A Cautionary Review of Land Designs by Colton Our Experience…read moreand Lessons Learned Initially, our experience with Land Designs by Colton seemed promising. The project kicked off smoothly, and we had high expectations based on their assurances and professionalism during the early stages. However, as the work progressed, significant issues began to arise, tarnishing our trust and satisfaction with the company. And then they ghosted us. The Tree Planting Disaster One of the first major problems we encountered was with the landscaping aspect--specifically the planting of trees. Out of the nine trees planted, six died within a relatively short time frame. We had been informed that these trees were under warranty for a year, which gave us some initial reassurance. Unfortunately, when we sought replacements for the dead trees under this warranty, the company did not honor their commitment. This was deeply frustrating and marked the beginning of a series of disappointments in dealing with Land Designs by Colton. Contract Issues Another frustration arose when we attempted to obtain a copy of our contract. We had initially accessed the agreement through Google Docs, but it was mysteriously deleted. When we reached out to Land Designs by Colton for a copy, they claimed they could no longer provide it due to changes in their system following an update. This lack of accountability and transparency added to our growing unease with the company. The Deck Extension Debacle The most costly and distressing issue was related to a deck extension they built for us. After the work was completed, we discovered that the extension had not been permitted--they assured us that this was not necessary. As we began the process of obtaining necessary permits, we learned that the construction itself was not done to code. Specific deficiencies included: * Footings that were not deep enough * Railing spindles with uneven spacing * Stairs that failed to meet code requirements These violations have forced us to reconstruct the deck to meet code standards, incurring additional expenses totaling thousands of dollars. In essence, the deck project has doubled in cost due to their negligence. This has been an incredibly stressful ordeal, both financially and emotionally. Conclusion Our experience with Land Designs by Colton has been nothing short of disastrous. What began as a promising relationship quickly deteriorated due to unfulfilled warranties, lack of transparency regarding contracts, and substandard construction practices that led to code violations. We hope our story serves as a warning to others considering working with this company. Proceed with caution and ensure that every aspect of the contract and work is meticulously monitored to avoid similar hardships. Beware of Land Designs by Colton. What seems fine at the start may end up costing you dearly in the end.

Jonathan is among the most unprofessional vendors I have ever come across…read more For background: I hired him to work on my front lawn, and warned him I'd need him to be flexible as I was also getting a fence installed. I paid him half up front and he did some work. When I needed him to return to finish the lawn after the fence was installed, he strung me along on a finish date for months. I tried to press him to finish the job, and he got nasty. I'd often get trapped in circular conversations with his assistant, who hides behind legalese language, while Jonathan's correspondence was filled with condescension, personal attacks, and threats. (As an example: See below his assistant's response as evidence of the kind of legal speak they use, and how they twist it around in their favor. Pegging blame on the customer without accepting responsibility for their own awful service.) And they're thugs. I had to file a police report after he and his workers broke into our backyard _and garage_ to reclaim what he says are his materials. Some $10 pipes. This is something they'll point to in the contract as a thing he has a right to do. Upon terminating his contract for stringing me along, severe unprofessional behavior, and even violating our safety and security, he charged a termination fee. This would be laughable if it weren't so vindictive. Despite it all, I did pay him whatever ridiculous invoice he'd excuse with his contract in order to get rid of all the vitriol he was turning my way. So... Be wary of his, and his assistant's, predatory contract which they rely on to get away with crappy service. You'll know he deems your project to not be lucrative for him, when he gives you side comments about him "doing you a favor." He lacks follow through to complete a job unless it's on his terms, and he lacks professionalism in dealing with client requests. He gets nasty and personal if you get on his bad side. He loves to tout his educational background, as if to reassure you he's somehow different or that you'd be getting excellent service. Don't fall for it. There are plenty of other contractors in the Denver area who do amazing work in a timely fashion without all the drama. Save yourselves the headache.

Jacob created a great looking design for us, he was able to help with a variety of revisions we…read moreasked for.

We recently committed to a new front and back yard with brand new hardscaping and Jacob provided us…read morewith an amazing design that we are in love with! Our design wanted a new covered patio, fire pit, shed pad with side walkway, and of course tons of native plants with some xeriscaping included. A pollinator area was included with several edible plants, and we couldn't be happier with the design.

He came and saw my backyard for replacing lawn. We agreed on price and he said he will do the job…read moreon Saturday. I ordered the lawn for him to pickup and every thing was set. And on Saturday he did not show up. He does jot answer phone or text and I and I'm losing the season to do my lawn. No accountability!

I needed a yard cleanup, and they responded to me on Yelp immediately, offered a very fair price,…read moreand came the same day to provide the service. Highly recommend.

If you are debating working with a landscape architect to draft plans or jump straight into a yard…read morerenovation, I highly recommend getting plans done! Having a detailed set of plans makes sure you can get like-bids from different contractors and compare them -- otherwise you are really comparing apples to oranges. Is the cheaper bid really cheaper, or is it not as thorough? Even though getting plans is an additional step and cost, it can save you so much in the end, ensure you get exactly what you want done, and allows you to phase in your project while still keeping to the original vision (if you can't spend all the moolah on one big bang). With all that being said, It has been such a pleasure working with Gary to turn our dream yard into a reality! He took our perspective and ideas and also provided input/suggestions based on his years of experience -- For example, what plants have invasive roots and to avoid, how to create and open flow while also developing separate entertaining areas, etc. Through a series of drafts, reviews, and revisions he has helped us get together an amazing plan for our backyard space. He is always punctual with meetings and deliverables and very responsive to texts and emails. Lastly, he is helping us figure out which elements we should implement first to make sure we don't have to do any rework with later phase implementations. I highly recommend Gary for your landscape architecture needs -- you won't be disappointed!

I started working with Gary last fall on the secret garden I've always wanted. He listened to my…read moreideas and shared his, making the plans come to life with color and vibrancy. The plants are in, the work completed and his work exceeded my expectations!! My grandchildren and I will enjoy reading and telling stories.... within our secret garden:)

I do understand the issues I am seeing in these other reviews. I have been a customer since 2008,…read morestarting with a design renovation project of our small urban property after a major foundation repair in which much land had to be moved. As long as that was needed, we contracted with Native Edge for the work, after getting a recommendation from a neighbor. Tom Sunderland, the owner and founder did the design plan himself for the restructuring of a portion of the yard with a rock garden, as the slope was really too steep to continue use as a lawn as had been planted 70 years earlier. His plan worked very well. We also added a small efficient irrigation system with a rain meter that would keep it from running when raining. The system was a bit complicated given the layout of the property and the old plumbing of the house and perhaps the irrigation design person of that era could have been more thoughtful in long term results. But they have built up their irrigation program since then and we have worked with that system with some modifications over the years. Tom also designed and we contracted with Native Edge in 2010 to rebuild the native sandstone patio from the 50s and that has been very successful too. We do our own lawn mowing currently though one year we needed to relocate for 3 months and they were able to cover that need too. But their equipment was a bit large for our tiny angles of space and when we returned we went back to our own battery operated, small residential machine. I do agree with a previous review that in the past there has been some inconsistency in their yard maintenance staffing. They did have a talented client manager for about 8 years who was very hands on with clients, helped redesign and upgrade our irrigation but when he left the company, sadly just before the onset of the pandemic, there was quite a gap in service during the quick turnover of staff. That seems to have been resolved recently with the addition of some newer and well trained staff and as we are now going into a second year with our current client manager, I am pleased to continue with their services. I do like that I can have a seasonal contract yet if needed, hire for additional help in an emergency, such as tree damage debris cleanup after a windstorm as happened this winter. They have the equipment to remove the debris and take it away to be used as compost when shredded. Not anything we could have done ourselves. It is true true that they no longer do residential snow removal in Boulder. And yes, it was rather short notice but some other firms have made the same decision as I discovered when looking for a replacement. They are hard to staff. But I have found another local firm that does and will post a review of them separately. I can see this going to a 5 star review update in the future if the current plans and promises are fulfilled. The cost seems in line with what I could find when comparing such services, which some of us need to depend on. Given our location and needs, I think this is has been really good choice overall.

Great company, great people, and great work! Could not ask for a more quality group and company…read more This is a must use company!

Melissa responded right away to my request and provided a detailed estimate of the job. She came…read moreahead of time to get a better idea of the project and the team did an awesome job of removing the gigantic bush in my back yard. Definitely consider using in the future.

From the owner: Welcome new homeowners! Colorado is a unique state with a unique landscape. Let us help you get…read morethe most out of this beautiful native and natural landscape from start to finish. We do small jobs, all the way to big projects involving full house design and lnstallation. We also do Sod, gravel, mulch, compost, seed, etc. If you want a more beautiful landscape, or just need some updating , you'll need a professional to do it. We bring more than 20 years of design experience to the table.