GENERAL BRICK DESIGNS

While we requested estimates from several mason contractors, Ed was the second contractor to come in and give us an estimate. Ed sat down with us and reviewed in detail exactly how he would complete the project. He was extremely knowledgeable and certainly conveyed to us that he had the expertise that we were looking for. We made some changes to the project before the work started and Ed was very accommodating with the changes. Ed, along with his foreman Oscar and crew proved to be everything we had hoped for!!! Everybody had a job to do and they went about doing it in a very professional manner Their work was meticulous and it was obvious that they were all very experienced. Ed was on site every day guiding and consulting with us and the end result was spot on. To say the least we were absolutely thrilled with Ed and his fabulous team of professionals!!! All promises were delivered!!

Overall, I am completely satisfied. After receiving the down payment, Ed and I stayed in touch with each other discussing the project several times. The project started as we had agreed upon. Ed and his crew of 6 or 7 guys were on the job daily and on time. It was comforting to have Ed present as we can discuss questions that arose while the project progressed. I even wound up doing more work than originally contracted and Ed was able to accomodate me. The work was done meticulously and not cutting corners. I paid Ed as we had agreed upon and we had no disagreements with payment. Shortly after the end of the job, I noticed some problems cropping up. I called Ed, and his words were "Don't worry, I am going to make this thing right". I can happily say that he stuck by his words. He kept in touch with me and did come back to my house as he had promised and did correct the issues that had arisen. It took him several days to correct the issues and he happily did the work, and did not complain to me about the cost and did not ask me for a dime. I would recommend Ed to anyone, He is professional, fair in price, and most of all honorable in his word.

This was our second experience with Ed and his team. As was the case with the work they performed last year, Ed's design talent combined with the workmanship and professionalism of his team produced a fantastic driveway for our house. Our old asphalt driveway was damaged due to roots of tress no longer on the property and from Hurricane Sandy. It was truly an eyesore and detracted from the tremendous work Ed did in the front of our house at the end of last year. Ed took great pains to solve the grading problems generated by our desire to expand the driveway. He suggested the perfect size, color and pattern for the concrete pavers. His team did a tremendous job of regrading the area and the result is the concrete pavers have a fluid look and feel as the grade changes from our garage down to driveway. We could not be happier with the results and we cannot provide a strong enough recommendation to anyone interested in new masonry work or masonry repairs at their house. Ed is the consummate professional - he has great design ideas with respect to material and color selection. But most important, Ed truly has the customer's best interest at heart. We saw many examples of this both last year and during his time here this year. I do confess that we have one regret - for the near future we have run out of work for Ed and his team to help us with around the house! However, when the time comes for our long range projects Ed will be our only choice of masonry contractor.

Ed and his crew were phenomenal! When we hired General Brick Designs, we knew that they had limited availability but Ed was able to schedule our job earlier than expected. He came everyday and was always available to discuss how the job was going. At the end of the job, the area was raked clean and I was able to restore my foundation plants which had been carefully set aside by Ed's crew. Knowing that we had struggled with our waterproofing issues for over twenty-five years, I must say that I felt confident in Ed's expertise and excited to finally solve our flooding problems. To give proper credit to Ed and General Brick Designs, I waited to write this review - since the work was completed, we had significant snow and rain accumulations (which would have previously flooded our basement) and our basement is high and dry! Thank you, Ed. I am looking forward to engaging General Brick Designs to design our new patio!

Eddie and his crew are top notch! I will only use him of any of my waterproofing and stone work from now on!! I highly recommend his work and his team. the experience was incredible and i never had to worry about anything. Either Eddie or his wife would contact me to let me know what was next in the schedule. They fixed multiple items at my home. I had water coming in on the side of my house which created a musty smell and would have turned the wood on the side of my home rotten. It has now been dry as a bone and the smell is gone. They repaired my chimney cap which was breaking and bricks were falling in pieces with bad weather. while they were fixing it they noticed that the original chimney many levels down was weak from years of harsh weather abuse so the took it apart and fixed it all at no extra charge. It is now solid at I no longer need to worry about falling chunks of brick! The largest part of my project was putting stone in my driveway. He designed a beautiful herring bone style that my wife fell in love with from the drawing that he then crafted in stone. before laying down the stone he installed 2 dry-wells because my gutter were just running off into the drive way making a mess and a hazard during winter months. Lastly he reinforced some loose patio pavers I had from years ago around the pool and other areas. This was something that he normally doesn?t do since the original work was not his but he made an exception and the outcome was great!

Eddie and his team did an amazing job on my stoop, window well and driveway apron. I reached out to Eddie after reading his reviews on Angie?s list. I have had issues with contractors in the past; poor work, failing to show up, not finishing the job, etc. I had to believe if people wrote all these positive reviews for General Brick Designs, I would at least get a completed job. I was extremely impressed with Eddie?s professionalism during our first meeting. He listened to my ideas as well as my concerns and spoke honestly about what he thought would or would not work. He also gave me some suggestions to improve the overall look of the design. I loved everything he had to say and I could see he was as passionate about the project as I was, so I gave him the job. Best thing I ever did! Eddie and the crew showed up to start working exactly when he said they would. They worked hard, they worked neat, every brick was placed perfectly, and every cut was spot on. They cleaned up after themselves and left the front yard exactly as they found it. They truly took pride in their work. I was very impressed with their talent, they did a spectacular job. I am constantly opening my front door to look at the stoop and window well. It went from being the most embarrassing thing on the property, to being the focal point. When my son saw the apron on the driveway for the first time he said, ?Mom, this looks so cool. You should do the entire driveway this way.? I?m sure I will do that in the future, along with my walkway and patio and whatever else I can brick or stone. I will definitely, without a doubt, use Eddie again. I would not let anyone else put as much as a pebble on my property. Thank you to Eddie and his team for a job well done!

Eddie has done work for us in the past, and at this point, we would not even consider going to anyone else to do our masonry and/or foundation work. Eddie is a valued professional. He and his crew do exemplary work. Eddie will be on site with you each and every day during the entire project. His right-hand man, Oscar, is as competent and professional as he is. They are detailed workers who attend to every issue. And when they leave, your home and yard will be as clean as when they arrived - in some cases, cleaner! With Eddie and Oscar, the work will be done completely and correctly the first time. I wouldn't hesitate to hire General Brick Designs for future work on my home - and I highly recommend them to everyone.

Ed came to me highly recommended and Angies List confirmed my expectations. He evaluated my foundation problems, and, with his engineering experience and masonry skills, detected unseen problems. Then, it was time to talk. He sat me down as if I were a patient and he the surgeon. Not to worry- he had the experience, as testified through Angies list, and I would survive surgery and be as good as new, if not better. He patiently explained the process to me, helping me understand, and also assured me if they found anything else when all was exposed, they would fix it- and they did! His crew worked by hand- no heavy machinery, which would have comprimised my surroundings. Ed is so proud and respectful of his crew led by Oscar, and I see why. Ed is a fresh blend of old school care and knowledge, and modern solutions. His work put me back in my comfort zone. The "surgery" was a success!

I ended up writing a longer review than anticipated, but it was necessary to write one that did justice to the work Ed performed. How did it go?.... If I said - "Tremendous"- it would not describe half of the satisfaction that my wife and I have after Ed and his team finished their work. Ed was always onsite with his team making sure that everything was executed the way we discussed. Ironically, Ed's team needs very little supervision as they are are hard working, meticulous and talented, which are 3 essential qualities to have for the work they performed. * Ed is wonderful because he is always concerned about the quality of his work and he provided us with suggestions on finishing details and color combinations that were spot on. He definitely is not a contractor who comes in looking solely to make the most on your job at the expense of your satisfaction. His suggestions sometimes resulted in his team providing a little more than what was quoted but he did it at no charge. * When we first contacted Ed we were in the midst of finishing other exterior work and he made a couple of trips to nail down the estimate and material/color choices. When he left in mid-August we had an estimate based on a certain backyard design. Fast forward 3 months when Ed started the job - he came in to find that we had to redesign our backyard due to several factors, which changed the size and configuration of the patio and we include a new separate area. As he did in August, Ed took it in stride and worked with us on assimilating the different elements of our design to produce a backyard that will definitely be our little Getaway. * Ed made it easy for our experience to be a collaborative effort, which we wanted and appreciated. He has a vast amount of knowledge pertaining to his trade, as well as to other construction trades and residential landscaping. Given his attitude, talents and knowledge, Ed is a modern day Renaissance Man and we were fortunate that we were able to have him work at our house. We only wish we had more projects for Ed to work on. Oh wait... we do!! In the spring we have to replace our driveway and we were planning on paving it with asphalt. However, after discussing our options with Ed, we have contracted with him to demolish the old driveway and build a new one with concrete pavers. I do not think we could offer a better endorsement of General Brick Design's work. Thank you Ed..

, If there was an A+ category, Ed and his crew would qualify for this grade. Ed is SO passionate about his work and strives hard to make every detail of the job just as the homeowner wants it. Ed is very knowledgeable, he built bridges for the Army Corp of Engineers, has been in business for over 30 years, and is a Master Bricklayer. He is so accessible with any question or concern. The crew is so professional. Led by Master Bricklayer Oscar, the crew arrives on time and gets right to work. They are meticulous in the design and layout of the job, respectful of your property and work like a well oiled machine. Several of the crew are Master Bricklayers as well. You will not go wrong in hiring this excellent company!

Ed Costanzo is such a good and knowledgeable and diligent contractor that I am not sure he is human. Rarely in 45 years of home ownership have I encountered a guy as competent, thorough, trustworthy and such a delight to deal with. We hired Ed, who we did not know, solely based on his ridiculously and uniformly glowing Angie's List reviews, and I am now delighted to join the brigade of customers singing the praises of Ed and his crew of fine masons.

The job is superb, and is performing as advertised. I was very concerned about water runoff into the street, and we've not seen any water moving anywhere yet, it goes right through the pavers. They look beautiful, and we've had many compliments. No one but we know that the conditions were less than idea, as the crew was working within an existing structure of belgian block in concrete that had been poorly laid or shifted over time to very different heights. The crew made the finished product work within the existing block, and it looks perfectly aligned. Eddie and his crew are craftsmen and workmen, diligently working to finish the job both well and on time. The team has clearly worked together for a while, they each have their role and manage the job so that everyone is busy. Super progress was made each day, and the result is beautiful! Thanks to the entire team!

Ed called us back promptly and came over the next day. He looked over the site, discussed our options and gave us an estimate the same day. We agreed on the price and time frame. We could not be happier with the work Ed and his crew did. Their attention to detail is evident in the outcome. They took the extra time to draw out the pattern they used for the bluestone patio. It is absolutely beautiful and we could not have asked for anything more. Ed has a very good eye for design as does his foreman, Oscar. His crew is very professional and you can tell they enjoy what they do. They cleaned up every day and when the job was done you would not know they were there (except for the beautiful stone patios they left behind). Ed is a very knowledgeable, talented master mason and an honest, kind and sincere man. We will definitely use General Brick Designs for our future projects and highly recommend them!

Eddie and his crew are absolutely amazing - they are master masons who do impeccable work, all while maintaining a positive and professional attitude. Eddie explained every phase of the job to me in great detail. Once the job started Eddie and his crew showed up every day! They worked perfectly together. Ed was genuinely concerned about every aspect of the project, and treated my house like it was his own. It is very refreshing to meet a contractor who is honest, thorough, and a gentleman. I would 100 % recommend Eddie to anyone looking for a mason. Ed was at my house for approximately two weeks, but I can truly say I consider Ed a friend, and someone I can call anytime I have a question.

Mr.Costanzo is a very honest and caring gentleman. He just dont take your money and run. He took time to come and see me and help me with a job I had done with someone else. What contracter would do that none. Mr. Costanzo is an ANGEL in disqiuse and a blessing. And I want everyone who is reading the reviews of General Designs they are so true. His knowledge is incredible . I would and definitely will recommend General Design to family,friends and strangers who need work done. Mr. Costanzo my husband is shaking your hand from heaven and thanking you for taking care of his family. God bless you Mrs. Favara

I am always leary about contractors. When I was first contacted by Ed I was a little leary, but after meeting him and talking about the project for the house I realized how genuine he was and very understanding to my needs and worries about the house. He went into details about his resume and how he learned to be a master mason. Reassuring me that no one will do a better job. I felt so comfortable talking to him and eventually hired him. After the job was over I told ed if I could kiss him I would ?. The professionalism of these guys were like no other. Ed was not the type that if something needed to be changed he would charge me. He just did it. Ed transformed my curb appeal. I could never have imagined that my house could look so beautiful. Along with his 10 year guarantee how can u not hire him. Worry free. I can honestly say I have made a friend in ed. I used to joke with Ed that I hated neighbors and that I wanted 20 acres of land. But if there were more people like ed I wouldn't need so much land. I became close with Ed while he worked on my house and was sad to see him go. Thanks for all the work. A++++++

I hate writing reviews and rarely do but Ed and his crew deserve to be recognized. They were fantastic from the beginning to the end. Ed is so detailed and knowledgeable and walks you through the entire process step by step. He inspects the entire premise with a fine tooth comb to make sure nothing is left out and the work will be able to be done properly. Once we agreed on the scope of work we had to start the permit process with our village which turned into a two month ordeal. Through the entire process Ed was so patient and helpful. Our village would not accept Ed's insurance and would not issue the permit. I feel like most contractors at that point would have cancelled the job and not dealt with the issue. Not Ed he restructured his entire insurance program to satisfy our village so the permit could get issued. Anytime I called with any questions or issues with the permit or anything else I got an immediate response. I don't think I would have received this type of professionalism from anybody else. Ed, Oscar (his foreman) and the rest of the crew are true craftsman and take their craft serious. Nowadays it's hard to find contractors that know their trade and take pride in their work. You will receive both of these qualities with Ed. I wish I could have Ed do all my future projects in my house. Once the issue with the village was straighten out the work was seamless. The work began when Ed said it would and the crew showed up every morning on time. I never had such a stressfree project. There are so many personal touches along the way that you don't find in other contractors. For instance, the pavers that we were replacing were being given to my uncle. We had them stacked to the side for my uncle to pick up. Instead Ed and his crew loaded all the pavers and delivered them to my uncles house for him. This was not part of the contracted work. This is just Ed and his crew being helpful, respectful and just overall nice people. I 100% recommend Ed/General Brick Design. You will not be disappointed.

Excellent design and construction. Workers were cordial, professional and highly skilled. The job was detailed and complicated because we have an older house - and this crew completed the job beautifully with perfect cleanup. We feel the end result was even better than expected. It was a beautiful job executed to perfection. We recommend Eddie and his crew highly and without reservation....A+ job.

Before Eddie came to look over the job and give an estimate, I was already sure he was the man for the job just from the reviews I read on Angie's List. Everything the previous customers wrote was spot on. Eddie is the most professional and knowledgable mason I have ever come accross, not to mention a true gentleman. If all business owners, contractors and professionals conducted their business like Eddie and General Brick Designs, I am sorry to say Angie, your list would not be needed! Eddie looked over the area and made some suggestions on what he thought would be a good look that would enhance the look of the house and the grounds as well. We agreed on his suggestion as he truly has a vision and the experience with the products and what would look right for the property. We then agreeded on a price. Eddie kept in touch with me letting me know when i should expect him and how his present job was running. Several weeks later Eddie and his team showed up everyday at 7:00AM or shortly after and worked hard all day, Eddie was on site everyday as well. All the bluestone that was in place around the pool and patio area had to be removed as well as the concrete under it. No jackhammers here, all the bluestone and concrete pickaxed and hauled away. With care given to the pool and keeping the mess out of it. The ground was smoothed and compacked and the pavers where installed in a herringbone pattern. It was obvious that the workers cared about what they were doing and not just going through the motions for a paycheck. These gentlemen knew their stuff as Eddie mentors them to be the best they can be, and it shows. There was extra work that had to be performed around the pool that was unseen and unexpected while the old bluestone was still down, but Eddie's leadman Oscar said there was no way to do the job properly without first installing new mortor and flashing i believe it was called around the pool edge. Eddie and his men did an excellent job of installing that before proceeding, and would not charge me for the extra work! When was the last time you heard that! I had asked to have some of the old bluestone placed on the side as a relative requested it, it was greeted with "no problem, whatever you need" and it was done quickly for me. As the job went on i asked Eddie what he thouht of a driveway apron using the same pavers, Eddie thought it would make a great statement and loved the idea, a very reasonable estimate was given and when the patio and the rest of the job was completed the driveway appron was installed the very next day and the results are outstanding! I cannot say enough nice things about Eddie and his team, professional, caring, neat, hard working, with the end result being a beautiful job that will be enjoyed by my family for years to come. Before the pavers were placed i had asked Eddie if we could place the remains of my pet cat "Skunky" under his favorite spot on the patio which Eddie was all for. Eddie handled the entire event with dignity and respect that had my entire family very touched. The next day Eddie had brought along a paver his wife was kind enough to have engraved as a rememberence for my deceased cat Skunky! Talk about a caring professional, including his wife, that says it all, just a class act. Eddie treats his work as an artist treats his canvas, the love of the job comes first, the money is secondary, if the work is not top notch, then nothing else matters. Anyone who is in need of masonary work needs to look no further than Genral Brick Designs, everything that is promised, is delivered, and then some! I could go on and on but i trust you understand what i am saying, these guys are the best, Thank you Eddie for the beautiful patio and driveway apron, everyone who sees it comments on your work, thank your crew as they did a wonderful job as well, and lastly thanks for being a true gentleman and humanitarian! You guys are the best! The only drawback is, I wish Eddie and his team did more than masonary, i would hire them for all my housing and construction needs! They are truly the best, and the experience was nothing short of spectacular!

Ed's service was just amazing. I had planned to have some shrubs removed before the work began, but had not done so when Ed called to say he would be starting the next day. He had his workers remove three large shrubs, cut them into manageable stacks and remove the roots. They then trenched out for cobblestone borders along the driveway, removed asphalt from the lower portion of the drive and set new pavers in place. Their work was meticulous and they took great care to clean up at the end. The following day they removed the broken concrete from the entryway, poured new concrete and finished up the driveway. I cannot say enough about how professional and courteous everyone was. I am delighted with the outcome and will definitely use Ed's company in the future and recommend him to others. Thanks, Angie's List...I was delighted with my experience.

The job went extraordinarily well from our very first conversations with Eddie Costanzo to the well thought-out meticulous re-structuring and engineering of the damaged walls with new footings steel, block, concrete and water proofing to finished surfaces to the last bit of clean up. Eddie's experience with the Army Corps of Engineers and years as a master mason and his incredibly talented, hard working and courteous crew showed every day of the project. General Brick Designs exceeded every expectation. I really don't know how they could be any better. My wife and I could not have asked for more from them and will sleep well at night knowing that the foundation walls are stronger now than they were when they were built 85 years ago. From day one, every man arrived on-time, was fully prepared to work and began work immediately. Eddie was engaged and informative from his return of my first call to the last hour of clean up. He was incredibly knowledgeable and and shared every detail of the project as it progressed. At every point, he ensured that we understood, and were comfortable with, how he planned to address issues while providing concise explanations of the problems with our foundation and the causes leading to them. At no point from beginning to the final payment did he ask for or suggest any change to our contract or conditions despite there being more serious issues than any of us suspected. Finally, you could not a nicer, harder working and courteous group of men than these. The whole experience was a pleasure.

The owner, EDWARD COSTANZO, called back promptly. He explained what needed to be done and why. Unfortunately his schedule is booked solid and I need the work done sooner. He offered to put me on standby if a spot opened up and I may very well do that. He took the time to explain what any other contractor should be doing, what I should ask and what a appropriate price range would be. Not many contractors would be that honest. Most would book you, even if they couldnt schedule you, and then play games with scheduling and completion. I have not decided on a contractor but I would definitely consider using this contractor for the job if I decide to delay the start date until he can schedule me in. Its unusual to get a contractor this honest and open who sounds like he is knowledgeable and would rather give someone good advice and guidance even if they dont get that particular job.

Updating review to give an A in the category of price. I noticed in reviewing the review that I made a mistake. Ed, Oscar and the entire crew did an excellent job on this project. They worked fast, clean and neat and the finished product gives the front of our property beautiful curb appeal. Ed and his crew installed beautiful pavers around our pool and replaced the old wood deck in our back yard about seven years ago and we have since received many positive comments from friends and neighbors about that job. There was no question that we would call Ed back to do another outstanding makeover!!

We recently moved into a home that needed some major remodeling to the back of our property. I kicked off the bidding process by reaching out to Angie's list a few month's ago and called Eddie Costanza to provide a bid for work to be done. His price was actually a bit higher than the other two bids received but my wife and I felt extremely comfortable with his approach to the job to be done as well as his mason experience which was quite evident with the meetings we had before signing a contract. I had read through all the comments about his company on Angie's list and hoped that they were accurate about him and his crew. Well, ALL comments about Eddie and his crew Oscar, Wilson, Tony and Omar are spot on! This team just spent two weeks at my home and they did an incredible job with my patio, barbq, pool walkway and garden areas. What was great about this experience was how Eddie managed the work to be done. Not only was he on the jobsite everyday but he and I conversed on the design throughout the process and made modifications where necessary. The Danish brick patio with stone edging and stone barbq area could be shown in a backyard design magazine! My wife and I couldn't be any happier! I also need to recognize his team. They are a hard working crew that are professional, courteous and clearly experienced at all aspects of masonry. As I am retired and was also working in my yard a good part of the time they were at my home I got to see firsthand how effective they worked together as a team. Oscar, the lead, is a masonry artist that is also a perfectionist and takes a significant pride in the work of his guys. Eddie and his crew actually went beyond our expectations as they rebuilt a good part of a brick patio/walkway that was attached to the old deck, laid additional bluestone to my pool area and a shed behind the pool and repaired damage to a part of our chimney. Before I signed a contract with Eddie he had said numerous times that once the work gets underway that he and his team would have no other distractions and that all of his energy and focus would be on my home and nowhere else. This commitment was spot on! As other Angie's List comments have stated, he has a wealth of experience from the Army Corp of Engineers and this was evidenced by the quality of work achieved. He actually provided additional counsel to me on other aspects of my home such as the siding, chimney and property maintenance that I will take forward with further refurbishment of my home. His outgoing personality, team leadership and keen desire to meet client expectations are just a few of the key reasons why I would recommend him for any form of masonry work. Overall, this was an incredible experience. I have told Eddie to use us as a reference and if anyone wanted to come see the work done at our home to just give me a call so I could show it off. Thanks again for a job well done. All the best, Bill & Maritza

I would like to start this review with a huge Thank you to Mr. Eddie Costanza owner of General brick design and his highly skilled crew. This experience was very different from the moment I met Eddie for an estimate. He spent time explaining his Masonary and engineering background and how proud of his crew he is. He treats his crew like family and they represent him with the same repect. If I knew what I know now not only would he have done all the mason work prior to the pool being installed but he would have been hired before I installed the pool. He is honest, kind, and a genuinely nice person. It is extremely difficult to find a contractor that even comes close to the integrity this man has. His pricing is very competitive but if ur looking for the cheapest you may wanna look somewhere else but remember you get what you pay for and I promise he is worth penny. I have no problem showing my beautiful patio and even explaining in person why general brick design and Eddie are truly above all. Once again thank you Eddie I enjoyed the whole project from beginning to end.