Premier Pavers & Hardscape Co

It was an excellent experience. It was trouble free and worry free. They did a wonderful job and finished up nicely. They responded promptly to any calls. They were very professional and we were very pleased.

We needed to expand our driveway into our front yard to fit a second car, so we wanted a driveway that looked better than a standard asphalt driveway. The guys at Premier Pavers did an excellent job, and we are very pleased with their workmanship. The project manager (Bob) was professional and easy to work with and kept us informed throughout the project. His crew showed up every day until the job was complete. We were also installing a fence along the edge of the driveway at the same time, and Bob and his guys were able to work around the fence installation schedule.

Poor planing resultion delays poor communication quality materials and workmanship Hire at your own risk

A few years ago when I was out for a run, I saw some of the quality work being performed by Premier Pavers. I saw a beautiful driveway being constructed out of concrete pavers and it was obvious that the materials and workmanship was top notch. I was trained as an architect and have been employed by architects for almost 30 years, so I know quality materials, workmanship and true attention to detail when I see it. Anyway, knowing that at some point, our retaining wall needed replacement and we were thinking of installing a patio as well, I made a mental note of the company name. Some time went by and we were getting closer to doing the project and of course I forgot the name of the company. I started doing some research into local companies and by luck, I came across the previously mentioned driveway project on Premier Pavers’ website. I then looked up the company on Angie’s list and after reading some favorable reviews, I decided to give Ian Forman of Premier Pavers a call and inquire if he was interested in providing a quote for a retaining wall project. Ian came out and we bounced design ideas around as well as discussed appropriate materials, construction methods, timeframe, etc. This all happened late summer, early fall over several months. Ian was very good about spending time and answering questions, all before any deposits were put down. We met multiple times to discuss the project and pricing and spent a fair amount of time planning. When I saw the quote, which was very concise both in terms of scope and price, I was quite pleased. The quote was very reasonable and actually much cheaper than some of the other quotes I received. I was not only sold, but started to consider phase 2 of the project which was the patio portion. I had originally planned to do the retaining wall in one phase and the patio in another phase. Ian provided a quote for phase 2 and also mentioned that we would save some money if we did all at once because all of the equipment, materials, crew, etc. were there. This was not an aggressive push at all and Ian made it clear that we were free to do whatever we wanted. This was pretty typical of Ian throughout the entire project. He was very flexible and just wanted to present all of the options so that we could decide what was best for us. After reviewing all of the pricing we decided to do the entire project at once, but wait until the Spring. We could have started and finished the project anytime because of the mild winter, but frankly needed some more time to save some money for such a substantial project. Ian was very flexible about the start date and even offered us a 6 month no-interest loan so that we could spread the payments out. This allowed us to do the entire project at once and the payments do not start until the project is complete. So the project started in early April 2012. I requested a meeting with Ian’s construction manager and head mason (Paul) and they came out on a Saturday before the project started to discuss the scope of the work and to make sure everyone understood what was involved. They started on a Monday and made very quick work of getting started, demolishing the old wall and removing earth. The structure of the existing retaining wall turned out to be much more substantial than originally thought and it took the guys awhile, but the quoted price remained fixed. Over the next few days, the crew starting installing the new retaining wall. We made a few changes in the field including raising the height of the wall in certain spots and incorporating a stair. Of course, there was a change order and extra fee generated for this, however Ian’s process is very professional and organized. Any changes are discussed first, price agreed to, and then paperwork drawn up. No surprises and no hassle. The customer should always be right and Ian makes you feel that way. The wall needed to be longer than we thought because of some grading issues, but Ian took responsibility for that, which I thought was very fair. During the excavation, we discovered that the electrics to our septic pump (our septic tank pumps to a leeching field) were not buried very deeply. These were dug up, but would have needed to be rerouted and buried deeper anyway. I had another crew on site that was performing other work for me and they jumped in and provided a digger for the day, but Ian’s mason (Paul) did the actual work and we were able to keep the unexpected charges to a minimum. Everyone agreed that this was unexpected work and that no one needs to make any money from this. I was charged only for the actual cost of the digger rental and for the straight labor involved – no markups. It was amazing to see these crews working together in the customers best interest. Ian and his crew were very flexible about working with and around other contractors, so I was appreciative of that. The rest of the project went just as smoothly. The patio itself went down very quickly. The workers did an incredible job of preparing and compacting the site as well as laying out the entire pattern before anything is finalized. Any conflicts were reviewed on site early mornings. There was also an upper area of the retaining wall that we mulched and added re-used bluestone to. Ian provided all this as well as some metal edging to define a planting bed and also offered to assist with some plantings, so the service is just fantastic. We also added a 5’ x 15’ walkway and made some changes to another adjacent walkway as the project took shape. Paul and his crew did an amazing job re-setting some existing bluestone that we reused and the work they did on the retaining wall and patio was absolutely of the highest quality. These guys have a lot of pride in their work and it shows. The lighting component of the project was originally included in Ian’s quote and Ian’s guys do that work no problem, but we ended up pulling that work out of Ian’s quote and worked up an independent quote (still using one of Ian’s lighting contacts). We had some various lighting issues, so it just made sense to deal with that separately. Ian gave us a credit for the lighting and we just applied that to the new quote and then worked with that vendor independently to choose fixtures and size transformers, etc. The first day with all the earth removal and demo was a bit scary, but the project moved very quickly and was complete in about 2 weeks right on schedule. The crew showed up on time and kept the site clean, in fact they re-routed some sprinkler heads for me and re-graded/re-seeded the adjacent lawn so it looked better than it did before they arrived. If you want high quality workmanship and materials at a competitive price, and enjoy working with pleasant, honest and flexible people, I highly recommend Premier Pavers. I know I will be using them again for some stair work next year.

Premier, responded to the emergency over several days doing everything necessary to address the problem very effectively. They saved the day!

Dear Ian, My wife and I are very grateful to you and your crew for the excellent job you've just completed in removing the deteriorating patio along the back of our house and replacing it with a larger, new one that is visually pleasing and will no doubt last for at least a century. I asked you to bid on this job based upon your outstanding work 5 years ago in replacing our crumbling asphalt driveway with paving stones and also demolishing our front stoop, then completely rebuilding at in a structurally sound fashion. You did not disappoint now, working with me from an early stage to explore different configurations for the new patio and assuring that from the new foundation upwards, it would be constructed solidly and in an enduring fashion. We decided on a slightly larger new patio, extending it a few feet into our back yard beyond the old patios edge. Your quoted price was reasonable and the job began on time. As the old porch was being demolished, your crew noted that the old patio had been built on sand that had settled, leaving empty space under the old cement patio top and the adjacent side of the house. They halted the work immediately in view of this unsafe condition, helped me identify a structural engineer, and amended the scope of work based upon his extensive input beginning with the need to design and install a new foundation wall in situ under that side of the house before proceeding further. This was all done promptly and at reasonable additional cost, which I appreciated since it would have been easy for you to take advantage of this unexpected predicament, which you did not. Your crew also repaired at no additional cost some settling of the 5 year old paving stones leading into the garage, and replaced rotting wood thresholds at the rear of my garage and beneath sliding doors leading from my house to the patio. Finally, you located and referred me to an artisan blacksmith who did an equally high quality, visually appealing and reasonably priced job with new railings for the patio, its stairs and basement well, plus a hand rail on the front stoop that we had never gotten around to installing. Should we ever require any paving or masonry work, we would contact you first. I am happy to recommend you to prospective clients and rate you and your company topnotch in every respect.

The service was good and I would use them again.

Premier Pavers subcontracted our asphalt driveway reconstruction to another company. Premier Pavers' owner was very nice and accomodating in making the deal; however, I was dismayed when the subcontractor had told me he brought a certain quantity of gravel sufficient for the job but I had calculated he would have needed twice as much. There is an industry scheme to not deliver enough material in a paving job to save the contractor money. I called Ian, the owner of Premier Pavers. We discussed the problem and I was assured enough gravel was provided. We disputed claims back and forth by email. I asked him to provide receipts for the materials the company had purchased, which he furnished, but the math didn't quite compute. After several weeks of aggravation, we finally gave up with the contest, knowing that the next time we replace our driveway, we will be on site, 100% of the time, monitoring the progress of the work. Be careful. Do your homework to determine exactly how many truckloads of gravel and asphalt should be added for your job and make sure it arrives on the day of work. Check out the National Asphalt Pavement Association for industry standards or call them.

Premier Pavers & Hardscape is truly a premier service provider. I was thoroughly impressed with the company through all phases of the project. I found Ian Forman to be highly professional, organized, detail-oriented, pleasant, and a good listener. When he came out to review my property and hear what I wanted to have done, he spent a couple of hours with me. I know some reviewers have said that they thought his lengthy approach is excessive, but in this day and age, I found it refreshing to talk with a contractor who was sincerely interested in earning my business. Ian offered great suggestions when evaluating my property and was very happy to answer any of my questions and to explain thoroughly the process his crews go through to perform all of the work, from demolition and excavation to backfill to laying the pavers. Some people may not care about all this--they are more interested in the final product--but listening to how it would be done helped differentiate Ian from the other contractor I spoke with. Ian also came prepared, with lots of sample pavers in the back of his truck to show, a book of accreditations and insurance coverages, and a large portfolio of his company's work. Ian's crew was fantastic. Ed the project manager, although not the most chatty guy, was on-site each day to review the plans for the day with me and the crew. When an issue came up regarding my old clay water pipes that the downspout entered, Ed called me to describe the situation and the options I had. I can't say enough about the actual workers. The crew of 3 were the hardest working guys I think I've ever met. Although my project was not huge, I was amazed that they showed up at 7:15 in the morning and stayed until past 7:30 at night to do this job in all of 3 days. Ian's original estimate was between 4 and 6 days and they beat it easily. While I realize that a big reason they worked so hard for so long was because they had another big job scheduled to start immediately, I've rarely had the pleasure of having contractors that worked as hard as these guys did through three of the hottest, highest humidity days we've had this summer. They took great care with everything. In fact, one of my initial concerns that I shared with Ian was that I had just had a lot of landscaping done in the spring with lots of new shrubs, trees, and flowers installed as well as a lawn irrigation system that I didn't want disturbed. Several of the irrigation sprinkler heads ran parallel to the walkway and were very close to the edge of it. Ian mentioned that we may need to move three sprinkler heads 7 inches to the right of the walk. I was a bit apprehensive, as I didn't know how the water lines ran below grade and I basically didn't want to have a problem with the irrigation system since it was working just fine. Ian said it shouldn't be a big deal but if it was they would evaluate the feasibility and let me know before moving the line. Ian's integrity showed through when he simply said to me, "we break, we fix." Just a quick comment about the price of the job. Certainly pavers are more expensive (initially) than doing a traditional asphalt driveway, but long-term we felt it was a better investment and more durable solution that would last well beyond a new asphalt driveway, given our harsh New England winters. In fact, I can't wait until this winter to be able to shovel my driveway without the shovel getting stuck in the uneven grooves that had been there and not picking up huge chunks of asphalt with my shovel full of snow. Although I didn't get more than one other quote, Ian's price was competitive and comparable. With the Angie's List discount that he offers, it actually was a bit less than the other guy. We are thoroughly pleased with our new driveway, walkway, and grilling pad. We've already received many compliments from neighbors and several of them have inquired about having Ian's team do their driveways. If you are considering having a driveway replaced or a patio installed or any other paver application, look no further than Premier Paver & Hardscape--they'll do a superb job.

This was my first major "home project" so I went into it with a bit of trepidition, but I had a great experience from start to finish w/ Premier Pavers. Some people here mention Ian gave them a "hard sell", but I had just the opposite view. Of all the contractors, he spent the most time w/ me in the design phase and seemed to show the most interest in obtaining my business. His price for the patio was roughly in the middle of all the quotes that we got which I thought was a good sign. We were doing our research in Summer '10 and didnt want to start construction until Spring '11 which some contractors had an issue with, but Ian had no problem. We signed a contract in Fall '10 w/ a good faith deposit and his crew were out at my house in early April '11 for construction just as we had agreed. Ian had a great crew at our house led by his project manager Mike. They were dilligent, courteous and you could tell they took a lot of pride in their work. All the work was done as I expected and they were very open to discussing any changes or concerns I had. Likewise, Mike was very open and thorough when explaining any change orders, which there were some, but nothing that I would consider to be more outrageous than I expected. In the end the job was done almost at budget and in less time than expected and beyond my expectations in terms of quality and output - which is all one could ask for. Many people on here mention "a hard sell" from Ian, but if you aren't trying to gather more business as a small business owner than you don't care enough about your company and therefore your work. A good consumer can get past the sell and focus on what's important which is the price & the work - both of which I was extrememly pleased with with Premier Pavers. I would gladly recommend them and my wife and I are very pleased w/ our new patio and hope to enjoy it worry free for years to come!

Premier Pavers & Hardscape Co quoted me somewhere between $14000 and $15000, which I thought, was a little high. I also haven?t got any computable estimate from them so I don?t know what their exact pricing is. Also, since it is an outdoor work, I have decided to wait until spring. The person who came out to do the estimate was very professional. However, I felt like he was pressuring me. He kept calling me again and again, which I didn?t like. I would consider using them for a quote, for different job in the future.

We met Ian at the Boston Home Show months prior, and he followed up with a phone call to set up an appointment. At the time, we were talking to other paver companies, but Ian was the most prompt and punctual with getting back to us and answering questions, so we went with him. We originally wanted to do all pavers for walkway and driveway, but due to budget constraints, we had to pare down the scope to asphalt for the driveway portion, which Ian accomodated. We were also in the middle of new construction, so the driveway need to be pitched a certain way and a drain needed to be installed which Ian was instrumental in helping to fix and construct. Ian came out when necessary to aid in this hiccup of the project, but lended his help beyond the original scope (he dutifully charged us additional for this) which was great service on his part. Before continuing, Ian provided very detailed drawings and sketches so that we all knew exactly what the walkway and driveway was going to look like. And we went through the entire catalog of paver products and gave us various options. He also added granite edging to the driveway (which looks great!) and installed the pavers when he said he was that was according to plan. Initially, the granite edging was installed crooked and looked terrible from the street....Ian simply agreed when he saw it and fixed and straightened them out immediately. Aside from new construction hiccups and a minor situation with our neighbor (which he resloved), working with Ian and Premier Pavers was a great experience. The quality of the work great and we couldnt be happier with the final product. They were professional, prompt, and reasonable and we would work with them again in the future! The only thing preventing us from giving them a full score, is that their prices were a bit higher than average....however, their work and craftsmanship is above average!

I also experienced the same full-press sales approach. Ian came over and spent about 3 hours going over everything, which was way too long. I was told that the job would run $55K, and that I would be required to advertise for the company (put up a sign, write a letter and speak to my neighbors)!? What an absurd notion. When I balked at the insane pricing, Ian responded two days later by saying that he made a "math error" due to the, "heat and humidity." This seems curious to me because this company has been in business for almost 10 years. My point is that Ian should have know that the numbers were off right away. Another aspect that was most annoying about Ian and Premier Pavers, is that he tried to sell me everything. Ian wated to do my roofing job, siding, fence etc. I thought I called a masonry company, not a general contractor. Furthermore, a few days after our meeting, Ian sent "his" roofing crew to my home at 8:15 PM as I was putting my son to bed. This was absolutely unacceptable. Not only, was it way too late, but Ian never let me know that these guys were coming by. Who estimates a roofing job in the dark? When I told Ian that I was not interested in any of his services, he sent me a rude email saying I wasted his time. Had Ian been more honest, up front and reasonable in pricing, I may have hired him to complete my patio. Bottom line: this company is very, very overpriced . . they throw huge numbers out hoping that people will bite. Furthermore, they call daily to "check in" and apply pressure. Additionally, they do not employ any of the workers they use; they subcontract all work and throw their GC fee on top. Do yourself a favor and hire a mason who focuses solely on masonry. I found another company who is highly regarded on Angie's List to do the patio for me. They are using the same materials, do amazing work and . . are over $20K cheaper!

Ian was the owner and my primary contact and he was very responsive, he came out twice to meet with us and gave me a quote. He was very detail oriented with the quote, a lot of other companies I met with gave quotes that were not as specific and as easy to follow. His project manager, Mike, was very attentive to detail and responsive to a change we had part way through project. They were very accommodating about taking care of the change.

Fast, accurate, very good service and very good overall result

I think that they did a very good job; however, in retrospect I wish that I had gotten a primary contractor for the landscaping, and used this company as the sub-contractor. Their primary business is selling the unipavers and then they subcontract out the work. This company was not easy to work with. They sell you just enough to get the job done and then sell many add-ons. If you want the job done correctly, you will end up paying. I felt like the cost for the add-ons should have been included in the original contract price. I will say that it was a difficult project to coordinate, but they could have done a better job.

They did a great job, they were prompt and listen well, they have great communicated skills. They helped with dainage issues. Currently the driveway works well, and we have no drianage issues. We get lots of compliments on the driveway.

It has been very good. The workers were very good. The owner and staff were very knowledgeable and the selection is good. I am really impressed with the workers. Their sales tactics are a little high pressure, which is the only negative about them.

It has been very good. The workers were very good. The owner and staff were very knowledgeable and the selection is good. I am really impressed with the workers. Their sales tactics are a little high pressure, which is the only negative about them.

We only got a quote, and ultimately opted for a cheaper and simpler job using asphalt and another contractor. Systems Paving try to sell you on appearance, quality, and durability. It's a heavy-handed sales approach, with a multi-hour home visit with presentations, graphs, etc. We would have considered a paver driveway if the appearance justified the cost. It just didn't. SP justifies the cost based on durability (but they only warrant the pavers, not the installation) and quality of installation (which anyone could do a decent job of in our sandy soil). The sales experience was not positive: the first quote was $54K, and when we balked it was reduced by $10,000 if we allowed some marketing using our driveway. That's just poor: I expect the best price up front, not some sort of pseudo-special deal, like I'm buying a used car.

We only got a quote, and ultimately opted for a cheaper and simpler job using asphalt and another contractor. Systems Paving try to sell you on appearance, quality, and durability. It's a heavy-handed sales approach, with a multi-hour home visit with presentations, graphs, etc. We would have considered a paver driveway if the appearance justified the cost. It just didn't. SP justifies the cost based on durability (but they only warrant the pavers, not the installation) and quality of installation (which anyone could do a decent job of in our sandy soil). The sales experience was not positive: the first quote was $54K, and when we balked it was reduced by $10,000 if we allowed some marketing using our driveway. That's just poor: I expect the best price up front, not some sort of pseudo-special deal, like I'm buying a used car.

Sales rep was v. professional, called even when he was going to be a mere five minutes late. Took thorough measurements. Consulted with staff engineer to see what types of footers were needed to make sure steps were secure and would last a lifetime. But $30k for new stairs and wall? Outrageous. They were the first people to give us an estimate and everyone came in at least half that! Are their blocks made of gold?

Sales rep was v. professional, called even when he was going to be a mere five minutes late. Took thorough measurements. Consulted with staff engineer to see what types of footers were needed to make sure steps were secure and would last a lifetime. But $30k for new stairs and wall? Outrageous. They were the first people to give us an estimate and everyone came in at least half that! Are their blocks made of gold?

IAN CAME OUT TO TALK ABOUT USING PAVERS ON MY DRIVEWAY AND WALK. HE EXPLAINED THE PROCESS VERY CLEARLY, TOLD ME HOW HIS COMPANY DIFFERS FROM OTHER PAVING COMPANIES, AND ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR. I LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF JOBS HE HAD DONE, AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE QUALITY AND AESTHETICS. FRANKLY, I WOULD HAVE GONE AHEAD WITH THIS JOB EXCEPT THAT I HAD SOME UNEXPECTED REPAIRS ON MY ROOF AND WALLS DUE TO THE HARSHNESS OF THE WINTER. I HOPE TO DO THIS PAVING JOB SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE WHEN I CAN FIT IT INTO THE BUDGET.

THE SALESMAN WAS GREAT AT SUGGESTING AN APPROPRIATE LAYOUT AS WELL AS THE RIGHT COLOR PAVERS TO USE.