Affordable Shade Patio Covers

Poor communication. Contractor just looked at photos I sent to bid the job and then proceeded to tell me he underbid and didn't make any money on my job. The cover itself went up quickly but the smaller parts of the job was very difficult to get completed. And they insist on payment before the job is completed. The contractor Travis became very rude and defensive when I confronted him about the miscommunications. Which I reminded him he bid the job by photos instead of coming to look at the job himself. They also just show up at your house whenever they want and expect you to stop whatever you are doing to accomodate them. No phone call to ask when a good time is to come by to work on the job and then try to get mad at me when I am not home even though they state I don't have to be home. Again lots of poor communication.

Job was excellent start to finish! On time and A++ quality

Excellent, great service they really did a wonderful job. I would highly recommend them. We were very pleased with the work that they did.

Wonderful best service ever. Excellent all the way.

Called last week and scheduled an appointment for today from 10-11. We called this afternoon after no one showed up at our home. The lady on the phone made an excuse about the "new year" and how the calendars were messed up. We then asked if it was still possible to have someone come out today. She told us she would "call right back." Two hours later she calls back and said, "She couldn't remember if she was supposed to call us back, or if we were supposed to call her back. But regardless she wanted to get us scheduled for later in the week as no one was available today." We were looking forward to doing business with the company, as their reviews are so positive. However, what we found was that they were incredibly difficult to deal with. They never actually even apologized for this mix-up and just made excuses.

Under promised and bad communication....Work took almost 5 months from approvals to completion. Sales was good in selling but bad in maintaining communication...I will not Use them again.,

I talked to Julio about a design for the front part of my house. He gave me a quote right away which is very rare. His price was in line with the other bidders but the other bidders took at least a week or 2 weeks to respond. We went through several revisions and Julio was very patient and gave me updated proposals each time. We moved forward with Affordable Shade. Their crew was professional and did a great job with the build out. It took them a total of 3 weeks to finish. There was some delay from inspections. They tore down the old gable and completely rebuilt a new one instead of tacking on to the existing rafters. I showed the crew some designs and they were able to recreate it for our gable. We are very happy with the outcome and would use Affordable Shade again.

Starting with the first call...very friendly..the lady said she was giving me her best person Mike...he is the best. Mike was on top of everything and he refused to accept work from the subcontractor that wasn't up to his standards. Mike responded to us quickly and always in a helpful way. It took longer for the approvals from homeowners association and city...but once the company got the approvals ...it was done quickly. Very organized...each day a different contractor would arrive with prior notice to us. We are soooo pleased.

We are very please with our new patio cover. All of the guys were professional, punctual and friendly. The quality of their work was excellent. All time frames were met even with inclement weather. Mike was always available to answer any questions and came by every day to check on the progress. We highly recommend Affordable Shade and would use them again.

Overall the process went well. I requested someone to come out and give me a quote on extending the roofline by 5' (approximately 30' long) and then to build a covered patio off of the new extended roofline (approximately 20' x 20'). The estimator came out promptly and answered all of my questions. The quote was then received quickly (within a few days if not the next day). Note that the cost of service was the quoted price for the job. We were not charged for the estimate. Do not be scared off by the cost posted under this review. This was a big job as everything was tied in to the existing roofline. The entire pitch of one part of the roof had to be changed to extend the roofline by 5'. The patio cover was then tied in to that and all shingled. This also included a number of large beams, 5 columns with stone bottoms and good bit of electrical infrastructure. So why did I not able to give affordable shade an A across the board? Two main reasons: First, the price was about 20% higher than my other bid which also came from a reputable provider on Angie's list (therefore the C on price). Second, the estimator did not provide as much active feedback as the second reputable provider (therefore the B on professionalism). The estimator was certainly helpful answering my questions but really did not provide any suggestions. The other provider made multiple recommendations that we had not considered and ended up accepting and changing through out architect. I also liked how the other provider gave us a turn key job (permits, architect, everything). Affordable shade mentioned that we would be responsible for permits due to the lack of consistency and number of unknowns in the local permit office. Really if it would not have been for the excellent service from the provider we chose I would have felt comfortable using Affordable shade. If I were to build another patio I would contact affordable shad for another estimate.

Tommy was our contractor and his crews really did a good job. Our job did get delayed from original estimated finish time due to all the rain in May/June this year. We had the existing concrete patio base removed and a new larger one installed. There was no existing roof. The concrete crew did a great job with the color and stamping. Brick crew was awesome, also! Our patio now looks like it was an original part of the house and when they were finished with the patio, we had them paint the outside of the house and all the trim matches. They also attached new gutters to the new patio cover and painted them to match. We have been enjoying the new patio - especially when it rains as we did not have a cover before! It is like having another room on our house.

They spent a good deal of time talking with us even before the work started to make sure we would be happy with the end result. They increased the roof size, they did some brick pedestal posts, installed ceiling fans, recessed lighting, stamped concrete. They also installed gutters and fixed a drainage problem with the patio and yard, and put up a roof to partially enclose our patio. They even dealt with our HOA and drew up the plans and got the approval and permits. It was great. We didn't have to worry about anything, and we love our patio cover! We've used our patio more now than we have in the last seven years we've lived here. Joe Johnston is great, and we would recommend him to anyone!

Michael came , was very kind and gentle as possible when talking about pricing. Very professional

This a great company. My old patio cover was rotting away. They came and installed a new patio cover that looks great! Installed a new fan and three outdoor lights for free. It was found that a board where the patio cover was being installed was rotting out. Replaced with hardiplank for only the cost of the new boards (Less than $100). Was quoted by another company for $10,000. Will use again when I want to extend the patio.

!!!***** MUST READ *****!!! AFFORDABLE SHADE We met with several builders and choose Affordable Shade, located in Houston, Tx. The area manager was Ryan Moffet and seemed knowledgeable and told us that he was a hands on manager. He assured us if there were any concerns that he would make sure the construction would be to our satisfaction and would answer any questions, and be on site on a regular basis. We received a email that they would schedule a start date and we would be notified of the time. We were not notified and we happened to be home the day workers came to drill the holes for the post in the patio. We lucked out because the worker was going to drill the holes in the wrong location (we wanted the post not on the "edge" when completed) and told them where the post and trim should be placed. The next day, the workers cracked the corner of the top and side of the concrete and this was replaced later after 2 attempts, first was rough and un-level. After a rough start, rains were coming in to the area and concrete was poured and the overhang of the house was removed leaving the attic opened to enable the support beam to be placed for the new roof. This is where the problems began with the Project Manager, Ryan Moffet. In concern of the rain water whipped in by the wind into the attic area and the insulation getting wet and the possibility of mold, we called Ryan several times without any response and then called the office with our concerns. Finally, Ryan called and tried to convince us that the "wall was insulated" and we should not be concerned. We told him about the insulation getting wet and even the materials that could warp. (my husband cover the openings) Again, he tried to convince us that it was "treated" and not to worry. We told him that only the Hardy and the post were treated in which he dismissed our concerns. Now, the "Time Table" begins. Oct. 30 - Nov.24, 2014. We were told that the project would only take about a week. I must say, that we had some rainy days here and there, but not to this extent. We live in Houston, we have a lot of cloudy, overcast days in which it turns out to be a beautiful day. (stand around and the weather will change) After the initial post setting and opening of the eaves of the house we were left without any workers for many days at a time wondering why no one has show up for work. Many calls and messages had been placed to Ryan to find out where was the crew for work. Same non-responsive answer and it may rain. (beautiful days are passing!!) This went back and forth like a tennis ball and nerves and attitudes became a problem. We called and said we had to and talk with him at our home. This was a beautiful day and there were no workers to be had. I think at this point both sides were showing the stress and we let our thoughts be heard about the "professionalism" he was always talking about. We said that we needed to be informed when there was to be work and for him to communicate better with us about the lagging project. To wind this up, this went on throughout the entire project until we called and asked when a crew was to come out and finish this project because of Thanksgiving being close and wanted the loose lumber stored on our front driveway removed. He called back and said that he would try to have a crew come out tomorrow. (Sat) He said before they did not work on weekends. By the sound of his voice, I knew that he was not going to respect us and try to have this project completed. In his stern voice, he said that this is not the way the project is handled and he would "TRY" to get someone out. I have never known of anyone who is paid to do a private home project to speak the way that he did throughout the whole process of this project. We felt that he was trying to show his "IMPORTANCE" to dictate when our job would be done and he was not about to allow us to ask him to complete our job knowing that there were just a few things left to be done. (people skills lacking, ego abundance) Frustrated, I called the office and told them again after previously writing a complaint, what was going on and what little was left to complete the project. I would also like them to remove the non used lumber from our driveway. (there a month) The office was understanding enough that we finally wanted something done, like now and called in 3 workers. But, when they arrived they did not have the proper tools to remove the bad concrete that they had replaced after cracking and had to leave (again for hours) to get the tools. (I had told the office that they needed to pick up the new concrete, etc. before coming over. WOW! Getting tired of telling all of this. This is just a summary of what went on and the stress that was incurred. I must say we love the patio, and a shout out to the one person who knew what he was doing was Sammy who was in charge of the construction crew. I thank you office worker, (you know who your are) for your help)

We approached this company in April to begin the shade. Service was completed the Thursday before labor day. We were told that when they finally started it would take three days, it took closer to 4 weeks to finish. The cost estimate was around $16,000. The final cost was closer to $19,000. Our main supervisor, and the only one who was working who spoke English, never came back after day 5. They stopped the cover two feet short from the edge of the house edge and I had to convince them that it looked terrible and needed to match up to side of the house. We had chosen hardiplank to finish the ceiling, but they talked us into switching to pebble board, which they did not inform us that they would not stain until after it was up. The pebble board was obviously left over from another job and they were trying to get rid of it. Some of the sheets are terribly stained and slightly wharped. The edges dont line up. Now we have had to hire additional contractors to sand and finish the ceiling. Also, I made several indications that there were gaps in edges that needed to be caulked. Mike, the foreman, acted like I was crazy. They said I needed to get caulk which matched the stain which they do not do. While they did not do the finish work, they showed us examples of beautifully completed pebble board patio covers. We assumed ours would look similar when they left, but it does not. Mike is a good salesman, and we bought everything he said at the time and now we regret that we didn't make them finish to our satisfaction. The workers also broke our concrete slab that was already out there and it cost us an addition $1500 to replace it. That was wrong, but we are not great at confrontation. Either my husband and worked from home everyday and I would recommend that to anyone getting work done. I made several comments to mike about being unhappy with the ceiling, but the check gets written after the concrete is poured so kind of agreed it would look better once it was stained and had a chance to "settle". I guess the settle part was for the gaps. Some good things, it hasn't leaked with all the rain and it did tie in with the roof well.

Both structures are of high quality, and we are very happy with them. The installer was very knowledgeable and offered useful suggestions as to how things should be arranged. Unfortunately I do not remember his name, but he is exceptionally good, and we would not hesitate to have him build/install for us again. Ryan, the job supervisor was very personable, but he was also very busy at the time, and I think that led to some miscommunication and lack of documentation which resulted in a misunderstanding about the final price. I hope we both learned from this experience. All change orders should be fully documented, and both parties should have copies of said change orders.

This company would not contact me back.

Our experience with him was very good. We had a challenging roof on situation and he was able to figure it out, where a couple of other companies didn’t. He got the job done in the time that he said he would.

I wont be using their services, the quote was just a little higher than expected.

This took 1 year to complete when it should have been 2 weeks at most - 1 year of calling & waiting & ugly patio. Here we go: They poured & then ruined the finish on new concrete and did not want to redo, said the bad finish didn't warrant replacing; the screens are on the inside of the support posts instead of the outside, the opposite of window screens, so dirt, leaves & debris collects in the chair rail & at bottom & has to be cleaned often; light fixture upside down; ripped up shingles on roof where cover attaches; lots of screws & aluminum shavings all over the yard; missing screws on screen door; ordered wrong doors then lost the right ones then made me wait a few days before putting them on; 2 gutters downspouts not level with each other by about 8 inches; LOTS of dead grass. This is just a bit of what all happened. They eventually remedied everything except the screen placement, which is the part I hate the most! You must watch them every step of the way! Unfortunately I went to work & would come home to problems. They are also poor schedulers - they'd rather keep making me wait than make a newer customer wait - I was at the end of their to-do list. After almost a year they decided they couldn't fix the concrete surface & offered to tile the patio. I found a company to handle this & Affordable Shade & I came to an agreement & settled up once completed. Would not recommend using unless you like lots of headaches. The final product is acceptable, but I really hate the screens (these walls are actually for mud rooms used up north they told me). Was told after it was installed they could change them to the outside like a window screen if I wanted to pay extra for it. Was treated very rudely on more than 1 occasion. I have a screened patio now & the tile is beautiful, but tile is not porous so when it is very humid water beads up instead of being absorbed. I just wanted plain old concrete flooring! Beware! I did like the electrical company they used and would use again - Spur Electric.

Overall very good. The guys doing the actual work were very good and professional.

We contracted with Affordable Shade for a screened back porch in August of 2013. We had to delay the start because of work-related and personal conflicts that were solely our own. Work began after our lives quieted down. Everything went right on schedule and was completed when promised. We are thrilled with our patio! We really like Joe Johnston, and would not hesitate to recommend him!!!

Project Manager Joe Johnson came to our house to pick up a copy of the scale of the house and the form from the HOA. I spoke with him about the price and stated that we had someone give us another bid with him doing the same work. I simply asked Mr. Johnson if he would be able to beat that price or at least meet it. He said that he could not and that he was giving us the best possible price for the job. So I told him that my husband and I would discuss it and to go ahead and take a copies he needed, so that if we did go with him for the job he would already have them. He told me pleasure meeting me, give me a call, and walked out the door. Then he processed to call my husband and tell him that was not going to do the job because he wasn't expecting that, and we can go with some so called painter to do the job for a cheap price. However this so called "painter that he was referring too," has been in business for over 20 years and does jobs just like they do. He if didn't want to do the job after me asking him about the price then why take the forms and tell me ok I'll wait for your call? I think he could have handled himself in a much better fashion then that. If their project managers act like this then I'm glad he doesn't want to do the job. Dawn K.

They lived up to their word, that they’re very affordable. Any problems that came up during the process were easily addressed and got taken care of. There was very little that went wrong, it was just that of the miscalculation on the part of the guy building it. But they worked together and got it fixed. They were willing to listen to the concern that we had and that was a lot for a company. The cover was built to match the house and it was done very well. They also did the wiring of the lights and the fans, and some brick work. The crew chief had a couple of hitches in his schedule and that was the only negative part. But in the end, he was very nice and he gave us his phone number so we talked to him directly.