Salzano Custom Concrete

The company has a large backlog for stamped concrete work so there was a long delay between scheduling the work and work actually being performed. The delay was advertised upfront so it was not an issue. Just note that this is not a good source if you want instant gratification. Once the work started, the driveway was poured and stamped in a few of days. The tumbled paver pattern was a relatively new offering for the company so there were a couple of hiccups during the finishing. The company addressed the issues promptly and tweaked things until everything was right. The only caution I would note is on the issue of communications. All my initial discussions were with CJ Salzano, the owner. When the work started, an English speaking, on-site, project manager showed up and discussed the project with my wife. The two of them staked out the new drive and the project manager said "If your husband want changes have him stake it and paint lines for what he wants". I dutifully adjusted the layout with a painted outline and some stakes. Ultimately, my changes were ignored. I do not know if this was an issue with my wife conveying what I wanted or with the project manager. In the end, everything came out fine, just not exactly what I had wanted. My point in this is, make sure the person with strong opinions speaks directly with the project manager and makes those desires clearly known. Other than that, the company did an excellent job and I would highly recommend them to anyone needing concrete work. My driveway has received raves from all my neighbors.

I now see that Salzano is very highly rated on Angie's List as is, but when I started to look for a concrete company for my driveway, I simply randomly searched the internet for 10 concrete companies and emailed them. Some were quite the jerks but CJ was extremely patient and knowledgeable when I spoke with him first time on the phone. He sounded very professional and gave me a sense of assurance so I decided I wanted to try working with him, even if his quote was somewhat higher than some other ones. This was a big success among some of my less successful endeavors with contractors. CJ and his foreman were the nicest folks and they did a beautiful job of my driveway. What I like most is their honesty in a business that can take advantage of customers who are not experts on the subject matter. When the driveway appeared done, I saw a gap where there should be dirt. When I called CJ to ask whether the work was completed, he said he has not checked yet but definitely the gaps should be filled. A few days later, someone did just that. 100% professionally done and I am a very satisfied customer. Mine is a small job but they were still respectful of the project.

Mr. Salzano was very professional and took his time to explain the details of the procedure involved in properly doing a stamped concrete project. The original contractor did an "acceptable" job, but most likely nowhere near the quality of work we would have received from Mr. Salzano based on the knowledge difference compared to the original contractor. We certainly wish that we had known of Salzano Custom Concrete when were ready to do our project. We would definitely recommend him.

This company was great to work with! We worked directly with CJ who is the best. The crew were all quality of skilled craftsmen. They executed exactly what they promised! They cleaned up 100% of the debris. Everyone had great attitudes. The man who did our coloring for the stamping was an artist. The stones look so real, he mixed colors and truly cared about the look.

Overall the patio is beautiful. Everytime I called or emailed C.J. or his assistant they responded. If there was a problem or a misunderstanding it was handled immediately. They arrived on time and were very efficient. I was surprised how quickly they built the patio. Their workmanship is amazing. I will definitely use them again.

Everything went super. They were very professional and did great work! The contact for company was very responsive and made great suggestions.

(read above - service performed) I guess we would've put in the pre-existing crack to avoid the uneven one which developed over time but it doesn't bother us a bit! It is what it is! We get SO many compliments on our patio! We've held many parties and cookouts back there and we love it! Additionally, we had created enough space to place a future hot tub, all pre-wired and under the concrete. We love our patio so much, we don't want to cover it up with a hot tub! ha! It's now my outdoor yoga studio! ;)

Mr. Salzano was very helpful in making suggestions for design of the patio and walk, including comparison of alternatives (poured concrete, stamped concrete, etc.) Throughout the job, he was responsive to requests for minor changes in design and coloring of the finished patio. His crew was prompt, diligent, and cleaned up the job site well afterwards.

Superb, from start to finish.

C.J. Salzano was prompt, professional, and easy to work with. He came to my house and provided a detailed bid for my work. He has a minimum of $4,000 for any job. In the end I decided to have the work done by different contractor, but I was impressed with C.J. and his firm.

6 July 2012 CJ; Donna and I would like to express our appreciation for the work you performed for our patio and sidewalk/porch. Your workmanship was outstanding and we could not have been more pleased as to how magnificent the "stamped" concrete looks. We continue to garner praise from our neighbors who are extremely impressed by the quality of the work. We also appreciate your following up on some minor glitches which occurred and your patience in working with us. These projects were well worth the cost and do not hesitate to call upon us a reference or to have a potential client stop by our house to see first hand an example of your high quality work. Regards. Peter and Donna Lund

They're very responsive...they had to keep changing the date of service many times due to lots of rainy days, and the owner kept me informed all along.

If you have a small job, don't bother calling. Their first question is, How did you hear about us?" Then they immediately determine the scope of work by asking, "How big is the area you need done?" When I said a 12x12 patio (approx. 150 square feet), they said they were so busy the job would have to be scheduled three months out. After expressing my surprise at that, he then said there was a $4,000 minimum and suggested I wouldn't want to pay that much for such a small job. I could be totally wrong but felt if I had a large job, I wouldn't have had to wait until September. I would like to respond as well. You said, "I always learn from customers? comments and make every effort improve our business every day. " If that is the case, then try to understand my feelings, don't be so defensive, and don't attack me personally with falsehoods. I did not hang up on you. I did not call you a liar. I only expressed my surprise on the telephone and stated the facts in my review. One fact is that your coupon (unlike others I have seen here on Angie's List) does not indicate there is a minimum purchase required to use it, which is why I was surprised. The coupon says I will save 28.57%. If I can only use it on a job that has a minimum of $4,000, I believe $200 off is only 5%. Yes, that is misleading and it is a lesson learned for all who read this. I hope it is for you as well. I'm sure you do great work; the pictures look nice really nice, which is why we called you. It's too bad we aren't able to do business together.

We are thrilled with our new patio and highly recommend Salzano. CJ was very professional throughout the entire process and was readily available before, during (and even after) the project. He was direct with budget estimates and we had no surprises with cost. He offered us a lot of options for design and colors and provided excellent recommendations and guidance to us along the way. The quality of the work is terrific. At his suggestion, we took extra precautions to protect the patio from future water damage (the issue that damaged the original flagstone patio). We installed lighting the steps, sitting walls, and four pillars - and the coordination with our electrician and timing around the work was seamless. The men CJ has on his team are hard workers and very good at their craft. They spent as much time as necessary to get the color and details just right. We had one pretty major hiccup toward the end (a damaged pipe that caused puddling under a walkway) and without batting an eyelash CJ and his team made themselves available to resolve it - no hassles or issues - and fixed the problem. We have had several parties and even a wedding in our backyard since the project was completed... and have received dozens upon dozens of compliments. This was a major project for us, so we are glad we spent the time and money on such a professional company and quality end product.

It took them a couple of days. It looks fabulous and everyone says it looks beautiful. We contacted them last September and we got put on their wait list.

We requested quotes from several concrete companies for redoing our driveway and patio. SALZANO is not the lowest bidder but we chose it for the quality and creativity of its work.CJ (the boss) was very responsible and patient. He made clear explanation and suggestion to the project during the bidding stage. All work description was clearly written (in contrast to some other contractors who scribbled something on the back of a business card).The crew was punctual, polite and careful. Everything worked out as planned. Within several days, we had 2000 sf of new driveway and beautifully stamped patio. We are not the easiest customers to please but we are really happy with SALZANO's work. We would make the strongest recommendation of SALZANO to anyone who needs a concrete contractor.

It looks gorgeous. They came out several times and gave us design advise on how to put it up and what would look good. We went over to a place to get samples. They also gave us tons of people that would could call for references of their work. It was a good experience. They had to go out of their way in our case because we live near the woods. We had a problem with deer coming in. They had to break up the work in 2 sections so that they could actually put up the orange fencing around it.

Went well from the estimate through the scheduling and after he finished. Did what he said he would do. I knew what was happening every step of the way. No issues or problems. Would recommend him (and have) to others looking for stamped concrete.

I first contacted Salzano Custom Concrete in July of 2011. I spoke with CJ who told me that he was scheduling appointments approximately four weeks out, so he would not be able to meet with me before August. He came out to my home on August 8 and we discussed the work I wanted to have done. CJ had a lot of great ideas, and together we came up with a plan for a new stamped brick walkway and stamped flagstone patio in the backyard. CJ sketched out a few designs, and I picked the one I like. He was careful to explain that the new patio would be very high because of the slope of the backyard, so we added a step to the design. I wanted the front walkway to match the colors of the brick on my home, and CJ picked out the perfect base color to do that. I signed the contract and knew that the work could not begin for several weeks (maybe months) as there were many other customers ahead of me. When it become apparent that the work would not be done until late fall/early winter, I told CJ that I wanted to wait and have the work done in the spring. I contacted CJ again in late February to schedule the work for March. We met again to go over the plansand to fine tune all the little details. The first crew of three men showed up on March 9 and began the very labor-intensive job of demolishing the walkway. These three workers were so incredibly in sync with each other that they did not need to speak very much as they worked. They took turns with each of the tasks--using the jack hammer, removing the chunks of concrete and brick, loading the dump truck, etc. When the demolition was complete, the began to build the forms for the new walkway and landing. They worked with me to ensure that the form for the landing was exactly the way I wanted it. Then they added the gravel base and rebar. Once the concrete was poured and the base color added, they knew just the right time to begin stamping it with the brick pattern. Then they went on to repeat the process in the backyard, this time using a random flagstone stamp pattern. An additional crew of three workers was brought in at that time. I want to acknowledge the entire crew who worked on this project: Jose, Freddy, Filiberto, Rufino, Julio and Mario. They were all wonderful! I was able to be home from my job for the six days that this work was being done. On that final day I was home, CJ asked Freddy to color a few sample bricks in the walkway and a few of the flagstones in the patio to get my approval for the final coloring. I gave my approval and returned to work the next day. Freddy and his crew finished coloring and sealing the bricks and flagstone while I was at work. When I returned home, I was amazed at how they made the colors of the brick match the house and how realistic both the walkway and the patio stones looked. CJ and his staff are a very professional, talented and hard working group. I called CJ many times during the demolition and construction process, and he was always very responsive. The process took a long time from start to finish, but it was well worth the wait. I am delighted with my new walkway and patio!

Salzano did the job at my sisters house and I really think it is wonderful. I am going to call them for a job I need to have done at a property I manage.

If it weren't for the weather, the whole process would have been perfect. The weather, though, is beyond CJ's control. I will say that he communicated to us very well throughout the whole process. And his workers were professional and courteous.

They did high quality work and kept me informed. The only down side was how far out they were when we took the business or put down your down payment; to when, they actually came out and started the work. He was upfront with us about it so it wasn’t like you weren’t informed; but, it took even longer than he said it was going, to be.

All I can say is they were amazing!! From the very beginning to the end of the job they were so professional and ethical, i was in shock. He (Mr. Salzono) told me some things upfront that I knew intuitively needed to be done, and no other contractor would admit it- because it added to the cost. My husband who is an engineer felt that way also and we so appreciated the honesty. They were timely and cleaned up after the job. The look is WONDERFUL and everyone comments on how nicely it looks. If you need someone to pour your driveway or stamp it- PLEASE use them. I can assure you 100% you will not be disappointed. I have very high expectations and they met everyone. The exact work that was done was a driveway that was concrete poured with a slight coloring and a stamped pattern at the top of the driveway with a finish added. truly beautiful...looks like real flagstone and matches so nicely with the house. I am very picky and I will admit they were outstanding. I have had many experiences with contractors and this was probably the best.

We absolutely loved working with Salzano Custom Concrete. I found this company on Angie's List and decided to contact them for a quote based on the high ratings and comments from previous Angie's List customers. CJ, the owner, contacted me within a few days to set up an appointment at my house. He originally was not going to be able to come out for a few weeks because they had so much work lined up, but he was able to squeeze us in within one week. CJ was prompt for our appointment. He reviewed the area that we wanted to transform and immediately brought a few potential issues to my attention. He demonstrated excellent problem solving skills, creativity, and expertise in helping to troubleshoot those problems and determine how we would make a patio work in our small townhouse backyard. He was very upfront about challenges that could arise. We then sat down to review color and pattern options. Our meeting last close to 1.5 hours in which all of my questions were answered. I never felt rushed during our meeting. We received a quote during the meeting which was spot on with the final job cost. We sent in our deposit the next day in order to get on the schedule quickly knowing that there was a 2+ month lead time due to so many customers. Because of the long lead time, Salzano Concrete posts a list on their website showing where you are in the line of waiting jobs. When our name was nearing the top of that line, CJ called us to set up a final walk through before they began the work. Again, we spent about an hour finalizing details and troubleshooting any last minute challenges. CJ again demonstrated great creativity in helping to outline our patio. When I expressed concern over having to put in sod ourselves, CJ quoted a price to do the sod work as well as decorative river rock. It was very fair. The work began on time and the crew worked extremely quickly. It was obvious that the workers were very experienced. CJ was on-site periodically during the actual work and brought any issues to my attention (which he also helped resolve). The men were detail-oriented, friendly, and cleaned up after themselves. The work was done before we knew it and our patio looks absolutely gorgeous. We could not be happier with the outcome. CJ followed up a few days after the sealer was applied to see if we were happy. All in all, I give Salzano Concrete the highest recommendation. CJ is on top of things. He is punctual, professional, a great communicator, and keeps you informed every step of the way. He employs a quality workforce that doesn't cut corners or do a half-hearted job. Their pricing is fair and you never feel like you are being pushed to "upgrade". We had a great experience with this company and have recommended them to many friends and family already.

I really liked this job from start to finish. We had considered doing something like this for several years and always put it off because we thought it would be too expensive. Well, we were wrong! CJ came out to the house in late April to do an estimate within a week of first talking with him on the phone. He was super busy, but understood we were trying to determine options and make a decision of who to contract with. CJ was very patient and explained the difference between stamped concrete and "pure texture". We also discussed the differences of these with real stone. CJ brought a portfolio of work with him so it was great to see pictures of different options. He hand drew our job out on graph paper and put measurements to it. Then he left us with an estimate for the work we wanted to have done as well as included pricing for several different options. He also explained about scheduling and let us know that he was new jobs would likely not start until July or August. We ultimately chose CJ because he could do everything we were asking for and we thought the price was really good. Even when comparing CJ's price to install real stone compared to others who would do the same thing his price was somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 less! Because the jobs were scheduling so far out, CJ asked for only 10% down as opposed to the customary 40% down. Due to the amount of rainy days we had this year, the job ended up being delayed until August. I further detayed the job due to scheduling issues on my part (being out of town, etc). Before starting the job, CJ met with us again and we confirmed the work to be done, patterns to use, etc. He also referred us to Charles Luck to select the real stone that would cover the cinder block wall. The stone we selected was more expensive than was was originally estimated and CJ let us know right away in case we wanted to go with something less expensive. We stuck with what we'd selected and Charles Luck delivered the stone to the house and billed CJ for it. We ulitmately paid for the stone through our payments to CJ. Our job lasted over the course of about 2 months from start to finish, mostly due to weather and rescheduling on my part.We paid the remainder of the down payment as we got ready to start the job. I'll admit to being a bit frustrated, but CJ and his team were not to blame. For example, once the concrete curb was poured it need to cure and then we had quite a bit of rain. We were ready start again, but I got called away on business for several weeks. It's amazing how quickly 2 months can go by. Once we got down to it, the job went well. I needed to approve three things: 1. the layout of the random stone pattern (it's blocked off using tape) 2. the base color of the pure texture before it is spread down and 3. a sampling of "stones" as they were "painted" to look like stone. Once approved, CJ's team was able to apply the color scheme to the rest of the walkway. All I can say is the finished product is BEAUTIFUL. The walkway is gorgeous and makes a big difference in the drive up appeal of our home. Likewise, the stone applied in the back looks great. We have neighbors who are interested in doing something similar and I'm already planning "phase 2". We couldn't be happier with the work and highly recommend CJ and his team. They are truly artists!