BL Landscapes was very responsive and did a great job. You can check out their work on Facebook as well.

$12K+ deposit, 17+ months, no project, no refund This was not a simple case of a delayed project. Our experience with BL Landscapes wasn't a case where we hired a contractor, changed our mind and walked away. Quite the opposite. We wanted our backyard landscaping project to happen. We liked the work we had seen on social media from BL Landscapes and relied on its positive local reputation and repeated "Best of Whidbey" recognition. We had high hopes for our own project and gave the owner Brian Linson an extraordinary amount of time and goodwill to make it happen over a year and a half. I would have much preferred to write a review about a beautiful completed landscape. Instead, we are left with no completed project and our deposit still not returned. My wife and I hired Brian in mid-February 2025 for a residential landscaping project and paid a 50% deposit of $12,769. We understood that quality work is not done overnight, and after serious consideration of our investment, we were prepared to wait our turn for a well-done yard-leveling, retaining wall, and deck project. At the time, we were told it would likely begin around August 2025. As August approached, came, and went, we began asking for an update. In October, Brian emailed that health issues had caused delays and communication problems. We understood that difficult circumstances can arise and were willing to be patient. He also gave us a written commitment that our project would be completed before mid-February 2026. That deadline passed without the project beginning. We continued trying to work with him rather than immediately cancelling, but received little communication and only vague assurances that the project would soon begin. Eventually, after asking him to give us a definite yes-or-no answer about whether he intended to proceed, he met with us at our home on May 4, 2026. He was upbeat, reviewed the project with us, confirmed that he intended to complete it, and told us he expected to start after two other projects, around mid-June. Again, the promised timeframe passed without work beginning. The previous pattern repeated with another extended period of radio silence. Calls, emails and messages requesting a start date went unanswered, apart from a June 25 text saying he would call us later that day. That call never came. By July, more than 17 months after signing the contract, no work had been performed and we still had no confirmed start date. We ultimately cancelled in writing on July 14 and requested the return of our deposit. We sent the cancellation by email and certified mail and later sent another copy by first-class mail. We again invited Brian to contact us if he wanted to discuss it. No response. No refund. We then filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB subsequently notified us that it had contacted BL Landscapes multiple times but received no response, and the complaint was closed as "No Response." This was especially disappointing. We never asked Brian to sacrifice the quality of the work or overcome circumstances beyond his control. We were willing to be patient because we believed the quality of the finished work would be worth the wait, and we understood that rigid deadlines can sometimes pressure contractors to rush and sacrifice quality. But patience has to have a reasonable limit. We simply needed straightforward communication about whether and when the project could realistically proceed. Bad news doesn't get better with age. What eventually became unacceptable was the combination of missed commitments, extended periods of silence, and the absence of a reliable plan, while our substantial deposit remained outstanding. Unfortunately, we later became aware of other publicly posted complaints involving similar concerns, although this review is based entirely on our own experience and the documented communications surrounding our own project. I hope it helps other homeowners understand that the quality of someone's finished work as seen online is only part of choosing a contractor. In hindsight, we would strongly recommend prospective customers discuss specific project milestones, scheduling expectations, cancellation terms and deposit/refund procedures before providing a large upfront deposit. Based on our experience, we cannot recommend BL Landscapes. read more

Bl Landscapes - 18 moths later, no project, no refund - Landscaping Near Me - Oak Harbor, Washington

The Whidbey community consistently praised BL Landscapes as the "best in town," which led me to reach out to Brian via Facebook Messenger on February 16th to inquire about a potential backyard project. He responded promptly, and within a few hours, we had scheduled an appointment for Friday, February 21st at 2:00 PM. On February 21st, my husband and I met with Brian to share our vision. He provided his professional insights and ideas and let us know he would follow up with a written bid. On the evening of February 23rd, we received the bid by email. We appreciated the quick turnaround and informed Brian that we were awaiting a few more bids before making a final decision. I also had a couple of follow-up questions, which he answered promptly: * How long will the project take?A project like this would typically take two weeks. * When can you start?I do not have an exact timeframe yet. Once we decide on materials and I place the orders, I can provide a start date. By March 18th, we decided to move forward with BL Landscapes. Brian shared links to various paver and retaining wall options, and on March 20th, I replied with our selections. On March 21st, we met Brian at Starbucks to provide a 50% deposit as requested. During this meeting, we asked if the project could be completed by Easter. Brian noted that he had a full schedule but some flexibility due to clients being away, indicating it might be possible, though he didn't commit to a definite yes or no. He also mentioned he would send additional wall suggestions over the weekend, despite us having already sent our choices the day before. On March 23rd, I emailed a few minor design changes, no response. By March 30th, still having received no follow-up regarding wall options, I emailed Brian again. He apologized, saying it had been a hectic weekend and that he would send the wall info "ASAP." No email arrived. On April 3rd, I followed up once more after noticing our deposit check had been cashed. I asked if that meant materials had been ordered, even though we hadn't yet received the promised follow-up. That evening, Brian replied stating that the funds were still on hold, but he intended to send material options over the weekend and apologized for the delay. Finally, on April 5th, he sent wall options, 2 weeks after he initially promised them. We responded immediately, confirming our choice and asked how long it would take to receive the materials. Brian replied, "I will contact my supplier Monday and get an answer for you." Monday came and went, again, no response. 11 days later, on April 16th, I followed up asking if materials had been ordered. I also expressed concerns about the project timeline and stated that if a May 1st start date was not feasible, we would prefer to cancel and receive a refund of our $13,000 deposit. No response. On April 21st, having gone over two weeks without communication, we sent an email requesting a full refund within 24 hours. Brian responded on April 22nd, citing illness as the reason for his lack of communication. He stated:"I understand that you are frustrated and looking to go in a different direction. I should've made it clearer during our initial discussions that we are booked out well over a year. I was willing to work your project in as fast as I could, but our schedule is not set in stone because we are 100% focused on quality..." He agreed to refund $10,000 immediately and the remaining $3,000 once he received a refund from the supplier, which he said would take "at least a few days." We were shocked by this response, as at no point were we informed that BL Landscapes was booked out a year in advance. Had this been made clear, we would not have moved forward with them. We responded and expressed our concerns. Brian delivered the $10,000 refund on April 25th. On May 2nd, 8 business days later, I followed up about the remaining $3,000 and requested proof of the refund transaction if there were further delays. Brian replied, stating that in 25 years, he had never had a client who was not 100% satisfied (of which is not true if you take a look on Yelp and Google reviews). He stated that manufacturer refunds take time (see April 21st for how long Brian said it would take) but promised to drop off the balance on Saturday, May 3rd. On May 4th, we received a message stating he was out of checks and would bring the refund on Monday, May 5th, which he did. If you've made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read our experience. I felt it was important to share this detailed timeline to help potential clients understand what they may encounter. While BL Landscapes has many glowing reviews, unfortunately, our experience did not align with them. Brian may categorize this as an "unfortunate miscommunication," but in truth, it was a lack of transparency and a failure to communicate effectively, two qualities that are critical when managing client relationships and running a business. read more

Terrible customer service. Brian bid my job for four months out. It took him a full year to start. He asked for half the cost up front for materials. He held $16,000.00 of mine for a year. Every time I contacted him to get my money back, he would string me along. Then I guess he wasn't getting my emails, so he says. He finally came to do the work. The work he did was quality. However, the job isn't complete. I have emailed him and texted him. I have received zero response from him. I know he will not be back to complete my job. read more