Olympic Rockeries & Construction

Rather a large project (started out at $20k and we added on some additional work for $10k more). Rotting railroad tie retaining walls (previous owner several decades earlier) removed and replaced with 2-3 man basalt rocks (300-800lb). Steps put also put into a retaining wall going to a patio. Large, well executed operation with the ability to put big rocks in tight places/structures. Estimate was on target along with communication/time expected. Work done August 2018 and is holding up like it was just installed.

Simply the best and most reliable rockery contractor you can find. Able to do almost any kind of rock wall, large or small. You will find them to be very professional and able to offer a prompt and accurate proposal right away. One of the "well kept secret" contractors used by landscape professionals everywhere in the region. Highly recommended!

Thank you Olympic Rockeries! You have transformed our yard in the best way possible. Prompt communication and an extremely timely process. We couldn't be happier.

There is literally no one else to call if you need a rockery. These guys are specialists when it comes to Rockeries. They literally know every in and out of the process. The crew showed up when he said they wood and stacked rocks safely and the way they were supposed to. They have the most advanced equipment in the Pacific Northwest for this so they can complete work in a very quick timeline. My front and my backyard are now transformed so we have more room to park, grow plants, and play.

Shinda was amazingly responsive and was out to quote our project (on a weekend) within 24 hours of our initial inquiry. I see that some people have questioned the value of the $100 consult fee, but you get your money's worth. Shinda walked the property, measured precisely and provided an exact quote after spending more time to learn about our expectations. It took nearly an hour and he was able to capture nuances of the project that would never have been understood from pictures (drainage and soil composition). In the end, we simply learned that our finances didn't meet with the realities of the project if we wanted it done right. Shinda was one of four contractors we solicited bids from. Two barely returned calls and Shinda was hands-down the most responsive. For those whose finances match their project, I would recommend Shinda and Olympic in a heartbeat.

I've known Shinda for almost 30 years and can speak incredibly highly of his responsiveness, creative ideas and overall value. He has consulted on and done two projects for us on Mercer Island. We highly recommend Olympic!

Terrific--true professionalism, a job very, very well done.

Shinda and 0lympic Rockery an outstanding job - I would HIGHLY recommend them and will hire them again for any future work.

Timely and efficient work crew. Cleaned up when work complete.

Fantastic. They were punctual, professional, and the work was done beautifully and in a very reasonable. And don't let the price fool you, we had a massive natural rock retaining wall put in.

It went terrific, shinda was extremely helpful in solving issues that came up during the installation that made the end result better than I would have imagined.

I was really happy with the results and the process. We came up with an original plan that would have provided only half of the flat area, at around half the eventual cost. In that proposal, they weren't quite sure where a certain pipe was going to be, but then when they started digging and found it, they realized it just had to be lowered, and when that was done, were able to move the wall in a favorable direction to increase the large flat space. Then they built the top two walls and started filling in to the point where the first plan was to end and start sloping down. When we got to that point, once I saw how nice it was to have a flat space, and was able to visualize what it would look like if it were a lot bigger, we decided to extend the plan to go all the way to the bottom of the hill. That ended up adding a lot to the cost, but it was a deliberate choice and I'm happy with the result. They had to work around my sewage and drain field, and a drainage easement at the bottom. It was really clear they knew what they were doing and were asking me about all these problems without me having to bring it up. They also were really careful about making a really solid foundation for the walls and diverting water carefully. Behind each wall they put drainage rock, and at the bottom is a pipe to catch the water and direct it away from the foot of the wall. Once they started work they didn't stop or take any breaks, except due to weather. (Although they worked some days when it was snowing just a bit.) I liked to ask a bunch of questions about what they were doing and how they made certain decisions and why they were doing this or that, and they took time to talk with me and answer these questions. Their big equipment did some damage to some existing irrigation pipes, and my driveway. That was not really a big deal to me, I mean you cannot bring in big equipment like that without running over some pipe that isn't buried very deep and crushing it, or finding out that the driveway has water under it, etc. They just fixed it without any hassle, and after they left everything looked really good. Oh and they let my kid operate the bobcat and pick up some dirt and move it around. :)

Because the ground was too wet and stayed that way for months, the work wasn't begun until January 2017. Once they began the work, it was done professionally and quickly.

excellent job. completed on time. new retaining wall looks awesome.

I spoke with the owner to discuss the project. He offered to schedule an onsite walk through of my property. The day prior to the onsite walk through, he then alerted me that there would be a fee for him to come. He made it very clear that his time was valuable. Unfortunately, I had taken the morning off for the scheduled appointment. However, I ended up cancelling given his late communication of the fee and his off-putting demeanor on the phone.

Shinda's solution would have had me take down a fence, possibly damaging an existing retaining wall. He quoted $13k plus tax. I almost did it. Then I found a gentleman from Craigslist. $2500 later my problem was solved, I was very satisfied with the result (and of course the price), and the guy simply found a way onto the hillside without disturbing my retaining wall nor fence. Was the price 5x higher because the job was on the Eastside? This experience really made me question not only how Olympic has been so highly rated, but also, just what is behind this rating system.

This is the largest investment we've made in our home and involved a complete re-leveling & redesign of our back yard - 3 rock walls, a paver path with large concrete stairs, a new paver-based patio, and removal of trees and old wood deck. We're very pleased with Olympic Rockeries results, which exceeded our expectations, completed in a reasonable time frame, at a price that was competitive with other bids (not highest or lowest). All the work was completed professionally, beautifully, and with great attention to detail - the rock walls, paths and patio are all beautiful. Additionally, the crew were flexible about small modifications along the way, which made the final product that much better. The only item we rated as "B" was responsiveness, in that some of the initial meetings with Olympic were a bit harder to set up than with some of their competitors or had to be rescheduled, but we're very glad we followed through and met with them as they provided the most detailed & best solutions, and in the end, exceeded our expectations!

Olympic rockeries damaged my fence between my neighbor and me and have been completely unresponsive to my requests to repair the damage they caused. They were not under contract with me and did not have my permission to do work that impacted the fence. They appear to not care about fixing the damage they caused. I would definitely not recommend this business.

Outstanding work - great quality and Shinda was very response and placed a noticeable emphasis on customer satisfaction. Hopefully I won't need his services again but I'd hire him again if needed.

Excellent job by Olympic crew assigned to our job. We had an extensive drainage project with civil engineering plans/soil study for a 3/4 lot. Olympic was able to stick to schedule despite several issues discovered onsite and change orders. They worked closely with our engineering and soils firms to ensure that the plan was implemented correctly, as-built measurements were taken and that we were happy with the job. I dinged them a bit on price since they weren't the cheapest quote that we received, and we failed to properly understand the full scope of the project. But I believe you get what you pay for, and if you want a professional contractor, good jobsite coordination, and attention to detail, I can highly recommend Olympic Rockeries.

I was happy with everything. They were extremely responsive/prompt in all phases of the project. Great customer service from the owners and all the crew members I interacted with. They responded to me the same day on my initial contact and came out to give me a quote the next day. The work was started the next couple days, and the work was completed in just over a day. They completed what we asked and a bit extra - they some extra gravel so they filled in some pot holes on parts of the lane that weren't specifically worked on.

Shinda was extremely thorough and highly communicative with our other contractors throughout the process. If there was any question, he made it right. Great to work with!

This was a complex project involving detailed conditions and instructions from city, county and state agencies. The drain was also laid in a very narrow 5 foot side-yard next to the house, plus we live on a lake which makes everything more complex. Finally the access to our house is a narrow one-lane shared driveway. This project could easily have turned into a huge nightmare. Olympic Rockeries did an exceptional job. The trench was excavated in this tight space with no collateral damage. Several unexpected occurrences such as a couple of large boulders and subterranean silt leakage were handled promptly and capably. The coring of the bulkhead was done with precision and no damage to the structure. The pipe was laid, connected up and everything was restored to perfect original condition. The various agencies and inspectors were all happy with the work, and everything was done in a timely fashion, within the course of a few days (once the work started), with no delays. Despite movement and stationing of heavy equipment down a narrow shared driveway the neighbors were not inconvenienced. I would highly recommend Olympic Rockeries.

Great! I have used Olympic Rockeries and Construction for three separate projects and this is the third project. Shinda came out to my home, we discussed the project, he provided a verbal estimate, and completed the work in a couple of hours! The path looks great and now I have the final project completed for my landscaping. I have really enjoyed working with Shinda, and his crew, they are so professional and are committed to you being thrilled with the end result. Customer service is of the utmost importance to Shinda and it really shows in how he works with customers and his crew. I couldn't be happier with Olympic Rockeries and Construction and the work they have performed for me.

Since this project was fairly straightforward, we were able to obtain estimates via photos and measurements, saving the up front visitation and design fee. This may not be the ideal process in all cases, but it worked out well for us. From the start we were very pleased with Shinda's responsiveness and clear communication, which was our top priority. We've never contracted a job of this scope, but the cost was less than expected, and we got a lot for our money. Once the crew kicked into gear, the project went fast and the crew's rock-setting skills were truly amazing. They also took care to protect our driveway and clean up and rough grade the site. As we had been advised, the lawn in the work area was wiped out, which was not a problem as we were planning to replace it. Our new rock wall is magnificent and a substantial upgrade to our property. Highly recommended.