Hometown Landscape & Lawn Service

The work was spectacular. Their estimate was very fair. The final price matched the initial estimate.

Very pleased with the results of the work done. Our experience was very positive. Professional interactions with every representative of the company--they were very accommodating to/with our needs and requests and really seemed to have a great understanding of the plants and drainage issues we were dealing with, as well as how best to address them. We "interviewed" and spoke with over 5 different landscape and lawn care/drainage companies before finally selecting Hometown. They had the most competitive pricing and they really made us feel as if they were eager to help us --something we did not feel from some (but not all) of the companies we considered. They were prompt and very responsive to getting the work scheduled, which was very important to us, as well. Would definitely recommend Hometown to others and would contact them again for future lawn and landscaping services.

Great! Our yard went from being something I couldn't stand looking at to a nice clean blank slate for more landscaping work in the spring. My only complaint is the communication was quiet frustrating. It took a few weeks from when they first came out to get the estimate and get a question answered. Also, there was no communication about when they would come out after we sent the signed contract in, the crew just showed up one morning. But they did such a nice job, the communication issues don't really matter to us and we look forward to working with Hometown again.

We started with five Angie's List A-rated companies within ten miles of our house, then narrowed it to two based on website photos of landscaping that appealed to our sensibilities. We got quotes from them. Both seemed quite expert. Hometown came in lower and also gave us an Angie's List senior discount. Jeff first visited on September 10, got us the quote with a range of prices on Sept. 12, and returned Sept. 17 to refine the plan and pin down the price by selecting the exact plantings. After that promising beginning, things dragged a bit with back-and-forth e-mails, and the job was done in one long day by a crew of at least seven workers on October 21. The Sept. 17 meeting was outstanding. We described what we wanted -- a sort of English garden with clusters of low-growing plants, each with its own distinct visual interest. Jeff really got it. His plan hit the nail on the head. The crew did an excellent job, and we are very pleased with the result.

They did an AMAZING job and we are so grateful. Our patio had been put down incorrectly the previous summer by a different contractor. They were able to see exactly what had been done incorrectly and they fixed the problem. They gave us a very good deal on the project. They worked quickly and professionally. They went above and beyond.

The work was a fairly difficult project in that it required the use of a crane to remove the tree in sections due to several sets of power lines (main power lines and power lines to house). The Hometown crew and crane operator showed up exactly one week after we finalized the contract, they were on time and completed the entire project (including tree removal and cleanup) in one day. I cannot say enough about these guys and their professionalism. Sean and his crew were courteous, personable and extremely diligent in making sure everything was done right and completely to our satisfaction. Most importantly, they were the only company of the nine we talked to that opted for use of the crane, which significantly sped up the process and substantially reduced the risk of getting tangled in the power lines along the street in the front of our house. They actually had to take the tree down in sections lifting them over the power lines and to the chipper equipment located on the opposite side of the street. Finally, and most importantly, their estimate and final bill came in all other bidders, substantially exceeding some of the quotes by almost half! Great company, great people ... we will use them again for our next tree project and any related landscaping work!

We have an erosion run-off problem with our back yard partially due to the fact that four of our downspouts drain into the back yard and eventually to an adjacent wooded area and then into a creek. The second problem is that yards at a higher elevation than ours drain through our yard to the same area. There is a swale in our yard through which most of the runoff from the higher elevation yards passes. This project was to deal with the downspout runoff, specifically to incorporate drainpipe to the wooded area so it would not run through the yard. To Hometown Landscaping?s credit, they sent out an individual who examined the problem and discussed it with me. At that point I clearly pointed out that the path for the drain pipe should avoid the swale because going through the swale would just aggravate the erosion problem. The order states ?as discussed? which to me indicates that we agreed to avoid the swale. Now the person I discussed it with, or anyone else for that matter, was not there to give crew direction as to what ?as discussed? meant. The crew arrived and went right to work and began digging trenches. By the time I realized that they were there and digging it was too late, not to mention the fact that there was a sever language communication problem. They routed right through the swale that was, ?as discussed? to be avoided. It has been about a week and with relatively minor rain I am seeing erosion problems in the swale area. A moderate to heavy rain is going to be a washout and I will be facing a major investment in erosion control that I did not expect to make. One could say that I should have insisted that the work order be explicit as to the path of the drain line. While that would give me more legal recourse, I do not see how the crew would have been informed of that intent in the first place because they took, absence specific guidance otherwise, the most obvious route. Here is the bottom line: 1) the quality of the work was fine, 2) the price was competitive, 3) onsite management of the project was nonexistent, and 4) if you use them, make sure the details are in writing.

The work was done professionally and looks great. The person who trimmed took the time to talk with us about what we wanted done and made some good suggestions. We were very pleased with the work. Cleanup was thorough. Communications with the company were not so good. When I called for an estimate to be performed and arranged a date and time, I told the scheduler I wanted to talk with the estimator. When the window of time expired, I called the company only to find the estimator had come and left without letting us know he was there. After sending in a deposit, I had to call twice to get a work date scheduled after my deposit check had already cleared my bank. We never did get a scheduled date but got a phone call an hour before the workers arrived to do the job. To be fair, we did have one date span in which we did not want the worked scheduled and I think Hometown was trying to get it done before that date. Nevertheless, I think when a deposit is in a company's hands, the onus is on the company to proactively contact the customer to discuss work dates, not wait for the customer to call them.

Overall experience was positive.

We have wanted to replace and update our landscaping for several years. We had an overgrown Juniper shrub that was buggy and encroaching into the driveway and sidewalk. Also had an Arborvitae that had been planted in a too small space and was root bound. Our plan was to get rid of those and replace with smaller, more decorative shrubs and flowers. We also had a "dead zone" in front of a fence that we wanted to landscape. Hometown did it all in less than a day. We met with John to go over our design and got a quote that we found to be reasonable. We would give this company an A+++ for responsiveness, communication and customer relations. The team was efficient and talked to us before starting the job to make sure we were all on the same page. We had one very minor issue with the billing which was quickly corrected by Jackie in the office. The landscaping changes have gotten a thumbs up from our neighbors and friends and we have recommended Hometown to neighbors and to our Homeowners' Association.

They were very kind in phone conversations, and an appointment was made for an estimate. But they were over three hours late for the estimate, which meant that neither of the homeowners was even home when they came, only a roommate. Still, their price was better than the competition, so we mailed a check with half the estimated cost to them and reserved a spot for "some time in July." This was around the end of June. We heard nothing for many weeks, not even a notice that they had received the check to reserve a slot for us. I was getting worried, and was about to call them, when suddenly we got a call that said they were coming the next day to perform the work. It was very short notice, but luckily my wife was able to get off of work that day to oversee the job. The quality of the work was mixed. The sump trench and piping was done quickly, and seems to be working well so far. They laid down sod on the front of the property with grass over the trench area, but oddly left a small gap of dirt between the sod and old grass. But behind the fence, on the side of the house where the rest of the trench had been dug, they left only bare dirt. I'm not sure why they neglected to lay down sod and grass in this area. On the other side of the house, the all new sod and grass looked great. They gave us a brief note to water it every once in a while, since it was the summer. Well, the grass didn't work out too well. First, when we had a big rain the entire area still flooded up with water, with no appreciable difference in water running toward the front of the property. So their solution for that side of the house didn't really work at all. Also, they didn't lay down anything on top of the grass to protect it from the summer sun, such as hay, which I thought was standard practice. I was watering it once a day, but it still turned completely brown. I switched to watering it 3 times a day, and after several days of that it finally turned green again and seems to be fairly healthy at this point. I also had to plant all new grass seeds myself on the bare spots they had left. The new sod on the side of the house is also very soft and weak. Just walking around it (and this was not after a rain storm, but after a series of dry days) my feet left big holes in the ground, which now when the rain does come are filling up with water. So in a way, their "solution" to my flooding side of the lawn has actually made the problem worse. Finally, this was probably just an oversight, but when they invoiced us by email recently they did not show our deposit on the invoice. So they asked us for the full payment again. My wife was about to send a check for the full amount, but luckily I caught their mistake at the last minute. Again, this was probably just an error on their part, but it's an error that almost cost us $675.

Once I am going to start the project I am going to let them come back and do it. They took their time as far as walking through how the work was going to be done and how much each project will cost. They talked about where I can save money depending on the part of the seasons or part of the year I asked them to do the work. There is an old irrigation system around the yard that needs to be dug up, some terrible amount of grass and some grading that I want to get done. Jeff came out and informed me that if I want to do the irrigation then I should do it towards the end of the summer because they don’t have to plant sod or put down seed in the Fall, which would be a much cheaper approach and I thought that was very generous, because some of the other folks would just give the price which is why I used Angie's List. Jeff was a really nice guy, took his time and walked through the yard with me. He pointed out some things and gave me some pointers that I can work on in the mean time which was really helpful. He was a really nice guy, friendly and punctual. He was very responsive and got back. I went through some friends and asked a couple of other landscapers to come out to give an estimate; they weren’t the cheapest but certainly not the most expensive.

Sometimes they need an occasional reminder for landscape trimming, trimming the bushes and stuff. But in general we've been very pleased with them. They've done all of it very well. We've been using them for years.

I can't say enough good things about Hometown Landscape! I contacted several highly rated companies from Angie's List to get bids on replacing the old, tired-looking shrubs in front of my home with a more attractive arrangement. Hometown responded promptly to my email and set an appointment for John to come out and assess the project. John arrived on time and took the time to find out if I had any particular likes or dislikes before he started making suggestions about what plants to use. Within two days, Jeff emailed a design proposal with a very neat sketch of suggested plants. When I researched the various plants in the proposal, I found that a good deal of thought had gone into situating each shrub or tree where the conditions would be right for it. Parts of the area get morning sun only while other places are sunny all day. Every plant was placed where it would have the right conditions to help it thrive. The design included a variety of colors and textures for year round interest. When installation day arrived, Elmer and his crew worked very efficiently to remove all the old scraggly bushes, roots and all. They added plenty of organic matter to condition my heavy clay soil, and planted everything exactly as it was shown on the original sketch. They also installed a set of sidewalk lights that we had purchased previously. Everyone on the crew was very polite and professional. Elmer noticed that one area still looked a little bare, so he suggested a few additional plants and made a trip back to the nursery to get them. All the work was completed in a day, the crew cleaned up all of the old plant material, and the end result is beautiful. After a week or two one of the plants started to die back, and a few other started to lose some leaves. I was expecting some setbacks while the plants recovered from the shock of being transplanted, but I wanted to let the company know that I might need to have one or two plants replaced. Again, the office responded quickly to my emails, and at my request, Jeff came out to assess the condition of the plants. (They're doing fine!) My only suggestion to the company would be to set a more realistic time frame for the completion of the work. At the initial appointment, I was told the the job could probably be completed within two weeks. After two weeks had passed, I emailed to find out what was going on and was told another two weeks. In the end it took five or six weeks to get the job scheduled. I realize that we've had a very rainy spring and landscapers are at the mercy of the weather. If I had been told to expect a four week lead time, I would have been fine with the five week time frame. But all things considered, the results were definitely worth the wait!

Their interaction was good. My weeds are starting to grow up already, but I don't know if that has to do with the weather or the fact that they don't put enough screen on the landscaping. They came and it looked really good and they did a nice job. They are in line with what everybody is asking for price. They were on time. They are very professional.

Each job was a lot of work! They cleaned up after they were done and each bush and tree was completely removed, Both my husband and I were amazed at the total clearing of trees and brush. They were even able to get over the chain-link fence with minimal distubance the rose bushes. It is astounding of the level of quality that Hometown Landscaping performed. Thank you!

I had previously used Hometown Landscape for a major yard clean-up, and tree removal, and found their service to be excellent. I contacted them about doing the regular maintenance of my property as well. I had received several other estimates, but the estimate from Hometown Landscape was the best. In addition, they were able to do other valuable services such as weeding, planting, and turf control. I have been completely satisfied with their work, and continue to have them service my property.

The estimate for the work was given the day after my phone call. The work was completed 2 days later. I had used Hometown Landscape previously for an extensive clean-up of my yard & gutters, so I was familiar with their service, but had not had tree work done before. Prompt arrival on day that work was scheduled, work completed the same day, and very thorough clean-up. Hauled away the trees and all the debris. I was very satisfied with the job that was done and the coupon made the cost very reasonable.

In 2013, Hometown did my basic winter yard cleanup and trimmed trees and bushes for $300.00. This year 2014, they have an $850.00 minimum to come to Bethesda. I'll find someone else.

They showed up when expected. Did excel ent work and cleaned up before they left.

Will use them for spring cleanup too.

The company showed up as scheduled, but because of a water main break, had to find a different way to get to my house. They gained access via a back entrance and completed the job. |Great Effort ! !

Fantastic team- did a Fall clean-up. Very courteous, prompt and professional. Will definitely use again.

I think that their price is the market price for this area. They know more or less now what I need done here in my yard.

I had an appointment for Hometown to look at the work I wanted them to do. Because the work is in my backyard, I went out two hours before the appointment unlocked the entry to the back, went in the house to wait. I watched tv in the front of the house (specifically the bedroom nearest the front door). The appointment time came and went though I kept checking a window and eventually noticed a truck parked across the street from a neighbors house. I checked my landline and saw I had a message. The message was from Hometown; it stated the estimator is at my home. I phoned them left a message that no one had come to my home. When I was called back, I was told that the estimator had been to my home and looked at the back yard. I wanted specific things done so I would have preferred to speak to the estimator myself while he was here. The secretary told me she would have the individual call me. Shortly thereafter my cell phone rings, when I answer the phone, it immediately disconnected, ok I thought. Seconds later the same thing happens, so I phone Hometown again. I ask is the number on my cell the number of the estimator, I am told yes. I ask what is this persons problem? The secretary told me the estimator says he knocked on the door and no one answered and that I had security cameras. The estimator thinks I was watching him because of the cameras. I explain that I have the cameras so I don't have to watch all day I simply review the recording at the end of the day and note anything notable. I did eventually speak to the estimator and he was a extremely rude initially. So the estimator was knocking at the door at the back of my house by the carport not the front door so, I didn't hear him knock. I received a contract that was vague and I felt physically showing someone what you want done eliminates or lowers the possibility of miscommunication. I thought about writing a detailed email trying to describe the work I wanted done in more detail and signing an amended contract. But, I decided to find another company for that work. I called an emailed a representative if you need to verify any of my statements.