Outdoor Contracting

We hired Outdoor Life to build a concrete patio (had a wooden deck) and remove broken concrete around the pool, repair sunken areas and pour new concrete. Bill gave us many suggestions prior to starting. Though we had a rainy 2 weeks during the process, his crew went above and beyond finishing the project prior to the deadline. We decided to go with stamped concrete which is very time consuming and hard work - we must say, without mentioning any names of his crew, there were 2 that worked extremely hard and meticulous in order to insure that the patio retaining walls where completely even, the drainage around the pool was going away from the pool/patio area and dug up all the concrete around the pool without any damage. Even though there were a few slight hiccups and a few concerns that we had; we absolutely love our new patio and pool area.

Bill and his team are fantastic!! We had interviewed several landscapers to design our backyard (and I mean SEVERAL). We had built a pool and wanted our backyard to "stand out". Outdoor Life did just that!! Our yard is full of beautiful trees, bushes, flowers and 2 rock walkways (I can't put in words how stunning the rocks look). Bill was there to walk us through the process, didn't hide prices, and was extremely professional. He loves what he does and it shows in his work and designs. Bill and his team showed up exactly when they said they would be there. They worked nonstop and never left anything unfinished. They cleaned up every night and never left trash lying around. While the price is probably higher than most, you definitely get what you pay for with Outdoor Life. I HIGHLY recommend them!!!

After several failed attempts to find a contractor to landscape our backyard, we found Mr. Bill Botkin from Outdoor Life Contracting, Inc. He helped our backyard dreams come true! We discovered Bill on Angie?s List and found that he had some of the best reviews we?d seen and after working with other designers/contractors we reached out to Bill. From our initial consult we immediately liked Bill and his straight, no fluff talk and eye for detail in discussing our plans/dreams for our backyard. He was the most honest contractor we had ever met and explained that if we were in a big hurry to do things that he was probably not our guy. We were not in a hurry and ever since we moved to our house in 2007 we had been wanting to landscape our sad excuse for a backyard and were just waiting for the right time and right person to work with. Bill took his time getting to know us during our consult and design phase, making sure he knew what we wanted. He presented several designs for us to consider including the dream backyard to a more budget friendly yard that had most of the elements we desired. We were taking the design process very slowly, really considering what we wanted, and Bill was very patient and very helpful in answering all our questions. In the end, after about a year of thinking about the design and discussions with Bill, we chose our own design based on our desire to save a large willow oak tree that would be one of the focal points of the backyard. Bill fully supported our decision and we started contract negotiations to build our backyard in September 2014 (design/pictures attached). After several design adjustments and budget considerations, and after we secured financing, we contracted with Bill in June 2015. We contracted with Bill to do the following services: · Remove/dispose of our old wooden deck · Installation of a new deck with stair case · Site clearing and preparation for construction of new backyard including some tree removal · Site Drainage Remediation · Retaining Walls and steps · Restructuring existing retaining walls · Install Slab Steps · Site Grading · Spa pad, spa bonding, conduit for electrical hook up · Irrigation stub ups for future drip irrigation system, backflow preventer, water lines for turf grass and future water feature, EPA certified ?smart controller? system for irrigation · Brick paver patio (900 SF) · Fire pit and sitting area patio (200 SF) · Gravel/Stepping stone pathway (50 FT) · Stack Stone Wall (50 SF) · Install underground fountain basin with fountain, water supply line and automatic refill · Install Wi-Fi Landscape lighting system · Install turf grass for playing field (1000 SF) · Install Aluminum Fence with gate and double vehicle access gate (125 FT) · Site Cleanup and reseeding We are DIY people and we basically hired Bill to do all the things we felt an experienced contractor should do and that was out of our experience range. We decided to save money and do all the plant installation for our project. We really appreciated Bill?s willingness to let us do some of the work. From the beginning Bill was very honest about the time frame for construction and his backlog of work. He estimated that construction would begin in November/December 2015 and last about 4-8 weeks. Construction began in early December 2015 and moved efficiently along with the exception of several weather delays and holidays. The project was completed at the end of February 2016. Bill and his team worked very well with our yard during the construction phase and were always available for questions and design issues. They arrived for work between 830-930am every day except for bad weather and holidays and worked until the project was completed. Our project was completed on time and on budget except for a few unexpected site conditions and project scope changes that we added on to the project. We are extremely pleased with our backyard project and its results. One of the things about working with Bill that we enjoyed the most was that he effectively only works on one project at a time until that project is completed. We felt that we had his undivided attention for our project and the results were there to show. Another amazing feature of Bill is that he?s not afraid to tell you if something doesn?t work right or looks right based on his field experience. Our patio was initially kind of like an isthmus or peninsula with retaining walls on three sides. Bill questioned this feature and convinced us to fill in the area between our patio and the existing grade to have more yard space. While it cost more to bring in extra dirt of fill, he saved us money by not building the retaining walls on the original patio design. So, the costs just off set basically but the results were extraordinary and we gained extra flat yard to add a new garden area. We can honestly say that there were no down sides to working with Bill. We received everything that Bill said he contracted to do plus his extra attention to detail. We will definitely work with Bill again for all of our landscaping needs and highly recommend him to everybody!

Bill Botkin, owner of Outdoor Life, is very much the professional, and very gifted in the art of outdoor landscaping. He created an amazing, one of a kind, outdoor waterfall in my backyard, based on conversations and a picture that I sent to him. He is creative and has great ideas for layout and design of plants, trees and shrubs. He is also able to do other work that may be needed as part of your outdoor plan. At my house his guys patched a woodpecker hole, put a cap on top of my chimney, sealed up an outdoor electrical outlet, among other things. His varied services were a huge convenience, preventing me from having to call on multiple people to do those jobs. Bill is dependable and has his guys continually working until he job is complete. He does not drag out the completion of the project, but gets it done in a timely manner. Once Bill understands the scope of your project, and exactly what you want, you will be extremely happy that you chose him. One other very important thing to note is that Bill, unlike most contractors these days, always answers his phone. On the rare occasion that he is not available to take your call, once you leave a message, he will call you back quickly. I was very impressed by that and really appreciated it. I would recommend Bill Botkin and Outdoor Life to anyone who wants a professional landscaping job done. I have had many compliments on the new look of my home, and Bill played a large part in that.

I thought I had a big job only to have Bill's crew of 2-3 guys knock it out in 3 days. We recently moved in to a 2 year-old house & quickly noticed drainage problems with water puddling around the driveway & front porch, and erosion starting in the back where we back up to a greenway. Bill was easy to contact via phone or email & always responded promptly. His was one of 2 quotes I got for the job & not only was his bid $1K cheaper, but much more thorough. I felt more confident in Bill's plan w/ our drainage issues, too, given his engineering background. Bill did a great job listening to what I wanted & giving a very accurate estimate of when our job would start (8 weeks wait due to other jobs ahead of mine). The 2 employees that did our work have been with the company many years & really worked hard & knew what they were doing. During the project I made a few small changes & everyone was very accommodating. The end product turned out better than I envisioned. I now have real backyard with a manicured front yard. Thanks Outdoor Life!

I had to wait a few months to get the majority of the work done, but it was worth it. Miguel, his foreman was a joy to work with. Bill communicated well with me, was very thorough, gave me options, and somehow remembered all the various little small tasks I had his crew do for me. I especially loved that Bill didn?t just put in the standard plants that you see in every yard. I now have Encore azaleas that bloom three times a year, and a gorgeous Traveller weeping redbud. I was impressed with his willingness to go the extra mile and get things done right, and to BOTH his and my satisfaction! I will definitely continue to use his services.

Bill was extremely professional, showed up on time, communicated well during the bid process, etc. However, the bid he provided for our 0.10 acre lot (including minor re-grading, drainage, constructing a pergola & new patio, and "privacy" type perimeter landscaping) was completely out of line with competitive bids and frankly the value of our house. He bid ~$40k. In our discussions, I shared the competitive bids with him, which he dismissed by saying the others either needed the work or didn't know what they were doing. We ended up using another "A" rated Angie's List provider for a project total of ~$16k and have had no issues. I'm not sure whether Bill was bidding to lose on our project, or perhaps he's just better matched with very large-scale projects. If I were doing a major overhaul like installing a pool or something like that, I would definitely have Bill bid the job. He's just not necessarily the best match for smaller work.

We selected Outdoor Life based off of not only the reviews but more the sense that Bill is someone who takes pride in his work. We were not disappointed. He and his team arrived on-time, completed amazing amounts of work each day, and left the job site clean and free of all trash. In one day, they transformed our backyard from a muddy mess to an HGTV worthy relaxation spot. Bill and his team leaders were great about providing suggestions and offering ideas on how to complete the work needed. I think what impressed us the most was Bill's willingness to go the extra mile. He was more focused on doing the job right and to our satisfaction than anything else. We've recommended him to several others because he is a man of his word and is willing to think about the customer, not just the bottom line. We hope to work with Bill to complete the rest of our landscaping plans!

We were very happy with final result. This was a complex project on difficult terrain with constraints due to lake regulations and city easements. Not many contractors were willing to take this on, so thank you Outdoor Life Bill Botkin and Miguel! Bill and Miguel his foreman were very professional and very responsive. This was a very fluid project with changes we asked for after seeing initial results. One mistake that we made was that we did not get a highly itemized/costed workscope upfront and it was then difficult to determine our credits when the workscope grew. We ended up spending roughly 40% more than estimated with our workscope additions.

My husband and I wanted to change our old landscaping for a while. We found Bill on Angie's list and we could not be happier with his work. Even though we had to wait a few months for our project to start it was worth the wait. Bill and his crew did an exceptional job!! From the planning to the execution. We love all the plants and trees, the stones for edging, the special lights, and how everything was done to our satisfaction. We are very happy with the end result we are planning on working with Bill and his crew again for the second face of our project. We will recommend outdoor life to anyone that wants real professionals to do the job and do it right!

I did not use this landscaper.

My husband and I have been frustrated with our backyard for a few years now. We have had several consultations over the years trying to figure out how to get grass to grow and make our backyard a more enjoyable place only to end up being pushed aside by companies either too busy or uninterested in our small area. Not so with Outdoor Life! John Neville, came out to our home and sat at our table and asked questions and listened to what we were trying to convey as far as what our hopes were for our backyard. He then drew up plans that would come to be a dream backyard come true for us. Bill Botkin, the owner of Outdoor Life, is trustworthy. He is a man of his word. You can trust that what you are getting is better than average with him and he only uses the best materials. From the tree removal, to the concrete repair, to the building of the fireplace and patio, to the fence, landscaping, lighting, and irrigation, Bill and John and their entire team used the utmost care and professionalism to get the job done right. We truly could not have asked for a better outcome and are so blown away by the difference! Its beyond what we thought it would be and couldn't be happier with everything! We would definitely recommend Outdoor Life and will use them again if the need arises.

Bill came out and was very professional in give us an estimate. After we sent in the deposit and was put on the list it took about 6 months to get our project done due to weather but after our project was started this happened very quickly. Bill came out on Saturday and graded the river bank. Tuesday the landscape fabric was laid down and rocks were delivered. They also stayed late and did the manhole. We had some concerns about a couple of things. Called him up and he answered our questions and said he would fix what needed to be fixed. By Friday the project was completed and our yard looks great. The estimate said for about a week to complete the project. It was completed in three days. I would definitely use them again and are considering them for another project right now.

Bill provided excellent insight on possibilities and solutions. He helped me see my property in a whole new way and listened to my vision of a "perfect" outdoor environment. He provided suggestions that I had not considered. After the consultation was over, I had more than enough information to see how my property "negatives" could be turned into "positives". Some people may not want to pay for a landscape consultation (and if you just want basic services, I would agree). However, the outcome of the consultation far exceeded my expectations and I definitely got more than I paid for!

Bill has an amazing head for detail, he remembers everything. He was able to suggest a better plan than we had come up with. He also took the time to do calculations to determine the correct size drain pipe we needed based on the amount of roof that each downspout was covering. Totally professional. Bill and his team were also very concerned about the weather in regards to it being appropriate to dig in the yard and pour concrete. I appreciate that as it means the yard wasn't destroyed and the concrete will be less likely to crack. Bill originally estimated that the job would take a week, but his exceptional team got the job done in only 3.5 days. Everything is perfect, we could not have asked for more. Bill had some ideas for other projects that we just didn't have the money for, but rest assured that when we do have the money, we will be hiring Bill and his team again to do those things too.

This was a small job and it went well. Mr Botkin came to the site everyday. Enrique and Romaldo were kind and nice to talk to and in answering my questions The job took 4 days, it was started on Monday finished Thursday and the covering over the concrete due to the cold temperature was removed Friday On Monday a center rod was placed in the ground 12 feet from the existing patio to approximate the height of the retaining wall, the half moon was outlined on the ground to show where to dig to place the stones Placing the stones for the retaining wall took measuring, cutting, sizing etc I could see this took time and patience On Thursday the cement was ready to be poured, smoothed out etc My Patio Extension and Retaining Wall are to my liking.

Our backyard belongs in an HGTV magazine now. It is beautiful and functional. The sitting wall and two plant walls negate the need for a lot of patio furniture. Even though it was installed in late fall and early winter, it is beautiful. We cannot wait for the spring to see the beautiful blooming plants everywhere. Bill selected plants for a variety of color and textures as well as attraction of butterflies and birds. One requirement was that it be low maintenance and by tying into our existing sprinkler system and selecting hearty plants, it should do that. As an engineer, Bill designed and built our pondless water fountain with a ring of fire where his goal was to have the fire dance over the rocks. It does just that and we love it. It will provide warmth on cool days and nights as well as the relaxing sound of water. We didn't want to attract animals from our wooded back yard and Bill recommended a pondless water feature to achieve that. Now all we need to do is replace the pansies in the plant wall in the spring and enjoy our new outdoor oasis.

Bill and his team were an absolute pleasure to deal with throughout our backyard redesign project. Bill is extremely knowledgeable about landscaping, hardscaping and design. He was very helpful in offering great recommendations on the art of the possible and what would look good while still listening intently and asking good questions about what we wanted to accomplish. We changed several things and added several new items as the project went on and Bill and his team flawlessly adapted to our requests and delivered a fantastic transformation of our back yard. I couldn't be happier with the result and I would definitely use outdoor life again as well as recommend to my friends. Note: Bill & team are completely hands-on and you will see him daily onsite making sure everything turns out great....the only downside is that it took almost 5 months to get to the top of his backlog but it was well worth the wait in my opinion.

Bill was professional and skilled in all aspects of this landscaping project. He met with me in August 2014, and was able to get us on the books in November. We had several requests, namely to replace the messy and unkempt Crepe Myrtles on our driveway with hollies that created a privacy screen from our neighbor's property. His crew worked very hard and was able to complete the job in a few days. This was a small job, but required a lot of digging and labor. I appreciated his foreman's flexibility and willingness to do a perfect job, and desire to satisfy us with all aspects of the project. Bill was always available by text/phone for advice and consultation; and followed up with us to make sure all of our expectations were met. Bill also recreated the natural slope of our landscape which improved the drainage of rainfall on our driveway. We are very pleased and happy with his services.

Bill and his team from Outdoor Life do exceptional work. I hired Bill the first time for phase 1 a year ago to help me fix the work done by a previous landscape contractor, one that is actually a fairly highly rated Angie?s List provider as well. I asked Bill to come look at my home and project list and work done by others due to his background in engineering and overall licenses and broad qualifications, including contractor?s licenses. I wanted someone that could really take over and coordinate all the little things that were getting messed up and costing me time and money as I was trying to do projects around my yard in pieces by different companies. His business description is true that he provides a full service, turn-key operation for an overall project or yard, and he showed that on my project. For Phase 1, he ran a major drainage pipe through our front yard for future drainage from the back yard to be completed later as part of Phase 2 that would involve a pool. Since this pipe installation was going to tear up so much of the front yard, we decided to go ahead and improve the front yard as well. The great thing about Bill is that he is able to do pretty much any project that pops in your head, with no need to coordinate other contractors. As part of the laying of the pipe and re-sodding the grass, he re-graded and added French drains and fixed drainage issues in the front that had existed since construction 14 years ago. His lighting came out great, he uses quality hardware and really lights up the house well. I was very pleased with his plant selection and quality. Unlike my prior Angie?s List landscaper, Bill was very pleasant to work with and speak with, and his plantings look great a year later, which was definitely not the case with the prior person. As he was doing the project, I decided to make some changes to the shape of the driveway and also add a large in-ground basketball hoop. Bill was able to work all that in his project no problem, and I even had his guys put together the hoop itself and install it start-to-finish themselves. Bill is expert on irrigation systems and local rules, and was able to take my old system which was in disrepair, and get it up and running effectively. For Phase 2, I had Bill work with me to get the backyard done right with the installation of a pool by a third party. Installing a pool is a serious pain, and it was very helpful to have Bill advise me throughout the process. I frankly should have turned more of the work over to him, I made the mistake of using the pool company for more of the project than I should have for things like the patio around the pool, and the work doesn?t compare to Bill?s quality. But Bill did a fantastic job fixing anything the pool guys messed up, and again proved his worth as a general contractor capable of doing any part of the project I threw his way during the work. He had a real challenge on the drainage in the back yard, but did a great job remediating the long time problems with the yard, which was a huge task given the flat yard and the pool location and drainage. I actually gave him pretty free reign on the landscape design since I was so pleased with his work on phase 1, and he did not disappoint. We had a budget and I gave him my big picture ideas, and what things I liked and didn?t like, and he asked clarification questions along the way, but I gave him tons of leeway and didn?t really know what it would look like until he was done. The results are fantastic, and he really did a great job capturing the feeling I wanted and the variety and color we were looking for. I threw him a ton of curve balls again along the way, and he did a great job again. I had him run pipes and electrical lines to and from the pool equipment, add garden beds, add garbage can pads, install a volleyball court, and light up a waterfall underwater. As an example of his ability to do broad work and help me with the overall yard, I also had him expand and redo part of the driveway messed up by the pool guys. This involved moving the fence, which he was able to do himself without me needing to involve the fence company that had originally installed it, and he also helped fix another part of the fence that had not passed pool inspection, again saving me money and time to coordinate. He was detailed and fair in his cost breakouts for these additional projects, and worked very hard to stay in the overall budget and not bug me for small changes. In the end, he doesn?t leave or ask for final payment until it meets his satisfaction and yours, which is impressive. He has high standards of quality, and I fully trust him, which is not the case with many contractors I have worked with. We have done a lot of projects around our house, so I have worked with a lot of contractors. Unlike many of them, I feel completely comfortable with Bill and his judgment, not worried that he will cheat me or lie to me or skimp on his work. I give him access to my home if I?m not there, I allow him to make decisions on the work, I trust his numbers and his process and never feel taken advantage of. His team is as solid as he is, and very pleasant to have around. All of his backyard work was done after the pool was already built and functioning, so his team was actually doing a lot of work on many days while we had at least our own kids in the pool, and often 20+ other kids as well for parties, and his team was absolutely no problem to have around. In fact, at times they even noticed things that needed to be done and just did them, like they brought in our trash cans from the street after pickup and turned off pool equipment that wasn?t working right while nobody was home. Bill also stands by his work. I have had a few minor issues for him to warranty, such as burned out bulbs on the lighting and a few plants that didn?t survive the harsh winter or summer they were planted in, and he planned to take care of them before I brought it up, unlike my prior contractor who blamed it on me or the weather. In one case it arguably wasn?t necessarily Bill?s responsibility to take care of it I admit, but since it could have been viewed as potentially related to his work, he jumped in and just took care of it without being asked and without argument, which again is rare.

Team was very professional. The trees were full and looked great upon delivery. They explained how to care for the trees. They said if I have any concerns for the trees health to call them and they will come and see if there are any issues. I've had the trees for a month now and they are thriving.

We just finished a few other major projects on my backyard that lasted a lot more than they should have: added a well, installed geothermal heating and cooling for which they had to put pipes all over the yard, and added a cabana, a fire pit and a grill area. My backyard had been destroyed by the many contractors. I requested quotes from four different vendors to redo my driveway: two were 2-3 times higher than outdoor life, the other never got back to me. I not only liked the price, but also the professionalism, the knowledge, the fact that they were recommended to me and that their work is guaranteed for life. At that point, i also decided to hire them to do my landscaping. Bill met with us several times before starting the project to ensure that all our needs and wants were met. The crew came as scheduled (actually one week early), did the job in one week.... But its not that they rushed and cut corners, but because they were effective with their time, and I always felt that my interests were first. Bill even helped us with the irrigation company that i had hired prior to knowing of Outdoor Life, as they were not meeting the minimum standards for irrigation, so some of my plants were getting over-watered, but others were not getting water. Outdoor life does a comprehensive battery of projects and it would have been great to find out before dealing with the other contractors for my other jobs, that tried to cut corners, final bill was higher than budget and lead times were ridiculous. After all those experiences, dealing with Outdoor Life was a dream!

They are very nice people to work with. All of the men were very respectful and professional. They worked well and knew their job. We are very satisfied with the service we received from Woodlands Outdoor Living. We would recommend them to anyone.

From initial inquiry to completion of the project, Bill and the entire team did an outstanding job and were a pleasure to work with. In September of 2013, I began speaking with 6 different contractors that we had identified through Angie's List. Bill quickly distinguished his company as the one that was most responsive, customer-centric, versatile and attentive to detail. Over the fall and winter of 2013 / 2014 Bill worked closely with us on concept, materials and schedule. While the other contractors' orientation toward particular building materials made them "one-dimensional" in their creative processes, the versatility of Outdoor Life's portfolio enabled us to come up with a unique, brick-bordered exposed-aggregate concrete patio, with a natural-gas brick fire pit and brick and granite kitchen that completely fulfilled our vision for the project. To ensure that we were satisfied with our selection of patio concrete, Bill actually manufactured 4 separate 2' x 2' samples that we could view in our back yard to dial-in the specific size and color of the aggregate. In fact, Bill's dedication to customer satisfaction went "above and beyond" in this regard, bringing us an additional concrete sample at 9:00 PM the night before the concrete pour to ensure 100% satisfaction. Once the work began, Bill, Enrique, Remaldo and the entire team were faced with numerous unexpected challenges. As the excavation of the project began, the team was faced with an unusually rocky soil that forced them to use jack-hammers and pick-axes to trench for the irrigation system. Without complaining, the team put in unbelievably long, hot days doing the brutal manual labor to get the job done. The next challenge the team faced was when the concrete vendor delivered the wrong aggregate for the patio. Unfortunately, we were unable to discover that error until the patio had been poured. This forced the team to manually tear out the entire patio and re-pour the entire patio . . . which, they did without complaint! In addition, during the project we threw several new "variables" into Bill's equation (adding an additional door to the outdoor kitchen, increasing the size of the patio, re-designing planting beds, etc.). Bill handled all of these changes in stride and worked with us on the corresponding, reasonable, cost adjustments. The re-pouring of the patio, combined with our changes, then created scheduling issues with Bill's masonry, plumbing and electrical teams that could have impacted our scheduled completion date of July 4th. However, Bill was able to coordinate all of the vendors, working weekend and evening hours, to ensure that the job was completed on time. In fact, Bill and his plumbing team actually worked on the July 4th holiday to meet his commitment! The finished project exceeded our expectations and has greatly enhanced the appearance and value of our home. We highly recommend Outdoor Life.

I have a fairly steep hill and it's proximity to the back of the home leaves very little usable space so I wanted a retaining wall built to push the hill back from my home. I met with Bill in February, 2014. He was the 3rd service provider that I met. The first two gave me estimates...and then Bill suggested instead of working against the hill, to work with the hill and build a water feature. I really hadn't considered that but it sounded like a great idea. I was provided with a quote with several options for water features and after paying the deposit, I was put in the queue. Since it was winter, I wasn't expecting any work to begin but Bill was booked until summer. He was upfront about this and I agreed to wait. All during the spring, he communicated with me regarding where I was in the queue. The work started later than the original estimate (due to unavailability of the stone) but when it was my turn, Bill came out and we walked the project again. After the second consultation, I agreed to an even larger water feature and the work became within a few days. Bill and his team worked in the extreme heat for several days getting the water feature just right. We agreed to delay planting until it cooled down and he returned within two weeks to finish up. In addition, while the team was working, I made a few changes and they accommodated me with ease. I did have a problem with the automatic refill valve but Bill was responsive (when we figured out that was the culprit of the water run-off) and came out with a new one. I am pleased with his work and am making my "honey do" list for Bill for the years to come.