Masonry By Steve INC.

I give him a fair rating because he did pick up the phone and continue to engage. There is a bad pattern of contractors in this region ghosting you for better jobs. I have remodeled multiple properties and own rental units in the region so I am familiar with the process. I contacted him by phone and he shut me down pretty quick to just text him the specs of the job. I provided him very concise description of the work involved via text. He quoted me a price of $875 to set 46 blocks, labor only. I thought this was an extremely high price compared to the $150-600 quotes I had received for the same job. The reason I continued to engage Steve was because the other contractors had a longer lead time and time is money. After that he asked me to drive 45 minutes to a job he was at to sign a “contract” for the work. When I called him to set the meeting place he asked if I “brought my check book”. This set me off a bit. As a background and complete transparency, I am a degreed engineer that has been responsible for the bidding and construction of multi-million dollar projects. I recognize that this does not make me qualified to truly judge a small residential job like I was asking Steve to do but it does give me perspective. My issue with Steve beyond his incredibly high price was that he wanted almost 80% deposit on a labor only job with a large window to completion in his “contract”. He did say he hoped to finish much sooner than that, but any down payment on a labor only agreement should be at 25% or not at all. When I pushed back he tried to tell me it was “standard practice” which I can assure it is not. I was done at this point. He did back off this, but acted like he was doing me a favor. I then asked about the quantity of mortar I had purchased was sufficient (it was in the bed of my truck) and he told me it was way too much. I agree that it was more than needed (it’s $10 a bag, does it really matter?) but to fill the cores it was not too excessive. He told me that was not part of the deal and would cost $150-300 more, now a $300 job for $1,200. In his defense I did not spec the block fill, but for almost $900 I figured he would plate it in gold for me. After reviewing the “contract” I had to drive 45 minutes to see I decided it was best to talk away from a contractor like this. I understand trying to protect your self and your business, but this was excessive. As I was getting in my truck I hard Steve say something along the line of “I have time in this”. I am guessing he is referring to reading a text message, typing a bs contract and spending 20 minutes trying to collect a check. He never came to the site, I had to come to him, I know he doesn’t want to pay my hourly rate. I quoted “contract” several time in my comment. I deal with construction contracts every day and what Steve gave me was not a contract prepared by a Tennessee attorney. It would be easily defeated in court, I say this if you have been wronged by him. I will never deal with Steve again because of the way he acted. His work may be great, but dealing with bs is not worth it. Steve, reading your other review responses I assume you will leave a detailed response as to why I am uniformed and not knowledgeable about your process. I promise that I am both informed, knowledgeable, and ready to defend myself and my statements.

My chimney was in serious need of repair. Steve did a high quality job to say the least. He was on time, professional and even did a thorough clean up when he finished the job. He was also very personable and I enjoyed our conversations. Definitely recommend!

He did a very good job.

Steve was punctual in his reply to me. He gave me his estimate based on photos I texted to him. the next day. he came by with a contract for the same price. He began work on the third day and was finished the day after that. The post looks better than TV he original one. When he finished, I asked him for a quote on some other work. I will be using him for that, too.

He did an excellent job and the price was very fair.. I intend to use him again to rebuild the steps

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I wanted to create a sturdier look that complimented my new home better than the existing wooden columns. Steve completed the task with his expertise and it looked great! Steve was on time and completed the project when promised. I am very pleased with the final product and will definitely use him again.

Steve was very prompt in responding to my inquiry. He showed up when he said he would and his quote was very reasonable. He performed the work while I was away at work and left everything neat and clean. He had to remove a large section of the brick wall and replace with new brick, which matched perfectly. When he came back for the final inspection and cleaning, he even helped me with another issue unrelated to the work he was hired to do. On top of all of that, he was an interesting person to talk to! I would definitely recommend Steve for any masonry work and would not hesitate to call him again!

A+++ Steve replied promptly to my inquiery for a work estimate. His estimate was lower than my other one, but what really got my attention were the steller reviews on Angie's List from his past customers - including someone needing the same work I did! Steve (and his co-worker) was courteous, friendly and really listened to what I needed and liked. The chimney he had to rebuild (it was about to fall down I think!) had a chimney pot on the top. It was there when I bought the house 23 yrs ago. For those who don't know what chimney pots are, they are decorative terra cotta "extensions" of the chimney. They come in a variety of designs/heights and are becoming more popular in the US (much more prevalent in the UK). It lent a certain charm to the house and I really liked it. However, it had a lot of crazing (visible cracks) and I figured it would fall apart when the chimney was dismantled. These are very expensive to replace and was not an option for me - so I thought it was gone. Steve was able to remove this chimney pot and reinforce it with cement so that it could be reinstalled on the new chimney! Looks great and I'm so happy to be able to keep it. I so much appreciate his taking the extra step to retain this charming characteristic of my home. If I ever need masonry work again you can be sure I'll be calling Steve's masonry!

The job went very well. Steve and his crew were punctual, speedy, and did a very nice job. He even looked over the entire structure and fixed two areas (at no additional charge) that were not discussed when the job was estimated. We were in a hurry to get this work done and Steve estimated the job same-day via text message. Although it is atypical for us, we did not get any other estimates, so I can't compare his work cost- wise. I am of the opinion, though, that the work was a good value. In short, very good work at a fair price by a contractor that went the extra mile and takes pride in his work.

I am extremely pleased with the way that the brick wall was built. Steve and Mike are both knowledgeable and very professional in their job as masons. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

After almost giving up on finding a mason to repair my chimney, I found Steve through Angie's list. I was impressed by the favorable reviews. My expectaions were reinforced after our first meeting. He showed up promply as scheduled to review the work to be done.We agreed on the price and set a date for the work to begin. He showed up a day ahead of schedule and began to set up the scaffolding and get started with his assitant Mike, who I can't say enough about either. Both men are very proffesional and know what they are doing I felt confident that they would do an excellent job and they didn't let me down. They finished the job in 2 days. The Chimney looks brand new and they matched the brick with the rest of the house perfectly. They cleaned up everything before leaving. The final price was the one we originally had agreed on. I would use Steve again and recommend him to friends.

He did a wonderful job worked a day and half was friendly and cleaned up after he was done. You would not know he had been here other than to see the places he repaired that brick were coming loose. The work went well and the places he repaired look great you would never know it had been repaired. I recommend him highly.

The new retaining wall and slab look great! We have been very happy with everything from start to finish. Couldn't ask for a better company to have this type of work done...these guys truly care about the quality of their work down to the finest details. They also care that you, the customer, are very happy and satisfied with the end result. It has been a real pleasure meeting them and having them do this job for us...and I can tell you that if we have more masonry work done here that they will be the ones we call. Thanks for everything guys!

Overall satisfied. Price seemed a little high. Was responsive and worked quickly.

He showed up in a torn t-shirt, flip flops and bermuda shorts with his belly hanging out. His price was ridiculously high. It was more than double the contractor I ended up using. I asked for a price to resurface the sidewalk and he said it would be almost impossible to resurface because of its condition and that it would be about the same price to take up the entire sidewalk and start over, putting slate on the surface. The contractor I did go with is working now, resurfacing, with no qualms about doing just that. Masonry by Steve charged $25 for the estimate (I had agreed to this before he came to do the estimate). Most contractors do a free estimate. Also, I am not from the South and did not appreciate him calling me "honey." Very bad experience.

I was very pleased with the work performed.

My experience was extremely positive. He is a great tradesman. I would recommend him to others.

He talked a lot, and claimed he was going to save me money, but he did not even measure the patio to determine the square footage. He claimed he can fix my problem of the patio sloping towards my house by concreting over the existing flagstone with new flagstone. (I spoke with other contractors who gave free estimates and they all say that the concrete will probably not bond well to the old flagstone, and I may end up with a huge mess on my hands.) Steve arrived on Friday afternoon and called me Sunday night around 10pm to tell me it was going to cost something like $6,732 to fix my patio. I asked him to fax me the estimate detailing what he was going to do for the money, so I can look it over. He said he would fax it, but after a reminder phone call and 2 1/2 weeks later, still no written estimate. Therefore, I thought I would call him one last time today for the written estimate. He answers and tells me he already gave me the estimate over the phone. I asked him how much it was, and he says he doesn't remember. I asked him for the third time to please fax me a copy of the estimate as promised. He then says he can not fax it, but can email it, and then suddenly remembers the estimate being $7,887. At that point, I told him to just forget about it and hung up the phone. What a waste of my time and money.

The job was great and the service work was wonderful. Steve was professional, prompt, and kept in contact with us during the process. His costs were better than anyone else and he really knew what he was talking about. See above regarding the work that he did for us. I would recommend Masonry By Steve whole heartedly. Great job.

They still have to come back but so far, so good. I haven't had any problems and they have done good work. They have actually improved the situation but it is not completely fixed so they are coming back to see what else they can do. I haven't had any complaints. They were prompt and understood exactly what I wanted and what I needed. That is exactly what they did. The communication was good. The price has been reasonable.

I talked to him, but we didn?t complete an agreement. They are good. Steve came out and he was prompt. I would probably use his services again.

I located Masonry by Steve on Angie's List. I was looking for competitive estimates and called Steve with the information about my new home. I had already viewed his work shown on his website and based on those photos, I thought his estimate might be a little pricey for my budget. Not so. Steve quoted me a reasonable price, explained fully the underlying costs that determined his price, definitely had pride in his work, and I asked him to do the job. Steve (and Mike) were able to start the job right away and worked through the heat, rain and humid conditions...always with a smile! Steve stayed in contact by phone throughout the job...there was never any doubt about how the day would go. Masonry by Steve is the only way to go. Steve is very professional, courteous, prompt and hard-working. And, after 35 years of masonry, he still takes great pride in his work. Whether it be a small job or big job, any customer should be able to sit back and feel comfortable knowing that Steve's work will most likely exceed their expectations. At the end of the job, no stress for cleanup...he does it all! Exceptional workmanship and an absolute pleasure to do business with.

He did very good work for me. I found him to be really personable. He was easy to talk to. He gave me a couple of options and explained them to me. He even explained the difference in costs. I selected one option and he did a quick job. He was quick to respond and he was ready to work soon. He was punctual. He is a good mason and he did a really nice job. He even hauled the bricks away. He didn?t clean up as well I expected him to, but I guess he cleaned up better than anybody else would have. When I had some issues with the wall, he came right back and made some corrections. He was very reasonably priced, as well. I had other estimates and he was the best out of the lot.