CM Hardscapes, LLC

CM replaced 70 linear fee of my block retaining wall that was in serious disrepair from previous owners here in South Arlington (wall built circa 1961). CM was able to start work right away. CM and I agreed beforehand that I would have the stumps removed by my tree contractor, but that contractor wasn't able to get his machine right up to the stump because of how it was situated on the slope. Although removing the stump was not included in my contract with CM, they were able to get them removed anyway so that they could do their retaining wall work. And they didn't charge me any extra for this! Plus, since I was cited by Arlington County for the disrepair of my existing wall, I needed for the new wall to be less than 24" (to avoid a permit). When CM was building the wall, there were a few spots that were going over a bit. I raised this concern with CM and they were extremely attentive to my concerns and remedied the situation right away. CM started only 2 business days after I signed the contract, which was great. They cleaned up well, were very careful of my neighbor's property (which was very close to my project), and completed the project within the estimated time frame. But more than anything, my experience with them showed that I could trust them with getting it done right and addressing my concerns - they really seem to know that well. Also, their pricing was very competitive compared to the four other quotes I received.

Custom Masonry was one of several companies we contacted based on neighborhood recommendations. They provided a prompt estimate that was very reasonable and a very quick timeline. They showed up on time and ready to work with only a couple hiccups in communication. We realized belatedly the masonry cap the team installed was incorrect, but Custom Masonry was extremely responsive. They immediately replied to our concerns and sent the team back out to correct the mistake. We would absolutely use them again and we have recommended them to several of our other neighbors.

The crew arrived on time and did a very thorough and professional job. They were pleasant, courteous and did an excellent job of cleaning up after the job was completed. The job was done on budget and on time. I would highly recommend Bill and his team. While they may be a little slow to respond back sometimes, I will definitely call them again when I need brick, stone, or concrete work done.

I sent an AL message to this company asking if they could do some masonry work for me. They did not respond to my request.

Very well - great price and good outcome. A little difficult getting in touch to schedule the work but very professional

Custom Masonry replaced concrete layer on top of 100 year old front porch, dig out old walkway and poured concrete for a new one, put bluestone on top of porch and walkway and build 20ft long retaining wall. Could not be more happy with their services, price was fair and they started a job in 7 days after first phone call. Very responsible employees, always coming on time knowing what they are doing. New concrete for porch and walkway was poured from a professional concrete truck and not premixed by hand like some other contractors may do. Overall, this is the best construction company I've dealt with and definitely highly recommend them if you need any masonry job.

They were very methodical, managed there time really well. The first day, removed all the old concrete and hauled to all away. The next day, they built the forms and poured the new concrete. They set plastic pipe incerts in the concrete so I could replace the original handrail. They said they do not set railings, but they got it ready with the inserts. They told me exactly how to keep the steps wet for several days to enhance the curing process. We have the best looking steps on our court now. Great work!

We just moved into a new house with only a small patio and a large hill in the backyard. We needed more patio area and we needed more parking in front of the house We roughly sketched out our plans using excel and submitted it to three providers. We were most impressed with Custom Masonry both in helping us to creatively develop our ideas further and also the price was reasonable considering size of the work. We definitely made the right choice. We have done major projects before but this company ranks at the top. Bill Bitto is the owner. and worked with us closely initially to finalize our ideas. He was very creative in helping us design the two tier retaining wall and guiding us on adding the extra touches in the flagstone trim at a reasonable cost that make the areas look like we hired a designer. He was very flexible in accepting small changes to the design once the work was under way without adding extra cost. He also helped us to find a less expensive but more attractive option for the driveway extension. We would work with Bill and his crew any time. During the project we worked with Jesus and Gabriel as leads along with Henry which quickly responded to our questions and easily worked with us on recommendations. They are very experienced crew and you can tell they have worked together for a long time. We were impressed with their high quality of work and the professional results. The work extended over a 3 week period because of the multiple steps in the project and some small delays due to weather but the crew stayed the same. We have received many many compliments on the patio area and driveway extension. We have only positive comments for this company. We were so impressed and would highly recommend them to others.

Great job overall. Came when they said they would - both estimate and the job itself, gave me various options to consider relative to cost and appearance, Cleaned up well every day, The crew was very polite and communicative, Asked me the right questions and returned everything to its rightful place when the job was done. The brick lines in one spot are not quite straight but only from one viewpoint. I would hire them again for another job.

Mr. Bitto worked with me on a design and was a pleasure to work with. His crew was excellent and kept me informed about progress. Overall I was very happy with the job. It's been up about 1/2 year, and so far no problems. The final price was the estimate.

We purchased an Angie's list deal for custom masonry but it was not applicable to the work we needed done. Although we did not have any service done, Custom Masonry was prompt in contacting us, professional and punctual in arriving to review scope of work.

Provider arrived at the scheduled appointment time. Reviewed the area that I was requesting to be repaired and provided me with an Honest Estimate.

The crew was very professional and talented. They did a great job; my front steps look brand new.

The project was not necessary. No service was performed.

We had a number of quotes, most only offered laying pavers on top of a compacted sand/gravel base. Having experienced problems with a patio laid this way with subsidence after just three years, we opted for Custom Masonry's long-term solution. The estimate was clear and proved accurate. The work was explained well. The company made good suggestions and the result is a path with lots of curb appeal, unquestionable quality and a retaining wall that is just what we wanted. The crew worked hard and their teamwork was very smooth, they showed up on time and completed on time. They were tidy, polite and very respectful. There was a slight misunderstanding over the back fill for the retaining wall. Custom masonry corrected the work without hesitation and with no attempt to obtain more money from us. This company will definitely be our first choice if we need more work and I recommend them without any hesitation.

Started off OK. Met timely for estimate and gave an acceptable price. Did 2 hand-written diagrams for my app to Old Town (Alexandria) arch board - which I pursued entirely on my own. I got building permit but City requires contractor to get excavation permit and post a $1000 bond. I so informed Custom and at that point, Custom completely dropped out of sight. Stopped returning calls and e-mails. I spent over $200 getting approvals based on their work and now I have to start over. I am not sure they're even still in business.

Brick steps. Went great. Had to do more work than anticipated, perhaps do to their method of demolition. Didn't have to pay additional money.

The job was labor intensive and they did a very artistic job. I was very pleased with the great work but the follow up was a little bit of a problem. They had agreed to come back to seal it, Bill the owner advised we do this so we avoided deterioration in the future. They wanted to wait a month to do this and to replace another stone. After a dozen calls and emails they never got back to me. I have to get another provider to do the rest of the work. They guaranteed the work for a year but guarantee is ineffective if they don't reach back out to you. Although I was prepared to pay for the resealing and the repair of the stone.

The job was labor intensive. The wall was done with great artistry. I was pleased throughout until I tried to get the walkway sealed as Bill suggested to avoid deterioration in the future. He gave me a quote and said they would come in a month when the grout was cured. I also needed one stone fixed that my husband had broken. After dozens of calls and emails to Custom Masonry, I never got a returned call or email. Bill spoke of their guarantee for a year, but I don't think that would hold up either since they stay out of contact. If they are still in business, I assume they don't want a small left over job. This was disappointing after such good service and I will need to hire another company for the follow up.

I used Custom Masonry as part of a "Big Deal" for a 8 hours of masonry work. They repointed many areas of masonry around the exterior of the house. They did an excellent job of matching the mortar, as close as possible, to a 70 year old house. I was concerned that the color was not close enough and they washed it down with acid to age the new mortar. This did a much better job at matching and I was satisfied with the work. They even cleaned up some poorly done masonry work completed by another company for a chimney repair done earlier this year. They were professional and did an excellent job. I would use them again for future work.

They started on a Friday and were finished by Tuesday. It was over labor day weekend. They did a beautiful job. I can't believe how shoddy the work of the first company was when I compare it to what my walk looks like now. We discussed different options for just fixing it or replacing the whole thing and I am so glad I replaced the whole thing. In fact, Bill suggested an idea for the riser and showed me a picture and I loved it. It looks amazing! One point I would like to suggest is to make sure they put something up to block the drying cement. This was not done and my dog got out and walked on the freshly poured cement. They were able to work with it without a problem, but it caused me a lot of stress! The blockage (if there was one) may not have prevented anything, but just make sure you remind them to put one up.

Bill is great to work with. When I called the office to make an appt for an estimate, Tracy even knew that we had called them for an estimate on another job a few years ago. That's efficient! Bill came out, explained what needed to be done, reminded me that the new mortar wouldn't match exactly since the repairs were being made on a sidewalk that is 29 yrs old (but did say it would match better after it had a chance to weather), and gave me an estimate that I thought was fair since I had already gotten a couple earlier estimates. He also threw in a repair to a couple bricks on my back stoop and replaced some of the concrete bridging the gap between my sidewalk and porch step. His guys showed up early on what was to be a VERY hot day. The job is messy, but they did good work. They were to come back the next day to clean the walk. Only they forgot. So we had to call Bill. Then while cleaning the bushes of the dust, I discovered they had missed putting mortar in one of the places they had ground out. So we had to call Bill. Everything got taken care of and we are thrilled with the job they did. I would make two comments: Bill should always follow up on every job so HE knows everything is done to his standards and the client is happy. Also, this company does not take credit cards. I realize it's an expense, but I think most people prefer to pay by credit when the cost is at that level. But I would definitely hire them again.

The install went very well. The crew arrived on time and went right to work. They addressed all of our concerns during the installations and the final result was beautiful. We get many postive comments on the appearance and functionality of the new walkway.

Unlike several masons I contacted, Bill Bitto's firm was comfortable uninstalling and re-installing iron hand railing. This in itself was cost saving, and gave me "one stop shopping". Excellent!! While there were some 'rough edges' here and there on the *back side of some surfaces ( being a landscape architect,I'm exceptionally fussy) the work was very good. I was sufficiently pleased that I called them called them again to repair a portion of a walkway that a landscaper demolished with a heavy mower. Really easy to deal with. Punctual. Caring. Thanks, Bill! Thank you everyone at Custom Masonry!

The filling in of the mortar was generally good, except that some spots were missed. The some of the spots that were filled in started to crack again within a month after the service. The brick work was very sloppy, and the area looks worse than before the job was started. Bill (owner) came out to inspect the property and agreed to correct the situation. Tracy Jones, in and email assured me that the matter would be taken care of. I received a total of 8 emails up until January 18, 2013 from her. After that I have heard nothing, despite my mailing several emails to Custom Masonary over the following months. (The last email that I sent was May 6, 2013. They said they have a 1 year warranty, but I wonder if it is valid since they do not seem to respond. The price seemed high, but the reviews on Angie's List led me to believe it would be worth the price, Considering their responsiveness, the price now seems excesesive..