We are really glad we decided to have Brian's company do the work for several reasons. First, he was flexible about the design. We have had several other landscaping projects done, including both hardscaping and plant installations, and we are familiar with the design and installation process, so we don't need to see extensive plans and/or drawings. We have lived in our current house for more than ten years, and have had a vision for the overall landscape that has developed based on how we use our property. Still, if we did need plans made, I suspect Brian could have arranged for that, but I expect that would also have added unnecessary time and costs to the project. Ultimately, one of the greatest assets of Still Life is this ability to sense and work with various types of customers--both those that have specific ideas for the project and those that do not. Of all the other outdoor projects contracted for our yard, we are the most pleased with the work done by Still Life. For the amount we spent, we got a great quality job, and we didn't have to invest in a lot of mulch, soil, or plant installation which are the types of things many homeowners can save money by doing themselves. Brian was willing to accommodate our desire to save on such costs. He also did a good job coordinating with an electrical sub he suggested to bury power lines to the garage and install PVC pipe for drainage to eventually connect with the driveway catch basin. (A new driveway is a future project.) He was also able to articulate his vision for the project while remaining attentive to our suggestions and desires. Finally, he and his employees cleaned up well, were always polite and prompt, and all people involved with the job were meticulous about performing work to Brian's specifications. To sum it all up, although this was one of the most costly projects associated with our home, we are extremely pleased we made the choice to have Brian West do the work. He knows his trade well, and performs his job with care and great skill. He clearly takes pride in his work.
Description of Work: We received bids from three separate contractors for this long-awaited job: building a sandstone patio, pathway, steps, and a retaining wall adjacent to our house in the back. Although the wall was added after the initial bidding process, Brian West (the owner of the company Still Life Landscapes) was still more or less in line with the others in price, but was more specific about materials and techniques.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$10,000
ROBERT C.
05/2011
4.0
decks
+ -1 more
I was not sure if their primary business was decks, I thought they did garden architecture and so on. They didn't have a lot of deck recommendations. They probably were a good company. I thought they also wanted to use the composite material. I wanted to use a wood that withstands and wouldn't expand and contract too much. Their responsiveness was good. We actually went to another company on Angie’s List and gave the job to them.
Description of Work: We used the services of Still Life Landscapes Inc. about 3 weeks ago to give a quote on the porch. They quoted $4200 for the job.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,200
CYNTHIA H.
11/2010
4.0
decks, mulch
+ 0 more
I called Still Life Landscapes for an estimate, however, I did not use them. The owner was very personable, had some interesting ideas, and I found him to be quite knowledgeable, but his price was a little high. (In fact, I found all the estimates I obtained for the mulching a bit high and ended up doing it myself.) I really wanted to use him as he lived nearby and I try to support local businesses as much as possible, but his price was out of my budget. I definitely would consider contacting him in the future.
Description of Work: Still Life Landscapes Inc. gave me an estimate for mulching, putting in a new patio, and completing a dry creek another contractor had started.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
value
2.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Anne I.
10/2010
5.0
landscaping, hardscaping
+ 0 more
Overall it went very well. This is a very busy time of year for the company, so they were fitting us in between jobs. We were not sure when they were going to show up, but that was not a problem for us. We have used this company before and knew that they do excellent work. We were not disappointed this time. The work is thorough, and they clean up nicely when they are done. The only thing that was not done was we were told a contract would be emailed to us, but it was not. Basically, we had a verbal estimate and the price came in exactly that much. Normally I would insist on a written contract, but I trust Brian, the owner. He did not ask for one dime from us until the job was finished to our satisfaction. The grass is coming up nicely, and he has checked back a few times to see how things are going. I will definitely use this company in the future. Highly recommended!
Description of Work: Applied Round-up to the entire back lawn, then came back and removed all the dead grass. Tilled the soil and added some top soil. Made sure the ground was even where before it had not been. Seeded the yard and applied peat moss over the top of the seeds to protect them.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
Alison B.
09/2010
5.0
landscaping, pavers, gravel, hardscaping
+ 1 more
After meeting with two other landscapers (one of whom was a prima donna), I selected Brian because 1) he really listened to me and was willing to execute something I had in mind instead of just expecting me to agree to let him do his own thing without discussing his vision and design with me (Yes, Mr. Prima Donna did have that expectation), 2) I was impressed with his previous work - Brian even took me on a tour of some of his work that was similar to mine, and 3) chemistry - Brian is down-to-earth and very friendly. I knew he'd be easy to work with and he was! Brian built a lovely path with two steps that gets noticed! The only reason I've given him a "B' on quality is because I have since found out that the two steps are not the same height. I don't really notice when I go up them, but I've since done enough research on building steps and there's a specific formula that one should follow to ensure each step is the right height. In addition, he changed one of the materials specified in the contract (without informing me) because the supplier wouldn't sell him a small quantity. Having said that, he agreed to replace it free of charge if I wanted to. I hired Brian a few months later to replace some broken slabs of sandstone on my sidewalk. No problem there at all.
Description of Work: 1. Built two steps from driveway to yard due to a grade and laid a path from steps to front entry. 2. Replaced two slaps of sandstone in sidewalk
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,200
SHARNELL W.
10/2009
5.0
lawn treatment
+ -1 more
They informed me that they did not do aeration, but referred me to someone who does.
Description of Work: I called them for an estimate on aeration.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
professionalism
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Arjen P.
07/2009
5.0
decks
+ -1 more
The workers from Still Life did a beautiful job on the patio. They were real craftsmen and they had an eye for stonework. They were great overall. They did quality work. The price was fairly reasonable. I would use them again.
Description of Work: I hired Still Life Landscapes Inc. to put in a new stone patio.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,400
Anne I.
12/2008
5.0
fencing, landscaping, hardscaping
+ 1 more
Very positive experience. The guy that runs the company, Brian West, is very enthusiastic about the work. He drew up a plan that was really nice. They were professional, showed up on time and did a very good job.
Description of Work: They did some backyard landscaping. They put in flower beds, a patio and a fence.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
SARAH & JONATHAN N.
09/2007
5.0
pavers, gravel
+ -1 more
Brian had to work hard to even return my call because the message I left had been unclear. It took him a few weeks to figure out my phone number, but he persevered and finally found me. He came out within a few days and left me a written estimate shortly thereafter. He called to follow up and answered all my questions over the phone, spending a good deal of time on the phone with me. He was attentive to detail, sincere, soft-spoken and polite. He came out to do the work within a week of his tentative starting date even with all the rain we had in early and mid August. He did all the work by hand and by himself! He even worked through a cloudburst on the first day of work. He replaced a block of stone even though that wasn't on the estimate and still came out below estimate. He was a pleasure to have on my property as he cleaned up very well after himself every day.
Description of Work: Lifted and leveled about 50 bluestone blocks and edging bricks that had been pushed up by tree roots by cutting and removing roots. Added limestone beneath the bluestone and filled in with sand. Replaced one broken block.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,200
EMILY T.
07/2007
5.0
pavers, gravel
+ -1 more
Most importantly, Brian did a fantastic job on the patio. He was able to use only existing stones, saving us money on materials. The design of the patio (the size of the gaps between the stones and the way the stones were cut) looks wonderful. The quality of the worksmanship was excellent. Brian communicated very well with us, working around our schedule as necessary. He needed to remove a portion of our fence to get some earthmoving equipment into the yard, and he was very careful to return the fence and adjacent bed to their original condition. He re-seeded where necessary. I would call him again for any major landscaping or yard work, especially work on stone patios or raised beds.
Description of Work: Still Life used some existing squares of sandstone to create a 10x12 patio in our backyard in Cleveland Heights. They removed a large area of bark/ mulch (maybe 20x40) where there had once been a jungle gym. They laid the stone patio, leveled the lawn area, defined flower beds, and completed work on a partially finished raised vegetable bed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,800
Jean R.
04/2007
5.0
hardscaping
+ -1 more
Brian came over for an estimate, established a fair price, showed up the next day and worked long hours with his co-worker to complete the main bulk of work, and promises to return soon for final detailing. Kind, fair, hard working, meticulous work, and meticulous clean up.
Description of Work: Pulled up and then laid two new stone walkways, prepared a garden that had been ruined from new storm line digging for planting, fixed tree position and then will cover garden with ground cover (myrtle).
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$950
Jean R.
04/2007
5.0
landscaping
+ -1 more
Brian came over for an estimate, established a fair price, showed up the next day and worked long hours with his co-worker to complete the main bulk of work, and promises to return soon for final detailing. Kind, fair, hard working, meticulous work, and meticulous clean up.
Description of Work: Pulled up and then laid two new stone walkways, prepared a garden that had been ruined from new storm line digging for planting, fixed tree position and then will cover garden with ground cover (myrtle).
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$950
ANNE C.
01/2007
5.0
concrete repair, pavers, gravel
+ 0 more
Brian was a real pleasure to deal with. He returned calls very promptly, showed up on time to give an estimate as well as to do the work. He and a coworker did an excellent job of repairing the cracked sidewalk blocks. We felt that his estimate was very reasonable and that his workmanship was excellent.
Description of Work: We were cited for cracks in two sidewalk blocks. Brian recommended that the cracked slate block be repaired with a triangular section of sandstone, and the cement sidewalk block be repaired with a triangular section of cement. Another block that wasn't cited had a crack also, which Brian agreed to fill.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$129
PETER Z.
12/2006
5.0
hardscaping
+ -1 more
He kept in touch with us. Two workers showed up on schedule and worked hard on their own to do the work, which appeared to be harder than they expected. They finished on schedule, did a good job of cleaning up and re-seeded a patch of dead grass nearby as well. Brian came back to make sure the rain didn't damage a newly seeded section.
Description of Work: Still Life does other landscaping work, but I approached Brian West about leveling several sections of sidewalk to comply with city code. He agreed to lift the sections (stone and concrete), dig out their base, replace it with finely crushed stone, and fit the sections back into place (level).
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Service Categories
Pavers and Hardscaping,
Stone and Gravel,
Landscaping,
Decks and Porches,
Mulch and Topsoil,
Lawn Fertilization & Treatment,
Lawn and Yard Work,
Fencing,
Concrete Pouring and Repair
FAQ
STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC is currently rated 5 overall out of 5.
Monday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC accepts the following forms of payment: Check
Yes, STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC offers free project estimates.
No, STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC does not offer a senior discount.
No, STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC does not offer emergency services.
No, STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC does not offer warranties.
STILL LIFE LANDSCAPES INC offers the following services: LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION: STONE & BRICK WORK, WATER FEATURES, LANDSCAPES, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICE.
CONCRETE POURING/REPAIR, MAINTENANCE AND SNOW REMOVAL.