Landcon Landscape Construction

unknown

The work started about a month after the agreed time, and Bruce did not call or email to let us know the status of our project start. He was often slow to answer emails, but was fairly quick about answering phone calls. He was pleasant to work with and highly knowledgeable with years of experience in landscaping. I understand that he has since hired someone to run the office so hopefully his response times are much quicker. When the work finally started it went in a timely fashion, and Bruce's crew was extremely skillfull. We are quite pleased with the outcome of the work done, and have received many compliments from passersby.

Bruce and crew from Landcon did a complete remodel of our backyard, including large (12 ft) retaining wall. Bruce was also helpful in modifying the original design as we went along. Made suggestions and took our ideas into account. We would definitelyuse them again on any future landscape projects.

We liked the photos of Bruce's work we found on Angie's list so we were very interested to have him come give us a quote. Bruce was responsive to set up a meeting from my initial request. However, he missed our first appointment. He called us later that night to apologize and sounded surprised that we were still willing to give him a chance to come out. He arrived on time to our next appointment and both my husband and I were very pleased with the meeting. He spent plenty of time reviewing our needs, the space, showing us his portfolio and discussing his process for design and implementation. We were happy with his "ballpark" quote for the whole project and design price and looked forward to moving ahead with the project. The next step was to have him submit a design proposal for us to approve. He even came out a second time to take some photos and measurements saying he decided it would just be easier to give us a quick mock-up of ideas along with the quote. That was the last I ever heard from him. I tried contacting him multiple times via his phone and email. Never once did I get a response. I guess he just decided to drop the job. I'm really not sure what happened. There was no indication ever that things might not work out. We were left with the realization that he must just be very flaky. After several attempts, we decided that even if we had heard back from Bruce, we would not want to do work with him because we feared the same could happen mid-job. It's a pity, as we really had thought his work was nice. Later on I found another similar review on his company so I guess this is not a unique situation.

unknown

The only thing that stood out was that originally there were setting it up for two people that were to come including the graded person who does layouts and things like that, and that person could not come so things like that hindered the process. Actually they were pretty quick. I recall it was like around 24 hours plus or minus 12 hours and it was a good quote.

Bruce is very easy to work with. He has an easy going personality which was a refreshing change from the other contractors we interviewed. Bruce also has a great vision for landscape design. We already had a landscape design, but Bruce massaged it a bit and we were very pleased with his recommendations. Had we met Bruce before we had the plans drawn up, we would have saved the money with the landscape architect. The main feature we wanted in our backyard was a pondless waterfall. The waterfall went beyond our expectations. The stream looks like a mountain stream and the soothing sound it creates makes for a backyard retreat. The two stain-stamped concrete patio looks amazing. The colors of the concrete compliment the river rock steps which were already in place. We also had a bench wall for seating and a raised planting area built with the sides lined with the river rock to match the existing steps. The fine workmanship on these features definitely adds to the beauty of the backyard. The patio cover was certainly a work in progress. As Bruce was building it according to the landscape architect design, we were not pleased with it. Bruce came up with some simple and cost effective resolutions that made it SO much better.

We solicited about 4 different quotes - all through Angie's list. We chose Bruce Hamilton because he had a vision for how the work could be done and he was very willing to partner with us on ideas. This made a big difference because it was a very difficult job and we wanted someone with experience that we could trust. Also, Bruce was very professional and easy to talk to. We felt he would listen to us. The estimate he gave was in the ballpark of the others. But overall we just felt he would do a better job. That is why we hired him. Well, all I can say is that everything was done extremely well. The work started on time and finished in two weeks. The crew was very hard working, courteous and reliable. The cost was within the estimate. Bruce took the time to really understand what plants we liked. He even took a walk in our neighborhood with us so we could point out our favorites to him. He has a keen eye for design and was able to guide the landscaping on the terraces so that it all blended really well together. The final thing we were extremely happy with was how the crew cleaned up after themselves. It rained a few days during their work and the mud got smeared on our driveway, the street in front of our house and on some concrete slabs in our back yard. The crew cleaned everything up - including the street. It was extremely clean and back to normal. We would definitely hire Bruce again. It was truly a pleasure to work with him and our backyard looks amazing !

The project went extremely well. Bruce and his team were helpful, efficient, and responsive. Bruce came up with some design ideas that we had not considered, and we are very happy with the way it came out. We made a number of changes during the course of the project, and Bruce responded promptly to our requests. Bruce made himself available after hours by phone to discuss ideas and questions. His crew (Jimmy, Hugo, and company) were very pleasant. We enjoyed working with them. They were real artists with the stonework, putting a lot of care into it. They were flexible and willing to respond to our requests. We wanted to get the job done before the rainy season, and they worked hard to make that happen. They completed the punch list items promptly and have been back to the house a few times to help us since completing the project. We use our new yard all the time and we love it. We get lots of nice comments about it.

Bruce's bid was very competive compared to the other firms that competed for the project. I finally selected Landcon based on the bid, the recommendation of another landscape designer and a visit to one of his projects that was under construction in Los Altos. At the Los Altos project, I talked to the landowner who was very pleased with the work. I also talked to the crew, most of whom have worked for Bruce for 10 or more years. Overall, the construction turned out even better than we expected. Bruce Hamilton is the most prompt, courteous and responsive contractor I have ever deal with. He delivered the project on time, had many suggestions to making the project better and was always accessible. At the completion of the project Bruce finished all the punch list items promptly. Additionally, his crew was friendly, took pride in their own work and clearly wanted us to be happy with the project. Finally, I have recommended Bruce to two friends who were looking for a landscape contractor for their own homes..