David Landscape Group

After what I thought was extensive research to hire the right landscaper, I never could have been so wrong in selecting David. My project was a $50,000 backyard landscape project including stone work, pergola, irrigation and landscaping. He asked for a $5,000 deposit to "get on the schedule" which I paid. He asked for $20,000 when the project started, which I paid. It became clear that he did not have the capital to fund the project. Even worse, he was likely using my funds on other projects to try and keep his cash flow positive. He started showing up less and less and left me to provide direction to the workers effectively becoming the crew boss. He said he was concerned I would not pay my bills, yet I was paying him in advance of the work?? David asked me to pay his contractors directly since he did not have the cash. His workers said they would never work for him again because he bounces checks. At one point I had to call the police because of an altercation between David and a contractor in front of my house (public record available). I paid for all material and labor directly for the second half of the project. In the end he stopped showing up, didn't return text or phone calls and left me with 2 workers to finish the job. To put salt in the wound, there was a bobcat rental invoice that David did not pay and now the vendor is seeking to put a lien on my house to get paid. All through the project David lied about schedules, when workers would show up, material that he said he bought when he did not. The project finished 5 months late and $10,000 over budget. What a disaster. Clearly it was too big for him. I'm sure he has a narrative that is very different, but it would just be more dishonesty.

I called 5 landscape companies (found on Angie's List) looking for comparison quotes. David was the only person to call me back. He visited within a few days of contact and had his designer draw up a plan before I had to commit. He always did what he said he would do and I never had a single problem with his cost estimates, schedule, or quality. This was a massive investment for us and we made the right choice going with DLG.

Unfortunately there was never any response. I even gave a detailed list of areas we would be wanting their services for but they never responded. It's too bad because it would have been a very large job for them. Maybe it was more than they can handle?

After 3 emails, I gave up trying to get them to come out and give an estimate. Last response from them (over two weeks ago) was Kris, Could you please provide me with the address ro check my schedule? Thanks! David Haven't heard back!

I bought my house 2 years ago and it completely lacked a backyard patio. After my wife went through picture after picture on howzz.com we had a general idea of what we wanted, and I contacted 3 contractors off Angies List to discuss how to take our patio idea and turn it into reality. This wasn't a lowest bid situation: I wanted to find a contractor who I was certain would consider all the variables involved and provide high quality work. David Landscape Group performed extremely well. They built a gorgeous limestone patio. Despite a fairly significant slope to my backyard they built the patio as flat as possible but with just a slight decline to assure proper drainage. They used gorgeous limestone and installed it with minimal grout lines and with seams that lined up. After it was constructed they designed and built a pergola that covers about 3/4 of the patio. I was very pleased with the quality and size of the lumber they used to construct the pergola - it is solid, stately and beautiful. They didn't skimp - they used a sufficient amount of wood to give us the shade we need. The workers were there every day, worked hard and kept the area clean. The electrician did a great job concealing the conduit necessary for the ceiling fans. And I should also point out that they did a great job of incorporating the pergola into a somewhat challenging roof line, which makes the entire structure look first quality.

I reached out to DLG in early April based on a recommendation from someone in the neighborhood. I had one phone conversation with David and the rest of our interactions were through e-mail. He was very responsive in the initial e-mails and answered all of the questions I had. After getting a few other quotes, I decided in early/mid-May to move forward with DLG. Because I was going to be out of town for June and I think summer is the busy season for them, he said it "looks as if the end of July into August is going to be our start date at this point". Fast forward to early-July, I checked in to make sure he hadn't forgotten about the job and to see if he had a more concrete (pun intended) start date.. I never heard back so about two weeks later, I checked-in again. He said they were slammed and he would have a better idea within the next week or two. He was still within the original "end of July into August" so I was fine with that. In early August, I checked in again. This time there was no response. At this point, I've resigned myself to not getting a patio from DLG. Until one day in mid-August, I receive an e-mail that says "I am going to get someone over there this week if we can wrap up our current job that we are working on." YAY! Now I'm excited again. I'm going to get my patio!! And then nothing. No one ever stopped by. So I'm back to thinking I'm not getting a patio from DLG and starting to think about moving on. And then in early September, I receive another e-mail: "I can get the slab done tomorrow. Will that work?" I respond within 20 minutes with a "YES!" asking what time they'll be starting the work. No response. By noon the next day, there was still no response so I think it's safe to assume there will be no patio. And this is where I ended the madness. When I let David know I wouldn't need his services anymore, he apologized for the inconvenience: "I don't ever like to lose work over scheduling, but sometimes it is hard to break off and complete a small job." He also provided a recommendation for someone he thought he could do the job. As I read through the Angie's List reviews, I see lots of A reviews. I also see costs that are in the 10's of thousands of dollars associated with these reviews so my $860 job was nothing. (Although a well done $860 job would result in recommendations to neighbors/friends/family and potentially more work from me in the future.) I just wish DLG would've said from the start that it was too small of a job. I could've had the patio done by now (by someone else) and be enjoying my new grill.

We were extremely pleased with the work done. Because it was a very busy time of year to have this done (spring), and because we needed to get neighborhood assn. approval, it took awhile to get the project started. Once begun however, the project was completed in six days. Jeff was wonderful to work with! All the workers were hard-working, skilled and pleasant. They did a good job of cleaning up the site each day before they left.

I work for a woman that works too much to be able to deal with contractors and Landscaping companies so when she bought a new house, I was the one who had to find the companies and get estimates and figure out the time lines and such. This is not easy in even the most stress free environments but when your boss is moving into her home in just a couple of weeks and wants some work done, the pressure can cause problems. While it was a bit hard to get in contact with David, it was very worth it. He drew up a plan, got to work, and was done within two weeks which really is a task with the size of the backyard (110ft. by 55ft.). His workers were all very nice guys and his work is gorgeous! There is not a single person that has been at her house that has not commented on how beautiful her yard is. I would not only recommend him to anyone of my clients if they asked, I would recommend him to someone if I overheard that they were looking for a good landscaper. I could not say enough good things about him or his work. Lastly, what I gave him to work with was vague and lacked detail at best. A handful of general sketches that all wanted different things, a couple of pictures of plants that don't do so well here, and what she wants to do with the backyard. He knocked it out of the park! I think that if you are on the fence about landscaping or which landscaper to use, go with David and you will be in good hands.

Initial review: David did a terrific job on a very difficult project with space and other constraints. He worked closely with us, meeting us several times in order to determine our design/plant preferences and the end result is great! His work is very creative and has a great natural look. UPDATE June 2015 - Reluctantly, I have to provide an update to my original review. I really enjoyed working with DLG last year and although it occasionally was difficult to schedule appointments, I know that it is not unusual for highly-rated contractors to be very busy in Austin. However, during the winter, several plants died and, in a couple areas, it was obvious that plants were not growing properly due to the location having inadequate sun for the particular plant. We have tried to work with DLG since December, initially receiving feedback that dead plants and others would be replaced. After numerous calls, they made one visit in April, replaced a couple plants and said they would return with the remaining plants. Unfortunately, none of the remaining dead plants have been replaced and we are now looking for a new landscaper to help us find suitable plants for these locations.

We have used DLG a few times now. We keep going back because of their quality and professionalism. We will use them again!

Beyond what I wanted! I love it so much, DLG transformed my house! They're so nice to work with, and I loved their ideas. I didn't expect my house to look this great! It wasn't cheap, but when I sell my house this summer I know I'll make that money back. Everything from the curb appeal to walking up to the front door feels very polished and complete now.

It was fine, they did a good job. Aside from being an Angie's List deal, they have good reviews online as well. It took them a little while to get back.

We discussed some lanscape issues and water drainage issues that we had and asked for a quote. The followup was not good and we had to call to get the information. We thought the person who came out seemed knowledgeable and liked the visit, but follow-up was terrible. In fact, no one has ever called to see if we wanted to do the work. I seem to remember that they were very busy (partly as a result of so many purchases on Angies List) so i guess they were not to interested or available to do the work.

Firstly, I want to say I was somewhat vague on what I wanted done, so I was definitely very pleased that David listened to the general ideas I had and improvised to make sure they were met. I have one side of the house where the fence sat below the sidewalk by over a foot, meaning the public could see into the house when walking by. David's solution of raising the ground level via a retaining wall that didn't harm the nearby tree was perfect. I'm 6'3" and even I can't see over now without hopping :) When David told me they'd have all the work done within a week and that they could start work essentially immediately, I couldn't wait to see that materialize. In actuality, rains thwarted completion within the week, but true enough, with the solid team he has, they were done with a week of hard labor. They showed up on time and cleaned up after themselves after each day, including putting up temporary safety fencing to make sure safety hazards were clearly identified. In replacing the fence, since it was a multiple day job, they were careful/considerate to ensure sections adjoining adjacent yards were not left open for long. I didn't get to interact much with the team as I was out working when they were present, but when I did, they were very friendly, professional and gave me informative updates on relevant matters. If I had any questions or concerned, they were addressed. David even made sure to address something something minor that wasn't foreseeable until some time had passed. I did think about putting a B for the price, but that's the frugal me and being unfamiliar with what it costs to have the job done RIGHT. I've no doubt I could have found someone to do A job significantly cheaper, but I doubt I would have had THE job or end result that I wanted. This is certainly a case of you get what you pay for, and I got excellent workmanship. I don't hesitate for a moment in recommending David and his crew. Thanks David and team!

First of all, David Ulmer is a very responsible, patient, and informative contractor. It was generally a pleasure working with him throughout the process of adding landscaping to our home. Unlike many contractors I've dealt with (and I contracted my own home) where they exhibited poor quality and lack of communication, David is the polar opposite, exhibiting a strong sense of quality and communication, texting me almost daily on the status on our project -- sometimes with pictures of what he and his team just did. He is generally proud of his work and it's obvious in his attention to detail. As an example, before finalizing the design just outside of our dining area, he sat at our table to help him visualize what should be seen as my family enjoyed a meal. This attention to detail impressed me and my wife, and he insisted on our happiness with his work, constantly asking for affirmation on a completed phase. I can honestly say that my wife and I are thrilled with the job he did. He transformed an almost impossibly sloped landscape to an oasis of beauty and admiration -- and at a cost of low-maintenance! I can't wait till Spring to see the explosion of color and warmth this brings to our home.

I can't imagine how an experience with contractors can be any more pleasant. David was quickly responsive to my questions before, during, and after the service was performed. He's able to maneuver between email and the phone which makes communication easy. Jeff came out to give the estimate and immediately understood what we were trying to accomplish. He gave us a solution to a somewhat tricky problem and then gave us the cost estimate within 24 hours. He was also on hand the first day to make sure the crew knew what needed to be done. Raul, the foreman, is detailed in what he does. He makes sure he gets it right. If he had a question he made sure he understood my answer before moving on. He's also tireless- he showed up 3 days in a row just after first light and worked til twilight with the crew. The crew is skilled at what they do- from trenching, pouring a concrete foundation, building the limestone wall, and then hand chiseling the face of the wall so that everything matched they did a great job. They also backfilled the area of our lawn that was sloped, creating an even grade so rainwater won't rush downhill. David stopped by every day, sometimes a few times a day, to check on the crew. I'm very happy with service.

There were no additional charges beyond the big deal amount. I actually did recommend him. The guy that was here was very good and I did recommend him. He did what he had to do. The price was good. It was value for money.

David and his team did a wonderful job creating our backyard stone patio and pergola. David understood my vision completely, and the work was done quickly and done well. We are living our new backyard and couldn't be more pleased with how the whole process went.

Very professional and friendly. He told me where I had an overkill of irrigation and removed that extra spout. I had also asked about a quote on landscaping ideas / changes to my back yard and have never heard back. This is the only reason I am giving them a "B". I was quite disappointed not to hear back after he took down quite a few details.

Everything went great starting with a quick call after purchasing the Big Deal on Angie's list to get the services scheduled which was about two weeks out at the time. They arrived on time and went through all the zones making flagging any issues found. Also we poked around the yard together to find the source of a leak on one of the water supply lines. That was found and fixed immediately. As that repair needed time to cure we ended up having to reschedule a follow-up appointment to make the sprinkler head adjustments as the system could not be pressurized yet. Took a little time to get the follow-up work completed but it was and system worked great all summer without any leaks!

Great job. David very pleasant and professional owner and same for crew chief Jeff (there every hour). Both listened, discussed, advised, answered all questions satisfactorily. Had scores of pictures on laptop to show me choices and explain their qualities. Worked with me on changes. On the site often before, after, and on/off during, project. Also stayed in touch via email and phone prior to, during, and after project. Workers fast, efficient, and worked to perfection. Three months later, place looks fantastic. Priced very reasonably for the quality and amount of work done, and completed for price agreed plus changes I requested, such as my request for many larger, more mature plants. Told me each time the cost of changes which were right on. Nothing went wrong, everything perfect. I'd highly recommend for residential or commercial.

He is very knowledgeable and does good work. He was recommended to me. I was completely satisfied every time I used him. He knows the plants and is easy to work with.

David and Jeff are great guys. Jeff has serviced our yard a couple times and he is very dedicated, knowledgeable and respectful. He always checks with me either phone or txt before taking action if it might cost more than discussed or to give me options. He arrives early and gets the job done without dilly-dally.....he's very hard-working. We were able to take advantage of a 20% discount they were offering to Angie's members which really helped in this case as we had some electrical wiring cut due to yard plantings. Jeff called and recommended he just run a new line as the wiring was cut in several places. He felt it would be more efficient to simply run a new line. I appreciated this approach and to give me the option to agree or have him track down the cuts and repair each one. He had the gear to locate the cuts so it's not hunt/peck, but the time involved to dig them up, repair, etc all adds up and I didn't want a wire with 3 spliced repairs. I highly recommend these guys!

We contacted David in October of 2012 to inquire about landscaping services. We had just completed a pool build in our backyard and, after 6 months of heavy equipment and construction, our yard was a complete mess. The soil was heavily compacted and we still had remnants of soil and rock leftover from the build. The pool builder had left us with an awkward mound of dirt around the back of our pool and we needed suggestions on what to do with it. The pool build had taken 6+ months so we were anxious to get started on rehabbing our lawn. We were also exhausted from having our lawn torn up for and for having contractors in our lives for so long so we stressed that once the job started, it had to be completed quickly. David arrived at our house a couple of days after the initial contact. I explained our situation and desire to have the work done quickly since we had lived with destruction for so long. We walked around the yard and I talked about my vision for our space. I waved my arms around and talked vaguely about my thoughts however I also told David that we were open to suggestions. David took notes, measured, and asked lots of questions. I had my estimate back within 24 hours of our initial contact. HIs turnaround on the estimate was amazing. I had contacted quite a few landscaping companies but David Landscaping provided a quality estimate within the shortest amount of time. HIs estimate was reasonable so, within 2-3 weeks of the initial meeting, we signed the contact and hired David Landscape Group to rework our yard. David provided a start date that was several weeks out however he pleasantly surprised us by starting the job earlier than expected. When David commits to something, he gets the work done. He sent me an email saying that his team could start early and then notified me when his team was on the way. The response was amazing! On a Monday morning, a crew of workers descended upon our house. Our house was swarming with a group of workers working together in an organized and efficient way. They demo'd our yard, cleaned up and then rebuilt all within one week. Refuse was hauled off and supplies were delivered just in time for use. The organization was exceptional. We never expected them to complete the work so quickly. David provided the right amount of workers at the right time to get the job done. His team was professional and quick. We absolutely love the result. David translated my vision perfectly. My initial project requirements were vague however the completed product more than met my expectations. My favorite part of the project is a beautiful Oklahoma flagstone sidewalk and path that meanders around our house and pool. During our first meeting, I had talked about wanting a natural looking curvy path and that is exactly what I got to replace the old concrete sidewalk. We get tons of compliments on our yard. It was totally transformed and with the irrigation system, it is very easy to maintain. I am extremely pleased with David Landscape Group and would hire them again without hesitation. Their communication and coordination is excellent. You always know what is happening with your project. We had a significant project and David Landscape Group delivered a quality product quickly and within budget.

It was okay. It was hard to get them to come out. There are lots of none returns of phone calls. Eventually, they got somebody out. Once they did the service, it was fine. There were no additional costs.