American Masonry & Contracting

Jamie and his crew gave us a fair quote, stuck to their budget, and delivered a beautiful retaining wall and stairs for our backyard. We will definitely be reaching out to them for future projects!

unknown

I forgot to submit this review when the work occurred, but the bottom line is that I would hire American Masonry again for their professional and timely service. There was a bit of a hiccup when one of the subs indicated that they would also haul away the old hedge plants (apparently not part of the original work agreement), but Jamie honored this anyway, so definite thumbs up for that. Definitely recommend.

Stay away from this company at all costs. This was one of the worst experiences I have ever had dealing with a company and why Angie's List exists. American Masonry totally misrepresented themselves when they bid on this job and had no clue as to what they were doing. The job was estimated to be done in 4 weeks and, during the 7th week, Jamie and his crew walked off the job with approx. 40% of the work still not completed, even though we had already paid him over $33,000. After he walked off the job, Jamie put a Mechanic's Lien on our house for the outstanding balance, even though he didn't finish the work, and sent us a Cease and Desist Letter saying he would sue us for defamation of character if we were to post any bad reviews on Angie's List or other review sites. We filed a lawsuit against American Masonry for the amount we over paid and our lawyer had the Mechanic's Lien removed; however, PRIOR TO GOING TO COURT, Jamie filed bankruptcy and listed us as a creditor. This is the type of character you will be dealing with if you hire American Masonry. I am curious if there are many others who would have given bad reviews but were threatened by Jamie, as we were. Now, onto all of the details that lead up to this fiasco. American Masonry was hired to begin demolition of all the existing brick and cement on the property on April 7, and we were told that the demolition would take 1 week. As we discussed with Jamie when he came to bid on the job, there was a lot of cement on the property and around the pool (over 4,000 sq ft) and it was very thick. When we renovated the interior of the house, the inspector had noticed the cement decks in the back were too high since the previous owners had placed a cement slab on top of the existing slab. So, we decided to remove all cement and convert the area into grass. Jamie was to meet with our Landscaper at 9:30 to go over all of the details with her and his crew. Also, he was going to bring samples of the stone and color samples for the stamped concrete. Jamie arrived alone, with no samples and no crew, and told us that the crew he was going to use was too expensive so he had another crew starting the next day (first red flag). The next morning, 1 man arrived with a hand-held jack hammer and told us they were still trying to get people together and were working on renting a Bobcat. The Bobcat was delivered on Wednesday, April 9, and we stood in the window watching 3 young guys reading the instruction manual to try to figure out how to use it. At this point, my neighbor was texting me about how it looked like they didn't know what they were doing. Then, 2 of the guys started knocking down the cinder block wall that we shared with our neighbor. Once again, my neighbor started texting that the guys were knocking the wall towards his house and we had to go out and show them how to knock it down correctly. I'm not sure where Jamie got these guys but, according to the contract we signed, they were supposed to be full-time employees who are covered by Workerman's Comp, etc. It took a little over 2 weeks for the demo and, after they walked off the job, we noticed that they didn't fully complete the demo work. They had removed the top layer of cement in the back and covered the remaining cement with dirt. Since we were planting sod, there couldn't be any cement under the dirt, which they knew. So, we had to hire additional workers to come out and remove the remaining cement. During the demo, American Masonry got into a disagreement with their disposal service because Jamie's crew wasn't paying attention to how many bins were used. So, half way through the demo, the disposal company refused to pick up the bins in our street until the matter was cleared up. American Masonry actually sent me emails asking if I could track down how many bins were used since they didn't know. So, I had to sit with the workers trying to sort out their paperwork. After that, I had to pay the disposal company out of my own pocket each time they picked up the bins. When they finally started to lay the first patio, Jamie's crew arrived with only 1 flat (2 tons) of slate. We were using Pennsylvania Blue Multi-Color slate and, as everybody should know, when you use a multi-colored slate, you have to have all of the slate up front so you can mix and match the colors evenly throughout the project. I told them that we were going to need a lot more than that (we ended up using 10 flats) but was told that Jamie doesn't like to work like that and they proceeded without having all of the slate. On the day that Jamie walked off the job, he accused me of trying to get him to buy all of the slate up front because he felt I wanted to stiff him on paying him, even though we had already overpaid him for the work he had done. Also, he kept yelling at me on the phone to fire him. I believe he knew he was in over his head and was looking for a way out. When his crew started on the patio, it was evident that they had no clue as to what they were doing and Jamie was hardly ever on site. They would stand around trying to figure out what to do and this lead to them only placing 3 stones during an 8 hour day. I took pictures of what they did and contacted Jamie to tell him that they weren't getting anything done. That was the first time in a long list of times that Jamie started screaming at me on the phone. He told me that I needed to stop interfering (which I wasn't) and his guys were fine. When I explained how little they accomplished that day, he started yelling at me telling me that if I wanted to fire him, then I should just fire him. I never mentioned anything about firing anybody. After that phone conversation, Jamie's girlfriend actually called me up to apologize for how he acted on the phone and to promise that everything was going to work out and we should just trust them. Finally, Jamie came over the next morning to work with his guys and I approached him to explain what had happened. At that point, he started yelling at me again that he doesn't like to be approached in the mornings because mornings are the times he likes to relax and meditate. ?????? He spent about 2 hours with his guys "teaching" them how to cut and lay stone and then, he left again, after just telling me that he would be on site for the remainder of the project. It took his guys just under 2 weeks to finish the back patio, which was one of the smaller projects. Even worse, the patio is uneven since his guys didn't know how to smooth out the slate to make a flat surface. I think Jamie realized that it was evident they didn't know what they were doing at that point because he then hired outside contractors to come in and do the remaining stonework. On the day that the outside contractors came in to do the 2nd patio, they were able to complete the entire patio in 8 hours. One of Jamie's workers told me he was embarrassed because they were making Jamie's workers look bad. That was true. While they were working on the patio, my pool man was there to work on converting our pool to a salt water system. Also, he was going to be applying new pool tiles under the coping once Jamie completed the coping and he explained to Jamie that it was okay to attached form boards to the pool when adding the coping. Jamie explained that he didn't use form boards and this worried my pool man. The next day, I received a call from our pool guy to tell me that Jamie had contacted him directly and asked if he could get somebody to install the coping since Jamie didn't feel comfortable doing it. Why did he take on the job if he didn't feel comfortable doing it? Since the other workers were working on the stone work, Jamie explained that we should seal the slate and he was going to seal the patio that his workers completed in order to show us what it would look like. So, his guys "sealed" the patio. A few days after sealing the patio, we noticed that the stone was all splotchy. Apparently,, we found out that Jamie didn't allow the stone to dry long enough before applying the sealer and, on top of that, he used the wrong type of sealer for that stone. When I told Jamie about the problem, he responded with "Well, we didn't charge you for it." We had to pay to have the sealant removed and, since it required a deep cleaning, the slate on that patio is now ruined and is deteriorating. We will need to have that patio replaced in the next year. During all of this, they were set to pour the stamped concrete driveway. I was notified by Jamie's Office Manager via email that although we have paid so much up until now, it would be easier if we pay the concrete company and other workers when they arrive so there aren't any set-backs. The email states that if we did that, we would not have to pay anything else until the job is 100% completed. So, we did. On the morning that Jamie walked off the job, his worker was picking up another flat of slate and asked if Jamie mentioned that I had to pay for it at the stone yard. I told him I have an email saying I wasn't to pay for anything else until the job was completed. That's when Jamie accused me of trying to back out of paying and walked off of the job. So, we had to hire workers to complete the work that Jamie left undone after taking our money. Upon examining Jamie's work, we were notified that we need to keep an eye on the driveway since Jamie didn't float the rebar and we need to replace the patio his guys laid. Luckily, I was home during all of this and I have printed emails with all of this documented; yet, Jamie still claims this didn't happen. Looking at how he responds to other bad reviews, this seems to be how he operates with everybody. Beware of shady business practices. I was told by the lawyer that American Masonry charged us way too much as a deposit. Do your research so this doesn't happen to you.

Jaime came out and truly listened to what I wanted to accomplish. He suggested a terrific solution and then did exactly as he suggested. He actually finished the project one week sooner than the expectation he set. His crew was professional, courteous, and clearly skilled at what they were doing. They were happy to answer questions at every step of the process. The outcome exceeded my expectations and I am not easy to please.

The job was completed in a timely and professional manner. We would highly recommend Jamie and his team for concrete work and plan to call him first for any future jobs.

Jamie and workers were on time, the new patio looks amazing. Jamie and crew cleaned up, it was like they were never there. Awesome company.

.

Jamie and his crew were very professional an did an excellent job of communicating throughout the process. Great job from start to finish especially with clean up on the last day.

Professional, on time. The quality of work was excellent.

Jamie and his crew showed up on time and carried out all services promised. In addition to services promised, Jamie replaced a sprinkler system that was in bad shape and did not charge me extra for his efforts nor the parts. All work was performed ahead of schedule. I did find it interesting that his co workers shared the same email address as his. If there is one suggestion for improvement, I would suggest that each person within his organization have their own company email address. Overall, I'm happy with their service.

Jamie and his crew are outstanding. We discussed what was needed and the best way to get it done. His crew did all of the demo work and left the area clean and neat. The new pad is perfect and he secured the shed after I finished its construction. There were no surprises and the cost was very reasonable for the work done. Jamie is my first choice for any project.

I did not think their work was quite up to par, they didn't use forms to do the edge when they did the concrete. I have three inch uneven concrete now. He is fairly professional and the job was done quickly.

The wall was not stable enough and now the gate can not close. I am not satisfied with their work and they lack in taking responsibility for their mistakes.

Within 20 days from the concrete pour we saw several cracks. We notified Jamie about the cracks and he was defensive about the topic. The pictures of the cracks were sent to him and his team immediately. He decided to tell us that the cracks were bound to happen. Our new patio has several spots with 1/8" cracks all over. The entire process from Punctuality to overall customer service needed improvement. We would not recommend this contractor to our friends.

It went well. Make sure Jamie is there to supervise his men at all times. He wants the customer to be happy with his product, so he's amenable to fixing any errors or misunderstandings. You should consider American Masonry for your next job.

They were good. They came out on time. They were reasonably priced. I was happy with them. They are efficient and they came out and they did the job well. We had no problems with them. The wall looks fine and they called me right back. They were there when they said they would be. I was happy.

This was a massive job and the guys at American Masonry pulled it off with flying colors. We're so excited about our new driveway and patio and everything else they did. It's completely transformed the look of the entire property. We had very specific ideas of what we wanted in terms of the look of the design. Jamie and his guys guided us through the process and made suggestions based on their experience which really made sense. They really listened to what we wanted and delivered that and then some. We wanted a diamond pattern to the driveway which carried through the patio. They suggested a stamp pattern at no additional charge which makes the project look like a million bucks.

The job went better than I could have imagined. Jamie and American Masonry were totally awesome! Jamie, his crew and his office staff provided extremely professional, timely and friendly service. They were very responsive to calls and emails. The quality of their work was outstanding. I wanted a little shape to my walkway instead of keeping it straight the way it had been. Jamie spent hours moving the posts around until he was sure that I was completely satisfied. He is so patient and so understanding. I bring this up because I have allergies to chemicals and scented products. I asked Jamie to have his crew not wear scented products and they all agreed. He also told me in advance when they would be creating a lot of dust so I could leave the house if I wanted to. I didn't even ask him to do that! He's just so considerate and was genuinely concerned about my well-being. They put the brick steps around my deck first. The pattern they chose is gorgeous. The workmanship is excellent. Not one flaw. The driveway and walkway were poured next. We didn't want to spend extra money on stamping or bricks. So Jamie suggested doing a certain type of brushing which adds a lot of character to the driveway and walkway without the additional expense. I'm so pleased with the driveway and the walkway. The style of the walkway that Jamie worked so h****** really paid off. It adds so much to our house. It has such an inviting feel to it. I highly recommend Jamie and American Masonry. I would definitely use him again. We found him on Angie's list and he had wonderful reviews. I am pleased to have to opportunity to add my comments. Thanks for everything, Jamie!

It went very well. I could not have asked for a better driveway! Jaime was very professional, on time, knowledgable, and was open to my wants and needs regarding my driveway. He said it would take three days, and it did. His staff made sure that everything was picked up at the end of the project. They truly did a magnificent job in the construction of the new driveway, and I was truly impressed with their professionalism. In addition to this their pricing was very reasonable as well. I had used Jaime in the past regarding a backyard patio, which he also did extremely well. I do need to mention that when my driveway was done, I had to go to work, and he had put a yellow tape around my brand new driveway. When I came home that night, some idiot wrote on the new concrete some graffitti. Needless to say, I was disappointed that anyone could do such a malicious thing. The next morning I spoke with Jaime and Patty, they came over that morning and were very upset about this as well. The next thing I knew is that Jaime sent me a digital photo of what he did....He took over an hour of his time removing the graffitti!!! This to me was a case of a true professional taking pride in his craft and going above and beyond his responsibilities. He did not charge me for this, he did it out of his kindness and good heart. If you are looking for any type of masonry work to be done, look no further than American Masonry in Simi Valley. They are truly the best, they have my highest recommendations. Again, thank you Jaime for doing such a great job, your the best!!!

I was referred to American Masonry by a friend of mine who had used Jamie to install some cement and brick work in his backyard. After seeing my friend?s back yard and I was confident in the quality and workmanship done by American Masonry. I called Jamie the owner for an estimate and he promptly called be back that day to schedule an appointment. Jamie arrived on time and was very professional. He was quite knowledgeable regarding the scope of work that needed to be performed regarding the retaining wall and cement work that needed to be done before my pool was dug. I hired American masonry on the spot. A few days later Jamie?s crew was out to my property. The crew was very friendly and extremely professional. They work very hard during the project. The job was completed on time, and after completion my yard was completely cleaned up. I am thrilled with the outcome of my retaining wall and cement work. I would recommend American masonry to anyone who wants quality and a job done right. Jamie?s? suggestions as to the construction/aesthetics qualities were right on. Combined with a fair price and excellent quality to detail American Masonry was the right choice for our hardscape needs. I would high recommend Jamie?s company to any one looking for masonry work.

I was very happy with American Masonry's work. The crew was professional and polite and they did very nice work. Our new concrete pads look great and are perfectly level; the repairs they made to our walkway and fence base look terrific as well. The new step matches the existing brickwork perfectly. I recommend them and would definitely use them again.