Urban Oasis Design & Construction LLC

We found Urban Oasis at work on a neighbor's property up the street. Impressed with their work, we invited them to consult on our landscaping and hardscaping needs and wishes. We have been very pleased with the people, the process, and the results. In almost every respect, Urban Oasis surpassed our expectations. There are, however, two areas where we were disappointed—the joints on our flagstone shrank and developed cracks and the lawn did not make it through the first winter in good shape. In both cases, Urban sent crews to make repairs under their warranty, but we're still not completely satisfied with the results. •Design: (A+) We had purchased a 20-year old home in Kirkland After living there for a year, we had a long list of landscape and hardscape improvements in mind. In working with Urban Oasis, we took our time with the design phase, going through several iterations them as they developed and revised plans to meet our requirements. Their designer came up with some unexpected ideas for making better use of our space that would never have occurred to us. Provided comprehensive plans and proposal. •Stonework (A-) Urban installed a new flagstone walkway and front steps to replace an aging and cracked concrete walk, added a new front mini patio, and a large rear patio. The stone fitting was superb, artful, and beautiful but we were not fully satisfied with the look and durability of the polymeric sand joints (Gator Dust). Although Urban came out to do warranty repairs, the new joints were put down by a different crew and perhaps with a different product. They don't match the look of the original work. •Carpentry: (A+) They took down our deck and replaced it with an expanded composite deck that has a drainage system built in allowing us to add ceiling lights and heaters on the lower level so we can use it even in rainy weather. They also replaced the decking on our lower level and hot tub area to match. Finally, they also replaced the aged front and back fencing with new cedar fences. •Landscaping: (B) They regraded our lawn to solve drainage issues and replaced it with new sod. The regrading was a huge improvement, but the sod didn't hold up. Our lawn developed bare spots over the winter. The warranty reseeding left us with a spotty lawn of uneven color. It seemed to have a variety of grasses that didn't blend well. (We have subsequently replaced the lawn using a different vendor with much better results.) Lighting: (A+) One of my favorite parts of the project is the Luxor (FX Luminaire), low-voltage, LED lighting system they proposed, designed, and installed for path, deck, and landscape lighting. We can change colors and schedules to match the seasons. It's a joyous enhancement to the property. •Scheduling and Project Management: (A+) Very pleased with their process of weekly status meetings to review progress. They were very responsive to suggestions and had a solid change-order process with no surprises. The logistics and scheduling of the project, the delivery of materials kept everything moving smoothly with no hitch. The carpentry and stone teams from Urban Oasis were not only highly-skilled at their crafts but also reliable, dedicated, and a joy to have around.

I highly recommend Urban Oasis! They recently completed a backyard renovation for us, including an outdoor kitchen, deck, covered structure, patio, and landscaping. From initial design through the completion of construction, Carrie and Trevor were highly responsive to our questions, listened to what we wanted, and helped to deliver a finished product that far exceeds any of our expectations. It’s impossible to state how happy we are with their work, as well as the process as a whole. I’ll include more details below, but the bottom line is that Urban Oasis is a fantastic company and will absolutely deliver a phenomenal outdoor space. We met with a few companies before selecting Urban Oasis, but found that others were trying to sell us on their vision for our yard, not necessarily what we wanted. From our first meeting, Carrie listened to our ideas and offered her expertise to design a space that met our needs and got the most out of our limited space. Additionally, as a “design/build” firm, Urban Oasis could ensure that the design intent was carried out in the construction, which is managed by Trevor. This is another reason we selected Urban Oasis; they oversee the project from start to finish, providing excellent customer service at every step along the way. You hear about a lot of contractors that disappear during the construction phase, or who are hard to reach. Urban Oasis, on the other hand, is highly responsive to questions and meets with you once a week during construction to go over progress, discuss any issues, and answer any questions. Their level of customer service and attention to detail is second to none. I was impressed with how closely Carrie and Trevor monitored the progress of construction, ensuring that every step met their high standards. I could list dozens of other reasons why we are glad we hired Urban Oasis. In the end, we have a beautiful outdoor living space that will serve us well for years to come. We’re thrilled with their work and would recommend Urban Oasis to anyone.

Very easy to work with - would highly recommend.

Urban Oasis delivered several initial designs that we tuned together to ensure they correctly captured our main objectives. The construction phase went very smooth and while there were a couple of minor hiccups, Urban Oasis delivered on the promise they made and we are pleased with the results. Special recognition to Trevor for his ability to adapt to our changing needs.

We started working with Urban Oasis for a large yard renovation project. We first met in September 2016 but did not receive design and quote options until early January 2017. During our 2nd meeting in early October, we gave Carrie our budget. When we received the project design options it was 2.5 to 3 times over our stated budget. Further discussions ensued to see how we could bring the design to even close to our budget requirement. There was not much thought on the part of Urban Oasis to how this could be achieved...just that we could take this out or that out of the plan. In the end we paid a substantial amount for designs that were worthless to us given they were so far over our budget. The good news we since found a recommended firm that were able to work within our budget and have done a great job.

We were very pleased with the end result and appreciated presentations with various ideas.

Working with Carrie was a true pleasure. She listened to our wish list for our outdoor space and came up with a beautiful design that checked all the boxes for us. Carrie was the third landscape architect we worked with, but she was the first that actually listened to our wish list and respected our budget. She was proactive and always responded quickly to our calls and emails.

It went fine. They came out and did a really nice job. They gave us a lot of good ideas for the floor plan for the plants in our yard and garden. It took a couple of weeks but we weren't in a hurry so it wasn't bad. If they could provide the design a little sooner, that would be fine. There were no additional costs.

They were great. They did the plan as set out in the deal. We didn't end up implementing it because it wasn't in our budget. But she was very nice, very helpful and very responsive. She was very prompt. She made the appointment and showed up when she said she would. She emailed the design. We were pleased and liked the plans. I've kept it and may at some point down the road revisit it.

It went well. She was professional and creative. She emailed me the plans.

It went fine; the expense was more than what I can afford to pay

We recently engaged Carrie Culp, Landscape Architect/Partner with Urban Oasis Design & Construction LLC in Seattle for a project. We wanted a new flagstone walk built, to match an existing one and our patio, a dry stacked wall repaired and new plantings for several beds and a new small grass section for your front yard. Carrie is an absolute delight to work with. Carrie and crew are totally professional, always on time, always with great ideas and fun to plan with. Iliana had great ideas on plants and color scheme. Together they seemed to read our minds on goals and had solutions to reach them. Once the easy planning process was done the crew was on time every day, worked extremely hard and the walk they did is a real work of art. Valentin the walk artist was also a delight to work with and we miss talking to him now that they are done. The stone wall is better than the original and the plantings are a pleasure. What a great team and company! [removed member's name]

The service went okay. Overall, we were able to schedule, but it was a bit difficult to set the appointment on both ends. It took a little over a month to get the plan back. I thought she was knowledgeable in her planning and designing. I was looking for ideas on a perennial garden I had and I appreciated her feedback.

They were going to get back to me in two weeks with plant lists and estimates to do the work. It took longer than that to get back to me but they did provide this information. did not proceed with the projects because: 1. The reviews on Angie's List were mixed 2. I am traveling a lot this summer and wont be there to take care of new plants.

That was a major disaster. The big deal was misrepresented. They got my money but they did nothing for me. Their company says about landscape evaluation and I went to their site to look. They were supposed to help with drain issues and a whole bunch of things to help you figure out what to do with your property. Then I wanted advice on the drainage at the side of my house which is a simple stuff. The person that came was not knowledgeable and I was supposed to get a written plan but I got nothing. They also wanted to put 4x4x4 foot drywall in the backyard which is absurd because it was huge for the size of my backyard. So, the experience I had with them was not good. They also said that they contacted their Angie’s List representative to get my money back. I believed them but I think they did not. I was not happy at all with them.

After email contact from someone at Urban Oasis, I scheduled an appointment. No further communication from the company. The individual wasn't listed anywhere on their site, either, so I have no idea what they're about but I'm not satisfied and would like a refund.

Service was not as advertised. Provider just charged $50 to provide a quote for landscaping work. Took a month and a reminder to get the quote.

The visit was very professional and friendly.

The service was just what i expected. They were excellent, they came out, stayed a couple of hours and made recommendations. They said they will get back to us for some drawing. They did not charge us extra.

They returned my money after they realized they do not serve my area.

The firm provided one hour of free consultation initially. She came over to our place and looked at our deck. We discussed what services they perform and how much the design would cost (per hour) and their contract. We also discussed our budget of about $8000 to $10,000. A week or so later, we exchanged emails and we sent her a signed contract. The economy then picked up and housing market accelerated, and the company apparently got extremely busy with other contracts (I suspect for builders etc.). She worked very hard to get structural designs of the rooftop yet it was I that paid the design engineer extra money ($560) for these designs that were forwarded to her. In full disclosure, we have been able to keep those. Just to keep things in perspective, the initial contact was made in March 2013. After several communications back and forth (with sporadic prolonged delays in between), the final construction contract was sent to me in August 2013 (5 months), for installation of planters and plants in October 2013. Not only was it so late, the proposal for installation was more than double the budget, roughly >$16,000. That excluded drip irrigation. So, we spent the entire year without any landscaping and we ended up with a proposal that was double the budget with less plants than we wanted. We chose not to go ahead with the proposal and were billed for the design (the cost listed here) that we paid immediately. Independently, in March 2014, we took her design to the nursery to purchase the plants. The majority of the plants listed in her original proposal were not to our taste and as it turns out they would not have lasted (according the the nursery) had we gone along with what was listed in the $16K+ project. So, we ended up choosing our own preferred plants, ordered our own planters and designed our own deck with beautiful results. The rough cost of all of this would be less than $2000. Therefore, in retrospect, I am quite disappointed with the services, and would not recommend this company to an individual client. It seems that if you are a builder or a big corporation, it would be worth the risk, but this particular vendor was a a waste of money for our needs.

We now have a lovely curved cobblestone walk from the street to our front door. It creates an attractive and inviting entrance. The neighbors were very impressed by the positive change in appearance. We did take proposals from three other companies, and found Carrie's design to be more in line with our ideas, her suggestions had good reasoning behind them, and she was very easy to work with. The price was in line with the other proposals. The job was done in a few days, just as described. We will work with them again, and highly recommend them.

We were happy with their service. They had great guidance and suggestions. They were good at delivering and following through with the project. They were very professional and did a great job.

They did a very good job. Our experience was very positive. We were so happy after the first job that we contacted them to do the second job. They were punctual and did what they said they would do. They were also very reliable.

It was probably reasonable; it was just more than I was willing to spend. I do not think that their bid was high. They were very nice, helpful, prompt and really good. They were polite. I do not need them right now, but I would call them again.