HOWLEY'S LANDSCAPING CO

This company got off to a good start last fall with a very conscientious crew. Lawn was killed out and reseeded....bushes and hedges kept well trimmed. Earlier this year it all started going down hill. Weeds got into the lawn because of poor chemical treatments and problems with pre-emergent crabgrass applications Then the original crew either got transferred or left. Now the only thing that is growing is crabgrass. The lawn is a complete mess. In addition, the new crew routinely misses trimming and weeding. The other day, I found them pushing a broken lawnmower around the yard. The crew said they had asked for a new mower, but were "told to make do". I don't know what happened to this company, but the service is abysmal.

A complete landscape renovation, sod installation and irrigation troubleshooting/repair was contracted for with this firm. Included in this plan was the clearing of undesirable plants, bed preparation and replanting of new plants in existing beds. My only complaint with this part of the job was that no pre-emergent was applied prior to planting the new stock, so now I've got nicely done plant beds that also includes lots of weeds that I'll have to pull or treat myself. Fully 50% of the sod that was replaced failed to thrive and has in fact died after only about 45 days even though I've followed the watering in directions provided by this firm and avoided any chemical application. The owner sent out two people to try and replace the dead sod with more sod. However the "new" sod that was to replace the dead sod was sod that was left over from another job and had been sitting on the pallet for several days. The sod that is usually green and moist was already turning yellow/brown for lack of water or whatever. The two guys pulled up some of the worst sections and replaced it with this "new" sod. The new sod looks worse than the dead sod they removed and it's dead as dead can be as well. Additionally many of the new plantings done as part of this project have died. All I was told to do was water the plants which I have done and have the irrigation water bills to prove it. I don't know if the source of his plants is to blame or if the techniques employed by his staff are the cause. Regardless my $8000+ landscape project now has my property looking worse now than it did before I hired his firm. The irrigation system on the property had a leak that caused me nearly $1000 in excess water bills. This issue was explained on at least 2 occasions to the owner of the firm and recounted to the workers on the job. We contracted for them to fix this problem as part of the project. I have determined that the leak(s) in the irrigation system were NOT properly addressed when I got yet another excessive bill for irrigation water ($400). I contacted the owner of the firm as requested that the issues of the dying sod and huge water leak be rectified and that compensation to me for the water bill be made. He refused saying that my request was "unrealistic & off base". My son was an employee of this firm until I had problems. David Howely promptly fired him from his job due to MY request that he stand behind his work. I have no issue with the workers who are the ones who actually completed the work. They were courteous, respectful and cleaned up after themselves each day. The work done on the underdeck and parking pad is satisfactory. My primary complaint about this firm is the way the owner refuses to stand behind the job and has become uninterested in keeping me as a satisfied customer. I will be filing a suit in small claims court if the sod installed by Howley Landscape does not come back in the spring. I am willing to have anyone who is considering using this company visit my property and see the actual work that was done.

The price is excellent as I have them do a lot of various landscaping necessities, like blowing out the pine needles and cones from one part of the yard where they always pile up, to planting, weed eating, and fertilizing. They keep my lawn in top shape and I can honestly say they do an outstanding job.

I'VE BEEN A CUSTOMER FOR 10 YEARS. REASONABLE RATES AND VERY RELIABLE