Armstrong Concrete Inc

I received a call back the very day I left my name and after describing the problem was informed that they did not do that kind of work.

We worked with Paul Armstrong and were very impressed with the work done by his company. His team arrived early and most of the work was completed within the first day. He listened to our concerns and addressed them during the work - widening the driveway by a few inches on one side so that it was in line with the concrete steps and being careful not to break the power cable that ran under the driveway and connected to the lamp post. The old driveway had some issues with water run-off and Paul made sure that the new one would allow for proper water run-off. He made an effort to find the same concrete blocks for the new retaining wall to match the blocks used for the existing retaining wall and worked with us to make sure the wall was the height and length that we wanted. His team did an excellect job cleaning up afterwords and arrived promptly the next day to complete the remaining work. We are very happy with the results.

Amazing! Whole thing was poured in one day, the work looks fantastic and came in precisely on bid. Paul is a consumate professional with superb customer service skills, and he and his crew really know their business. Everything happened just as he said it would.

It couldn't have gone better. Here's why: The price was very reasonable: about 40% less than the bid another contractor gave me. Paul did the work a month earlier than he said (which thrilled us) because he had an opening in his schedule. The crew showed up on time, were very professional and courteous, and worked their butts off until the job was done. The concrete work, grading, and retaining wall were all perfectly done. As promised, they did not drive any heavy equipment on our lawn, which would have made their job easier but would have damaged our lawn. They cleaned up everything meticulously. I used Armstrong because of its reviews on Angie's List, and when I called Paul, it was the first time I had ever talked to or seen him. I say this because my high praise might sound like I'm a shill for his company. I'm not. My wife and I just could not be more pleased with the work that was done and would not hesitate for a second to recommend Paul to anyone. I would even be willing to talk with anyone who's thinking about using him. Feel free to call me for a reference at 763-550-0128.

Paul Armstrong is very professional. He came when he said he would, and put us on the schedule. Two weeks into waiting for the work to be done, he called and said he had an opening, and they were here the next day. The drive looks great, lines are straight, and the were very clean. The rock they took out of the front yard was very helpful, and they never went on the grass with the loader. It was all in all, a very good experience. Paul was out with his crew on the job and was happy to help and offer suggestions to us in making our decisions.

Paul gained my immediate trust when he arrived at our home to discuss our project and provide an estimate. He explained things in detail and discussed how and why he would provide the finished product in a certain way. He was my second estimate, was a bit higher in price (less than 5%), but I felt far more comfortable with his knowledge and knew I would have more peace of mind that the project was going to be done right. After signing the estimate, he got back to me within a couple days to give me the scheduled date for the work to be done. His crew arrived when he said they would, and finished the next day on time. There were no surprises to the schedule or work performed. I was out of town when the work was completed and Paul called me a few times to give me updates on the progress. The work area was well cleaned up when they left. I have had several people comment on the nice broomed finish and the extra expansion joints Paul puts in as opposed to others.

The work was done very professionally and very accurately. They kept us well informed regarding what they were doing and how they would handle rain delays. They also cleaned the work area each day. We felt that our money was well spent given the quality of the work and the large size of the work crew.

I wanted to make note of the interaction I've had with Paul of Armstrong Concrete. I contacted the company via email late one afternoon and received a call from Paul the next morning, so fast turnaround on that. I then made an appointment on the following Saturday for an estimate. I was impressed by Paul's patience and professionalism throughout our interactions. What I mean is: 1. I canceled the appointment two hours beforehand because I was tired of dealing with estimates having to be done in the pouring rain. Paul didn't act annoyed or impatient at all with this late cancellation. 2. Paul keeps very busy on jobs during the week, so prefers to do estimates on Saturdays. When he heard that I would not be available the next couple of Saturdays, he promised that he would do his best to stop by one weeknight evening as soon as he was done with work. 3. Of course, MN weather being what it is, the week got pretty sunny, so he was busy during the evenings quite late. But, he followed up with another phone call, letting me know he could work me in on Friday afternoon. However, it turned out that my husband came home Thursday night ready to make a decision on another company, so we never had the opportunity to meet with Paul. All-in-all, while we never used any of their services, I felt that Paul's patience, flexibility while busy with paying jobs, and professional communication style made it worth it to post this experience on Angie's list.

Originally had some issues with email address from Angie's List getting to Paul and had rated service as unresponsive. After getting in touch with Paul by phone, he was able to arrange for a bid visit. Very professsional, timely, thorough so far. Still trying to determine whether we will move forward with him in a competitive bid process but so far, he has been excellent and I do not wish to have a negative impression as he explained there was an email alias issue with the email button at the bottom of his page on Angie's List.

My husband called for a bid on a Friday, and Paul came out the next morning. He was very professional and knowledgeable. He understood that a sidewalk in our neighborhood (a former swamp) would need a thick base. He also recommended installing small piers to keep it from sinking. We got at least one other bid. The competitor had no mention of accomodating for the landscape, and the price was about the same. And we just had a better feeling about Armstrong. The day of work, they showed up on time, and were very professional. No problems at all. The sidewalk is pitched well to flow water away from our house and has been so much easier to shovel than our old broken sidewalk was.

We were awed by how hard they worked! Paul was a great communicator and wonderful to deal with. He had a dedicated work crew who respected him ( he worked along side) and worked their butts off. The drainage problem was above and beyond and probably lost them money as the ground was extremely hard and needed to be hand dug because of the location. This review is 2 years late as we stopped Angie's List. But every time I look at the driveway or we have a downpour and no water comes in the basement I am thankful for the work they did. Two years out and everything is great! I have rejoined and I need to write this now. My wife and I have had a lot of work done on our old house by different professionals throughout the years but we have never been as satisfied as we were ( are ) with Paul and his company. I am sorry that I am only getting to this now. Thanks you! Is there a higher score than A???

Paul did an estimate for me in late August. He listened to and had good solutions for my concerns about melding with my backyard walkway and about ice in winter. I called Paul as soon as my loan was approved and he was able to fit me into their schedule within a few days. There were no surprises and work was done as planned and for the amount of the bid. The work was done over two days as promised. The first day, they took out the old walkways and prepared the forms and ground. The second day, they poured the concrete. The crew started early each morning and worked quickly and quietly. Clean up was perfect each day! I was worried about having new concrete over the Halloween weekend and Paul laid my fears to rest by promising to fix any damage that occurred. Thankfully, there were no problems because of Halloween! My new sidewalks look great! I am very happy with this job and would highly recommend Armstrong Concrete.

I had an estimate for $10,000.00 for the work. I thought that was too high and since I had just had great fortune using a contractor from Angie's list I decided to use it again. Armstrong concrete came up as an honors winner and so I gave them a call. It was Saturday so I had to leave a message. To my surprise, Paul called me back within a few hours. He listened to what I wanted done. We set up an appointment and he arrived at my home exactly on time. He took notes as we walked and talked. He handed me the estimate. It was $7520.00. I grinned and signed the contract on the spot. Paul and his crew arrived to do the work bright and early. Paul worked with his crew throughout the day. I work from home in my basement so when they were replacing the riser over the well room I could hear every word they said. The riser is a huge piece of cement that lays on top of an empty little room made of foundation blocks. I had no idea how they could remove it but Paul assured me they had done this type of work in the past. During the removal of the slap of concrete, the crew was contantly yelling at one another to be careful, to get out of the way, to get out from under it, to sure it up...etc. I smiled because any group of guys that are that concerned for one another had been working together for some time and would surely do a good job. They surely did! Every line is straight. The surfaces were finished perfectly. The curve from the back to the front is tasteful--not too wide and not too tight. They did that themselves without asking me what I wanted. Somehow, they just knew what to do. I asked Paul how long I should wait before putting sealer on the concrete. He looked at me and smiled. We seal the concrete as part of the job. I was delighted. Paul asked for 50% down when the job was started and the other half when the job was completed. About a week after completion I received his invoice for the balance. To my surprise, he did not include the charge for the downspout diverters. The pipes were supplied by my landscaper but Paul still had to install them. In addition, Paul's estimate did not include replacing the step from my porch down to the riser but they replaced it. His final bill was hundreds lower than his estimate. Unbelievable! What an honest guy. Well is it any wonder he's an honors winner?

They were cordial and efficient and helpful with a few other things. They were just great. They were neat, cleaned up well and came on time.

Started work on a Monday. Had everything ready to pour next morning. Post-poned pour to Wednesday morning due to weather conditions. Was finished by early afternoon. Paul personnally handled the bobcat, was very carefull of existing site. Finished concrete pitch from front step to street is excellent for drainage. I know that I am repeating myself, but attention to detail, listening to my concerns and suggesting options are part of Paul's customer focus. Excellent work, started and finished timely, attention to detail. Paul and his crew were very professional. I would recommend to all. We are very pleased with the work. GF

I called Paul and left a message. He returned my call very promptly and we set a time to meet at the job site. He arrived at the site before me and he could not be more professional or a nicer guy. He estimated the project as we reviewed in together and offered me a very competitive price. I hired him on the spot. He indicated he would call me the next week with a date of completion. He called me and we set a date for Thursday August 26th. He told me that he would start that day and finish on Friday. To my surprise he and his crew finished the work that day/night and called me about 7pm to tell me they had already finished. When they poured the new concrete they had to do some work under a garage door. Paul was concerned enough about my tenants that he reminded me to make sure that the door got closed. He even said that if I could not do it he would have one of his guys go back later and close it. The next day I arrived at the property to inspect the work. IT WAS PERFECT! I am telling you, if you have the opportunity to hire Paul and his crew, do it! All service should be this good.

Paul was good about returning calls pretty quickly. I had a good idea of what I wanted and he explained what they would do. Once I decided to go ahead with them it was scheduled within a couple of weeks (sooner than he originally thought they would be able to do it). The crew showed up on time and Paul was around to answer any questions I had. Their clean-up was good. I'm very happy with my patio.

After receiving a few estimates we chose Armstrong and some weeks later they arrived with a big crew later in the morning and knocked out the whole job by late that afternoon.

I expected them to say it was too long since it was poured. Also, I wasn't sure how long the small holes were there. They couldn't have been nicer. They said this happens sometimes and they would come out and fix it. The service was wonderful. I decided I needed to report this so people could see they stand behind their work.

I called for a quote and had to leave a message. It took almost a week for Paul to call me back. This was back in February. The same thing happened when I called to hire Armstrong. I left a message and it took several days for him to call me. He called the week the work was to be done to tell me they would be there 3 days vs the 1 day I was expecting. He told me they were behind due to the rain. Here is where I get frustrated. I got home after they had started tearing out the old walk and porch. He asked if we were doing a step down to the street and I said no. What he didn't explain was that by not doing a step, there was going to be a huge drop off between the yard and the sidewalk. I would expect as the expert, he would explain the consequences. He also told me he couldn't haul away the old sod and asked what to do with it. I told him landscapers were coming behind him and that he could leave the sod on the old walkway. Again, what he didn't tell me was that old sod included a 5 foot pile of dirt that he was going to pile on the lawn. First, it seems weird that he couldn't take it. When I told the landscapers about it, they couldn't understand either. What do people do if they don't have a landscaper following? Second, he should have explained how much dirt there would be and suggested a better place for it. When the landscapers came a few days later, they were blown away by what Armstrong had left behind. They had to regrade a lot more than expected and had to call in more sod. They also had to spend hours removing the massive dirt pile. They told me multiple times they had never seen anything left so badly and asked for the name of the company so they could ensure not to recommend them. I paid about $500 extra in landscaping work because of the extra regrading & the dirt pile. The concrete work looks very nice but I was unhappy with every other aspect of the job. The grass got burned where they left their forms, they almost killed the lawn by driving the bobcat over it to pile up the dirt, they didn't clean the concrete splatter off our new door, they left behind some re-bar and the way they left the job cost us a lot of extra money. I didn't know any better but they should have. I felt like I was taken advantage of because they knew someone was coming behind them to clean up their mess. I didn't even bother to call and complain because the damage was done and I doubt Paul will offer to compensate me for the additional cost I paid out. Even though that all could have been prevented if he just would have communicated some of his experience to me.

He made us very happy. He really followed up well and took care of it. My husband had called him and he came and took care of it with no problem at all. He did not charge us.

Everything went very well. They encountered some extra-effort things that they took care of without complaint, especially when removing the old sidewalk, which turned out to be much thicker than anticipated. There needed to be a lot hauling of cement chunks via wheelbarrow up a ramp on the back steps; this took a lot of extra muscle-power, but it was handled very smoothly. They also agreed to install for us a black plastic garden border along the walk beside the house (to separate the walk from the garden, where a curb used to be). They additionally helped to repair the lawn where the cement work necessarily cut into yard. They were always cooperative and friendly and did not attempt to renegotiate the costs based on the new factors that appeared (e.g. the thickness of the old concrete).

I highly recommend Armstrong as the end result was exactly what I expected, he was very detailed and easy to work with. He provided excellent advice on a variety of work. I will use Armstrong again.

Paul was very professional to deal with; the only grade less than A that I gave was under punctuality and there is a reason for this. Since Paul is out on the job site with the crew he is not sitting in an office waiting for the phone to ring. Neither does he have an office staff. Therefore, it might take him a little bit of time to respond to questions or return phone calls - but this is a good thing! I would much rather deal with someone who is actually doing the work than with a sales person. Paul did arrive for the estimate right on time and we discussed several options for my job. Initially, I was not thinking about exposed aggregate for the patio, but the driveway bid left me enough room in the budget to git 'er done. I called Paul and told him about the potential change and he sent out a new contract right away. Paul only has one crew and he works right along with them. They arrived promptly as scheduled and started right in. At one point I looked outside and saw Paul laying on his belly in the grass, eyeballing the forms to make sure they were lined up correctly. Other companies I had spoken to about bids sent out a sales person, who had to speak to the owner in negotiating the final price. The owner then would schedule the crew. With Armstrong Concrete you only are dealing with one person from start to finish. A couple of minor snafus occurred - the wire for my invisible dog fence was broken in removing the old driveway. This was repaired on the spot. Also, one of their hose nozzles became jammed on my hose and could not be removed. The crew ran out to the hardware store and bought a part to repair the hose. everything was cleaned up nicely when they left. I am thrilled with the results. The job was completed on time and within budget.

This company did an outstanding job. They were prompt, professional, easy to work with, and did a fabulous job. They are extremely conscientious and were meticulous in the work they performed. They have my highest recommendation.