I obtained several quotes from companies related to landscaping work that was necessary to precede…read moresome waterproofing that we needed to have done on our new home. This work was the removal of 3 stumps (2 small and 1 large) and some regrading to ensure proper drainage. I received my quote on 5/25/16. I elected to go with Carolina Outdoor since they were frequently used by my waterproofing company for this type of related/required work. On 5/26/16, I responded by email to Chris Lambert and asked to kindly call me at his convenience, as I had some questions about the quote. When I did not hear back from him after almost a week, I finally called him myself on 5/31/16. He told me that calling or texting was my best option to reach him, as he did not check his email. I should have heeded this red flag. First, who can run a business and not use their email, particularly when it's directly linked for questions, quotes, etc. on their website? Further, this essentially means that there is no written correspondence about anything, so no paper trail that can be followed. Convenient, eh? At any rate, we reviewed the quote and work and I emphasized our need for the removal of the stumps and the regrading due to drainage concerns.
From 6/10/16 to 6/13/16, I tried reach Chris to schedule the work. He was not responsive and when he finally did speak with me, he thought I was a completely different client. He did not schedule me at that time, saying he was short staffed and very busy, but he would get back to me. On 6/17/16, the waterproofer emailed to get me on their schedule for July. I told them that was fine, but the landscaping work had not been done and any assistance they could provide in getting Chris to respond/schedule us would be helpful. Within a few days, I noticed that our utility lines had been marked. I was hopeful for progress, but still waiting to hear back from Chris, as he had never called back to actually *schedule* the work. A few days after that, I arrived home to a yard that appeared to have been mortared. Not only were the 3 stumps removed, every bit of foundational landscaping was also removed, and massive holes were left. Naturally, I began trying to contact Chris to understand why this had been done. Over the course of several days (6/21-6/23) we communicated and he stated that there must have been a miscommunication with the grinder. While he apologized, he then went on to say that these plants weren't considered foundational shrubs anyway. WOW. Ok...well, i don't know very much about plants, but I do know they cost money, they can be transplanted, AND they do contribute to the curb appeal of our new home. I am not sure how anyone could spin their error in this fashion. It's completely beyond me. He assured us that the removal of grindings/regrading would shortly follow. He also didn't seem to think it was a big deal that he never formally scheduled the work. Then, when I inquired about invoicing for the work, he said that he wouldn't feel comfortable doing that until he had a chance to come out after the project had been finished, walk the yard with me, and ensure I was satisfied. He offered to take $200 off my quote for the landscaping they ruined. I don't know if $200 would have replaced all the plants, but I do know it was not sufficient to make up for the time and energy needed to replant EVERYTHING and for the complete mishandling of the entire job.
Within the next few days his crew returned to "finish" the job. They simply filled the holes with the grindings (not removed as quoted) and threw down some straw. They did NO regrading, they did not put in topsoil, and we couldn't do any with planting. At this point my husband began communicating with Chris, as I was at the end of my rope with complete lack of professionalism and oversights/errors/communication issues. My husband requested Chris himself come out and inspect the work, which he eventually did and told my husband it "wasn't that bad." ARGH! At this point (June 30) he stated it would be best to let the waterproofers go ahead and do their work, as sometimes they have to remove soil, and then he could finish the regrading. On July 5 we were invoiced for the job, which was still NOT complete and totally botched (due date of July 15). The waterproofers completed their work on July 18. My husband then immediately began trying to reach Chris to finish the job. We didn't want our credit affected by non-payment, so we went ahead and paid him. He cashed our check, has ignored all texts/calls, and the work was never completed.
Ruined landscaping, unfinished work...Do not use this company for any reason.