SUTTER PAVING

The company is very responsive and professional, and we are generally pleased with the result. Leonard is a creative problem solver, and went to a lot of effort to help us figure out the best drainage solution. There are some small seams and discoloration that hopefully will no longer be noticeable after we get the driveway sealed in a year or so. In fact, Leonard extended our warranty to ensure we're satisfied and that there is no lasting issue, which we really appreciate. One thing that bugged us is that about 15 minutes after they left the job, we noticed that a portion of the driveway wasn't draining properly. They came back later and fixed it, but charged us to do so.

Left cold joints, patch, bump, and later crumbling left two holes.

Amazing! I left before they arrived and when I returned home they were almost finished. I did not really know what to expect and was totally blown away when I saw my new driveway. Leonard was great to work with, as were the members of the crew I spoke with.

There was no charge for the estimate. They were very detailed on things that other people had not. Things that other had not commented on at all. Things that were very helpful. They are going to do our driveway. We got other estimates and theirs was the best. We went with them because of the detail, they are close by and it is a family business.

It all went very well! Leonard Sutter and crew are very knowledgeable, thorough, meticulous and competent in their work. There were many factors and issues related to replacing our circular driveway that other bidders did not even mention. We had tree root issues, permitting problems and drain pipes issues to contend with and they handled all of these very well. They also took great care to line up the asphalt to our adjoining cement garage floor and also with our concrete walkways to the house. We highly recommend Sutter Paving.

The following is excerpted from a string of emails. [email string starting 06 June 2016] In early June 2016 I contacted Sutter Paving about repaving my residential driveway (a circular drive of about 4,400 square feet). They responded promptly and their estimator D.H. met with me at my house to go over the work to be done. They gave me bids for both asphalt and concrete. They responded promptly to my questions about the details of the work. I accepted their bid for repaving in concrete because it was reasonable, and because Sutter claims to have Angie's List Super Service Awards for six years in a row starting in 2010. I was told by email on June 7 [email from K. S. in the above string] by K. S. that they would "pencil me in for the 22nd and 23rd of August". Later in June I picked out concrete options, and Sutter sent their concrete person E. M. to my house on July 13 to double check all measurements and to discuss the details of the work. They said they would send me a revised contract for the concrete work, which was not done. [email string starting 01 Aug 2016] I enquired on Aug 1 to make sure we were still on schedule for an August 22 start, and to say that I never received the revised contract. I was told on Aug 2 that they had received a "large city contract" and were busy with that, but would get back to me soon. I inquired again on Aug 9 about the start date and the revised contract. They sent a revised contract on Aug 10, which I accepted the same day. I asked again if we were still on for Aug 22. I was then told that "Our schedule changed weeks ago and I was told by the office girls that you had been notified of the change." I had never heard anything from "the office girls." I was told that "everyone scheduled for work in August/early September was pushed out." I told them on Aug 10 that doing the work in September was fine with me. I send another email on Aug 25 asking when in Sept the work would start. I received no reply. [email string starting 02 Sept 2016] I called the Sutter office on Sept 1 and left a voice mail 1 asking when the work would start. I receive return call on Sept 2 saying the work was scheduled for “late October.” I told them by email on Sept 02 that I would be gone most of October and all of November, but that the week of Oct 10 would be OK. I told them that I needed to schedule other things around the driveway work, so I needed firm dates to coordinate with other contractors. I then received an apologetic reply from K. S. saying "This is definitely NOT acceptable. I'm not sure what led to this series of miscommunication, but assure you that this is not our norm. I don't want to make excuses, but would like to try our best to make the timing work for you." K. S. said they will "come up with a better plan. I'm glad you contacted me and appreciate your patience." On Sept 08 I was told "Because of the scope of the work, we are partnering with another concrete contractor on your project and need to work with his schedule as well. I'm waiting to hear if we can nail down the week of October 10th. October is an excellent month for concrete work, but there is also a larger threat of rain. I'm hoping we can lock in that week, but if the weather doesn't cooperate, I'd suggest holding off until spring." I replied on Sept 11 that "I don't want a subcontractor to show up, perhaps without even having seen the contract, and having no idea about the details of what is to be done. If E. M. will be supervising them, a subcontractor is probably OK. If not, it might be best to wait until spring when the work would be done by Sutter under E. M.'s supervision. The reason I came to you to begin with was your good rating on Angie's List, and I have no idea who the subcontractor would be." I was then told on Sept 19, "Sutter paving would have complete over site [sic] over the forming and pouring of the driveway we would also be doing the demo and grading of the existing drive. Every week we have happy rains is just one more week the concrete guys schedule gets pushed out. So in reality we are probably looking at a early spring completion for this project. We have worked with the other concrete contractor on other larger projects with great results." I replied on Sept 19 that "OK, then, if mid October isn't likely to work, let's just face reality and officially make it next Spring. " and "Can you give me a guarantee that we'll be first in line next spring, and an approximate date for the work? We presume that the cost will stay the same." They replied on Sept 20 that "The company we will be partnering with for your project is PHENOMENAL. They are artisans of concrete, highly regarded in the industry and in high demand. E.M. WILL be overseeing their part of the project. " and "I'm sorry for the delay in your project and will certainly get you first on our schedule for spring if you can wait for us." I was told on Sept 21 that "We would plan on early March for a start date. The exact date would be determined sometime after to the first of the year. Price will stay the same assuming there will not be any extreme material cost increases which I do not expect." I inquired on Jan 30, 2017 if "early March" was still reasonable, and said that I needed to get the work done by late April because I would be gone most of May. I RECEIVED NO REPLY. [email string starting Mar 7, 2017] I after phoning E. M., I was told that because of the long and extra-rainy winter, his best guess was a late-April to mid-May start date. I replied by email on Mar 7 that the work would need to be done either by late April or starting in after May 22, when I got back from a trip. I RECEIVED NO REPLY. On May 2, I emailed Sutter saying that "I leave tomorrow for 3 weeks in China. I'll be in town most of the time from May 24 through June 26. Please let me know by the time I get back from China when you will do the driveway work so that it is completed before I leave again on June 27. I'll then be gone until around Aug 10." I RECEIVED NO REPLY. After returning on May 23, I asked again about the start date and said that the work had to be done by the end of June, when I leave again. I stated, "I want a specific start date so that this work will be completed by the end of June. If you can't do the work by then, I'm cancelling the job. I don't want to have to start the process over with someone else, but this isn't getting your attention." I RECEIVED NO REPLY. In summary, Sutter was initially responsive and seemed competent. However, they continually pushed my job further and further down the road. That was partially due to weather beyond their control, but there is no excuse for their lack of replies to my emails of January through May, 2017. Clearly I was not placed “first on our schedule for spring if you can wait for us." It is now June 12, 2017 as I write this, over a year since my initial contact with Sutter Paving. I consider this job to be dead because of Sutter's lack of response to my emails of the last few months, so now I have to start over to find a new contractor. Their reasonable price is irrelevant if the work never gets done.

Didn't have work done at this time. Would probably hire them if we decide to do it later because the estimate was very fair. Very professional and experienced company.

I've been after them since mid-summer and they have not come through at all, excuse after excuse. They don't have the time of day to send someone out. First in the summer they told me they were too busy, so fine. I recontacted them in October and they said they'd send someone out in November. Then in November, they'd send someone out in December. Then in December, the guy never emailed me back. He said he was coming but never emailed back. They wouldn't even send someone out to give an estimate even though they said they would.

The project went very smooth and the communication was very clear. I would recommend and use them in the future.

This was a very professional job. The crew showed up on time, with the right equipment for the job and the right people who knew what they are doing. The work was done with care, the results were excellent and they are meticulous about cleaning up the area before they leave. Everyone was courteous, accommodating, and the work was done expeditiously. It came out looking terrific. Dave and Don did everything we asked for and more. Having had paving done in other homes, there is a clear difference using Sutter Paving. They arrive with equipment that is right for the job and a crew that can use that equipment effectively. They are precise and careful to do all the work exactly as promised and they left the job with the work area cleaner than when they arrived. I would strongly recommend them to do your paving.

I'm one of many who are pleased with the work that Leonard Sutter and his crew do. Twenty years ago, Sutter Paving put in the driveway for my then new house and the other houses in the development. In the intervening years, the front part of the driveway sank significantly. Leonard and his team came in and built up the front drive area with rock and other material, and installed new asphalt. In the course of the work, they found that there was not enough support under the garage floor, a problem that contributed to the driveway sinking at the front. Leonard called the folks at SlabJack and described the problem to them and suggested filling under the garage floor. (I'd previously had SlabJack out for an estimate.) After the asphalt was installed, Leonard also arranged for a company to come out and put a rubber seal on the seam between the new and old sections of the driveway, and to sealcoat the entire drive. Those folks did a very nice job as well. With many years of experience in all kinds of paving work, Leonard is a master at what he does, and he and his crew are great to work with. I highly recommend Sutter Paving.

Contractor reviewed drainage problems and suggested solutions, accommodated last minute request to install brick border between gravel covered french drain and lawn , and completed work in a timely manner. Mr Sutter and his crew were pleasant to work with.

Had to reschedule a couple of times but that all worked out.

I left NA on the price rating because Sutter's was the only professional estimate I could obtain out of three who showed up to do estimates (two additional did not return calls). The other two who did show up gave off warning flags of flakiness. So, I felt I could not fairly compare price with the others, as Sutter was the only professional, reliable estimate I received. The consultation was very professional, and the estimate was provided quickly and clearly. They communicated with me about the start date, which was dependent on the weather. They dealt with the permitting process, did the drainage and prep in one day, and paved the following day. They did a great job, and our property was vastly improved when they finished. I feel good about the value we received for the price, and I would strongly recommend them.

I called and ask for a bid and gave them my contact information, they did not return the call. Provider did respond a few days later

Everything was great. He helped redesign water flow in the driveway and front yard to make sure water flows away from the house, Installing a catch basin. We are very happy with everything. They cleaned up their mess when everything was done. He works with me with any request or special needs for the project. They were alwasy very polite and gave up options with any problems.

The bid was easy to schedule and the owner came on time. They were not the lowest bid but very close and they had so many positive Angie's reviews that I had more confidence. The work went exactly as promised. They arrived when they said and the owner was there for most of the process. They worked quickly and I was asked numerous times during the proces to check and make sure I was satisfied. They were very willing to make adjustments if I requested. They cleaned up well and the driveway looks very good. I have had numerous neighbors compliment it. They did not charge me extra when the old driveway was thicker than anticipated. The cost was exactly as estimated. I would use them again.

Leonard came out to our home for the initial estimate on a Saturday. I explained to him the issue we were having with water pooling at the edge of our garage floor and gravel drive and he came up with multiple solutions to fix the problem. We have two driveways and the main one leading to the garage is on a downhill. I figured if it pools during rainstorms even when the ground is soaking up the water, it'd be a sheet of water flowing down the hill into the garage once it was paved. He said he would be on the job when we had it paved since the grading was critical to success. Leonard left me with a quick estimate of cost and emailed me a firm quote the next day (on a Sunday!) After meeting with other companies, I felt like Leonard had the best experience and knowledge to get the grading and drainage done properly. I called them back to see if someone could come out one more time to explain exactly what they would be doing. Don came out to clear up any concerns I had. I was scheduled within 2 weeks of Don coming out and was in contact with Lisa in their office multiple times before they came out to pave. Excellent customer service all around. Leonard and his crew arrived at 8:30 and got right to work. I was consulted a few times just to make sure I was happy with the way things were progressing and we couldn't be happier with the results! Leonard did a walk around with me explaining everything that they did and answering questions. He also used our hose to show how the water drained into the drainage system he installed. It was crazy how the water flowed EXACTLY where it was supposed to. Not a drop made its way into the garage, even when he sprayed it at different spots all over the driveway. The man really knows his stuff! After they were finished, the crew sealed the edge, cleaned up and were out of there by 3:00. We absolutely made the right decision to go with Sutter Paving and would hire them again in a heartbeat. Thank you Sutter Crew!

Sutter installed asphalt and drainage onsite for new construction in city of bellevue. Their work did not pass building inspection and they had to rework parts of the drainage pipes they installed to pass city of bellevue codes. A week after their bill arrived they threatened to lien the property. The payment was mailed but had not arrived yet. High Pressure tactics were used for no reason here.

I?ve waited a couple of months to write this review and unfortunately, I?ll be the first reviewer to post a negative review for this vendor. Sutter Paving did our driveway back in February and from its completion, I?ve never been satisfied with the finished product. The seam work is unsightly and is currently crumbling away on a daily basis. There are several areas of edging that are suffering the same fate. I contacted Sutter and Leonard came back and looked things over and pronounced things structurally sound. However at the same time Leonard bemoaned the quality of asphalt that is available today verses in times past, so I?m a bit confused on how he could complain about the poor quality of materials available to him and at the same time pronounce structural integrity. Leonard did offer to split the cost of sealing the driveway with me, however, with large sections of the driveway sloughing off weekly, I don?t feel that this is a good investment in additional funds. When we initially talked, it was explained to me that the driveway would be installed to match our existing landscaping. However the finished product has created a 4 inch dam across our backyard drainage area and has required additional landscaping work to bring the landscaping up to the level of the driveway in several places. Several of my neighbors have had asphalt driveways installed over the past couple of years and I?ve looked at their finished products and asked them to look at mine. Without exception, my neighbor?s consistent comment is that the paving work done by Sutter looks to be haphazard and substandard in places, particularly the seam and edge work. Even our FedEx and UPS driver have commented on the appearance of the driveway and the sections that appear to be falling apart. At this point in time and given the quality of work delivered thus far, I am not sure I want Sutter to attempt to fix things and will be looking for another contractor. I realize that this isn?t fair to Sutter, but feel the work should have been done correctly initially. To be fair to Sutter, they did a terrific job with the re-grading effort and I?m very happy with their work on the new culvert they installed. Also, they make every attempt to try and deliver good customer service. I won?t go so far as to say avoid Sutter, but if you do contract with them, make sure the work is completed to your satisfaction before you pay the final payment.

Removed old paving on 350' of cul-de-sac, mixed cement into grade to 8-12", graded, reworked turn so big trucks could make their way up and down (Steep hill with turn in the steepest part). Set boulders along inside edge of turn to keep trucks away. Added French drain in wet spot, drained into curb down hill of turn. Paved the road (35' wide) and top of the cul-de-sac putting in 6-7" thick beveled curbs so water runs into storm drains at the bottom of the hill. Old curbs were thin, and broke when a car went over them. These don't. Set the crown so that 2/3 of the water goes to one side, 1/3 to the other. Evened out the entry to all 8 houses on the road, much nicer to drive into now. Also built a catch-basin and drainage for our problem downspouts, which worked so well we had Leonard do the rest of them this last January. Road looks like it just got paved, still, nearly 3 years later. Definitely a pro outfit, and Leonard was here all three days. Crew was great to work with -- liked what they were doing and it showed. All of them were experienced and the job couldn't have been better.

We had a gravel driveway for several years, and we wanted it paved, as well as creating a flat spot for our kids to ride their skateboards and play basketball. I went with Sutter Paving because of the excellent reviews on Angie's List, and wasn't disappointed. In order to save money, I opted to get the permits from the City of Bellevue myself. BIG MISTAKE! After two trips to city hall and many phone calls, the permit that Sutter thought would cost about $200 ended up costing $646!! So I scaled back the area we paved from 2,250 sq ft to 2,000 sq ft and this reduced the permit fee by about $400 (no "Clear & Grade" permit required). Dang money-grubbing municipality!! Anyway, it would have saved me a lot of hassle if Sutter had handled the permitting process. With the permitting process taking so much time, I missed the window Sutter had reserved for me to do the paving. So we had them do the paving while we were gone on vacation: a double-edged sword because I couldn't be there to oversee the work but we wouldn't drive on it for a while and it would have excellent cooling time. Turns out, they did a great job. Even though we had to have their estimator, Corey, out a couple times to resize the project to meet the permit requirements, they paved exactly where I wanted. (I had marked the extent several times with Corey and on my own using spray paint to be absolutely sure.) The "flat spot" I wanted turned out great. My kids enjoy playing basketball there often, and I love not getting dirt & gravel all in the carport & house. Plus, it's way quieter when I drive in & out, an unforeseen bonus. Only cosmetic defect was a little 3' x 3' depression that occurred after paving. They filled it in and smoothed it well, but there is a *slight* amount of water pooling there, though it is less than their standard (doesn't spill over the edge of a quarter), and dries quickly after it rains. Overall, VERY happy with the job, and would easily hire again.

Smooth as silk, both the driveway and the process. Leonard came out quickly to provide a bid, we set the date for the work, and the work was completed with no issues. I went to work and came home to a new driveway. It looks awesome, we are very happy with the results and the process

Made me a new driveway and path to my backyard. Workers were fast and efficient They did a great job. For once something we had done was painless and easy.

Sutter paving has definitely lived up to their high quality reputation for being a star of Angies list. Our driveway was over 40 years old with many drainage problems as well as many other issues. Sutter came in and figured out the best way to handle the problem and the difficult drainage issues. The crew and owners were very professional and easy to work with on the whole project. Pricing is always a bit of a shock on every project, but after calling around, Sutters price was very reasonable. The finished work turned out to be much better than we had envisioned. I would highly recommend Sutter paving to everyone.