We met Susan from Creative Exteriors Landscape Design when we were enjoying the Walnut Creek Garden…read moreTour a few years ago. She was very friendly and engaging when we met her and we subsequently saw a few of the gardens she had designed while on the tour. When we finally made the decision to update our front and back yards from grass to drought tolerant plant, we met with Susan to discuss what we were looking for. I wanted to have a "desert-scape" look, with a gravel mulch or base, in the front yard and my wife, Mary, wanted a colorful backyard filled with all the color and all of the flowers that we could plant! We were also adding a large 15' x 20' covered patio area to our existing covered patio area and adding additional aggregate patio under the new covered area. We also wanted to add a circular brick patio and fire pit to the back yard in an area that was currently lawn. Susan definitely understood the assignment and went right to work! She took photos of the existing front and back yards and produced a beautiful plan that met both of our desires. We tweaked a few things along the way and Susan helped us make our dream backyard a reality. She recommended a couple of landscape companies to bid on the job and we chose, Steve Gardell of Gardelle Construction to do the job. They were great to work with. Their entire team was amazing! Susan remained in contact during the construction and actually was onsite the day that the plants were delivered to make sure they were placed correctly. When we had concerns a few weeks later about a few of the plant choices we had made, she cheerfully guided us in replacing three or four plants with new varieties that she and my wife picked out. It's been a few months now since everything was finished and we could not be happier! I'm attaching some before and after pics for your review. All of the pictures that have lawn/grass in them are the before picks. If you're contemplating a landscape project, we could not recommend Suan any higher. Please contact her. You will not be sorry!

Confessions of a design snob: those strong opinions extend to garden and landscape design. So, in…read more2005, when we had enough of the juniper and pyracantha dominating the landscape of the original ranch home we had purchased a few years earlier, we started searching for a landscape designer. Of course, landscape architects and designers abound in our neck of the woods. Most were uninspiring. Many offered a "signature" design that they rubber-stamped upon every garden. As if gardens can be purchased off-the-rack. I can't quite recall how we found Susan, but I am so glad we did! She was collaborative, listened carefully to the vision of my land plan, and introduced a sophisticated plant palette that not only worked with my preferences but also the unique conditions of our property. The plant palette flowered and peaked throughout the seasons, introducing visual variety all year long. She helped us select a landscape contractor, showed up at important milestones to ensure that our collective vision was implemented, and helped me spend our limited budget wisely (we acquired a few 15-gallon trees, splurged on key 5-gallon anchor shrubs and 1-gallons; but saved money by purchases dozens upon dozens of 4-inch plants that I installed myself ... after after work, in the dark, with a headlamp on). The prior property owners never installed drainage and therefore caused the soil to be a sodden, stinky, clay-ey mess devoid of nutrients. So the new plants took a few years to establish. Five years later, the garden was drop-dead gorgeous and extraordinary - not only to behold but to enjoy. More importantly, Susan and I had such a fantastic time working together that we've kept in touch for the past 14(!) years ... and adapted the garden (through "garden refreshes") as our needs changed. Our continued collaboration allowed us to enjoy the garden as it evolved from the pristine weekend destination of a gardening enthusiast to a relaxed outdoor space that accommodates family gatherings, a play structure, games, and soccer nets. I have and will continue to recommend Susan to any one who will listen!

We worked with Paul to get a new design and layout for our backyard after our previous…read moredesigner/contractor botched our project. Paul was able to talk through a few design options and was overall super easy to work with. He provided fair, detailed quotes despite us making multiple adjustments throughout the process. Due to Paul being busy with other projects, we weren't able to hire his team to complete our backyard project, but we were able to leverage his design suggestions. We hope to continue working with him on our next projects!

Quick response with quote. Work was completed in a timely manner. Prompt and flexible when…read moreadditional work was requested. They also left everything clean. Would use them again.

We worked with Vanessa Grimaldo on a renovation of our backyard in Berkeley. Vanessa and Black…read moreDiamond Paver Stones transformed our dilapidated, overgrown backyard by installing paver stones, synthetic grass, a proper drainage system, and a rebuilt staircase. The finished backyard looks excellent and the quality of the construction appears high. Vanessa specifically provided excellent, white-glove service throughout the entirety of the project and was super responsive to all of our communication. We did have a number of issues arise with the crew (mainly excessive dust seeping into our house and trash being left behind on the neighbor's property line), as well as the accounting department (an accidental attempt at overcharging us), but Vanessa always did an excellent job of troubleshooting these issues and helping to guide everybody towards a resolution. She also worked diligently on our backyard design and expertly guided us through several iterations and unexpected construction issues. I highly recommend working with Vanessa and Black Diamond Pavers.

We had an outstanding experience working with Nick Miller and the Black Diamond crew…read more They competitively bid a well designed curved driveway, with a stairway going down one side of the yard, and a pathway across the front of the house. Great design and installation of tasteful spotlights, mushroom lights, and some custom lights in the paver patterns. The Black Diamond team workers were fast, clean, organized, courteous, and their craftsmanship was excellent and the finished front of the house was a very custom and professional job. They were also flexible, which is probably most important. It now has a very modern, Tuscan look. What a transformation from cracked concrete! The neighbor dropped by, was amazed, and said: sign me up too! Definitely would recommend. It turned out better than we had imagined.

We purchased a home with a huge backyard and so much potential -- but it was completely overgrown,…read moreand it was hard to envision what could truly be done with the space. From the moment I reached out to Pat, we connected right away. He is incredibly knowledgeable about landscape design, layout, and all things plants. He really helped us see what was possible. Pat then introduced us to Ricardo, who is the expert in hardscape, mechanical work, and overall execution. Ricardo and his team worked tirelessly to demo our backyard. Once it was cleared, we finally saw how much usable space we truly had -- and we even uncovered a view! We were so pleased with the entire process -- from design to execution -- and absolutely love the end result. Working with Pat and Ricardo was seamless, professional, and collaborative. We're already looking forward to having them transform our front yard next. We highly recommend Universal Pavers for anyone looking to reimagine their outdoor space!

Pat and Ricardo helped us transform our yard from weeds and dirt to a fantastic garden with a play…read morearea for our daughter. The team demoed our weeds and added both irrigation and electrical for lighting in both the front and back yard. Pat is very knowledgeable of plants and helped us select plants for each section of our yard. Ricardo and his team were prompt each day and very efficient. Overall, we are very pleased with their work.

We had a great experience NAB Construction! Our pickleball court had broken concrete on one end,…read moreand was too short on the other. NAB removed all the bad concrete and replaced it with pavers, and on the other side of the court, they added 5 feet of concrete where we had lawn, as well as adding to our existing retaining wall. After the pavers were installed, I noticed something not to my preference with the paver layout. I contacted Nick, our site manager from NAB, and he was very responsive, and arranged for Nate (the company president) to come out right away and discuss the matter, which was resolved that same day to my complete satisfaction. Nick also was happy to arrange for a few other small tasks related to bricks and concrete on our property to be taken care of, and they were - at no added cost. NAB construction was not the lowest bid we got for this work, but I have learned the hard way that going with the lowest price is not always a great idea, and I am glad I went with NAB for this project. I'm very satisfied with the results of this project, and would not hesitate to recommend NAB construction to others.

We got a new driveway with pavers installed back in 2023. It turned out great and we enjoyed…read moreworking with the owner Nate. We wanted a walkway installed so we went back but this time we dealt with someone by the name of Nick Vard. He was very unprofessional and used the terms "outside the scope of work" and asked us to make a "commitment" several times. I went to Brickyard on a Saturday at 8AM per the direction of Nick but when I called him about our selection he never called me back. He blamed us and said they lost money on the job because it took longer than expected. He tried to convince me to use a brick I did not like. And the biggest disappointment was the drainage that they left unfinished. We spent almost $10k but we feel like the job is incomplete. Wish we could recommend them but if they continue working with Nick Vard you should stay away.

Alfredo and his team did a great job with our yard clean up. They were efficient and price was…read morecompetitive.

Alfredo and his team have been reliable and have kept our lawn and garden clean and well manicured…read more We previously rented and had other people who "mow and blow" . But Alfredo's team takes it a step further. Our front yard has many trees, bushes, and plants which Alfredo properly takes care and trims them with care. Many of our friends let us know how beautiful our yard looks and have asked for referrals. Pricing wise, Alfredo is fair and reasonable. Monthly we use them for our regular maintenance and add on additional projects including sprinkler upkeep and fire reduction. Overall, We recommend Alfredo and will continue to use him and his crew.

Full disclosure, I never received their services, but I had a very good experience in getting a…read morequote. I met Pat within a short window of contacting them. He was very pleasant, and was very knowledgeable about what solutions I needed in the backyard space I was asking a quote for. Ultimately, the reason I didn't sign a contract was because I found a competitor with a slightly lower cost. The difference might have been about 2-5%. I would highly recommend at the very least to meet with them if you have need for landscaping work.

Houses in my neighborhood started to replace their 20+ year old fences so a few of my neighbors and…read moreI decided to do the same. I saw the work that Francisco and his crew had done on several houses in my community so had him come out for a quote as those neighbors gave him great reviews. Not only was the quote he gave me and my neighbors very reasonable, the work was done very timely and efficiently. He and his employees are incredibly hard-working and did an amazing job. Would highly recommend them!