My husband and I were looking to have a retaining wall added to our property so we could expand our…read morebackyard. Since we had a slope we needed the wall installed and then to have some old concrete removed and a good amount of new concrete poured. Rick went over our options and cost, and we decided on the route to go with. My neighbors highly recommended Rick and his team for the job. Communication and scheduling was very easy. Pricing was extremely reasonable, especially when you consider you have the best team for the job. They handled the permit with the city and kept me updated as the work was being completed. Everything looks beautiful and we are extremely happy with how this project turned out. Zero issues or hiccups, just an amazing team of professionals getting a job done perfectly and quick.

Richard and his team were beyond professional and friendly - a true family business that operates…read morewith integrity, transparency and care. We felt listened to and involved throughout the process and knew we were in good hands. They made suggestions we wouldn't have even thought of and helped us make decisions based on their experience and the unique needs and wants of our project. Could not be happier with the work they did in our front and backyard

This was my very first time hiring anybody to do any sort of landscaping work. I was ignorant going…read moreinto it so I had to lean heavily into the landscapers expertise on what would be best for what I wanted to achieve. After getting a few quotes, I chose Lee's Concrete because he impressed me the most with the ideas he presented, not being pushy or sales-y, while also staying competitive price wise. He is also officially licensed for concrete. The project started around May 2025, and completed towards the end of July 2025. It consisted of concrete pouring, artificial turf installation, irrigation routing and laying out gravel/river rocks in planting areas. Also, a 2D layout diagram was provided for me to submit to HOA for approval. Below is a list of critiques ranked starting with my biggest letdowns: #1) WEEDS. Not via the concrete, but the artificial turf that was laid out. Lee offered artificial turf installs during my contractor search. My main reason for getting artificial turf was to have little-to-no maintenance. But, mines constantly has weeds growing out of the edges due the gap in the ends not being sealed. My next door neighbor had artificial turf installed by another landscaper and never has any weeds growing out of the edges ever. They had theirs installed after mine. Maybe it was my fault for not communicating that need initially. But at the same time, I thought having artificial turf laid out and it preventing weed growth on the edges would be a given. #2) Blotchy concrete coloring on front yard. My backyard's concrete coloring was pretty consistent and I was very happy with how it turned out. But my front yard was very blotchy and inconsistent. I was told that this is normal and will take about a year to cure and to give it time. Another reason was for differing "pH levels" for the area where the concrete was laid. Well... a year has passed and it has kind of improved here and there, but not so much in other parts. So, I'm a little hesitant to believe it that is actually the reason. It doesn't make sense to me that all the concrete laid out in my entire neighborhood doesn't look as bad as how it looks on my driveway. Structurally, it's fine. But it is a bit of an eye-sore looking at it every time I'm in my front yard. #3) I felt like I spent more time than I needed to checking for imperfections. A main one was my vinyl fence and cinder block wall getting dirty from the concrete pours. Another big one was the cinder block retaining wall in my backyard not being symmetrical on the edges. I had to call it out a few times to even get it fixed. Once it was finally fixed, my vinyl fence had residue from the cinderblock wall fix. By that time, I had gotten fatigue from having to constantly call out imperfections and let that one go. #4) You don't really know when the landscapers will come out to do the work. If I remember correctly, they would come out most weekdays. But, you wouldn't know if they would show up the next day or not. Not too big of a deal honestly. I'm more picky about this because I like to keep the side gate to my backyard locked and not knowing when to unlock it in the morning was just a tiny annoyance. I ended up just unlocking it first thing in the morning and locking it in the evening every weekday. Overall, I'd rate the project a 3 or 3.5 out of 5 - which I think is a very fair assessment. I'm relatively happy how it looks at the end. But there were a few bumps along the way which is why I cannot give a 5 out of 5. It pains me to write the above critiques and not be able to give the highest rating because Lee and the rest of his team were all very nice people. But there definitely could've have been improvements for the entire project.

Opened a project to get quotes for concrete work at my home and scheduled an appointment with Lee…read moreso he could take measurements and discuss the details for the estimate. The appointment was set for today from 10:00-11:00 AM. At 11:21 AM, I received a text saying he couldn't make it. We had already adjusted our original 12:00-2:00 PM appointment to accommodate your request to move it earlier after you reached out yesterday. This is not a great first impression, and the communication has been less than ideal. We set aside time from our workday to be available during the agreed appointment window. I understand schedules can get busy, but so do your clients'.

This company is very fast and JC always maintained strong communication. There were some minor…read moredisappointments, but overall we were happy with the work that was done. My wife and I have a new-build that required additional landscaping of our backyard. We eventually decided to go with California Outdoor Living after reading all their positive reviews on yelp. In addition their quote was very competitive if not the best when looking at other contractors. We already had a design in mind for JC which made the process very quick. Although there was some misunderstanding with the design and drains throughout the process, JC was always responsive with his texts and quick to make adjustments. The moment we got our design approved by our HOA, the construction happened VERY FAST. We emailed California Outdoor living on a Wednesday evening of our approval. The very next day (Thursday), JC arrived to go over the outline. I do appreciate how fast things were done, but it was almost to a fault at times. They were ready to go by the next day but my wife and I didn't feel like we had discussed the plan and execution thoroughly enough. On Friday the construction workers were already digging out our backyard. They spoke only Spanish so communication was very difficult to ensure if our plan was executed appropriately. By Saturday all of the pavers were laid out. Construction was incredibly fast but because of that some details were lost in translation. We discussed with JC that we wanted an 11x14 ft paver island. However the final dimensions was 12.5 x 12.5 feet. We also wanted all the walls of our backyard to be lined with turf. However the paver border ran too close to one of the walls, that putting turf did not make sense. They only left 1 inch between the wall and the paver (see attached image). We appreciate how fast the work was done. The overall work was great BUT not exactly what we wanted. We felt rushed with the whole construction process. However everything was done in less than a week which was incredible! In addition, once the turf was laid out JC noted that window reflections from both our neighbors and our own windows would cause damage to the turf. He informed us this can happen sometimes. Going back to rushing things and not being thorough, we wished JC took the time to look at our backyard and factor in this possibility. If we had known the reflections could damage this area we would have changed our turf design. At the end of the day they are just executing our design, but it's these minor things that left us feeling like our backyard could have been better. However we are still very thrilled with the overall speed and communication done throughout the process! Would still recommend this company. But these small critiques are definitely something to keep in mind for future clients.

I would not recommend this company. Their lack of attention to detail made the entire experience…read moreunpleasant. The drainage tube was installed with the slope going the wrong direction, and the walls were not properly covered before the concrete was poured, leaving concrete splatter all over the side walls. The concrete also cracked less than three days after it was poured. It was poured on Monday morning, and on Wednesday the artificial turf guy was using a large plate compactor right next to the two-day-old concrete. I believe the vibration from that equipment contributed to the cracking. When I spoke with JC about the issue, he told me that concrete will crack sooner or later and that is why they do not warranty cracks. Concrete was poured directly on top of the soil, no gravel was brought first. While I understand that concrete can crack over time, I did not expect it to crack before I had even made my final payment. Despite my disappointment, I paid the remaining balance. After that, I never received any follow-up confirmation that the payment was received , or even a simple thank you.

If you're looking for a concrete contractor to knock out a job, you won't find a better crew than…read moreKevin Johnson and his team. This maybe a long read but it's 100% non-solicited review of a fantastic contractor. I recently was introduced to Big Johnson's Concrete and Pumping through my pool contractor. We needed to get our driveway replaced. Kevin came in and bid the job and provided a very reasonable and respectable quote which included the driveway approach/apron. In my city, public works scrutinizes the contractors for approach work thankfully. The other competing contractors on my job would not take not the approach work for either not possessing the proper bond or expertise. Kevin worked with the city and our HOA to get on board. The work came out so well the Public Works department provides Big Johnson's as a referral for other residents looking to pull an approach permit/plan. The driveway worked out so well I contacted Kevin two months later to tackle the hardscape work for my front yard landscape/hardscape project. He just finished up a fantastic wash finish expanded front porch and walkways. I couldn't be happier. His crew is fast and work well together. The guys putting down the forms know what they're doing getting proper grades and pitches set for water sheeting. The finishers are top notch and have a great attention to detail. All led by Kevin who is in the trenches with his team getting dirty. He leaves your property clean even picking up every nail he pulls from forms when breaking down. He always answers the phone when I've called with questions or asking for clarification and asked me to reach out now after the job anytime should I need help or questions about his work. Trust me, if you need a honest and hardworking team for any size concrete job; Kevin is the perfect choice.

Big John's Concrete absolutely crushed it. From the first call to the final pour, everything was…read moresmooth, professional, and on point. The crew showed up on time, knew exactly what they were doing, and paid attention to the details that most companies overlook. The quality of the work speaks for itself -- clean finish, solid craftsmanship, and everything done right the first time. They kept the job site organized and made sure everything was done exactly how I wanted it. Great value as well! If you're looking for reliable, honest, and high-quality concrete work, Big John's Concrete is the move. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

I would not recommend Groundworks for foundation drainage work. I hired Groundworks in the bay…read morearea, California. When I agreed to finance this 15k job, I was told the drainage from the crawl space sump pump would and could be connected to the main, but when the crew arrived they were not sure where the drain exit should go and said the city of Santa Cruz doesn't allow them to connect and they could not get a permit. Why was I not told this prior to scheduling the work? I made the mistake of trying to figure out the discharge area with the workers who showed up. They asked me where I want the discharge pipes, but I am not qualified to make that decision. That is why I hired them. The workers were nice and tried to be helpful and this is not a complaint about them. I called the representative who originally came out, inspected, and estimated the job, which included connection to main, and that is when he told me that he could not get permits from Santa Cruz county. This is when I should have cancelled the job. The completed job by Groundworks has discharge pvc lines on the side of the house and terminating at the front right corner of the house and I have to figure out how and where to drain all of the water! I thought that was the point of hiring an expert drainage company. After work was completed and after first rain of season, I get flooding in my garage on two separate occasions. I spend the day clearing everything out and drying the garage out. I call and a technician comes out to inspect a day later and tells me that the sump pump under the master bedroom was installed backwards and wasn't working. Groundworks installed two new pumps as part of the drainage plan. Mistakes can be made, sure, but I would think for such a pricey job they would have it inspected prior to signing it off. Now that the second pump is up and running, it is so loud that it is difficult to sleep at night, but at least my garage isn't flooding. The noise disturbance now is unsustainable. Now, after groundworks installed this drainage system, if that second sump pump is not on, the garage will flood. Prior, I had one old sump pump under the kitchen and never had this flooding issue. I don't know why, but now my garage floods. Follow up was horrible. The supervisor Wyatt never got back to me when he said he would about the concerns I had and how to resolve them. Initially, Wyatt asked how they could make me feel better. I asked for a discount because at the time I thought the flooding was resolved, but I was put off for over a month and in that time realized it is not exactly clear why the garage floods. My concern is the flooding issue and not the discount, but no follow up to discuss. The General Manager did not call me or reach out as Wyatt said he would refer me to the GM. I had to make contact many times for any reply. At this point I am told by Wyatt that the GM wants receipts of the damage to my garage. I don't have receipts for me clearing out my garage to the driveway and drying out the garage. I called you all when it happened and you sent a technician the following day who told me it was i stalled backwards. A month later after waiting with no return call, I had to call again and was told they came out and fixed it already and would I like it to be inspected again. At this point, by whom? Can I trust this company to tell me what is actually going on? They don't even call me back. Why is the garage flooding now if it doesn't have two sump pumps running when it only had one prior? This treatment feels horrible. I am not out looking for something for free and a discount. I am looking to protect my home from water damage and that is not happening This was a 15k job and I now have to hire another company that can actually tell me why my garage floods. This is not ok. After I seek assessment elsewhere and get a good idea of what is actually going on with the drainage system that was installed, I will be following up with Groundworks. This is a company that stands behind putting out this quality of work and charging for it. 100% disappointed. This situation was improperly handled in many ways. Communication nonexistent.

I needed a proactive estimate to check the foundation leveling of the home along with repairing…read morelight cement cracks. Shane was the estimator and he did a great job in assessing the site, providing recommendations, educating me on how it all works, and best of all -- adapting to baby quiet hours in the home. I look forward to working with Groundworks in the near future (and will provide a more updated review then)!

I couldn't be happier with the work Jesse did on my wall. From start to finish, the entire…read moreexperience was professional, organized, and stress-free. His communication was excellent throughout the project, he always kept me informed, showed up when he said he would, and answered every question I had. The quality of his workmanship exceeded my expectations, and the finished wall looks fantastic. On top of that, his pricing was very fair and reasonable for the quality of work he delivered. If you're looking for someone who is honest, dependable, and takes pride in their work, I highly recommend Jesse. It's hard to find contractors who combine great communication, fair pricing, and outstanding craftsmanship, but Jesse definitely does. I would not hesitate to hire him again for future projects. Five stars!

Jesse was super responsive. He showed up on-time with his team, completed the work as requested,…read moreand left the job site clean. I don't have a lot of time, so working with Jesse was easy and hands off. I told him what I needed (repointing the foundation of my entire home and some concrete work). He gave me fair an estimate and I knew he wasn't trying to price gouge me. He and his team completed it in a day. I no longer have to worry about rodents finding their way under my house. I would totally use his services again and would recommend him to anyone who needs masonry work.

I have only good words for JR Concrete and Masonry. Juan delivered more than he promised. He…read morefinished the job in a timely manner. Very honest and respectful and did an excellent job. We renovated our tennis academy's tennis courts. From demolition to rebar to concrete, he and his crew did an excellent job. They even worked on the weekend as they know we had a timeline to beat. Not to mention the reasonable price he quoted us. Just good words for this company. Highly recommend him.

All I have to say is that the work done is beautiful and done fast! Juan was very professional and…read moreon point. The workers were very good! Despite the heat, the work was done perfect. I highly recommend Juan and his company. 5+stars in my book! I will for sure use him again for future projects

EDIT: Company did reach out to rectify the situation and I am satisfied with the final result now…read more I appreciate the effort made. Very easy to work with but I made it clear prior to starting the job that the new pilar needed to match due to HOA. We knew it wouldn't match 100% but this is clearly a different color. I messaged to see if there was anything to be done, he pushed back that it met HOA requirements and then tried to charge for another $300to have it stained.

Tony was amazing. Super professional, easy to work with. They were fast and very affordable. My…read moreconcrete came out great. Would highly recommend.