This pro has maintained an average of 4.5+ stars throughout their time with Angi.
About us
Aerate-1 Landscaping & Ponds has serviced the Southwest Chicago Suburbs since 1988 providing a wide range of landscaping services while ensuring outstanding customer service on each and every job. Our veteran installation crew maintains their knowledge of landscaping services through constant certification training, regional field training, and hands-on experience. Owner and founder, Hector Martinez, will guide you through each step of your landscaping project from start to finish. Each landscaping project is thoroughly planned and executed so that it is completed in a timely manner and within the specified budget. With an on time and on budget project, clients are able to proudly display and enjoy the landscaping that they had envisioned to be completed for many years to come. Delivering a wide range of quality landscaping services is not just a job for Hector Martinez and his staff at Aerate-1 Landscaping & Ponds. It is the passion to exceed our client expectations on every job that motivates us to strive for perfection. Additional fax - (630) 759-2605.
Hector and his crew did an amazing job. They started the project within a couple days of reviewing what I wanted done, and worked several days under some extremely hot conditions. The patio, walkway and front paver/flower bed looks amazing. The plan is to get them back out to build an enclosure for my grill!!! Do not hesitate to Aerate 1.
Description of Work: Repair and restore paver bricks on patio
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,800
Ron K.
08/2024
5.0
fountains, hardscaping
 + 0 more
Leaks located and repairs done that have resolved the problem. Work was accomplished on time and in a professional manner. The two men were pleasant and kept me informed of progress.
Description of Work: Locate and repair suspected leaks in pond/waterfall
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Yes, I recommend this pro
Joey Gander G.
07/2024
5.0
landscaping, fountains
 + 0 more
I love the waterfall with the birds and wildlife it attracts. We even had neighbors take pictures of their wedding party in front of it. Hector and his crew are consistently On time and provide excellent service.
Description of Work: Built a pond less waterfall and services it bi annually
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Yes, I recommend this pro
Cust/Denise T.
07/2024
5.0
landscaping, lawn service, pavers, gravel, tree service, hardscaping
 + 3 more
We have hired Aerate 1 several times and have always been thrilled with their work. They planted a tree and provided pruning after the tree matured. They surrounded our above ground pool with drainage covered by pea gravel inside brick, and installed a paver walkway to the pool's heater. They landscaped the front and side with mulch inside brick. Every time they do work they make the site look better than when they arrived, even in areas only slightly impacted by their work. I highly recommend their company due to their excellent work and commitment to keeping their promises about when and what will be done!
Description of Work: Landscaping
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Linda N.
07/2024
5.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
I have used Aerate Ponds for several years. The men are always hard working and professional. I've always been happy with their work
I had an existing pond from another landscaping company that was leaking I called 3 other landscaping companies that specialize in ponds none of them called back I called Hector once and he was at my house within 48hrs. Said he can fix my existing pond I told him I want bigger he mapped out the pond of my dreams. His guys started the job and didnâ t leave until job was done. We even had a very small problem within 48hrs Hector had guys fix problem. His guys were very respectful they were always in masks even tho I didnâ t care if they were. They cleaned up everything then next day Hector came by showed us how to run everything then he walked around yard making sure the waterfall sound was perfect from all spots in yard also gave us web site to get our koi. He does offer financing so you can get a nice pond and not having regrets on not getting what you want. We even had neighbors come by now they want pond by Hector. We couldnâ t be more happier no regrets. James D.
Description of Work: Pond repair and installation
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$17,000
Susan M.
06/2019
5.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
I needed some landscaping refreshed that Aerate 1 had done for me a couple of years ago. A tree and bushes were trimmed. Rocks were raised from the soil and replaced and slabs were raised and replaced Two flower beds were cleaned up and new mulch was replaced by a tree in the parkway. Mulch was added in all areas. Another area by front steps was cleaned up and leveled and mulch added. Hector came with the crew to explain everything and left. The crew did exactly what they were suppose to do. Afterward they did a good job of cleaning up the area.
Outstanding! We would never consider using another landscaping company. Hector and his crew were reliable, responsive, attentive to the smallest detail and professional. Daily follow up to ensure we were completely satisfied as the project progressed and when it was completed was second to none. I would not want to be a competitor of Aerate1 because they could not have done any better. These guys are the best you will find!
Description of Work: Landscaping
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,000
Al T.
07/2018
5.0
landscaping, lawn service, lakefront landscaping
 + 1 more
We have hired Hector and his crew to do sod for our front yard and to redo our pond - the work was done on time, professionally, and the areas were always cleaned up. Hector and his crew are talented and will work within your needs. Hector is a business man who truly cares about his customers and will offer professional advice but not force things on you. Good company to have work for you if you have needs for outdoor projects for lawn, pond or lighting. Al T
Description of Work: Repair of a waterfall and previously laying of sod.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
Bill A.
06/2018
5.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
Three guys jumped right into the clean-up and trim of surrounding plants. They work hard and this is a very dirty job. Pond looks like new and the yard was all clean-up when they were done.
Description of Work: Spring pond clean-up
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
John F.
10/2017
5.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
Hector was very responsive to our needs. He met with us to show us some of his work and to understand what we wanted. He explained in detail what he would do and came out to the house during the work to ensure that everything was being done to our satisfaction. His team was timely and professional, and the job was completed as he described. Additionally, he came out after the pond work was complete and walked me through the process of maintaining the pond, which the business that initially put in the pond never did. We were extremely satisfied with his customer service and the quality of his work.
Description of Work: Pond Overhaul
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jacqueline T.
10/2017
5.0
landscaping, lighting, pavers, gravel, fountains
 + 2 more
I am very pleased with the finished project. It takes a lot of skill to create something beautiful that looks natural and functions. The work was done very quickly. All debris was cleaned away nicely.
Description of Work: We had a pond installed in our back yard, complete with waterfall and lighting.
Around seven years ago, Hector and his crew at Aerate 1 installed an Aquascape Rainwater Recycling Pondless Waterfall in my backyard. I was his first residential customer for this type of installation, although they'd done a couple commercial installations previously. It's set up to reuse the water runoff from my home's back gutter and sump pump discharge. I had no idea what to expect visually, but Hector had a vision. I'd seen landscaping jobs he'd done in my neighborhood, so I trusted him and let him have creative control. It was the best decision I've made! It is beautiful! The sound of running water, the ability to water my garden using an additional pump that pulls water from the underground reservoir, watching the birds' attraction to the water feature, the knowledge that I'm putting the discharged water from my sump pump to good use and very minimal upkeep involved--what's not to love? The crew comes out every spring to clean and restart the feature, then every fall they clean and shut it down for the winter months. They do a great job picking up after themselves when they're done. I've also had them clean my garden beds--spading the edges, removing the old mulch and putting down new, fresh mulch. They've always done a great job and are very polite. Hector himself comes out and checks every job personally. I highly recommend this company for any type of landscape or water feature! Hector also recently installed a flagstone walkway that goes from my driveway all the way to the patio in my backyard. I described what I wanted and left the rest to Hector and his crew. They not only gave me what I wanted, they made it even more beautiful.
Description of Work: Rainwater recycling pondless waterfall and flagstone walkway
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,000
Tom F.
05/2017
5.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
Hector was super great to work with. He helped me come up with a plan and a budget. His ideas and design skills, as we as communication were first class. hector is one of the best contractors I have ever worked with. He was very responsive and answered all of our questions.
Description of Work: Pond design and construction
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$8,600
Milly Kay G.
05/2017
5.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
Went very well job performed and all actions done well whatever I requested
Description of Work: We had a waterless pond built in our backyard
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Jeordano M.
05/2017
5.0
landscaping, pavers, gravel, fountains, patios
 + 2 more
Exactly as described. The workers left the area in an immaculate state after they finished. I am totally pleased. I had them back last month to get the pond ready for the new season.
Description of Work: I have had a pond for several years, but it had been installed in a rather shoddy and haphazard fashion. I contacted Aerate 1, and Hector arrived promptly at the agreed time and explained the problem thoroughly and what the reconstruction would entail. It was a bit more than I had hoped, but am I ever glad I did it! His crew was here for several days and did an outstanding work. My neighbors are most impressed and one of them is even thinking of having one in his backyard as well. There is nothing better than finding a competent, responsible contractor who excels what he has promised. Thanks, guys!
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,000
Deirdre M.
09/2016
5.0
lawn service
 + -1 more
I used them for probably seven or eight years.
Description of Work: I used Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds for lawn & yard work. They did my fall clean up and my beds and weeds and everything.They got me all cleaned up.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
JoAnna K.
08/2015
5.0
landscaping, lawn service
 + 0 more
Hector and his crew did an excellent job rejuvinating our existing pond. They went above and beyond a refurbishment, cleaning out weeds, power washing the individual large rocks and installing flat rock and river rock around the pond. They made it look like a brand new pond installation. The crew worked very efficiently and politely and when they were done, you would never know that they had just been there. Highly recommended.
Description of Work: Refurbished existing pond.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
Response from Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds
:)
Nancy A.
08/2015
5.0
landscaping, lawn service, mulch, tree service
 + 2 more
His staff arrived nice and early and worked very efficiently. They did a great job cleaning up after themselves. My yard has never looked better! I did have one neighbor complain about the loud music while they worked, but it didn't bother me.
Description of Work: Hector came by exactly when he said he would to see what I needed done and to give me an estimate for the work I needed done, which included: general cleanup, edging, tree trimming, and landscaping with top soil, sod, mulch, and river rock ground cover. Hector came by exactly when he said he would to give me an estimate for the work I needed done, which included: General cleanup, edging, tree trimming, and landscaping with top soil, sod, mulch, and river rock ground cover. Hector came by exactly when he said he would to give me an estimate for the work I needed done, which included: General cleanup, edging, tree trimming, and landscaping with top soil, sod, mulch, and river rock ground cover. Hector came by exactly when he said he would to give me an estimate for the work I needed done, which included: General cleanup, edging, tree trimming, and landscaping with top soil, sod, mulch, and river rock ground cover.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,270
Jeanne D.
06/2015
1.0
landscaping
 + -1 more
we ended up spending another 2 grand to clean up the mess they made. very poor - save yourself from hector all smiles day one all excuses thereafter save yourself some $ do not call these guys they upsell you stuff you dont need that actually damages what you've already got so they can charge you more to get what they ruined fixed
Description of Work: hired to clean out our pond. we ended up spending another 2 grand to clean up the mess they made. very poor - save yourself from hector all smiles day one all excuses thereafter
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
1.0
$7,000
Response from Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds
Unfortunately costumer had a major issue that was caused before we got there, and did not tell us the issue they had. We completed everything as promised and even returned at no charge to them. We were not aware of the problem she had and wanted us to complete extra work that was not included on the agreement. We do our best to service our customers with everything we promised be we can not be held liable for work that we did not perform, we offered to help the customer with this problem and they wanted to hold us responsible for any unknown problems they had before we arrived. Thank you, -Aerate-1
Overall, very disappointing experience. Hector came out to give us the quote and spent a bunch of time explaining what needed to be done and how it would be done. We decided to use Aerate 1 even though they were more expensive than the other 2 places. Hector seemed to take great care in doing the best job possible. The guys can out yesterday to fix the patio and were done in one day. My wife and I went out to look at how things came out and noticed the 2nd level of steps were NOT even. I gave Hector a call and he responded first thing this morning. Hector explained that he never quoted us for the 2nd level of stairs to be leveled. I find it very hard to believe someone would spend $3700 to fix a patio and ONLY fix 1 level of the steps. By leveling everything but the 2nd level of steps makes those steps even worse. The rest of the patio looks pretty good, but the steps really take away from the whole patio. It is very noticeable to the eye and takes away much of the excitement of getting it re-done. Hector did say we could fix it for another $450 even though the bricks were off yesterday and would have been much easier. The worked seemed to be done well, but make sure you have EVERYTHING listed in the quote as we would have NEVER even fixed it unless everything was fixed.
Description of Work: Removed, leveled, and replaced 1/2 of brick paver patio. The steps (I guess TOP one only) were also leveled!!
We had the pond for many years and decide to make it into a pondless pond. We researched companies and liked the video's we saw (youtube) of Hector's work. On the first visit he talked with us about our desires and he suggested ways to implement our ideas. The pondless pond is lovely and waaay better then I envisioned..... Five Waterfalls and a meandering stream. He even added branches in the stream to give it a natural look. Hectors crew was here everyday from 8:30 to 8 PM. It took 6 days to complete. Usually 2 or 3 men would work and they were pleasant and professional. The crew knew what they were doing in laying out the design and the artistry involved. They would spend time putting rocks in a certain pattern, stand back and look at what was done and then go back and move everything till it was the way they wanted it. The process was amazing. After the pondless pond was complete, I thought the main waterfall should be adjusted a little and called Hector. I left a message and before the day was done the men were here and adjusted the waterfall. I also liked the fact that Aerate 1 is a contractor for Aquascape Ponds which constructed our original pond. Aerate 1, Hector and his men get 4 stars for a job very well done. Thank you
Description of Work: removed existing pond prepared sight for pondless pond built 5 tiered waterfall and creek laid rocks, pebbles and mulch around pondless pond
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$7,000
Jeanne D.
04/2014
1.0
landscaping, outdoor lighting
 + 0 more
Hector sold us more pumps than we needed which caused us additional problems. We hired him to prepare our pond for a graduation and wedding ceremony that were to be held in our yard in the next two months. He installed lighting which did NOT give the pond the best presence. We moved this ourselves for a much better look. He did not repair the leak in the pond which was the main reason for hiring him. He stated that it was an impossible job which would require looking over the entire liner and the lines. That is exactly why we were willing to pay $6,000! We paid him what we agreed to pay him at $6,000. He stated that we owed him more money. When we refused to pay, he tow employees stood on our during the graduation party insisting for payment of additional monies. The police were called and he left. We have not heard from him since that time. Do NOT hire this company. They are rip off artists. Read my other reviews. I do not say this lightly and am usually satisfied with services that I receive. I cannot state this strongly enough. STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!!!!!!
Description of Work: He was supposed to repair our pond. What he did was remove all rock and clean the pond. Installed lighting, and sold us a new filter and more pumps than we needed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
1.0
value
1.0
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
3.0
$6,000
Response from Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds
Unfortunately costumer had a major issue that was caused before we got there, and did not tell us the issue they had. We completed everything as promised and even returned at no charge to them. We were not aware of the problem she had and wanted us to complete extra work that was not included on the agreement. We do our best to service our customers with everything we promised be we can not be held liable for work that we did not perform, we offered to help the customer with this problem and they wanted to hold us responsible for any unknown problems they had before we arrived. Thank you, -Aerate-1
Sarah P.
08/2013
5.0
landscaping, fountains
 + 0 more
He showed up on time, He did a good job, the water fall is working a lot better now, they are a little on the high price but it is difficult to find companies that would do this kind of work.
Description of Work: Clean the filter of a water fall.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$125
Scott P.
08/2013
5.0
landscaping, lawn service
 + 0 more
All went well, done when they said they would and on time.
Description of Work: Plant new sod, trim all bushes around the house.
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Landscaping,
Lawn and Yard Work,
Pavers and Hardscaping,
Mulch and Topsoil,
Fountains,
Stone and Gravel,
Patios,
Landscaping - Lakefront,
Tree Service,
Landscaping - Lighting,
Lighting,
Masonry
FAQ
Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
Monday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds accepts the following forms of payment: American Express,Check,Discover,MasterCard,Visa
No, Aerate 1 Landscaping & Ponds does not offer free project estimates.