Bragar Landscaping

Ken really listened to what I wanted and gave me designs that really worked for me. Workers arrived everyday promptly and went right to work. Guillermo and Alvarado worked diligently and tirelessly to give me the yard I chose. Even though the project took longer than anticipated due to weather, etc., the result was amazing. Have received many compliments on how beautiful it is.

Bragar did a fantastic job. Would hire again and recommend to others.

Excellent. The attention to detail and quality of work was very impressive. Ken was always willing to make changes as the project progressed and came up with many great ideas.

We started with an arborist to remove three very large pine trees in a row with about four feet between them. They were in an area separated from our lawn by a concrete curb on one side, fencing on two sides, and our house with a gate and short path on the last side. When they were done, the area had some serious bumps, with the concrete curb rather elevated and the house gutter disconnected and the path indistinguishable. We got our shovels and tried to smooth out the area, but discovered the arborist had left some large roots. So we called Bragar Landscaping to give us an estimate on what it would take to smooth out the area, convert the path into a walkway, provide a draining arrangement for the gutter, and plant some greenery. We showed him what we had found as roots, and Ken provided a reasonable estimate requiring about three days of work by his team. They started work in two days, very much appreciated by us as time was rather critical. But whoa?, quickly their efforts discovered that the arborists had not only left some roots, but had left very large tree stumps with very large root clusters, much bigger than what we had found. It was clear this was not going to be a quick and easy job. We reviewed the situation with Ken, looking at what they found and discussing different approaches to fixing. We agreed on taking out as much rooting as needed to return the concrete curb to its natural form, to enable reusing broken concrete sidewalk material to form an attractive walkway as a path, and then to build a planter (also reusing broken sidewalk concrete material) with enough depth to enable a Crape Myrtle smallish tree to grow where the pine trees had been. Removing the roots was very hard work, but the work did proceed and the broken concrete path was laid, the planter was built, and the bush/tree was planted along with some supporting greenery. There was no break in the work, although it took an extra week to get done. Ken got all the materials and plants, kept us informed along the way, talked about options and problems as they occurred, and overall made a bad situation tolerable by being willing to work with us to find mutually acceptable solutions, including how much of the additional cost we each would bear. The final result is very attractive and we are happy that a surprisingly bad situation was made into a good result. We will be happy to work with Bragar Landscaping again.

As others have said, Ken is very prompt and helpful throughout the process. We had an idea of what we wanted but not the full picture--Ken was able to take the concepts we had in mind and turn them into a great design in our backyard. While his prices are not the cheapest, they are competitive and I believe you get what you pay for. Ken was easy to work with and added interesting touches that we would not have thought of on our own. In the end I believe the most telling fact is the following -- we have more projects to do throughout our yard and we plan to use him for those as well.

Ken, the owner called back within hours of my request, on a Saturday!! I was very impressed with his promptness in responding to my request for service as well as his professionalism. After describing the job (small & limited in scope), he was honest enough to tell me that they had a minimum of $10,000.00 on their projects. However, he provided me with a referral that he felt could do the project! He was easy to talk to & kindly, patiently listened to me describe the work I needed done. We did not use his company, due to the limited nature of the work, but he seemed very knowledgeable, professional, and really listened to the needs of the customer. He even responded back a second time, when I misplaced the phone # of the referral he gave & requested it again through Angie's List site! I would definitely call him back if we do a larger project.

We knew we wanted a water wise front yard, but we also wanted it to look good. We're not landscapers, so we contacted Ken Bragar. We discussed some different options and pricing. Ken did a terrific job of walking us through different ideas and costs. He drew up plans, showed them to us, made some revisions per our input. He came in with a price that was very fair, so we hired him. He and his crew were very professional. They were punctual and hard working. They completed the job in about 3 weeks. They cut broken concrete to form a patio and walkway. They used a combination of small cobblestones and two walkways of decomposed granite for the parkway. They also installed a complete drip irrigation system for the drought tolerant plants that they installed. Ken was there everyday. The end results far exceeded our expectations. We are extremely happy with the results and would recommend Ken Bragar to anyone looking for the best in landscape design and installation.

Very pleasant interaction with everyone at Bragar Landscaping throughout the entire process. Ken Bragar is able to explain the ramifications of all decisions that need to be made along the way. Everything was done according to approved plans (written descriptions as well as design layouts). Price points were discussed at every stage. Work was performed on time and with consideration for my schedule and home access. Work crews were very professional and quite nice. The results are everything I had hoped for when the job was first put out for bids. When a friend dropped by, all I heard were raves about how things looked. Neighbors' comments have been most gratifying, too!

Ken Bragar responded to our initial call immediately, and we set up a meeting to discuss our front yard project. At that point, we discussed budget and various ideas. Our second meeting was to discuss Ken's plan/diagram and initial ideas on plantings, etc. The investment was a little more than we had expected but after Ken offered some very helpful suggestions in decreasing the costs, we agreed to move forward, and we are very happy that we did. Our objective was to remove our grass and hedge which required heavy watering and replace with drought-tolerant plantings and rock-scape -- also to take advantage of the water company rebate to aid in the investment. Ken and his crew made it all happen in a most professional way. We were provided with a project schedule which was always on the money, and the area was always left clean and neat at the end of the workday. Also, there were some additional elements that we decided to incorporate, and Ken was very accommodating; he even added a few at his cost. We plan on using Bragar Landscaping on a future project we have in mind, and we give them an A+ recommendation!

Ken arrived on time, inspected the damage, and provided a detailed estimate of the work to be done. Unfortunately, his cost was more than I could afford. However, my guess is you get what you pay for.

We have absolutely no complaints and are thrilled with the outcome. Ken Bragar responded the same day to our initial phone call (even coming out to our home to meet with us on a Saturday afternoon). New to the west coast (and SoCal in particular), we relied on and appreciated his expertise in coming up with a plan and list of plants that would work on our property and meet our HOA's requirements. Ken was willing to make adjustments in design plans and in the positioning of the plantings as the project progressed to ensure we would be happy with the final outcome. He also traveled far and wide to get the best plants. His work team was hard-working, careful, professional and competent - often going beyond the call of duty, doing extra work trimming bushes and weeding whenever there was "down" time during the project. The project was designed and completed within a short time frame and the work was done, as contracted, in 4 days. The completed project has exceeded our expectations. We know that come next spring/summer, we will be even more pleased when the plantings produce blooms/flowers. We especially appreciate that Ken is willing to continue providing services and to help out with any problems/concerns that may arise in the future. We, therefore, know that the cost for the services that were provided was money well spent.

It went well. He did a very good job. I like that he is very straightforward and honest about what he will do. He always arrives within the time period he sets up.

Ken helped us pick very attractive pavers with a beautiful color combination for our pool deck and side yard.He worked with the paver manufacturer to get just the right color combination. His crew demolished the old deck and sidewalk and installed the new pavers. They did a very professional job. His work on combining colors and paver layout is real artistry.

Ken is trying to create a beautiful creation, even if it takes more time and costs more money than some other contractors would charge. He worked with us to get the right pavers and color combinations, helped us go shopping for garden pots, and gave us good guidance on the lighting. He likes to reuse old materials when he can. He built steps and a raised garden bed from the old concrete from the deck. He took us to see his other projects. He is very responsive and is very involved in every detail of the work and worked very closely with us to make sure we got what we wanted. He takes more time than other contractors because he uses electric jackhammers for demolition to keep the noise level down. He was on site very often. He also does followup work when things go wrong and still answers questions rapidly a year after the job is done.

He drove with us to a large pot supply place about 50 miles from our house and spent several hours with us helping us pick the right pots. He used his truck to haul them back to our place. We were very impressed by the care and attention he gave to helping us select just the right pots and accessories for our fountains.

Things worked but are expensive.

We already had a good idea of what we wanted so we had basic ideas and plans ready. We contacted a number of landscape and hardscape contractors. Ken was the second or third one we called but was also one of the last ones to provide a quote. There are good reasons why Ken was one the last to provide a quote. Other contractors were quick to provide quotes but Ken took the time to ask a lot of questions regarding what we liked and didn't like. Ken readily accepted our original ideas and plans but also provided many helpful suggestions we had not considered. Ken was patient and accommodating to work with us. He made several design suggestions that we incorporated into the overall design. It took several generations of the plans before we came to an agreement. Ken prepared a thorough proposal that was clear and easy to understand. He outlined every phase of the project. Terms and payment were clearly outlined. He started work as promised and the project ended according to his commitment. Ken's attention to detail, design ideas and thoroughness were very refreshing compared to other bids I received. While Ken had the highest bid, we felt confident in his ability to deliver. During the design and proposal process, we genuinely felt we could trust Ken with this project. This was very important to us. Each day that Ken's crew worked on site, they left the work site in excellent condition. They always cleaned up at the end of the day. We were never disappointed when we came home at the end of the day. Again, the attention to detail was refreshing. For example, for the curved sections of block wall, extra time was taken to cut individual blocks and bricks to keep the joints as even as possible as the block wall curved. We asked for a rock salt finish and diagonal score lines. The result is fantastic. The concrete has slight variations in the gray color which gives it character along with the rock salt finish. As the project progressed, Ken had a few suggestions; some which we accepted (a block wall bench added to the patio and recycling some of the old concrete as stepping stones) and some we did not (using Green Rock for the walkway & patio). Ken exceeded our expectation by always ensuring that we were happy. To save some money, I was willing to do some of the work and Ken always let me know when he needed me to take care of my part. We could not be happier with the end result. As the project was progressing, neighbors routinely commented on the professionalism of his crew, the quality of the work and the final result. Ken's part of the project is done but we still have a few more items to complete such as installing a new irrigation system (just completed) and replanting the plants we saved as well as a few new ones. Finally we are planning to lay new sod once it gets a little cooler (not to mention we really want to make sure the old Bermuda grass is really dead). If you are looking for an experienced, seasoned landscaping and hardscape professional, you will not go go wrong with Ken Bragar. You will get a quality product. We had some trepidation about the price but quickly realized that had we gone with the lower bids, we probably would not have gotten the quality result we did. It was Ken's vision and input based on our design that delivered the final quality product. Neighbors continue to comment on the positive transformation of our front yard. It will only get better once the plants and lawn are complete. Thanks to Ken and his crew, our front yard has been transformed into something we are very proud of.

Excellent job. Mr. Bragar and his assistant fixed the fountain (it took four hours) and they improved the stability of the base as well as making future repairs more accessible. The fountain is working beautifully and I plan to use Mr. Bragar's company for future work. I appreciated the time and care given the job. Mr. Bragar cares about the quality of his work. It was helpful for me to have a concrete estimate. That helps me with my budget.

We needed to overhaul our small front yard. The railroad ties that served as a retaining wall were deteriorating and out of place; the lawn was full of weeds; a small birch tree was dying; invasive fan palms had crowded out a flowering shrub; some plants were overgrown; and some areas of ground cover plants had become unsightly. Our old sprinkler system was inefficient; we wanted to be able to use less water and stop wasting the amount that was hitting the sidewalk and driveway. We also needed to watch our budget. Ken Bragar was eager to do the work and full of excellent ideas, advice and suggestions. He spent considerable time with us to understand our needs and preferences and discuss options. He worked hard to rein in the cost of the project and came up with creative solutions to all the challenges that were involved. He offered several design options (drawings) and responded positively to our feedback to arrive at a final plan. He was patient with our questions and responsive to our concerns before, during and after the design, contract and actual work stages of the project, and provided me with detailed advice on maintaining the landscape. Ken's crew did high quality work, and were polite and helpful. The finished project looks terrific. Ken has returned with his workers twice for no additional fee; once to adjust a minor issue with some irrigation heads, and another time to diagnose and replace a few succulents that weren't thriving. He also added some fertilizer to a few plants at that time, and answered a number of questions I had about some of the plants. He reviewed some of the maintenance advice he had given me previously. He advised me on how to prevent a recurrence of the issue with the succulents, and how to address the presence of aphids on one of the other plants. Our front yard now looks wonderful, it is healthy and manageable, and it's water-wise. We are grateful to Ken for a beautiful yard and for making the entire experience a positive one. His knowledge, design skills, and execution are impressive. Ken has an infectious enthusiasm about his work. We sincerely appreciate his resourcefulness, determination and effort in finding ways to help us stay within our budget. We highly recommend Bragar Landscaping.

He was very professional and accurate in his estimates. He was timely. The work that he has done has been of high quality. The waterfall has been working the same way since the day it was installed. The patio looks fantastic. He did a good job. I will use his services in the future if required.

I think he's a very professional and competent landscaper. He is very expensive though and he's charging more than what we want to pay at this time. It was just for a small part of our landscape and we felt it wasn't feasible. We wanted a combination of things like hardscape and landscape done for us.

ken and his crew of 4 came in. and cleaned up. leaving a very beautiful garden intact .because of over growth you didnt know it was there. they swept and raked ,didnt use a blower.left the place clean for our party on satuday,august 1,2009.I originally called him on tuesday july 28,2009. I am very thankful he was very prompt and got the job done.the family is very pleased with the job.

They seemed very knowledgeable. I would use them if I chose to do the work.

Extremely thorough work, excellent attention to detail. Has a very good eye for making the most of a space, helped with decisions (read: prevented us from making some bad decisions!) about where to get the most for our investment in terms of beauty and usability of the yard. Spent a lot of time on site ensuring that work was proceeding correctly. Always brought up potential problems/questions well in advance so we had time to think about them. Considered how the yard would stand up to our 3 small kids playing in it, both in terms of sturdiness and safety. Overall excellent job.

Extremely thorough work, excellent attention to detail. Has a very good eye for making the most of a space, helped with decisions (read: prevented us from making some bad decisions!) about where to get the most for our investment in terms of beauty and usability of the yard. Spent a lot of time on site ensuring that work was proceeding correctly. Always brought up potential problems/questions well in advance so we had time to think about them. Considered how the yard would stand up to our 3 small kids playing in it, both in terms of sturdiness and safety. Overall excellent job.