Kimicata Brothers Inc

Cleanup, trimming and mulching had not been done for two years. They got it all done in two days as planned and it looked great.

We were VERY pleased with Kimicata. Rick was very prompt to respond to our initial call and continued to work with us on altering the scope of the work and the price. The work actually started approximately 3 weeks earlier than expected, which was a very pleasant surprise. We can't speak highly enough about Eric and the crew. The work lasted approximately 7 days. The crew was very punctual and professional. They were very friendly and gave us lots of good tips about properly maintaining the yard and plants. They cleaned up everything very well, including the front street. Eric, Denzell, Jim, and Brian were all great to work with. It was an overall excellent experience and we will definitely use Kimicata Brothers in the future.

Regarding the Blue Stone Patio, the men did fine work, were punctual, very polite, and professional. They worked dilegently while here and left the site clean at the end of each day. They seem to be focused on our satisfaction in a way that is rare today. As you would expect, a job of this size and nature had some snags along the way. Kimicata has been very responsive to correcting them and has been back a few times to make adjustments or minor repairs - most at their own expense. There are only two small issues remaining and those are expected to be completed shortly. The patio looks beautiful and has exceeded our expectations. Our gardens are part of the Pittsburgh Garden Tour this summer and we are anxious to show off their work to the people that will be touring our gardens in June. Although I had planned to wait until all work was complete to review Kimicata, I am now very confident that the remaining repair and sprinkler work will go smoothly as well. So far, they are one of the best contractors I have worked with and I am very impressed with their group's professionalism, their pride of workmanship, and desire to leave us a very satisfied customer. I believe they provide very good value for the investment we made and installed a beautiful patio that we will enjoy for many years to come. I would definitely use Kimicata again and highly recommend them for landscaping, hardscaping, and irrigation systems. Well done to team Kimicata (Especially Eric and Jason who lead the teams).

Left a voice mail asking for help to prepare a yard for a house sale. Call was not returned. About a week later, received a "quote" in the mail for $830 to complete "spring clean up work" and a request for half of the money up front. All this -- and we never spoke nor was the quote based on the actual work that needed to be done. Great way to do business -- not!

They were great! I would recommend them to others.

Paul came and gave us the estimate then was out to do the work within two weeks. They showed up the day they said they would and worked everyday until the work was completed. They cleaned up after themselves everyday and on the final day when the work was completed.

They did very good work and I will be using them again this spring. They came back every day to finish the work. It took some time to discover the leak but they kept trying until they got it. They even checked up after all the work was finished. The workers were very nice and pleasant to work with.

I'm content, particularly because Kimicata's prices this year were a bit lower than I expected. The new lawn in particular was a great deal, especially given how well it came in. A certain amount of pachysandra (which I'm trying to get to spread) got pulled up and blown away with the leaves, but all landscapers use leaf blowers, and those things will never be gentle. They also did a second pass after their initial cleanup to get more of the later-falling leaves, which was a pleasant surprise. Their work's diligent, and they show up as promised, which in the landscaping business is a rare quality.

The company is very professional and very knowledgeable. They have an answering service so someone always picked up the phone when I called, though I found it easier to email if I knew I was going to be unavailable or if I had something more complicated than "call me back" to leave at the office (like a specific question). They pointed out that I had the wrong grass for the amount of sun my back yard gets (could be a reason why it didn't grow too well). They performed the work while I was at work. My neighbor mentioned that there was a whole team of guys (5 or so he thought) and they completed it in a morning or so. The grass came in pretty well. Paul called a few times to make sure I was watering the right way (small amounts of time, a few times a day) and stopped by to check on things (and then followed up with a call or email). I've had a lot of experience with contractors where it feels like I am going to get taken advantage of at any moment... This was not one of those experiences. I can see why people trust them.

Paul Kimacata gave the most detailed written estimate/contract of the work to be performed of the 4 contractors I met with.He arrived soon after I called him and responded quickly to a few emails I sent him. Only one other contractor gave any details at all in a written estimate which did not include drain pipes or list the other materials to be used. Paul Kimicata's estimate was the only one to include drain pipes,geo-textile fabric and a detailed list of all the other materials used including how many tons of gravel,and the square feet of Versa-Lok Mosaic blocks to be installed. I used the 5% off Angie's List coupon for jobs over $1,000.00. Mr Kimicata gave an accurate estimate of when they could start the job.The work crew arrived and left in a timely manner every day.They worked from Monday-Friday.They were professional and courteous at all times.The work was done with attention to detail and the result shows that.

We had a relative who is a landscape designer out of state do a detailed landscape design and then had Kimicata Brothers, which is our ongoing lawn-maintenance company, do the installation. They were fantastic! They communicated with us via email and phone regularly as needed, were clear about what would be needed when and what they would do when, worked with our landscape designer and her plans, and installed everything beautifully. We had some sidewalk and step work we needed done at the same time, and they recommended a small company to come do that for us, and they coordinated on their schedules so we didn't have to worry about anything. (The other company was George Gaydos's company, which I'll review separately, but they were awesome, too.) When they began work, it was like a hive in our yard, swarmed with hardworking, professional, cheerful guys. Everything looks gorgeous. We are so happy!

Great! The ground is drying out, the new grass is coming in nicely and the plants looked good before the weather changed! looking forward to spring when the bulbs come up - not sure where they put them, so it will be a nice surprise We'd never use any other landscaper..ever! if there is something that needs to be done outside of our house, we will always call Paul - he's friendly, patient, knowledgeable and his crews show up when they are supposed to and work hard!

Paul communicates well and is very knowledgeable. All four men that worked on the job did their very best. The lawn looks great.

Called for a quote, started to speak and was hung up on. Will try another provider that would like the business.

Niggel Lawn Care performed the work. They arrived when they said they would. The crew was very professional and did a good job. The crew came on the day/time they said they would (within a few days of initial contact). They were very professional and polite. They were at my home for about 4 hours. They clearly explained what I needed to do (water) in detail. My neighbor had this service performed several days before I did. His grass has germinated and looks very good. I expect that mine will look the same.

Very happy with both jobs performed. The front yard job took one day start to finish. The retaining wall took almost a month. It involved excavators, bulldozers and a lot of manual heavy labor, much of it in 85+ degrees heat. Everybody involved: Rick - landscape architect, Jason - project manager, Eric - foreman and Terry, Chris, Jim and Jocelyn who along with Eric did all the heavy work were very professional and courteous. With a job that big , of course we had a lot of questions and concerns, all of which were patiently addressed.We have also decided to take down huge locust tree that was too close to new wall and Rick arranged Emery tree service to do the job, which they did very well and at a reasonable cost.I would not hesitate to hire Kimicata Bros. again.

I am very pleased with Kimicata and will recommend them to others. As I said I'd never solicited bids for landscaping before so I didn't know how to do it. I bought a bunch of plant books, wrote down plants that I saw elsewhere that looked nice, even bought a landscaping program to get a visual. In the end I had Kimicata and the others (all Angie's List rated well) come out, gave them my long list of likes and dislikes, and asked them to come up with an arrangement. I thought it was like car-buying, where you don't want to name your price, but I learned that just wastes time because then they may have to come back with something wildly different -- if you're getting multiple bids, just tell them what your limit is, and you can see what you are offered for it. I didn't know that then, so I was grateful they were patient with me and came back with a second plan (I never got second bids from others). Both the first and the second bids came with maps, showing where the plants would go, which helped a lot. I accepted and sent in half the payment, and they ordered the plants. The scheduler got in touch with me soon to say they were ready to work; I was still waiting for 811 to get back to me but it worked out just in time. While I was at work, the Kimicata crew dug up the turf, and I heard later from my neighbor that they smelled gas at the time -- they apparently had the gas company check it out and was told it was not a problem of mine, but seepage from the main line, or something like that, so they resumed work, and I came home to find everything planted and the mulch down and everything. I drove up and down the street a few times to look at it some more, it was so nice! After the 2011 planting, I talked on the phone a few times with Kimicata about how the plants were doing, to see if they were okay. It was a very hot summer and the hill gets afternoon sun, so they told me watering was very important. In fact, they even stopped by to water the hillside a couple times when they thought it wasn't getting enough water! (The company is not far from me.) I was impressed with that. Also, one time I was out watering the hill and their truck was driving up the street, probably back to the company at the end of the day, and when they saw me out there doing what I was supposed to, they gave me the thumbs up sign -- I enjoyed that, it made me feel like they were still on my side, or something like that. When Spring 2012 arrived, it was clear that all the plants were doing well except the two globe blue spruce. One was about a quarter damaged, the other almost completely gone, just branch. I told them I could live with the former, if they thought its condition had stabilized, but the other really needed replacing. They went ahead and replaced both, no fuss about it. So far both are doing well -- though the replacement for the worst one has come to have some brown branches which scared me! I bought a drip hose for them and for the new hill plantings -- taking no chances! As for the new (top hill) landscaping job, I again gave them just two plant ideas this time -- and a price ceiling -- and they came back with an arrangement. They also per my request priced some maintenance services for me, so I could have a ballpark for future use if nothing else. Times are tight so I ended up accepting some services they priced for me but declined others. One thing I regret cutting was not having fabric laid down under the new plantings - the weeds are coming up quite quickly, and weeding on the hillside is tough because the mulch slides down the hill very easily, revealing mud underneath. But not their fault -- they did just what they said they would do. As for the plants themselves, they look good so far. We missed the blooming season, so we are looking forward to next year when they come into their own. I've dealt with a landscape architect, a scheduler, a business/office person, and (presumption) one of the owners. All have been professional and a pleasure to do business with.

This was my first time using a landscaper. Despite my delay due to the initial sticker shock, they promised to do the work before my Memorial Day family gathering. I was able to use the Angie's List Coupon to reduce the price a little. The workers showed up a day early, and my gate was locked. That was my fault, because I'd never known a company to actually deliver on a statement like "It's possible that they could be there a day early" before. The workers showed up on the appointed day around 8:30. I stopped by and asked if they had any questions. I confirmed that they would be getting the front ivy and weeds creeping up through the steps in the front, then left for work. I arrived home around 10:30 that night and inspected the yard (which is not well lit). I was happy with what I could see, but the border seemed far more empty than I remembered. The next morning, I went out to check on things. My initial assessment was correct. We were missing all of our Easter lillies, around 15 stargazers, an equal number of iris, and the cobra lilly. Every single one of these plants is distinctive and could not be confused for anything else by an expert. Even a novice would recognize the plants in bloom. Only one side of the ivy was trimmed, though weeds had been pulled from the untrimmed side. I can understand some confusion in this, because the ivy borders the garage next door. I've historically been responsible for all the ivy, though. It took two phone calls and about a week to get in touch with Paul Kimicata. We scheduled for him to come out in the middle of the next week and see what was missing. Fortunately, photography is a hobby for me and my wife. We had plenty of pictures to indicate where the plants had been. Paul checked for them, and found one bulb. The rest of the plant bulbs were missing. Paul indicated that the ground was not loose. How bulbs could disappear without signs of digging remains a mystery. I provided Paul with receipts from my purchases, and he said they would replace the plants. A week later, John was scheduled to arrive and replace the stargazers. He planted them where I wanted them, and sprayed some weeds. He checked with me to make sure I was ok with a non-organic spray before doing so. At my request, he also staked up my snowball tree which had fallen down somehow. He also planted the replacement cobra lillies. I only had one before, but I have three now, because they only came in a three pack now. About two weeks later, Paul came out and planted the new irises and the white oriental lillies that would replace our Easter lillies. My wife likes them better. He also trimmed the previously untrimmed ivy. I have also found out that the best way to get in touch with Paul is by phone from 7-8 AM and 4-5 PM. In talking with Paul, he sends his employees for training so that they can be better at their jobs. This is something missing in most American businesses today, and I try to support companies that actually train their people. Despite the overzealous weed pulling, I continue to be very pleased with the work they do. They corrected their mistakes with very little fuss. For these reasons, I am continuing to use them for my routine landscaping tasks. In the future, I might also use them for larger projects.

Work looked great and the crew showed up on time every time and did everything that they promised. There are less expensive options out there, but none that we've found to be as dependable and professional.

They have trimmed, mulched and cut.I have no complaints

I have used them for two years, so their work was obviously good enough to continue using them, however this was more due to convenience then from approval of their work. They wanted almost twice the price we paid to do the montthly services, Paul has rather high prices for anything beyond cutting the grass. It started getting really expensive when we mentioned we wanted a small hedge trimmed regularly. We ended up, after much debating, at 100.00 dollars a month for two cuts a month. He wanted it to be around 165.00. Several times I have had to call when Tenants have called and informed me the grass was long and hadnt been cut and several times visitng the property it was obvious they were not cleaning up debris left over after the cut. They also almost never trimmed the lawn edges, after talking to them they would be faithful for about 3 visits and then I would notice the trimming not being done anymore. A lawn doesnt look complete without the edges trimmed as well, I found that very lazy of his workers. Paul in general does a good job and I can tell he is more professional but if your yard is being done without his maintenence, his workers get very lax. My complaints: I have left several messages and not had them returned over the years, Their billing is slow and outdated. However mostly my complaint is most recent, they have been cutting the grass for 2010 and 2011 and doing gutter work in the fall of each year. However this spring (2012) they just didnt show up, we always had them start april of each cutting season, but they never showed. My tenants started complaining of the yard around May first in which I called them 7 times, got their new answering service, which does absolutely nothing but take messages and not one of my 7 messages were returned in a week and a half!!! I find that very rude! I figured since we had negotiated a lower price at the beginning, and that he now had an answering service he was getting more work then when we started and so decided our yard was more work than it was worth.....but no call from him? No notice in the mail before cutting season? I find this all very unprofessional. I finally got a hold of him telling the answering service lady it was an urgent call in which she finally connected me to his cell phone and found out that everything I guessed was true, he simply didnt want to do my yard anymore because it was on hill and has enough contracts that he doesnt need the work. No I would not use them again, they took enough babysitting to be annoying, are very hard to get a hold of and were inconsisitent in their work and overpriced.

They did beautiful work. They left the place in better shape than when they got here. They did a beautiful wall, it is tiered and it curves. They put in a back patio for us too. When they first pulled up, I was a little worried because it was three young guys but they were very professional and they each had their job that they did. They were very hard workers.

I emailed the company and they got right back to me, even though it was a weekend. I told them that we had a lawn in the back that was continually destroyed because of our three dogs. We needed a solution that would be easy on the dogs' feet and fix the drainage problem, Paul Kimicata suggested pea gravel. Within a week he was at the house and gave us estimates for both a driveway and for filling in part of the backyard with gravel. This required hauling the gravel up the equivalent of two floors of stairs because we have no driveway. On the day scheduled 5 or 6 guys showed up--the were professional and very quick. I was told that it would take several days but when I got home it was all completed. Unfortunately, it was the wrong kind of gravel and so it has been extremely bad for my dogs legs and feet. Also, they were supposed to dig out three to four inches to keep the pea gravel in place, instead they just put the fabric on top and then the large gravel and so it continually falls down, I let it go because I was late for work and thought the gravel they provided might work, it's been terrible.

I called to schedule an appointment for an estimate. I spoke with a person, they took down my information and said that someone would return my call to schedule an appointment. Unfortunately no one did so we decided on another company.

Mr. Kimicata was professional and submitted a detailed quote. We decided to go with another landscaping company due to the lower cost, but would definitely consider Kimicata in the future for any other landscape work.