I did not have a pleasant experience. Neighbors walk by and comment, "The yard looks beautiful. The…read morecontractor did a good job." I am writing this review because the casual observer does not know the struggle. The people who stop and ask for my thoughts, I respond by saying on a scale with craftsmen on one end and laborer on the other, I rate them closer to the laborer end. The contractor said he has in-house 3 teams. I got the C team. Their inexperience showed. I understand the best way to gain experience is to be hands on. But to learn, supervision and mentoring are needed. The supervision was very minimal. The owners were not on site daily. When they did appear, it was mainly to deliver supplies, take away debris, or pickup equipment. Not my job, but I assumed the role of Onsite Superintendent and Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC). If I had not, I am not sure what the project would have ended up looking like. To their credit, if something needed to be corrected or changed, they did it with no resistance. Their motto is "what makes you happy." I say their motto is "we do it nice because we do it twice." Progress was slow. The contract was signed at the beginning of December, and it was completed at the end of March. I was told at the time of the initial site visit it would take 2 weeks to complete. After the contract was signed, there was no communication for over a month. I was left in limbo wondering on the start date. Would it be before Christmas? After Christmas? Before the New Year? After New Year? Start was not until mid-January. There were many days where no work was being done. In my opinion, a month's delay could be attributed to the holidays and weather. Overall, communication was poor during construction. Days and weeks would go by with no update leaving me to wonder if they were even coming back. In the beginning, communication was adequate. But as time went by, it felt like my project was no longer a priority. To date, I have not heard from them. There has been no project completion follow up. Examples of my frustration: Gutter Downspout - They attached an underground drainage pipe to the end without cutting the angled outlet off. This made the pipe protrude out to such a degree it was a trip hazard. I brought this to the contractor's attention, and he agreed. He even provided me with a picture on his phone saying, "this is how it should be done." The sad part was the job he showed me was also performed by the same work crew on my project. They should have known better. They corrected the error with a fitting I provided, but it was sloppy work. The fitting was not straight and too low to the ground. I ended up redoing it. I connected a 2nd downspout to save myself from further disappointment. This would be a common theme during the project, doing things myself. My neighbors would see me in the yard and ask, "isn't the contractor supposed to do that?" Front Entrance Joint Sanding - The front entrance originally consisted of a concrete pad. Instead of removing the concrete pad, they laid the pavers directly on top. Ever seen a vibrator vibrating pavers laid directly on concrete? It is not a pretty sight. Those pavers were jumping! Many pavers were damaged. I was so shocked and angry; I had to lock myself in the house after witnessing the carnage. What really made me mad was prior to this incident, I spent time replacing chipped pavers they had laid with nicer looking ones. But in short order, all that was undone. They fixed the damage, but the replacement pavers they used were the ones I had previously rejected. Later, I went back through the unused pavers to pick the better-looking ones, and had the contractor redo it. Side Gate and Gravel Path - Last day of work, what could go wrong? Well, they removed and repositioned my side gate. When I realized what they were doing, I was LIVID. It was unnecessary. They should have removed the earth a few inches and backfilled with gravel to the former finished elevation. But no, they placed the gravel on top of the existing ground and decided to move the gate higher to clear the gravel path. When the weather moved in during the night, I could hear the gate banging from my bedroom. In the morning, I inspected their work. A snapped bolt, improperly installed latch, and a damaged gate stop. Once again, it is up to me to remedy their poor workmanship. To top it off, they used my neighbor's yard to store their materials. These are just some of the struggles I encountered. Did I mention the multiple times they had to pull up and put down pavers at one section? I lost count after 4 times. Plenty more follies occurred. There were many smaller issues. All those small issues add up and become a pattern of ineptitude. To end this review, let me say my dream was to step out my front door, look out at my front yard, and experience joy and happiness. Instead, what I feel is disappointment and anger.

Prem and Kevin did an outstanding job with our front yard driveway. It was a complex project…read morebecause of a steep slope. We tried to do a paper design but then decided to go with the project as it develops real time. We are so happy with the way Prem did the lights and landscaping. Setting up fountain on a steep slope is an engineering marvel and it looks amazing. Prem accommodated our constant incoming requests and provided good value for money. The work spanned more than two months and his crew were there even on Saturdays and days when it was above 100 F super hot days. There was a high degree of planning, coordination and aesthetics involved. Highly recommend them for any paving and landscaping needs as they have skilled staff who works tirelessly.

Laurencio and his team did an amazing job installing a French Drain. From start to finish…read moreeverything went so smooth. They even provided matching rock and plants to replace the old ones. These guys are awesome! Ian G

Laurencio responded almost immediately when I posted the project to yelp. He came around the next…read moreday to review the work and gave me a rough quote. We received pricing from five different companies. His price was competitive, and I told him we were awarding the work to him. He came around to do a final review and my only negative was that he said the price had to go up by $200 due to the increase in concrete pricing since the time of his original quote 3 weeks earlier. The work he did was fantastic, and the color match of the concrete to our original driveway was great. He also did the line etching in the concrete to match the pattern in the surrounding areas and it was a perfect job.

I have worked with Darrick for a few years. While the service he initially implemented was good and…read moremet general expectations, I feel a lot of confusion and frustration regarding his communication style. This is not a one-time issue; throughout our interaction over the past few years, there has been a recurring pattern of him agreeing to a specific day or time to come by and then simply not showing up. This has happened quite a few times, with the most recent experience being the final straw. I first reached out in September 2025 regarding a sprinkler issue. After a no-show then, I followed up again in March 2026. Once again, he confirmed a timeframe to swing by, but never arrived and provided no follow-up to explain why. I have attached two snips of our message history here for reference. I have always tried to be patient, flexible, and polite, even offering additional fees to ensure his time was covered. If a professional finds a request unreasonable or is too busy, it is much better to simply say so. Instead, being 'ghosted' repeatedly makes it very difficult to plan or maintain a property. While I appreciate the work he has done in the past, the lack of reliability makes it hard to continue with his services.

We had a negative experience working with this company. Our paver patio is only a year old and it…read moreis falling apart. Our paver installation was a very choppy job where just after a few months our pavers turned dry, cracked, and shifted in many areas. We think that they were installed unevenly and without the proper support for the base. He has come back a few times to do "repairs" but the problem is the same.. the pavers keep cracking and shifting. When it rains our patio collects a bunch of puddles because it wasn't installed at a proper angle for drainage and so many of the middle pavers have sunk. Originally Darrick had said that he "wanted to make it right" and fix the patio but it takes him months to be available to come fix even the smallest things. Darrick also installed fresh sod with sprinklers but 3 of the corners have continued to die despite having even water coverage (per Darirck). Overall our lawn has grown very unevenly and it is very lumpy. It also has many different shades of green and different areas grow faster than others. He continuously blames the issues on my dogs urine and that we don't water it enough but the dog never goes on the corners where the grass keeps dying and we always water it based on his recommendations. We have been waiting for the second time since July and it is now the end of December and he has still not fixed it. Additionally, he will also leave his trash and supplies out in our yard for months at a time. Darrick is incredibly unprofessional because an honest contractor will come address the problems in a timely manner. He will not reply or make the proper repairs.

If you are looking to start a backyard project, look no further than Better Landscape. This is a…read morewonderful family business led by Cecilia and Steve, and we couldn't be happier with the incredible outdoor living space they created for us. My wife and I joke that they should change their name to BEST Landscape. From the very beginning, Cecilia and Steve were incredibly friendly and patient as we developed our backyard design. We never once felt pressured; they completely avoided upselling and instead provided us with plenty of fantastic options to fit different budget ranges. Even when we requested late changes to the plan, they were always accommodating and happy to pivot. The execution was just as impressive as the planning. Their crew was exceptionally reliable--always arriving on time Monday through Saturday, and sometimes even putting in hours on Sundays to keep things moving. You can genuinely tell they take pride in the quality of their work. Every single detail, from the flawless concrete countertops and tile work in our new outdoor kitchen to the modern paver walkways, fire pit, and turf, was executed perfectly. Beyond their craftsmanship, they were incredibly respectful of our home. The crew made sure to completely clean up after themselves at the end of every single workday. The entire project was truly a joy to work on with them. Thank you, Cecilia, Steve, and the entire Better Landscape team! I highly recommend them to anyone looking to transform their yard.

Outstanding landscape contractor. Just completed a major backyard renovation. Steve and his crews…read morewere awesome from day one through completion weeks later. The entire project, which involved demolition of an old brick patio and overgrown planting, addition of new paver patio, retaining wall, water feature, cut stone path, lighting and of course new planting, was all ON budget and ON time. Daily check-ins and great advice was provided along the way. Highly recommend.

Once again, Paul and his men repaired cement steps at my apartment complex in Sunnyvale…read more This was the second time I used Paul. In 2009 he repaired steps on another staircase and they are still solid and still holding up! As always, he responded to my concern quickly, gave me a quote, detailed contract, and always kept me updated with the progress. He took pictures of the finished work as well. Thank you Paul and his men!

Paul and his team did an excellent job completely transforming our front and backyard, including…read moreinstalling pavers, pouring concrete, and laying a new sod lawn. Communication was transparent and clear throughout the entire project. The team was highly professional, brought extensive industry experience, and provided helpful recommendations based on best practices. They completed the project on time and paid close attention to every detail. We are extremely happy with the final result and highly recommend Paul and his team!

My backyard makeover has just been completed! I contacted…read moreApolo via Yelp and he was one of the fastest people to respond with the specific opening he had for me to choose. He came the same day and gave me a very reasonable estimate. I had another contractor that was scheduled for the following week, but I decided to go with Apolo. What I liked the most about Apollo are: 1. Clear communication: the complete scope of the work, project start time 2. Quality of work* I am happy with what I see with my new backyard. 3. Price: I had a few different estimates from different contractors. The range is not huge but there are differences. Apollo finished the project in three days (2 and half days). I recommend him for your landscaping projects and I will definitely contact him again for future projects I may need his service.

It seems like people either have a great or terrible experience with Apolo. Working with him was…read morevery stressful for me. For a job that would normally take 6 weeks, it ended up taking more than 6 months to finish. Not only did he not know how to do many aspects of the job, I had to constantly remind him of everything. He also tried to hide things from me or plainly lie to me. On the very first day of the job, he told me that there was a lot of traffic on US101 and he could not make it. Indeed, there was a bad accident there. Most people work a partial day when they hit bad traffic, but I said he can start the next day. On the second day of the job, he came to demolish my existing yard. I specifically told him to keep one tree at the center of my yard, and an hour later, his guys chopped it off. Rather than being upfront with me about it, *I* had to confront him about it. He apologized, and I said okay. I showed Apolo that I have a major gas line running through my yard and asked him to be VERY careful to not hit my gas line, and guess what, one of his guys specifically dug in that area and hit my gas line! *face palm* [1 star off] At this point, it was clear to me that he cannot keep a competent crew and the transient guys he hires do not care one bit about my yard, or their safety apparently. I talked to Apolo about my expectations if he were to continue to work for me, and he reassured me that he will improve. I told Apolo that the decking board we needed must be ordered right away because of COVID supply chain issues. He told me he did, but when I looked at his order date, it was not ordered until months later. At that point, the price also went up. (Hey, it's not my fault. If he ordered early like I told him, this would not have been a problem.) This oversight added several extra months to our project. [1 star off] When Apolo started building my deck, he looked confused. At first, he told me his decking guy quit so no one can work. I told him I will hire someone else, but he insisted on the job. After a few weeks, he hired someone from Craigslist. Okay, so build me a deck. It was still not built. I kept telling him I will hire someone else, but he kept on insisting he will do it (probably because he already paid for the higher priced decking boards). He actually then had to consult someone else about building the deck. After multiple re-sawing and re-anchoring, his crew pieced together something that resembled a deck. However, I noticed that the wrong edge pieces were used. I confronted him about it, and at first he said "I noticed that too" and then he said "Home Depot broke it when I picked it up, so I put another board there, but Home Depot said they will replace it." Which one is it -- that his guys installed the wrong pieces by mistake or Home Depot broke it when he picked it up? I looked at his replacement order, and it was a new order dated *after* I had confronted him, not a replacement order. [1 star off] Furthermore, Apolo was supposed to pave bluestone for me. The bluestones are manufactured square or rectangular in shape, but for some reason, his guys kept re-sawing them and I ended up with various tiny pieces...not the clean-cut pattern I instructed at all. He blamed the bluestones for not being perfect squares or rectangles. Regarding a new irrigation system, I made it very clear initially that my neighborhood has low water pressure, and he needs to design many more stations than normal. After he put in the irrigation system, he realized my water pressure was too low (I already said this at the very beginning!), and had to re-do some lines to add another station, charging me more money. [1 star off] Lastly, I told him I wanted certain fruit trees planted, one of which is an old-fashioned lemon tree. He plants me a sweet Meyer lemon tree with diseased leaves. I told him I wanted a healthy, regular, old-fashioned, tart Eureka lemon tree. He gave me a convoluted story about how a nursery in L.A. carries it, but there is a minimum order to ship it, and he has to pair it with some other order to make it worthwhile. After listening to that story, I went to a nursery 5 minutes from my house and bought an Eureka lemon tree and planted it myself. Toward the end of 6 months, there were still parts of the job that were unfinished, but Apolo was reluctant to return to finish things up. He even argued with me about how he did not want to pay for another lawn edge piece for $70 or a decking screw for $5. I paid him tens of thousands of dollars by the way. Anyway, I just did not want to work with him anymore. It was faster if I did things myself. I still gave him a generous final payment more than what I should have, because I wanted to part on amicable terms. This is not a 0-star review because the shrubs he planted at the back of my yard look quite nice. That is the only part of the job that went right.

My sidewalk repair was a small job and it seemed that no one wanted to bother with it, but Luis…read moreresponded quickly, fit me in his schedule, did professional work, and helped me meet my homeowner's insurance deadline. I'm very grateful that he understood how important it was to get this work done on time and I appreciate his extra effort. Thank you, Luis!

Black Stone Paving; Luis Santoyo & his team did an exceptional job for us. Our asphalt driveway…read moreneeded to be resealed. We had one area that we knew needed repair as it was near our foundation, and a few others we were concerned about. We were late in addressing this; the weather for resealing not being optimal, yet we were concerned about letting it go until after the winter rains. We got two bids, from Black Stone and another highly recommended contractor. What set Luis apart - he worked with us to get the essential repair work done before the rains; delaying the full resealing until later, when the weather was better to do so. ensuring a better result. He went 'above and beyond' in helping us He exceeded our expectations. Did an amazing job! Was meticulous in the prep work, and the finish. I'm writing this review a year later and we still notice and appreciate the quality of the work he and his team did.

Best of the best paver people. Quality of work, communication, and materials were all top notch…read more The work done was comparable in price to what concrete installers were asking, but what | got was far more visually attractive, long lasting, and rain-friendly than concrete. I highly recommend Bob at Pavers By Design!

It's been almost a year since we contracted Pavers By Design to pave our driveway. The driveway…read morestill looks great! Bob has excellent communication; he responded in a timely manner and kept us informed at each stage of the process. He understood our issue with water drainage and ensured the driveway was sloped in a way to eliminate huge puddles we used to have. Bob's team worked very hard and I appreciate their attention to detail. Thank you, Pavers By Design and Bob!