concrete pad on our side yard to use as the floor of a small shed. They did this the last day for no charge. Nathan was very professional, not a hard sell at all. His workers did a wonderful job. I highly recommend Method Paving for natural stone work.

Overall I really liked the job. They were very thorough about explaining things and the project manager was very good and wonderful to work with. He told me where I could go look for pavers first hand. If there was a piece of the pavers I didn't like they would replace it. I asked them if they could come back and put more sand in the crevasses and they did that with no questions asked. I am actually going to have them back out to seal it because I didn't do that yet. They did great work.

Rick Pesano, owner of Method Paving, was a joy to work with from beginning to end. We got off to a rough start with the project. After we had acccepted the contract and paid a down payment in September of 2011, my husband experienced a series of serious medical issues and we were not able to begin until almost a year later. Rick stayed in touch by phone and was patient and supportive about our stops and starts at attempting to reset a date. The work started on time and the workers were consistent with their scedule and thoughtful about the noise disturbance which was horrific, as these projects are. The demolition crew worked very fast (too fast!) and there were a few plant casualties( unavoidable given the small space, materials and equipment. Problems were taken in to account and remedied right away. The original plan for the patio was changed by us at the last minute, as the staircase they planned to work around had rotted and was removed. We had to come up with a new plan. Rick was able to shift gears and make some great suggestions which involved adding cement and slate for the porch/entryway. This part required a great deal of skill on the part of his crew who were terrific. The project was completed in about 2 weeks. They did a fantastic job. The curves are beautiful, the difficult edges were perfectly done, the surfaces level. I love how it looks! Rick has a talent for working with people and a good eye for design. His main focus is to do the work well, and have the customer happy. He listens and problem solves in an easy way, which helps you deal with the stress of a big project.. I felt all my concerns were addressed. He stuck to the agreed contract and didn't get off track but took the time to work with me when the stone colors were not working. He went out of his way to "make it right". We highly recommend this company and would definitely use them again should the need arise.

I'm happy to say that the finished project blends in nicely with the exsisting landscape. I definetly would not hesitate to consider Method Paving for my next paving project. Dennis 408 4464476

I didn't use them because their estimate was a little higher than the other quotes.

Rick listened and marked up our drawing based on our description of what we envisioned. We signed a contract on that and his word that we could modify as we went (within reason). His crews are broken up into 3 tasks. 1st is the "demolition team" they grade and prepare the ground for the pavers and concrete work. then there is the paver team. These guys are incredible to watch them work their craft and i truly admired their work ethic over the 2.5 weeks they were here. They checked with us on small design changes / ideas and were courteous and attentive to our input. Along the way we made a couple of major changes and Rick was there to discuss and help us to understand all our options. We were charged a bit more for changes that required more material or labor, but it was very fair and i did not feel "trapped" when discussing it. The price is not not the cheapest or the most expensive. I think the value is the best we could have gotten as we are very happy with the results and confident with the materials used and our ability to have Method Paving come back and stand behind their work in the unlikely event that it's needed.

The job I had done was redoing a backyard brick patio with Calstone pavers. I had researched what I wanted done, identified the style and color of pavers I wanted, and estimated the cost of the pavers alone before hand. I initially contacted Calstone via their webpage for a design consultation. The Calstone consultant indicated that paving companies did similar work for basic jobs like driveways, but recommended Method Paving for nicer design work, and put me in touch with Method Paving. I met with Rick on my original idea for the patio. Working with my idea, he discussed what would be done with drains, redoing the back doorstep, and recommending a tree-root guard for where I wanted to plant a tree. He gave me a detailed plan and a firm price quote with priced-out options. I got one other quote from another company that had a good overall rating on Angie's list, and the other estimate priced out to several thousand dollars more for the same design. I decided to go with Method Paving based on the Calstone recommendation and Angie's List rating. I met with Rick again and revised the initial design idea to put in some curves. The final price was appropriately and minimally adjusted from the original estimate to reflect the revised plan, and the work was scheduled for three weeks later. The work began a couple days later than the original estimate start date. Overall, the work went quickly and well, although there were some surprises with what was discovered under the old patio, and problems with rerouting the sprinklers for the new patio layout. The finishing touches of putting on filler-sand and sealant were delayed because of unseasonable rain. My only complaint is that the additional time for the finishing work (a couple hours work over two days after the completion of the paving) was not clearly communicated. The patio is beautiful, especially the work on the curved areas.

Method Paving offers a great value for their price. The people are very professional and punctual and their quality of work is excellent. We were impressed with their performance, they did what they said they were going to do. This may sound easy and common sensed, but based on our experience, it's not a very common characteristic among contractors.