Outside Insight

Scott Gifford was very prompt quoting the job and answering several questions I had. In addition, he was personally on the job every day work was performed. The crew did exactly what was agreed upon and the work was completed when promised. They even did a few minor jobs that were not quoted but were very much appreciated such as planting grass seed in several areas and cutting back several rose bushes. This is the 2nd time I have used Outside Insight and I will use them again in the future. Steve Wilson

Scott is great to work with. He listens and has wonderful ideas. He does not over plant. Very efficient, good clean up. Provides detailed instruction for the care of new plants. Provides follow up after the service is completed and is available to answer questions.

These guy's are great! I had them do some work at my office first and it looked great so I brought them home to replace an old patio and build a new retaining wall.

Contacted business and they gave a quote and came out at time arranged to put in dirt. While there the workers mentioned that they do landscaping and could pull out some bushes in our front yard for an additional fee. We decided to have them do it while there. When they pulled a bush next to our front door stoop they also managed to somehow pull down the railing on our front steps and stoop as well, and broke off the corner of the concrete where to railing was attached. The workers were apologetic and said they would work with us to get it fixed. Also, workers said they would smooth out the ground where the bushes were, but left 2 big holes in the dirt right next to my house, causing more opportunity for rainwater to poll against the foundation, which is what I hired them to fix to begin with! After several emails with the business owner the issue is still unresolved. The owner claims the railing came off and broke because it was very deteriorated and would have likely fallen off anyway with any kind of pressure on it. I agree that the rail wasn't in great shape, however, I have personally leaned on and over this railing several times and it has not budged against my 200+ pound weight. Owner offered $120 discount, however independent contractors have told me the concrete repair work to make it whole again would cost about $1,700, not including cost of a new railing. I don't expect reimbursement for a new railing, but at the very least the concrete needs repaired for the damage caused by their workers.. It was an accident and I'm sure the owner has insurance. Not sure why he's stonewalling me on this repair work.

The service was excellent. We appreciated that when they came to give their estimate that they provided drawings of the work. They worked with what we wanted and did not try to up-sell us. They also were very reasonable priced. We were happy with their work. They also put in a landscape lighting package. It looks great, and was very well designed. It accents our house, a few trees, and our walkway. We're very happy with the results.

Scott was great to work with--always punctual and professional. His team did a great job on the patio despite dealing with some unexpected conditions. We had an 80 year old maple tree removed prior to installing the patio but the trunk and roots were so big that the tree removal company didn't get it all. It took his team an extra 2 days to remove it and cost us about 10% more ($440). They handled the situation well though. When they realized how much of a problem it was they stopped to assess the situation and gave us a few options on how to proceed. We made a decision and knew the final cost would be higher for good reason. At the end however the extra cost was almost double what we were told because it did take additional work. We went back to Scott and discussed it and ended up only paying the agreed overage of $440. I didn't doubt the extra man hours, but because we accepted one overage they just assumed we would accept another. Scott understood our position and didn't make us pay the additional $350. I gave them a B on price because of how they handled the second overage, but an A overall because he understood our position on it. It's always nice when issues don't come up with contractors, but it's nice to know I was working with one who knew how to handle them. I would absolutely recommend Outside Insight again--they did a fantastic job and I love the new patio!

Scott was very professional and polite, and understood my need to keep costs in check. His team was very thorough, and worked a few days in very hot temperatures. Other than an extensively refreshed yard, I would have never known they were there, as they left no mess, or damage. Their estimate was right on, and I believe I got a great deal for my money. I would definitely recommend them to others, and I will use them again. Thanks Scott.

Although we weren't able to use Scott (Outside Insight, LLC) due to a property conflict with my neighbor, Scott provided counselling for how the wall should be repaired and what to watch out for as our neighbor's hired contractor completed the wall. Although he wasn't getting paid by me, he still spent time helping me. I think that says a lot about Outside Insight, LLC. Throughout my interactions with Scott he was timely and respectful. I would definitely work with him and recommend him to others.

I think the guy is really good. He is flexible. He had the most ideas of his own to us. He just liked him a lot. He was definitely the most professional. He had a lot of good ideas. It's like he will do a good job.

I described to Scott what I was looking for and he understood exactly what I wanted. Scott's estimate was accurate, the work perfectly executed and the result outstanding. His workers were polite, considerate and cleaned up after themselves. Scott's team removed bricks from the old patio, graded the space and built a beautiful random-arrangement Pennsylvania bluestone patio. It is now sealed and partially landscaped. He then installed pathway lighting and uplights for our trees and they too, are just what we wanted. We think his pricing is fair. Scott is very professional and we would recommend him for any job.

We were obtaining three different company bids for weed clean up and landscaping services around the entire perimeter of our house and a large area in our back yard. Scott (owner) promptly followed-up and was able to meet me within the same week to discuss each area of our yard in detail. Scott provided recommendations on plants/flowers for each specific area according to the layout and amount of sun/shade which would be ideal for each of the plants. He listened to the color scheme we were looking for and was able to recommend plants/flowers/bushes which would meet our needs (color, low maintenance, clean layout). Some areas of mulch placed around the yard by his team were initially covering the tops/sides of plants and could have been put downmore carefully, but Scott proactively recognized this and did take the time (before the final walk-through) to fix each area. During the final walk-through, Scott reviewed the care and watering recommendation for each area of landscaping. Our contract offers a one year guarantee on all new plantings. Scott was very knowledgeable, professional and worked hard with his team and his schedule in order to have all work completed by our target of early June (work completed 31May). We will definitely have Outside Insight perform future landscaping work for us, including fall and spring clean-ups.

I purchased an Angie's List Big Deal special offer for this service and the company was excellent. I requested them to do an additional decorative wall so the final price was an additional $600 to $800. He and his crew did a great job.

Great - they did an outstanding job - very professional.

Everyone working was courteous and worked continually. They arrived when they said they would and did what they had committed to. We are very happy with the appearance of the new path, as well as the quality of the work done. At my request Scott had also suggested a paver color that turned out to be an excellent choice, to blend with the brick of my home. They moved cement pots out of their way to avoid damage; they protected the lawn as much as was reasonable from the equipment it was necessary to use. Finally, friends visiting that evening commented on how attractive the path was. We were entirely satisfied with this job.

Scott and his crew worked hard! They began work promptly and worked during some of the hottest days of the Summer. They worked quickly and efficiently. Cleaned up when they left for the day and did a great job. The transformation has been amazing!! We have color from Spring through Fall from azaleas, iris, flowers I don't know the name of... crabapples, roses and cool plumes from the fountain grass. The stoop used to be a concrete slap and is now slate with paver edging. The walk (also was concrete) and is now a beautiful curved paver walk edged in charcoal. We love it and recommend Outside Insight highly!

Work was done professionally with the right equipment and men. Owner went out of his way to provide estimate at a reasonable price. This was the third time I've had pavers done and by far Outside Insight was the most professional and competent landscaper. Project ended looking better than we imagined.

Scott completely understood my reasoning for choosing to replace with concrete and wished me well on the project.

I contacted five landscape contractors all on the same day with the scope of the project to measure their interest. Mr. Gifford responded promptly (as well as the others) that he would like to bid on the project and I immediately forwarded to him what I needed in terms of references - both project and vendor. Within 24 hours after contacting each of the contractors, all but Outside Insight had forwarded their references to me. Again, having done this before, references are something that any smart business should have on hand as that is a good indication of the company's organization. It took Outside Insight another 4 days to provide the reference information and needless to say my sense about this company was becoming very uncomfortable. Once I received the references, I immediately contacted them as I was anxious to begin narrowing down my choice of who I would be meeting with to make my final decision. Two of Outside Insight's project references gave somewhat positive reviews but nothing overwhelmingly. It was the actual landscaping industry in which I began to learn of Mr. Gifford's history and his character undoubtedly came into question. It was at that point I immediately ceased further exploration of this company and decided that based on my core values of business, I could not engage with this Outside Insight.

We had Scott come out to look at our backyard and give us a quote for some options of landscaping that would improve the usability of the yard. Prior to the work the backyard was overgrown with honeysuckle and weeds. We did not know exactly what we wanted to do to the backyard so we needed someone who could help us figure out what our best options were. Scott was able to provide us several options of what he could do to the yard to make it more usable including putting in a patio with a built in fire pit as well as clearing out the overgrowth in the yard and putting down woodchip paths. Scott also said he was able to put in a chain link fence in the back of the property and an aluminum fence along the driveway which was nice as it meant we didn't need a second service provider to put in the fences. Scott provided us a quote within several weeks of meeting with him and was able to adjust the quote to increase the size of the patio at our request. The quote that Scott provided was cheaper by several thousand dollars compared to the quote that we received from another company to have similar landscaping done. Once we agreed to have Scott and his team do the landscaping it did take a few weeks for him to fit us in but it was well worth the wait. When Scott and his team were done our backyard was totally transformed into a usable space with a wonderful patio and cleared of all of the overgrowth. I would definitely use Outside Insight again for any future landscaping projects as I found Scott to be very helpful and the work done was a very good value for my money.

It was the first time I had used them. Because of the weather, there was some problems with getting the work done. Scott was the most honest man I've ever had work for me. I would defiantly use him again. He came back in the fall and made sure everything was up to my satisfied.

Everything has turned out nicely. They were prompt and professional.

He was so accommodating. He shared his ideas. I got to the point where I trusted his suggestions. I'd let him know what I wanted and he'd tell me what he thought I'd like better and why. People who go down the street say "I like your work!" That makes me feel good. It was more than I wanted to spend but it was worth it when the job was completed. I plan to use him again.

Scott and his team were great. They came in and started early and finished by mid afternoon. When I walked around with Scott and asked if he could trim a couple of the trees a little more it was done immediately. Scott and his crew were very professional and left our house looking great. I would highly recommend them.

Was done same, looked great when we got home.

I own a small business within the tri-state area and have contracted with Outsight Insight for years. I take great pride in making sure my business curb appeal is first rate and Scott and his team surpass my expecctations every year. Scott has a high degree of integrity and empraces a work ethic similar to my own. He knows his name is on the marquee and works hard to delivery a high quality service and finished product. I am reasurred of his work through our many clients who visit the business and constantly comment on the beauty of the grounds. Working with Outside Insight is one contractor choice you will not regret. de