California Smartscape

We already had landscape plans (we wanted one set of plans so all our quote comparisons would be based on the same specifications) so we didn't utilize their design services. We obtained 5 bids for our project and narrowed our choice down to two contractors. We went with California Smartscape because we felt they were trying to work 'with us' in getting the yard we wanted with the budget we had. We discussed and made a few design changes on our plan (they had some good suggestions), agreed upon pricing and set up the construction start date.

Once construction began, Jay (overall manager) and the construction foreman (day-to-day manager) were our main contact people. As construction progressed, there were a few 'bumps' along the road--the foreman didn't always communicate what was going to be done during the week (a request we had made at the start of the job), and some of the items had to be redone (i.e. part of our fence was built on our neighbor's property and our front dry waterfall wasn't constructed according to the landscape plan). At one point, I was very frustrated with the foreman and I am sure he was frustrated with me. We asked to meet with Jay and Richard to discuss this situation. After that meeting, Jay made sure everything went according to plan and our communication and relationship with the project foreman greatly improved (I have learned recently that the project foreman is no longer with California Smartscape). Richard also followed up with us to make sure everything was going well.

An illustration of the company's willingness to do the job right--we had over 30 large boulders that needed placement in the yard, for our dry waterfall and for the backyard pondless waterfall. California Smartscape had rented a crane for several hours. When it appeared that it was going to take longer to complete the job, Jay said not to worry--that he was enjoying the whole process and that they would pay for the extra crane time out of their pocket to make sure all the boulders got placed.

During the landscape process, we ended up making several changes (i.e. used a lot more flagstone in our patio, took out our front entry way concrete and made that flagstone, changed from a built-in BBQ to a prefabricated BBQ, added more landscape lights). Jay was always accommodating and worked with us on the changes. He would check in frequently to make sure we were happy and that everything was going OK.

The end result--we have a beautiful drought-tolerant, low maintenance yard that we receive compliments on and that we love. California Smartscape did a great job in the physical creation of our yard, but what I think really sets them apart is their customer service. They made sure we were happy with everything (Jay always said that they would do whatever it took to make us happy) and that we were satisfied with the end result (we are!).

A couple of weeks ago (June 2013), some of our landscape lights were not working (this is 10 months after the project ended) so I contacted Jay. He sent out some of their workers. They discovered the black control box had gone bad (it sometimes happens) and replaced it at no cost to us. Jay called to follow up to make sure we were taken care of and said to contact him if we had any other issues.

That right there, is what makes a contractor a winner in our book--great customer service during and after the job is done. Would we recommend California Smartscape to others? Absolutely yes!

California Smartscape were pretty good. He was very nice and very professional. They were okay. They showed up on time. It was a real miscommunication between how the job was laid out between him and the workers but when we said "it was supposed to be this way," they just corrected it. They did a good job. It seemed like a lot of money for the size of the job but I guess that stuff is expensive. They were in and out, quick, helpful, fixed a few things that weren't even on the hosts. They even cleaned up the whole yard for us. They did the work when they said and finished it when they said.

Our experience working with the CalSmartScape team was truly exceptional in all ways: design, execution, and follow-up. The project was completed on time and within budget, and we are very pleased with how everything turned out.
Our primary objective was to re-design and replace several existing areas of our property with low-maintenance succulents, adding and improving lighting and sprinklers. A leaking wall fountain was also expertly repaired, and a large central planter by the pool was reworked into a stunning lighted boulder display that is now a beautiful work of art.
Working with our designer Andrew was a joy. We feel he is truly gifted with an amazing artistic eye and a unique ability to readily translate his vision into reality.  Easy to work with, he understood what we wanted, made many useful and practical suggestions, and was patient and flexible about customizing to our specific likes and dislikes.
The work crew, under Jose?s supervision, was professional and courteous, quiet and very neat; all requests were readily and rapidly accommodated and all work was cleaned up at days? end.
Bridget, our primary contact for the management team, was very pleasant to work with. She was always available to answer questions and provided excellent, immediate support when needed.
We are already considering using their services again soon to work on additional areas of our property that need updating. We trust their work and recommend them very highly.

It went very well. Guys were smart, polite and got the job done!

Working with CSC was wonderful from the start.  Richard (one of the partners) was extremely professional and very sensitive to our needs.  Andrew our assigned designer, did a great job of helping to complete our vision for our property and was a pleasure to work with.  Bob was the onsite foreman, and he did an excellent job of making sure all the details were paid attention to, and of managing his crews.  The crew themselves, were all terrific, polite and professional workers.  Except for specialities (concrete/painting) it was the same crew of guys every day.
We could not have been happier with the end result, and any issues/changes that occurred post project have been remedied.  Once you are a customer of theirs, you feel "taken care of."  And not just during the project itself.
Overall, CSC is extremely customer focused and will deliver extremely high quality work.  Their prices tend toward the high end of the spectrum, but as always in this business - you get what you pay for.
If we need additional work in the future, we will surely contact them.

California Smartscape were very nice and there was no problem. Their quality, responsiveness, and professionalism were excellent. 

We moved here four years ago and had the most depressing back yard. Never spent time out there, except for the dog to do her "business". We have a sloped back yard and never knew what to do with it. Old railroad tie stairs going up it. An old cement pond we didn't want with a cement waterfall. Ugly brick walkways, bare dirt, small paver area that didn't go with anything else. Unattractive landscaping, overgrown. Ugh. It was overwhelming so we just forgot about it and worked on the inside of the house. This was the year to do the useless backyard. California Smartscape was only the second company we interviewed, but Andrew came out promptly and had many ideas as well as made sure he knew what we were looking for and what our budget was.. He took lots of measurements, took notes, and was very attentive. When we went into the office for the presentation of the design, we were speechless. The computer renderings from many angles, high, low, side yard, etc. was so helpful to visualize what our yard could look like. I couldn't believe it was the same space. The price was a little over the budget we had given them, but we were able to negotiate a little and ended up with a price we could live with if it gave us the yard they proposed. The weather caused some delays, but they worked hard from the demo (a huge undertaking) to the beautiful large paver patio with step up, the dry creek bed coming down the slope, making sure the drainage was properly done, the landscaping with the plants Andrew helped me pick out (he made some suggestions and incorporated ones I wanted, as well), the lighting that compliments the yard and the drip system. And they did it all in about 4 weeks. I LOVE my new backyard. I spend time out there everyday. We have had several family gatherings out there and everyone is amazed at the transformation. I actually look forward to coming home from work and being out there. Thank you so much!

We have nothing but good things to say....work started on 4/8/13 and they were done on 5/1/13.  Our original meeting with Jay and Andrew went very well.  They listened to our ideas, offered a few options, but it was made clear to us that we were going to have the backyard we dreamed of.  On 4/8/13 Scott and his crew were here on time and started the work.  From that day on it was go, go, go!! Every member of Scott's crew was polite and hard working. Thank you to all at California Smartscape!

CA Smartscape provided exemplary service and product and are a tremendous team. Andrew and Bridget were responsive, professional and great to work with. Highly professional and were on schedule. would definitely seek their services again.

ISmartscape returned a week or so later with a bid proposal and a one sheet "Artistic Conception" computer graphic of the intended project. The estimate was for $10,500.  The plan they presented was very vague.
 Remembering that I had already spent $400.00 for the design,  I felt that the proposal was not specific or clear enough to compare it to any other contractor's proposal. The $400 design did not specify any plant names or specify any planting locations. The irrigation system was described by only one word "irrigation". I felt that for the $400 I had spent, I got no more actual "in hand results" than I received form free estimates provider by other contractors bidd ing on the same job.
Smartscape was pleasant to talk to, and I have nothing negative to say about them. They may very well be a fine company that does good work. They just did not clearly define what they would do for $10,500.

We received the landscape plan, but did not pursue further work because the job we wanted was smaller than they were looking to complete. They were not upfront about that, which was our only concern. They were professional, and friendly, and we were pleased with the plans.

We had three different contractors give us their ideas and estimates. Nobody was able to bring the visualization and creativity to the project that CA Smartscape did. Their landscape architect, Andrew, utilized computer software which basically allowed us to "see" what the yard would look like before it was even started, from a variety of angles. They took a plain, ugly triangular plot and gave it contour, depth and inviting pathways. The work was done in a timely manner. Andrew went with us to the nursery to help us pick out the plants, giving us advice along the way while taking our preferences into account. It is now nearly four years later and we are still happy with our yard, Many people have commented on how beautiful it looks and we have spent many happy hours outside. Their price was a little higher than some of the other contractors but I truly believe that you get what you pay for and we would make the exact same choice all over again if we had to. I would definitely recommend them to other homeowners.

Additionally, they have an outstanding dedicated to customers. When they installed the irrigation for my yard, we learned that my main pipe had a serious problem and couldn't provide enough flow for the irrigation. My complaint on this is that they learned this one day before we were to close out the project. I feel they have should have checked my house's water flow before installing the irrigation and laying the sod. Still, they did an outstanding job in seeing the problem through. It took a week for the city to repair our meter and city owned shutoff valve. That's a week of no water for the new sod. The owner, Rich, got involved and ensured that the yard was getting hand watered daily in the interim. The process was frustrating in that there were multiple players involved, the plumber, the city, and Callifornia Smartscape. Still, in the end, California Smartscape did everything they could to make sure my yard looked great. They spent significant time revisiting the irrigation system and hand watering the lawn and plants. They did not even suggest charging for that time. This shows a supreme dedication to customer satisfaction. I couldn't be happier with the yard they delivered, the cost they delivered for, and the rapid completion of the work. They completed the work with 3 weeks of us signing the contract for them to do the work. When you add to the responsiveness in fixing the water problem, they are an outstanding company and would gladly work with them again.

Our experiences with California Smartscape were completely positive. Great people to work with, fair and flexible, and the workers stuck to the schedule ( when we weren't causing them delays by changing our minds about what we wanted! ) and they delivered an absolutely beautiful product.

Anybody looking for a company to build them the yard of their dreams should hire California Smartscape. You will love the results!

I have a large pie-shaped yard with distinct-and-separate upper side and lower side yards. The upper side is the most accessible, and I wanted it landscaped for BBQs, family get-togethers, and reading / relaxing. Before calling anyone, I checked out California Smartscape and about three other landscape companies, and then called them all out for estimates. I was most impressed with California Smartscape from the first meeting. Owner Richard and designer Andrew came together and showed keen interest in my project. They both listened to me carefully and took notes. I did not intend to spend as much as I did, but they gently made it clear to me that to get the yard I wanted it would cost more than I hoped. In retrospect, they were right. If they had stayed within my original budget I would not have the elegant garden that I have today. It is beautiful, comfortable, restful and functional.
I cannot praise the foreman enough. Eli was so professional and dependable. He had wonderful suggestions, listened carefully to my concerns and suggestions and always provided comfortable dialogue. He and his crew were always on time and worked diligently the whole day, every day. I think there was only one day they did not come (they had to finish up another job), otherwise they came every work day for the whole seven-week project, and also on most Saturdays. Francisco and Luis are expert paver technicians, and they are neat and precise in everything they did. 
A week or two after the final walk-through I discovered that one of the sprinkler zones wasn't working. I called and explained the issue to Bridget. Rick came out that very day and fixed the problem.
My landscape project from start to finish was quick, accurate, pleasant and rewarding.

Based on our experience with California Smartscape, I highly
recommend using them for any outdoor project! 
We had a pretty big undertaking that included all new hardscape in our
back yard, a fireplace, large wooden overhead structure, a custom fountain, and
lots of planters.  When Jesse, the
landscape designer, came to see us, we immediately liked him. He?s a nice guy
and clearly very knowledgeable about all types of materials. For instance, we
weren?t sure what type of hardscape we would want and he was able to describe
the pros and cons of a few different options. With his guidance, we ended up
selecting pavers?and we couldn?t be happier! Because we liked Jesse so much and
he was so professional at our meeting we agreed to put a deposit down to have him
create a design for our home. Plus, he told us that 50% of the fee would be
credited toward the build of the project if we decided to go with them, so it
was definitely worth it.
The office manager called the next day to set up a meeting
for us to come to their office and see the design Jesse created. When we went
in, about a week later, we were completely blown away! Jesse had completely
turned the rough ideas we had into a beautiful 3D design. He spent about an
hour with us where we talked through the plan and made some small changes.  My husband and I left feeling very excited,
but a little nervous about how much the design would cost; when we returned to
the office for a follow up review of the design they had the price completely
broken down so we could see what everything cost. We agreed to move forward and
they started about 2 weeks later.
Throughout the entire build process, everything went great.
There was a short delay because of rain, but the guys made sure everything was
cleaned up and returned to work as soon as the weather permitted. They made sure
to keep us updated on every stage and were always available to answer any
questions we had. The California Smartscape crew was professional and eager to
make us happy. When the job was finished, everyone came together and looked
exactly like the design they showed us.
All in all it was a great experience working with California
Smartscape and I will certainly recommend them to all our friends and
neighbors.

A design was undertaken as an Angie deal and the expectation was that we'd follow-on using the company to perform the landscaping.  However, the designer, or maybe his boss, were unable to provide a design to a budget.  So, although a lot of effort was expended by both parties, nothing ever resulted from the efforts. 
The price for the deal was great (in fact, we ended up paying another designer 3x for a similar level of effort after this project fell through), but the overall experience was a 'C' at best due to the inability to be presented a result at the requested budget (which is why I rated the price as a 'C' also).    We were very open to scaling back the size and scope of the work to fit the budget, but the company failed to present a project at the designated cost ($25,000-).

First contact with Andrew the landscape layout specialist went fine.  For a modest fee my wife and I got a virtual tour of what our new landscaped yard would look like on a laptop computer.  Andrew is a good listener and he designs projects using the clients input of most important features.  My wife and I were amazed and very impressed by the landscape presentation he set up for us.  We got things rolling with California Smartscapes immediately after that presentation.  The reviews on Angie's List for them were very positive, and that led to our decision to pick them for our yard.  After dealing with some other companies for estimates we were not impressed. However, California Smartscapes performed brilliantly throughout the entire experience.  They were professional, quick to respond to my questions, and their hard working crew were pleasant to interact with.
I am glad we chose California Smartscapes and would recommend them to my friends and family.  For the future I want them to design and landscape our back yard as well or even better than they did on our front yard. 

I am witihdrawing my comments they where wonderful,  called me to see how it went , followed up with many calls and returned all my calls.  thanks

I can not say enough good things about California Smartscapes. The process from estimate to completion was amazing and I am 100% confident that we have th best land/hardscape remodel that we could have had. First, Andrew V came out to give us an estimate. He met us at our home at our convenience and took a lot of time to assess what would be the best use of our money,land, and concept. We had a few ideas but Andrew really led us to the whole design and it is absolutely amazing. On our 2nd visit, he revealed a 3D model that he had constructed so we culd really see what our new front and backyard would look like.
Next, Jay (owner) came in to discuss pricing. We had a few other estimates and we knew his price was very competitive and fair. He was upfront with everything and even added some features at no extra cost because he wants to give the customer his best. he was ALWAYS available to us, easy to work with, and immediately fixed any minor issues that came up.
My favorite part of this project was working with Bob (project manager) and Marcelino (foreman).  They were always there on time and worked so hard for us.  Marcelino is an unbelievable asset to CA Smartscapes and anyone who has him as their foreman is lucky!  He let us know daily what was going to be done and made sure that we were happy with the product and plans.  he was always ther for an expert opinion and was open to changing things as the project came together.   He always wanted to make sure that we were happy with the job and were getting what we wanted.  Bob was so fun to work with.  He was committed to getting us everything that we wanted.  His vast experience gave us tips and tricks that we would have never even known about.  He has a great sense of humor but is serious about making his jobs perfect.  Even after our job was complete, we were having some lighting issues.  We told Bob about it and he and Marcelino came by and fixed it immediately. 
I was 8 months pregnant at the time of our remodel so it was important to have the job completed when the baby came.  Not only was it complete, but they finished early.  We were a little sad because we got used of seeing the guys every morning. 
Overall, I am so glad that we chose CA Smartscapes and would have no hesitation recommending them to family and friends.

California Smartscape recently completed our ?extreme landscape makeover,?   and we are very pleased that we chose them
to do the work.  Our new landscape turned out to be just what we wanted:  beautiful, low maintenance, low water--and without looking arid.  
Andrew created a design of our backyard which perfectly matched our desires even though we did not think we articulated our thoughts that well.  Then he helped us formulate a complementary design for the front where we had much less of an idea of what we wanted.  He listened to our desires regarding plantings and design, made suggestions, steered us away from plants and ideas that would have been too costly or troublesome, and even took us to a nursery to see which of those plants we liked before ordering them.  In addition, he helped us select the appropriate boulders, rocks, and DG that added so much.
Being onsite for the whole process, we observed everyone each day and were beyond impressed with the abilities and work ethic of this group. They arrived early, stayed until dark, and usually worked on Saturdays.  Heavy rains kept them away one day, and the Construction Manager, Eliel, showed up in the rain and got the unfinished drains to work well enough to drain 4? of standing water.   Moreover, Eliel was very careful operating the Bobcat during demolition.  Having to work around the extensive root structure of the tree made his job that much more challenging, but he did it willingly and very well.  During the early part of the project, Eliel kept everything running smoothly as evidenced by the project being completed on time despite the heavy rains and the year-end holidays.
The construction team got along so well; in seven weeks, we never heard a raised voice; and occasionally we heard laughter as they worked diligently.  They take pride in what they do, which manifests itself in an excellent job with added touches that make the hardscape worthy of being noticed.  For example, Luis took it upon himself to re-work a section of the front walk because he was
not happy with the way the curve turned out. On several occasions, the crew suggested deviations from the plan that were real improvements.  And Luis and Francisco cannot be matched, especially when it comes to laying pavers.  They are simply the
best?efficient, hardworking, dedicated, artistic, and caring.
  
Communication is essential during a project, and we were not disappointed with the availability and everyone?s willingness to listen and discuss issues and options in all stages.  We were at home the entire time, so anytime we had a question or concern, we could talk with the appropriate person at that time.  They listened and offered their valuable perspective.  They also did not hesitate to ask us questions or to make suggestions.  As a result, questions or problems were dealt with so that the work was done correctly the first time.  In addition, if we thought of something after they went home, they were just a text or email away, which is a very valuable tool for any homeowner who cannot be onsite.
Finally, California Smartscape has a streamlined and flexible design and implementation approach which makes them both cost-effective and also allows in-process adjustments to be made to accommodate unforeseen obstacles and facilitate in-process design changes.  In our case, two unforeseen retaining walls needed to be added which did increase our total cost a bit but
greatly added to the privacy of our backyard. Originally, we planned on doing only the backyard.  After getting their quote, we realized that our budget could handle not only the backyard but also the front and the sides.  Thanks to California Smartscape, we have been able to create the beautifully landscaped home we always wanted.

Arrange for an in-home landscape design consultation.  It was very frustrating. The designer the owner brought with him was only interested in her own ideas and was not willing to listen to any of my likes and desires.If I did not want to spend a large amount of money using her ideas she was not interested in any further discussion and proceeded to walk out.

CSS arrived promptly to meet regarding the design.  They were very courteous and had excellent suggestions to improve on what we already had in mind.  Within six days they called back and told me that the design was ready.  This is impressively fast compared to my previous experiences.

Jay and his crew did an outstanding job on our home in Rancho Santa Fe. They removed ugly, damaged concrete from our pool area and  from the garage apron, and replaced it with pavers. This transformed the appearance of  this area, which was constructed 28 years ago, without changing the overall character. The work was meticulously done, well supervised and on time. The cost was fair (and less than that quoted by other companies). We shall certainly use them again if we have another hardscape project.

They were very prompt and professional.  We first met with Andrew the architect and told him what we would like.  He presented his plans combining our ideas and his.  It was exactly what we wanted.
Work commenced  a few weeks later.  Bob the Construction Manager was the best to work with. He listened to you when something wasn't to your liking.  Was there when you needed to speak with him and gave you constructive criticism and ideas on certain aspects of the project.  The workers worked really hard and was good at what the did.  They were maticulous when installing the pavers.  
It took about two and a half months to complete the entire job.  My home looks fabulous starting with the front entry all the way to the back.  I have no complaints just pure satisfaction