Island Creek Landscape

We have nothing but good things to say about Daniel and team at Island Creek Landscape! They were amazing to deal with - prompt, good communicators, very accommodating. My wife and I went through a few versions of what we wanted in our head and they were patient with our changes and produced an extremely high quality product. They weren't the cheapest, but were very competitive and we were most impressed by Daniel's vision of the plan. My wife and I are perfectionists and closely managed the process - they listened to our feedback and went the extra mile. It was everything we wanted and more. Ryan led the crew and was very experience with stone - he made a one of a kind patio and pit for us. They really transformed our backyard from something we were ashamed of to something we couldn't wait to show off! Now we love having people over and always want to entertain at our place. I'd tell you more but it'd be easier to take a look at the pictures and see for yourself!

Overall experience was very good. I would use them again for future projects and would recommend them to anyone in the Charlotte area.

We got a quote from Island Creek Landscape about a year ago. At the time, I wasn't ready to pull the trigger because of budget constraints, but when I contacted Daniel a year later, he honored the original quote. They showed up right on schedule and completed the job in the amount of time they originally stated. They did an excellent job of grading the area where they set the pavers so it slopes away from the foundation of the house. They met all my expectations and requests. I asked them to use a particular material when running the gutter under the pavers and Josh went the extra mile to include a release valve so it can be cleaned out in the future. I highly recommend Island Creek Landscape and will be calling on them for any other landscaping projects I have in the future.

We bought a 3 yr old Charleston style house with a smaller back yard that had no landscaping improvements. We contacted Daniel at Island Creek and he came out promptly as scheduled. For hardscape we needed a paver patio and a raised garden area for the slope. On the landscape side, we were starting from scratch, and needed screen plants with the neighbors as well as a general landscape plan for lawn and garden areas. Daniel drew up a plan and estimate that gave us enough information to move forward. His was the 2nd landscape company we had contacted, and we immediately felt more comfortable with Daniel because he knew how to l-i-s-t-e-n. He presented a solid plan that met our needs for both entertainment areas and creating a lush garden atmosphere. We knew Island Creek was a good match for us and signed the contract. Work started in about 3 weeks, (we were early in the season so backlog was short) The job foreman (Ryan) did an excellent job of communicating what was happening each day. Every day the crew did a nice job with cleanup, leaving the site in presentable condition. The crew did a beautiful job on our curved radius paver patio. They were very exacting in preparing the underlayment for the pavers and it shows in the quality of the finished product. Once the patio was in the crew built a raised planter (to grow our own vegetables) on our hillside using a rough cobblestone brick. They also installed a curved flagstone stair steps down to this level. It was easy to see the crew took great care to do things the right way. The landscaping install was next, and as the plants went in the final product was starting to take shape. We had a few last minute changes with a couple of plants, and Daniel handled it with grace. Ryan made a couple of suggestions that improved on what I had asked for in the lawn area. The finished product came out beyond our expectations. Everything pulls together so well, and we have our little island of tranquility in a fairly dense neighborhood. It is a pleasure to deal with a company whose every employee makes the effort to do things right. Daniel sets the tone and it carries through every member of the team. I have always considered myself to be a tough grader, but on a scale of 1 to 10, Island Creek rates an 11.

I am incredibly pleased with Daniel and Island Creek. They did a great job for a fair price, and were very good about coming back afterwards to fix a few minor items. I highly recommend Island Creek.

Dan and his crew did a superb job with our patio pavers! The attention to detail was remarkable. If you seek a company that performs on time, that is highly professional and reasonably priced, you should consider Island Creek Landscape, Inc. for your next project.

Island Creek Landscape was very punctual and responsive and actually rearranged some jobs to help meet my deadline for my home improvement project. Would definitely recommend and use again.

I would HIGHLY recommend hiring Island Creek landscape for any hardscape job! Hire this company! The following details are LONG.. so the short version is just to definitely give Daniel a call for any hardscape job you want done. I interviewed 5 contractors from Angie's List to find the right company/person to build my patio and pergola from which I decided to hire Daniel. Since I am on my own, I needed to make all of the decisions. Daniel was patient in helping me through the process of deciding on the materials for the project and in talking through different options for each detail. And when his team arrived to implement the project, I was very impressed with each person he had on the job. They each showed their expertise and that they knew what they were doing. They also knew that I was very concerned that each detail was correct, and so they consulted me when they came to a point where a decision needed to be made. In doing so, the patio and pergola (along with electrical and the gas firepit) came out better than I imagined. You will have to see the pictures that I attach to this review. All I can say is that I would hire Daniel and his team again and I'm extremely detail oriented. I found out that his team are also detailed oriented, for which I was extremely grateful. The patio was to be made with a travertine with a French design that was not easy to install. Daniel's team had two guys who were proficient in reading the map and the install went quickly. Around the outside was to be a 6x6 white travertine outlining the curves of the patio. Since the travertine only came in 6x12, each had to first be cut to 6x6 and then each segment that went around the corner had to be cut in order to make the curve look natural. It was a lot of work and the guys did an amazing job! It is absolutely beautiful. The gas line for the firepit was put in by a guy that only puts in gas lines. So, his expertise was obvious. The pergola is 30 feet by 12 feet held up by 8x8 posts with 8x8 beams around the outside. Kane Tomberlin put in the pergola and we would talk quite a bit on what was necessary for engineering (Kane has an engineering degree) as well as what would look good. The pergola came out amazing. The rafters Kane installed followed the curve of the patio below it (but 2 feet beyond it). When there were some that were too close together, so that they did not look curved enough, Kane took them out and redid them so that the curve looks perfect. In addition, the slats on top of the rafters had to be installed in a way that looks right on the portions that are curved. Each slat was rounded along the sides and the ends so that the look that resulted from this detail made the slats look high-end. The electrical guys were headed up by a man who had been doing electrical for many, many years. They installed 3 outlets, 2 ceiling fans, and a floodlight. All of the wires were run behind the vinyl siding. It was beautifully done. The pictures state the obvious in that the job was extremely well done!

I have a very steep back yard that had two 20 year old railroad tie retaining walls.I got about 5 other estimates. Daniel's was the best one I got and most of the other ones only wanted to replace just one wall which didn't make much sense to me.They replaced it with stone. I had a big tree that was growing right up against the retaining wall that had to be cut down. We needed to grind the stump after the railroad ties were removed and they worked together very closely with the stump removal people. They were very professional throughout the whole job and cleaned everything up nicely. I was very happy with the whole job and we have gotten praise form our neighbors who said the new walls looked great. I would recommend Island Creek Landscapes for any job you have. You will be happy.

Daniel is a very nice guy who communicates well. His team did an EXCELLENT job and I would highly recommend them for anyone who needs landscaping services. They removed the shrubs by the roots. Moreover, they cleaned up the sites and planted grass seed liberally where they thought necessary.

Very professional company from start to finish, with good communication, punctuality, designing a good plan, explaining things well, making necessary improvements, cleaning up well, and being competitively priced.

Daniel met me at my house to go over the project and provided me with a very detailed quote. I had 2 estimates and his was, by far, the most detailed and specific. I accepted his quote a couple of days later and scheduled the work to be performed. On the morning they were to start, Daniel showed up on time and with his crew. His crew foreman was polite and professional (I'm sorry I can't remember his name!). My wife even commented to me that the foreman was very polite and seemed to manage the crew very well. The retaining wall turned out excellent and my wife and I were thrilled. As for the stair treads, I wasn't happy with how the treads met the curved pool deck. This wasn't Daniel's fault. He had previously explained to me how the treads would meet the concrete pool decking. It was just that after seeing the finished project, I wanted it to be a little different. I want to reiterate, this was by no means an issue with Daniel or his crew's work. My wife liked it the way it was, but I just wanted the stone to fit exactly up to the decking. The concrete was curved, so the tread (a 6" thick piece of stone) couldn't butt directly up to it. My workplace has the ability to cut large pieces of granite and stone, so Daniel worked with me on getting another stair tread and I had a curve cut into the new tread to match the curve of the pool decking. Daniel even had one of his guys go to the stone supplier to match up the color of the new stone to the stones that were already installed. It turned out awesome. In fact, I was so happy with Island Creek landscaping that I had them come back to complete a second yard project on the opposite side of my pool. This company is dedicated to making sure their customers are happy and satisfied. I highly recommend them.

Experience was very good. Estimating and service was prompt and professional. Installation was very organized and the property was left immaculate. Plants suggestions were great and completed our current landscaping nicely. Driveway took two full days and was perfect. Very easy to work with and very friendly.

We learned of Island Creek Landscape as new members of Angie's List. We were impressed with the numerous positive reviews of the owner, Daniel Griffin, and contacted him about our desire to tackle the back yard landscaping project. Daniel promptly responded to our inquiry and met with us several times to discuss our plans, his vision/ideas and what could be accomplished with our limited budget. We shared with Daniel our horrible experience with the landscaper who handled our front yard project last year (Brian Paradise Fine Landscapes - see Angie's List review) and he addressed our questions and concerns in a very straightforward and professional manner. Our goal was to install low-maintenance plants which are native to our area and ones that would work well with our lot, which has mature trees and plenty of shade. Based upon our budget, Daniel prepared a proposal which met our goals and had flexibility if we wanted to do more or make suitable substitutions. One of the primary reasons we chose to work with Daniel was the fact that he has so many positive reviews on Angie's List and he guaranteed the installed plants for one year if they were cared for properly. Daniel's contract clearly outlined which plants would be installed and the other activities associated with the project. He also included a design plan to help us cross-reference what plants were installed and where they were located. Lastly, Daniel provided us with a maintenance plan for us to ensure proper care of the new plans. The three day project was completed on schedule. Our back yard looks fantastic and we wish we had worked with Daniel's firm on the front yard. Daniel also provided us with a hardscape design proposal, which we will likely pursue this fall or in 2013. Our experience with Island Creek Landscape was perfect and we highly recommend this firm for landscaping and hardscaping projects.

Our front yard was a jumbled mess of overgrown shrubbery, rocky mulch beds, and spotty grass. We asked Island Creek to clean slate the front yard, by removing all bushes and rock debris, and sodding the entire front yard (small front yard - about 500sq ft). In order to save time on both our end, and Island Creek's - we were able to work up a budgetary estimate via email correspondences with a few photos and measurements to describe the work. The estimate seemed very reasonable, and was within our budgetary expectations. Daniel then came out to get a firm quote and confirmed the exact amount of materials needed (top soil and sod). He finalized the quote, added in our Angie's List Discount, and scheduled our work. His crew showed up on time, was extremely friendly, and efficient. They did a great job cleaning up the debris after the work was complete. All I can say is "WOW!" - what a difference it made to the curb appeal of our home. I would definitely recommend Island Creek, and will certainly give them a call for any landscaping tasks that are out of my realm of capabilities.

The experience was great and I love the new wall. Daniel came out the first day and we walked through the plan. The wall is curved to give some dimension to the long and narrow back yard. Daniel drew out the curve and the guys who implemented it did a great job fitting it into the grade of the land. I have much more usable space now. The berm had been covered in silt cloth that I couldn't even cut through to plant anything. All of that has been removed. Soil, amendments and mulch have also been put down so I can plant in the beds. I can't wait to get started! A french drain along the berm was put in to help with drainage and the dry river bed will also help, but also gives me a focal point at the end of the yard. I will definitely work with Daniel and his team when I implement the next parts of the plan.

Our back yard was a disaster area. We had a drainage problem that involved standing water in the yard and major bare spots. We had some trees removed and stumps ground out. Island Creek came in, removed the old soil/tree waste, installed new topsoil, graded the lawn perfectly, installed a french drain system connected to our downspouts and installed sod. The work was performed beautifully and precisely on time. Daniel Griffin is a knowledgeable, articulate and professional landscape person and his crew is also hardworking and excellent. I will not hesitate to employ Island Creek again. We are very pleased and totally satisfied with the results as well as the services we received from Mr. Griffin and his company.

It went great, they had a pretty tough environment to navigate as my previous patio was a 20x30ft mud puddle. Not only did they install the patio, but went beyond by helping route my gutter downspouts away from the patio and house.

Everything was perfect. Dug up ground to create 40 square yeards of flower beds. Installed over 100 trees, shrubs, and plants. Then mulched everything. And the kicker, they cleaned up after themselves. Not one complaint.

From the onset, Daniel has been extremely professional, prompt and proactive. One of the first landscapers to respond to my inquiries back in September, Daniel has been very involved from start to finish of the project. He consistently reached out to me to advise of timing for next steps and stayed on top of the project from beginning to end. The pricing estimate he provided was very reasonable and the project took 5 days to complete (start-to-finish). The crew was very punctual and I was extremely impressed with how quickly they accomplished the job. Ryan, the "foreman" was meticulous in his supervision and there was nothing he didn't miss. There were a number of little extras he and the team did for me that were not included as part of the formal estimate - installing the drainpipe from the gutter downspout to the swale, installing a stone "pad" for the trashcans, trimming the trees, installing a new bed around an existing tree at side of yard, etc. In addition, my neighbor was having an issue with her gutters and erosion and Ryan personally went over and filled the hole with gravel and cleaned out her gutter at no charge. In the spring Daniel and team will begin Phase 2 which will include laying Zoysia sod and installing additional plants in the bed in front of the house. I couldn't have been more please with the quality of the work and the professional way in which they handled the work form start-to-finish. I have already recommended Island Creek to friends who are in the market for a good landscaping/hardscaping company.

I contacted several structural companies to determine the cause of a wet wall in my exercise room that is in my basement. All agreed the problem was not structural but could be solved with landscaping. I spoke with Daniel Griffin, who came out and did an initial assessment in July. His initial assessment was the slope of the yard was toward the house however he felt he should investigate further. We agreed he was start after I removed several old shrubs and a crape myrtle tree from the area. This work was completed in early October. Daniel followed up with me on a regular basis to determine when I wanted the work done, despite his very business schedule. On November 16, Daniel sent over Ryan, a member of his team, who first tested the drainage and found not only did I have a slope issue but the drainage pipe had been installed incorrectly in 1995. This caused the water to run back to the house. Ryan dug out the drainpipe, re- laid so it had positive drainage and brought in soil to raise the slope of the yard.

After looking at several patio installs both online and around the area I drew up my design and went to Angie's list to review the top rated companies. Daniel (the owner) promptly returned my call and set up a time to meet and review the project, the other companies were slow to respond and one never did. After meeting with Daniel and the other companies representatives I chose Island Creek because Daniel asked the most questions on what I wanted, helped tweak the design, met with us several times before we had decided who would do the project and set up appointments with past customers of his so we could see his work all of which provided an excellant and professional experience before any work began. The installation began in mid July and it was hot that whole week, easily 95+ degrees everyday with no clouds in the sky so the crew started early and worked as long as they could each day without complaint. We provided drinks, snacks and anything else we could to try and give some relief from the heat and the crew was always courteous and thankful. As you would expect with any project there are always unexpected challenges so when they appeared Daniel would discuss the issue and options with us to make sure we were happy with the results. As the project was nearing completion we made a last minute decision to install a small walkway to the patio and even though it was not in the plans Daniel worked with us on a design and got the extra work completed. In the end the patio turned out better then we thought it possibly could, we were simply amazed at the final result and the quality of the work that was done. The crew topped of the project with some minor landscaping of the area's around the patio and reseeded area's of the lawn that needed it. It's been a few months since the project was finished and Daniel has come out a couple of times to answer additional questions we've had and is always prompt to return calls or email. I highly recommend his company for any sort of landscape or hardscape work you may need.

Ryan, the site supervisor, showed up with his crew and got right to work removing the existing walkway. The project was slated for 2 days but ended up taking 4 due to weather. The walkway is curved and the pattern chosen was herringbone laid at a 45 degree angle, flared at the front steps and driveway, and bordered with a soldier course. Due to the pattern and layout, much cutting was required. The crew cleaned up the site once finished and reseeded where necessary. I would not hesitate in contracting Island Creek Landscape again, and would also recommend them to others.

Very professional, creative and knowledgable. Work was outstanding. Daniel is a joy to work with as well as his crew. Will continue to use again and again.

We have used Daniel and Island Creek before however this time they out did themselves. More than a new patio, a neighbor calls it, an addition of living space. We are extremely pleased. The care and preparation taken during construcion is second to none. These guys were prompt and worked hard and cleaned up at the end of each day. Daniel made some recommendations and WOW..They are the best value of anyone I have had to do work for us. Going to enjoy this space for a long time... thanks Island Creek!!