Mario Grano & Sons LLC

I had wanted to get my front porch and yard done for years and when I started to get estimates found out that masonry work is expensive. So it took me two years to find the right company to do the job, as I am not an easy sell I got quotes from many companies but keep coming back to Grano and Sons. They were the most knowledgeable, experienced, and obviously take great pride their work. They transformed my front yard with overgrown brushes, crumpling front porch, ugly walk, bad drainage, rotted basement escape egress to a yard with a beautiful new porch and sidewalk, newly cleared graded and seeded yard with drainage to the street and new Bilco egress. Improving my property curb appeal by about 1000%. I love the job they did and so do my neighbors some who are now interested in using Grano and Sons after seeing their work. Grano and Sons are quality all around; from the products to installation methods they use, to their skilled crew . It was a big job. It turned out better then I imagined. I would use them again and will recommend them to anyone in need of masonry or landscaping work.

They are excellent and I agree with the positive comments of previous review below, It wasn't just a job for them, each one of the Mario Grano team made my home into a work of art. From the quality of the materials they use, the craftsmanship of artisans, amazing service, dedicated and hardworking crew, to the cost-to-value ratio ? they will not disappoint on any level. I talked to several contractors and got advice from friends and neighbors, too. While I figured that this is an important and expensive project, I spent a lot of time in researching and evaluating all the options. I also learnt how important to set my budget and my expectation accordingly. I really appreciate Ben, who gave me the feeling of their honesty and integrity and provided me the information and answers I was looking for. At one time, Ben came late to my house because he was delayed by helping other customers late. He called me in advance so that I know he would be late. Eventually, after seeing their works done in other places and the positive reviews on Angie's list, I decided to give them the job. The project lead, Michael, and his staff are wonderful guys, dedicated and hard-working. They are very reliable and very meticulous. They are very respectful to the property I don't have other words than praise for them. If you are looking for contractor(s), I would highly recommend talking to them on your needs and decide whether to give them the job. note: I read that some comment mentioned that they didn't respond the calls. They did, at least either Ben or Gene, called me back when I was looking for answers. By the way, my neighbor saw their work and discussed his need with Ben. And he also gave them the job to replace his sidewalks. I am hoping my review would help other home owners to consider such trustworthy family owned business for their project needs.

Started with just a patio and we expanded the job to a new driveway and running some drainage pipes as well. Very professional, use good grade materials with quality and timely work. Pricing was reasonable as well. They explained all the options and made various "good" recommendations based on their past experience. Only time will tell how the concrete work holds up but believe it might outlast me. I would not hesitate to recommend Mario Grano and Sons to anyone looking for good quality work at fair prices.

I didn't he think he provided a professional or a very detailed and adequate quote. So when I looked at the quotes, I didn't have an easy time doing it. What I didn't like about him was that he's kinda difficult getting him here and making it at a right time. He's just late to the appointment. I would probably consider them. I know from reputation that they do good work so I would bear that in mind.

They are excellent. I think their prices were reasonable, definitely not low. They are true craftsmen. They know how the cement works. I understand it was something that was passed down in the family. They are very reliable and very meticulous. They workers are very respectful to your property. I have no more cement work to be done, but I would use them again if I had to.

great, attention to detail, easy to work with, very professional and very clean. The Grano's know everyone in the biz and if they give you a recommendation, go with it.

They responded to my initial call a couple of days later. The estimator was delayed because of traffic but he didn't call me but fortunately it was early evening so it wasn't a major issue. The estimator was quite detailed in explaining the work he would do and the quality of materials that he would use. I certainly learned a great deal from him. However his quote was almost 3 times the average of quotes I had received which was way out of line. Although he assured me his work would stand the test of time, I don't plan to be at my home for a long time plus given the very high quote, I decided not to use their services.

.Ben Grano gave me an estimate for the work needed. He explained everything he was going to do and why in detail. His crew started on time and the work was extremely neat. The job took 14 days, and they cleaned up the work space every day before they left. They also let me know when they were going to use the jackhammer so I could get my dog to a neighbor's house. Everyone was very responsive to questions and concerns. There was nothing negative about this experience and I will use them again.

My front steps needed to be replaced and I needed to address a serious water problem in my basement. Mario Grano & Sons handled both issues fantastically. As with all older homes when you start to remove the layers you never know what you will find but what a relief it was to have this team on my side!! Their level of knowledge is unsurpassed and they explain everything they are doing and the reasons why it needs to be done. Masonry work and basement waterproofing are messy jobs but they go to extreme lengths to leave the work area clean every single day. I cannot say enough positive things about this company and how happy I am with the entire process from start to finish. I have already planned future projects with them! My father who has a lot of experience with home inspections was so impressed he said "there's guys out there just trying to learn what these Grano boys have already forgotten!"

To Gene, Kathy, and all the guys...this one?s for you... Mario Grano & Sons.....the best? A conundrum.... To answer this question you have to step back and look at the whole picture. You say to yourself ?boy I really have to get that front porch and walkway fixed?. Or ?this back walkway has seen better days - I?d love to replace it with a new patio for entertaining?. You wrestle with the headache that you?re going to have to deal with contractors and ultimately place your faith in their hands. It?s a scary proposition for most and we were no different. Like most we absolutely love our home. Ours is somewhat special in that it?s an old Sears & Roebuck house that?s about 95% original save for some of the mechanicals. The house was built in 1923 and is identical to the picture shown from that particular catalog year. Our original front porch was all brick lined and included brick steps (or rowlock). Because the porch was original we wanted to keep it exactly as it was shown in the catalog. This was the main goal for the entire project and one that we insisted on when talking to various contractors. In addition to the front porch, both the front and rear walkways were to be replaced with the rear section being extended into a new patio area. I had a few contractors come out and on more than one occasion we were told that rowlock steps would not ?hold up?. An interesting comment as our original step ?held up? for almost 90 years. The fact that we were looking to keep things original didn?t seem to matter to most of the contractors. Comments like ?we just don?t do it that way anymore? or ?why would you want that when this is better?? This project was not starting out well at all..... Enter Gene and Kathy from Mario Grano & Sons. As with most contractors and people for that matter, initial impressions are everything. From day one it felt like we were talking to a couple of old friends. We gave Gene the run down for the project and even showed him a printout of our house from the old catalog. By this point I had resigned that getting my steps back to their original glory wasn?t going to happen but to my surprise was told that it wouldn?t be a problem for them. The entire process was explained to us in great detail and they took the time to answer all of our questions at length. At no point did we feel like this was just another ?job? for them. It truly felt as though our project was as important to them as it was to us. We finished up that first meeting with my wife and I looking at one another and all we could say was - WOW! Fast forward a couple of weeks and the job was under way! The guys - what can I say... I?ve been around many a construction site over the years and seen many versions of ?the construction worker?. I can honestly say that Mario Grano and Sons have some of the most respectful, hardworking men I?ve ever seen. Due to the scale and duration of the job there was always going to be certain tools that would need to remain throughout the project. Gene asked if we could leave those higher ticket items locked away in the garage at the end of every night. My idea was to leave one of our cars outside but his crew managed to arrange the stored tools like a Tetris puzzle in such a way as to be able to still fit both cars in the garage. The attention to detail was evident from every single member of the crew. The jobsite - was it really one? All told they were here for the better part of a month and at no point did we ever feel inconvenienced. The crew cleaned up every day and made sure that the work area was blocked off for safety reasons and that we always had a safe way to get in and out of the house. Little details like a temporary set of stairs that was used while some of the concrete setup. A temporary mailbox on our front lawn. And my favorite - a strategically placed screw on the threshold of our front door so that should someone forgot that the stairs weren?t there it would be enough to remind them but not enough to stop us from getting out in case of an emergency. As with most major home renovations there are always unknown variables that affect the job as a whole. In our case I, the homeowner became that cause. Because of the volume of soil that was removed for the new porch it became apparent that there would be no better time to waterproof the front of the foundation. Gene and I discussed the additional work as well as the inclusion of new downspout leads to the street, a new side entrance step and new side walkway. In total it added about 4-5 days of work and the last thing I wanted was to delay someone elses project. Gene assured us that they were here to make us happy and that they would have no issues adding the work to the list. Being an engineer myself I had done a number of sketches of our house for various other projects over the years. These sketches were the basis of additional ?planter boxes? that I had designed on either side of the porch and were included in the original quote. These boxes were to be about half as high as the porch and there was to be some sort of transition to marry the two different heights. I had sketched a ?stepped? and a ?curved? version but it was decided that the final decision would be made as the masons neared that point. When that day finally arrived the two sections were mocked up and it became apparent that the curved section looked better but my wife and I didn?t know how the curve would work with the overall squareness of the house. Kathy happened to be there that day and noticed that the curve of the brickwork mimicked the curve of our portico. Instantly the curved transition looked absolutely perfect! I had spent so much time looking ?down? that I never bothered to look ?up? for the solution! Thank You Kathy!!! This is the level of care and attention to detail that was constant throughout the process. I could probably write a small book with all the little ?attention to details? that happened during our project, most of which unfortunately get covered up but this one detail is one that everyone can see and admire. The entire project went off without a single problem. We are extremely happy with the outcome and have had nothing but high praises and compliments on the finished results. For the sheer size and complexity of our project, at no point did we ever question if we had made the right decision in choosing Mario Grano and Sons. You just can?t put a price on the level of confidence that the entire crew instilled in us and how painless it all went. Worth every penny and then some! So back to my original question.....Mario Grano & Sons.....the best? Personally from a contractor point of view I would think that when a customer calls you back to do more work then you?ve done your job extremely well. Having dealt with a few contractors over the years there aren?t many I would call again for even a quote. Not only will I call Mario Grano and Sons again - I WON?T EVEN BOTHER CALLING ANYONE ELSE! That, I feel makes them THE BEST! Thanks again Mario Grano and Sons! Nuno & Theresa, Colonia NJ

The work was done in a very professional manner and we had a very tight time constraint which they were able to meet. There was some initial difficulty in scheduling but that was taken care of as soon as possible. Ben and Gene were both terrific to deal with and I would definitely use them again.

After a terrible job done by a former contractor we needed someone we could trust. Mario Grano & Sons were referred by a very dear friend who recently had masonry work done. After having such a horrible experience with another contractor and not trusting anyone we called Mario Grano & Son's anyway. What a pleasant surprise. Ben and his crew were professional, prompt and truly cared about our problem with the basement. Ben sat down with us and explained exactly what his recommendation were to correct the horrible job that was previously done. Within a few days the work was started. Not only did they do a beautiful job but they were very mindful of our privacy and kept the area clean. The completed job took about two weeks and every day after their work was complete they would clean the entire area and speak to us about their progress and whether they found other problems that needed correcting. Ben and his crew took great care to make sure this job was perfect. Mario Grano & Sons treated my repair as if it was their home they were working on. After such a bad experience with another contractor it was nice to know that there are great businesses out there. I would recommend Mario Grano & Sons to anyone that needed masonry work done. Thanks Ben for renewing my confidence in contractors and for the beautiful job you did. Judy Leidner

This is the 2nd job we hired Mario Grano and Sons to do for our home within the last 2 years. The first job (I posted review earlier this week) turned out amazing, so we knew we would hire them for this much bigger job. They once again completely wow'd us! I kid around saying my property is the size of postage stamp but looking at what they designed for us, you wouldn't think so now. On my small lot, they gave me this stunning driveway bordered in exquisite Belgium block and Delaware Stone, patio area with hardscaping surrounding our treasured grape vine pergola and designated grill area for those summer BBQs. For example, in between the bordering Belgium blocks they used what looked like a pastry bag filled with cement and molded this smooth rope shaped line in between each block. It just looks stunning. I'm posting up some pictures on their Facebook Page to show it! But you wouldn't be surprised because this is the kind of attention to detail they give EVERYTHING they touch. What they offer is not simply laying down cement, pouring a patio, planting a flower or adding Belgium blocks. He created a Tuscan oasis for me in my backyard. With grape vines, planted by my deceased Dad that covers an old pergola, he re-designed my whole patio area to capture our personalities, lifestyles and vines. He even replaced the old posts of the pergola now so that when we re-do it next year the cement would not need to be redone to add those posts! It wasn't just a job for them, each one of the Mario Grano team made my home into a work of art. From the quality of the materials they use, the craftsmanship of artisans, amazing service, dedicated and hardworking crew, to the cost-to-value ratio ? they will not disappoint on any level. I wrote in my last review that Ben, one of the Grano sons, was like the Jersey version of Mike Holmes from the TV show, Holmes on Homes. Well this time we worked with Gene, his brother, and he is exactly the same! We were even joking with him when he noticed that my window air conditioner was dripping water to where the new patio would be poured and he said "I will find a solution so the drip doesn't ruin my cement." This is pride of work...he was pouring my patio and felt he was such a part of it that it was his cement. I adore these guys! (Just so you know, he came up with a crafty solution and now it won't drip onto the cement!!) Gene came up with a great solution to eliminate the eye sore of my garbage and recycling cans with a wonderful cedar privacy fence laid out to serve not only for that much needed privacy but to build an area just for the cans without taking up valuable space. That type of dedication and commitment to a job well done can't be bought when someone gets a business license. Their Dad would be so proud of what they do and carrying on the work ethic he taught them. Next year, they will be back to re-do the foundation of my garage, add a small retaining wall to the side of the house (opposite side of the driveway) and add some more landscaping. I would not dream of even looking for another company to work on my home. Like Mike Holmes says "Do it right," and these guys do it right.

Overall the job done was incredible. The work was done quickly, efficiently, cleanly, and unbelievably well. What more can you ask for? The crew came in, excavated the area, cut down trees, removed all the old debris, brought in new top soil, put in trees, bushes, shrubs, and boulders, and placed them so beautifully, I can’t even believe it! They also installed an irrigation system and low voltage lighting to add to the beauty and low maintenance level I need. An amazing job from an A+ company!

Have you ever watched Holmes on Homes and wished you had someone to do work in your home like that guy? Well, that is how you will feel with Ben & his crew. I had been watching his signs go up all over my neighborhood and kept my eye out on for the finished product. The way his crew worked - clean, non-disruptive to neighbors, fast and talented - they left me impressed so I called for an estimate. Well, at my door was our own Jersey version on the Canadian guy on TV. To sum it up, he took care of us. He offered suggestions (and good ones!), he explained so patiently the details of what they would do, how they would do it and when they would finish. The price estimate was exactly what he said it would be. Ben and his master concrete artisans gave us a beautiful walkway, stoop and side front patio area. He even gave us a temporary solution to connect my driveway to the walkway until we could save up for the next project, a new driveway. They were amazing. I'm writing this because if there ever was an honest, down to earth, hometown company this is it. That TV show where Holmes says "Do it right" is exactly how Ben and his staff works. As soon as we can we're going to try to get our driveway done...and I will call no one else but Mario Grano & Sons. But taking the recommendation of a stranger might not mean anything, just drive around Woodbridge, Perth Amboy and so many other neighborhoods & towns and take a look at the work they do. The proof is in their work product.

Professional and prompt. Ben was an expert and gave us a quote but it seemed like he wanted to do more work than I thought I needed, hence the price was too high. Did not choose him, went with a more affordable contractor.

We contacted Mario Grano & Sons for an estimate to replace our concrete driveway, garage floor, and patio area. The business chose the date, we settled on a time, but no one showed to perform the estimate. We received a call about two hours after the scheduled time to ask if we could reschedule. The person who called was very apologetic, and while we were a little annoyed, we decided to give them a second chance because things do happen. We agreed on a new date and time, and again no one showed. We waited at least an hour and then left the house to go grocery shopping. When we returned there was a Mario Grano & Sons business card left on our front door. This time we did not receive a call. This very well might not be a represetation of what to expect if the business was actually hired to do work, but we thought we'd share our experience with you. We decided not to hire them. Mike & Melissa

For a few years now the sidewalk, apron, and curb in front of our house has been crumbling and in need of replacement. Also, we have a porch (just a concrete slab) at the entrance to our house. This slab had 3 major cracks plus the support for one of the columns for the roof over the porch was breaking up. Using Angie's list, we got two estimates. We eventually chose Mario Grano & Sons of Perth Amboy NJ for the work after getting an estimate and description of the job from Ben, one of the owners. One of the reasons we choose Grano was that Ben seems to eat, sleep, dream, talk, and breathe concrete right down to the composition of the materials he uses. Although his price was the highest, it was money well spent as the job his men did was top quality. During the actual work, in addition to a foreman working with the men, Ben's brother, Gene, was on the site all day making sure that every detail was correct. Speaking of detail, the men spent as much or more time on the finishing work as on the initial smoothing of the poured concrete. It was not unusual to see one of the men do some finishing work, not like the way it came out, and do it over again until it was the way he wanted it. The site was completely cleaned up when they were done. The only work left is replacing the columns holding up the roof to the porch. I'm having the wooden posts (which rot after a while and have already been replaced once) with new non-wood posts. That hasn't been done yet because Ben explained to me that the newly-poured concrete footings have to cure for 2-3 weeks before they can support the weight. If you want a really professional job with the best material, I think Grano $ Sons are worth the extra few dollars since I don't want to have to do this again in 5-10 years because of a shoddy job.

Ben Grano was great. We were recommended to get a mason's opinion on a roofing issue (long story). We described the situation to Ben and although he believed we needed a roofer, he took time to come out anyway. He was punctual. He took time to look at the problem, and although it was not a repair in his field, he still took time to describe what we needed to do and recommend some roofers that could help. He was friendly and knowledgable able to diagnose the problem.

Overall, the job went amazingly well from start to finish. Ben came to my home and gave me an estimate for all three areas needing improvement (porch, driveway, and landscaping). The price was exact...not a dime over. Everyone was extremely professional, from the owner, Ben, to all of the workers. The porch, the driveway, and the landscaping were completed beautifully. I gave Ben full license to decide on the landscaping (my only requirement was low maintenance items). What he chose was absolutely stunning. Neighbors commented for months on how good all of the work looked, and even requested their business card. Fantastic work!! Fantastic company!!

Basically I have had work done by this company for the last 20 years, on and off. They are reliable and whatever price he quotes is subject to change based on conditions. For example, when he worked on my daughter's basement, once he started getting into the problems we found significant issues that were buried once you break up the concrete. He is reasonable; once he starts a job he finishes it. It is not like he starts and then comes back two weeks later. His people are courteous, clean and clean up after themselves. He is not the cheapest; if you want cheap you don't want to go see him. But you get quality work. He follows the codes and gets the permits. When you say to some people that you need a permit they say, aw, you don't need a permit, we'll do it on the side...and it comes back to bite you. I will continue to use him.

Ben Grano gave us an exact price for the work, small deposit, tool care of the permits and inspections. One cost over run was top soil to even out the grade. He planted seed and covered with hay at cost even when I insisted he sould make some money on it. Started on time, finshed on time. I did not have to worry about anythng. Front porch needs to be replaced this year, Grano will be back to do that job.

The project went great! They came out and gave us a quote for the initial work. I had given them a time line of when I needed the work done by. They worked well within my time frame and we couldn't be happier with the work. No issues, no problems, this is a great company to work with!

After having continuning intrmittent water problems in my basement since my neighbor had a two car garage built next to my property. Ben constructed a larger sump pit and and a partial drainage system upgrade since I have a finished basement with a "floating floor" and a complete French Drain system was not feasible. This worked well since 2006. About 2 years ago after a prolonged spell of heavy rain, I noticed a puddle on the other side of the basement not adjecent to any wall. I call Ben and he looked at the situtation and since the ground was very saturated and my house is at the bottom of a slope he suggested that this might be a one time occurrance and we should wait to see if it happens again. everything was fine last year but then when we had the heavy rains in February of this year, it happened again. I called Ben and he came within 2 days and we decided that the best approach was to put an additional sump pump at the rear wall of the house to relieve the hydraulic pressure under the floor. His crew came 2 days later and finished the job in one day. I think we have solved the problem but we will have to wait until another storm comes that drops 2.5 inches of rain in three hours.

Overall the job was excellent. I couldnt be happier with the layout, the quality, the helpfulness, etc. A job well-done by a quality company.