Focal Point Landscaping Inc

Ted did a full landscape for my mom about a year ago. Included in the work was an installed water feature, which I have enjoyed over the past year. I contacted Ted to do something similar at my house. He was able to provide a beautiful, custom, multi-piece water feature at a very reasonable price! I chose three different pieces of pottery (2, 3 and 4' vases). He got me a great discount on the pottery, by the way, and passed it along. He provided the pumps, the underground parts and all the labor. He called and did the install early and we have enjoyed it every day!! His team did a great job and cleaned up behind themselves. I would recommend him without limitation.

Ted Nichols was prompt and professional in response to our call. He was knowledgeable and helpful in designing a replacement for our backyard landscaping. He listened to what we had in mind, answered our questions completely, and accommodated our budget requirements. The work was performed as scheduled, and after completion, Ted did a walkthrough with us and answered any concerns we had. I am more than satisfied with the design and the results. I recommend Ted and Focal Point highly.

Scheduling took a long while because of the nature of their work and the outrageous weather conditions this year. But when they did come to complete the work, they did it in half the time they promised, and the work was done quietly and beautifully. Drainage in the backyard is fabulous now. Ted, the owner (I think?), was onsite the whole time, and they even did a quick job to help out my neighbor while they were there. Loved it. Highly recommend.

Ted Nichols, the owner, gave us the initial quote for all the items we asked for. The items were broken down according to the options we wanted to know about so we could pick and choose. For example, he quoted the house lighting separately since we asked about it. We also asked for a quote on new walkway and steps since the live oak tree roots had been pushing the old concrete upwards over the past 26 years we've lived here. He quoted the basic concrete work with an additional charge for flagstone. We chose to get the flagstone and it turned out very nice. We also really like the Oklahoma stone borders around the new shrub beds. The lighting is fabulous. He even installed lights under each of the five steps that lead up to the entryway of our house. The plants he recommended are really great and do well in our mostly shady shrub beds, as well as being mostly small "dwarf" varieties that will need little to no pruning and will stay a manageable size. There is a nice Japanese maple that took the place of an old crepe myrtle that had little flowering anyway due to the shade. Our biggest decision was to remove the smaller of two live oak trees in the front yard. The larger, better-branching tree covers nearly 2/3 of our front yard anyway, and it really opens up the landscape to allow more hours of sun for growing grass. We can also now see the house that was beginning to be hidden by all the large, lanky shrubs, and both live oak trees. It is a much more balanced looking landscape now. We didn't really know much about zoysia grass, but the sod that Ted's crew put down is beautiful. He said he gets it from a supplier in Corpus Christi and it's much better than you can find at some of the local sod places around here since they have a longer growing season down south. It's supposed to be less prone to freeze damage and diseases than St Augustine, and does well in partial shade. It also requires less frequent mowing, so I'm looking forward to that perk. It is now three weeks later, and the lawn looks great! You can barely see any sod "seams" in that short time. I've been reducing the watering every 10 days, and will go to 2 days per week eventually. It seems to have taken root very well. We really liked the landscape drawing Ted made for us to help us visualize the layout of the shrub beds, walkway, and the various proposed plants. I would rate the design an A+ and highly recommend Ted's landscape design skills. Ted was on the job site each day, and his crews were very efficient and friendly. They completed all this work in four days as scheduled, arriving around 8-9 a.m. each day, and finishing around 5 p.m. They did a great job of cleaning up all debris at the end of each day. There were some unplanned "events" such as breaking through a PVC drain line. They simply dug around the pipe and patched it expertly. It seemed like none of these gotchas even phased this crew. They had to replace a sprinkler valve and moved several sprinkler heads - no problem. They also installed drain lines from each of the gutter downspouts - I'm not sure that was even on the contract, but I assumed this was standard procedure when installing new beds. They did a great job with these drain lines. On the price, I think we could have hired somebody else for less money, but I also believe that we would have received a less appealing end result. So although I rated the price a B, I'm not unhappy with the price, because I think it was fair for the value we received. I also place a lot of value on honesty, integrity, and good communication with a contractor. Ted was very helpful throughout the process and kept us informed each day. So I would definitely hire Focal Point Landscaping in the future and highly recommend Ted Nichols company for your landscaping needs.

I found Focal Point on Craigslist and arranged a meeting with the owner Ted. We set up an appointment and walked through the scope of the job. After agreeing on what was to be done, I had to get on the calendar and wait for my turn. His company stays very busy. The rain in May further complicated the schedule. Then one Tuesday, Ted called and said they would be out Thursday to complete the work. He and his crew came out and did the entire project in one day. He also found a problem with the irrigation that was unknown to me. So he fixed that as well. Everything looks great and I am very pleased. My neighbor even came over and was admiring the work and picked up his business card. I am already on the schedule for fall clean-up.

I had initially contracted with Ted in the spring. He had warned me that I was late in the game and he had several jobs before mine. Ted's pricing wasn't the cheapest of the bids I received and not the most expensive. It was his explanations of the work and suggestion for drip irrigation that sold me. Then the monsoons hit North Texas. He originally told me the work would be done in late May. With all that weather, we were surprised to learn how quickly he could get to our project. His folks were timely, neat and professional. The job took two days and each evening there was no trace of the workers, trash, equipment, etc. At the completion of the project, Ted met me and explained all the plants and flowers, the irrigation system and the care and feeding the work that had been done. I will definitely recommend him to others and have him back in the fall to add fall color to our home.

We had no problems at all and are very happy with the work performed.

On the first scheduled time for an estimate, Ted didn't show up or call. I called him the next day, and rescheduled. We picked an afternoon when I had a dental appointment. I told him what time I had to leave the house and why, and he scheduled for an hour before then. He called before the appointment and said he was running late, was that okay. I reminded him that I had a hard stop, so we rescheduled again. The third schedule was successful. I wanted flag stone along the side of the house where the drain was to be installed, and Ted said that was expensive, so provided an estimate for decomposed granite instead. I was concerned about having that around my back door. I have dogs, and was afraid they would be bringing in gravel. I signed the contract for the drain, and faxed that back with questions about some options in place of the decomposed granite. I didn't receive acknowledgement, so I sent an email asking about an estimated date and asking for answer to my questions. Ted responded telling me he missed the questions, would I please resend. I did. He replied to the email but still did not answer any of the questions. I haven't heard from him since. I've had the drain and the landscaping done by two other companies. I'm guessing the job was smaller than he wanted, since he commented that he had signed contracts for much larger jobs. I ended up getting the work done as I wanted for just under $10,000. To me, that is not a small job.

The entire project went very well, from the initial visit by owner Ted Nichols to the final inspection of the work. Mr. Nichols was prompt in all communication, both by phone and email. His design was excellent, and it took into account our desire for native, low maintenance plants. The work was started on schedule. It took 4 days, and Mr. Nichols was on site much of the time providing direct supervision of the work. I have dealt with numerous contractors over the years, and Mr. Nichols is one of the best. I highly recommend him.

I could have not been happier! They where always on time and did exactly what they had said they would do. everyday they left they made sure that everything was cleaned up and any material or equipment that was left overnight was always neatly stored. I have used them for all of my landscaping! Front and backyard!

It went GREAT as always when I use them! They where on time, polite and when they left you wouldn't have known they had been there. The lights look great! One of them had a bad bulb and it went out about 2 days after they where installed, focal point was out the next day to replace the bulb and everything has been perfect ever since. Great job Ted

Ted Nichols and his crew did an outstanding job redoing my front flower bed that extends across the entire front of the house. They removed shrubs and bushes that were almost 20 years old - I'm sure that was not an easy job. Ted had drawn up a landscaping proposal that fit what I was looking for - low maintenance and attractive plants. I am very glad that I decided on the drip irrigation especially for this summer.They were very efficient and completely cleaned up when they were done.

Ted Nichols was very responsive and helpful. He quickly grasped what I wanted to do, and came up with a great plan to accomplish it. When he gave me his initial design, I didn't like some of his plan choices. He was very flexible and willing to make any changes. We even made a change the day before installation when I had second thoughts about keeping one of the current plants. Completion of the work was delayed by all of the rain we've had this spring, but Ted was good about keeping me informed. When they discovered that another job was too wet to complete, Ted phoned and asked if they could come the following day. They arrived promptly at 8 and had the existing plantings removed quickly. By the time I returned from work mid-afternoon, the drip irrigation was well underway. Ted came by and we finalized the plants which he would pick up the following morning. Again the crew was there at 8 and the complete installation was done by 1 pm. In testing the sprinkler system, they discovered a broken pipe, which they fixed at no additional cost to me. The break was pre-existing -- I had told them I thought there was a problem in that area. While they were checking they looked at all of the rest of the sprinklers, replacing two heads that were damaged. I was amazed how quickly the job was completed. Everything looks fabulous -- all of my neighbors are paying me compliments and I've recommended Focal Point Landscaping to two already. Very professional and a great job. I'm very pleased with everything.

couldnt be better. high quality, really listens, and very professional.

This is the third visit for us from Ted Nichols and Focal Point. We had them back to trim and freshen up the new landscaping they did for us last year. Due in no small part to Ted's plant selections, we didn't lose a single one! In a little more than one hour, Ted and crew trimmed, added mulch and planted flowers. He also shoveled dirt off our sidewalk that had washed out from the previous night's rain. He also took time to give us a refresher course on how to program the control box for our sprinkler system. He is a great guy to work with. He responds to any request promptly and always does excellent work.

I selected two landscapers from Angie?s List and paid each to provide me with a design. The price I paid Focal Point was more reasonable and the design was closer to my desired plan. When I asked both landscapers to provide me with cost estimates, the one provided by Focal Point was easy to read and understand; as opposed to a lengthy and confusing quote provided by the other vendor. I selected Focal Point (Ted Nichols) because I felt this indicated he would be direct and up front in his work and his price ? I didn?t want any surprise charges afterwards. The results are spectacular. I went for the landscaping, beautiful trellis and added a fountain to the original bid because I felt comfortable with Ted?s approach. He had 3 people working for 3 days solid, and he was there a good portion of every day to oversee the job. I couldn?t be more pleased. Ted is obviously a business owner of integrity. I asked him to provide me with several of his business cards, because I?m sure some of my neighbors will be calling him after they see what a beautiful job he did. The view I have from inside the house is amazing and I love to sit outside and listen to my fountain while enjoying the beauty of the landscaping.

We were very pleased with the quality of work and professionalism, and have continued to be satisfied with the growth and health of the new landscaping two months later. Ted Nichols, the owner, was personally involved throughout the work. We are experienced gardeners, and Ted was open to our ideas and provided several very good ones of his own. Ted has a degree in landscape architecture from Texas Tech University - it is a 5-year course of study, and his knowledge of plants that will thrive in the challenging North Texas soil and climate is excellent. The landscaping crew was punctual and courteous, and ensured everything was cleaned up and worn areas repaired and re-sodded where the work had taken place. We plan to use Focal Point again later this year for additional renovations to our front yard.

Ted was a pleasure to work with!!! His communication was great! Especially since we had to work around rain days. The quality of the workmanship was outstanding! Crews cleaned up very well after they were done. I would highly recommend Ted Nichols for any landscaping project!! I will definitely call on him again for anything in the future! I would love to share some photos of the before and after, but don't see a place to upload. Very proud of my new backyard!!!!!

From our first meeting with Ted through the final walk through, it was a completely professional and enjoyable experience. Ted was always on time, very knowledgeable, and made the process easy and fast. He had great ideas, took the pool, our children, and pets all into consideration in doing the design. His crew was very punctual and had the whole project done in under 2 days. We are now getting a bid for him to do the front yard!

I've used Focal Point Landscaping a couple of times. Owner Ted Nichols responded quickly for estimates. He had very good ideas for the new beds in the front, providing a drawing of the layout which was very helpful (other companies that provided estimates did not do this). Workers showed up on time, did excellent work, and cleaned up after they finished. Ted came by multiple times during the project to make sure everything was going as planned. I've received several compliments on the yard. I would definitely recommend the company and will use them again.

Everything went perfect. Ted was very responsive from our first time reaching out to him for a bid. We are new to this part of the country and had no idea about Texas plantings. I had soooo many questions and Ted never gave me the impression that I was bothering him and he always responded in a timely matter. Ted rearranged all our sprinklers, dug and planted everything and mulched. The crew was perfect and everyone was there when they said they would be and they left the yard immaculate. We could not be happier. We already have Ted working on another bid for outdoor kitchen. We will always use Focal Point Landscaping!

Came out to give us a bid. Listened and had good ideas for our situation. Front The bed border "walls" were cracking and falling apart. The came in can built new lower profile stone bed borders which we like. He took out all of our diseased roses and replaced them with low maintenance but colorful plants. This included trees in the middle of the front yard. In these he put soakers hooked up to our sprinkler system! Great idea as the bed wouldn't get water from the sprinklers because the borders were too high. He also recommended Lantana and Black Eyed Susans, both good choices for us. The Black Eyed Susans became bunny food but the Lantana went crazy and looks great!! The front is attractive and easy to care for, just what we wanted. Back We wanted a "no-fuss" yard for our new large puppy, replacing a heavily landscaped yard (many ornamental bushes) with grass and some color. Ted came up with a great idea for the beds using Yucca and large rocks which our now 100lb dog cannot chew on and carry around. Ted also recommended some easy care climbing plants for the back fence to add color. A couple have since died (we don't think this is Ted's fault, nor did we contact him about it) which we replaced. The french drain design is better than I imagined it would be and is working great! They took it all the way to the curb and this has really helped eliminate the swamp we would get in our side yard (the dogs refuse area) when it rained or our neighbors run their sprinkler. We had a path we wanted redone and when the work was over it was the same. I called and let him know we thought we had discussed it and made that clear, he came right out within a week and put it in exactly as we had envisioned, without charge. Ted is professional and did what he committed to do. We have a couple of other projects in mind and when we're ready for those we will call Focal Point.

Excellent. Ted did exactly what he said and finished the job on time!

Mr. Ted Nichols, owner, was very accessible. He was available to come to our house to do a walk through and provide an estimate very quickly. Throughout the project Ted was very communicative and accessible by phone or email. We also had our fence replaced and Ted met with the fence contractor onsite a couple times to make sure that both companies were on the same page about the project and layout of the new structures. Ted was very willing to discuss specific plants with us and provide feedback about how different plants would work for our landscaping. We met Ted at the Plano Rock Yard to pick out the stone for the retaining wall, flagstone and flower bed borders. Ted's suggestions for the rock types to use was excellent and the finished product is gorgeous. The project started and finished on time. The crews worked diligently and also came on Saturdays. Ted visited with us at the end of the project for a walk through of the work completed, inspected all of the sprinkler zones, made sure all was functioning properly and gave guidance on plant maintenance and how much to water the new landscaping. By far this was the best contractor experience we have had and we are extremely happy with the results.

Work was done exactly as described. Drain was installed with gravel pack, downs spouts connected, area leveled and prepared, and sod laid down neatly and smoothly. The estimate and pre-job communication was easy as Ted was so responsive. My neighbor was so impressed that he will use Ted for similar work on the other side of his house as well. Ted's price was better than two other large landscape companies that had also bid, and there were no surprises. Will definitely use Focal Point Landscaping for more work in the future.