My driveway culvert pipe had rusted out & started to collapse with the last heavy rain. I needed…read moreexcavation work to dig out the old culvert and then replace it with a new one. When I talked to John over the phone, he sounded pretty familiar with the different options available. He had just recently ordered a similar size plastic culvert pipe and was able to let me know the price right away. John wasn't the first or only person I had take a look at the job, but he made the best first impression. John was on time for the appointment & professional. When we discussed the job, he was able to quickly explain how everything needed to be done. He even took the time out to explain to me the ways a concrete culvert box was more expensive (I asked out of curiosity) after we both agreed it wasn't in my budget. We discussed the time frame and he even let me know of possible complications that could make things take longer. It didn't take long for him to look things over. I let John know I was a little concerned that once the job started, I wouldn't have a driveway until completion. John in response told me he wouldn't start the job unless he knew he'd be able to wrap up same day. He left me an itemized proposal for the work before heading out. The excavator & culvert pipe (I went w 3' x 20' long plastic) were dropped off the night before. His workers showed up next day, checked in with me before they started since I wouldn't be able to use the driveway, & went to work. They dug up the old pipe & had the new one in quick. I went out to watch them build the headwalls. I'd say that was probably the longest part of the process. They had to sift through the larger stones, fit them into position, press them into place & then end up switching stones if the fit wasn't just right. Just as promised, start and finish happened same day & it looks great. I invited John back a few days later to get his take on a smaller job that I was personally working on for a quote. After seeing the work quality & time management of John & his company, they are going to be my "go to" for any projects that require excavation.

I needed excavation work to dig out a substantial area and part of an existing foundation, put in 2…read moreculverts, install/grade one short and one long driveway for access to the side of the house (which meant literally digging out a decent size hill), and take down a huge tree next to the house that was becoming dangerous and was in the way. I called three companies. John, the owner, came up to look at the job and give me a quote that evening. His price was competitive, not the cheapest, but he was clearly the most experienced and knowledgeable, and he seemed to be no B.S., and that turned out to be absolutely correct. I valued those qualities, and that he might be a great thought partner on how to best do things, which turned out to be the case, too. The evening before the job, as agreed he parked his excavator on our property while I was away. I guess I was expecting a smaller machine, because when I arrived I was a little awestruck at the size of it. The following morning John showed up with his worker Charlie, we briefly talked about the job and how the day would progress, and they began the job with the culvert work. John used the big machine to dig out a trench, which was like going through butter for the big machine. They rolled in the culvert they had brought, and Charlie, big, strong, young guy, built a 'headwall' by hand on both sides using large rocks. Right on cue, a big Blue Mountain Excavation dump truck with a load of crushed shale for the culvert/driveway showed up, and the driver, Ward, positioned it so that John in the excavator could take big scoops out, gently raining it on the culvert (I guess so as not to move it or damage it), before Ward expertly dumped the load where it needed to be. Next, John worked to clear, grade and compact the driveway while Charlie cut down smaller trees that were in the way. Next, the big old tree. John began digging out the massive roots on all sides, working in a very tight area, before pushing it down with the machine (was pretty cool to watch!), putting it right were he wanted it, avoiding the house, very close on one side, a tree on the other, electric wires on the third side, and the septic and underground pipe that were right there. I had expected them to just push it out of the way, but Charlie cut the tree into logs with a chainsaw, cut off most of the small branches with leaves and placed them out of the way in a pile, and John stacked the big logs neatly with the jaws of the excavator. Next, the hill, where John worked steadily and moved alot of earth. For this, I was glad he had a big machine, and he was able to do it more quickly than I would have thought. Next, digging out the foundation. Since this was work around and under an existing structure, I was, frankly, concerned that the machine was too big. But John was able to dig, no joke, within an inch of where I needed it, while coming within inches of the house, never touching it once. I watched closely, in amazement at how skillfully he operated the machine. Before they were finished, never mentioning it before or charging me for it, they put down straw and grass seed they had brought, to minimize the runoff from the unearthed area. I was surprised at how much they accomplished in one day, and the speed and precision with which John operated the excavator. With the tree, the straw and seeds, and other things I haven't described, I feel like John under-promised and over-delivered. At the end of the day I told John how great a job they did, and he looked at me, smiled and said matter-of-factly, "We move the earth" Yes, you do, John! A couple of weeks ago I did not know John, but I greatly respect his work and professionalism, and now consider him a friend. We have had this house for decades, and it is an understatement to say that good contractors are hard to find on the mountaintop. I had looked on Yelp for reviews on excavating companies and found very little. Since John and his guys did such a great job, I decided to write this, my first Yelp review. I am a real person, and would be happy to be a reference for John and Blue Mountain Excavation if John wants me to.

greedy and incompetent -DO NOT USE FOR SNOW REMOVAL…read more Wanted nearly $300 after he showed up (never mentioned his price till he sent his lackey) and instantly agreed to half when i declined .. did a half ass job and snowbanked my car in, had to spend 2 hrs shoveling it out and still couldn't get get back in my driveway after Beware of this company you will be taken advantage of

From the owner: When you need top-notch services, Pasinello Companies is your go-to for all things excavation and…read morelandscaping services. Operating for over five years, our experienced excavating contractors bring a wealth of experience to both residential and commercial projects. Whether you're in Averill Park, Albany, Troy or surrounding areas, our team is ready to assist you. Ever thought about how a well-crafted patio can transform your backyard? We offer free quotes and estimates, ensuring you have all the information you need to make the best decision.

Upstate Tree and Excavation gave me a quote to bury a culvert and set up a drain system for a new…read morelawn area. They were quick to arrive, kept two appointments digging the channel and burying the culvert. Rather than get a third culvert, they advised that too much erosion below would result, and that instead they would bring in a load of rock to cover with soil to complete the task. That was in May. They took payment for the whole job at that time, even though it wasn't complete. After a couple of exchanged texts and brief replies over the summer like "of course we'll come back", they have now blocked me from sending text messages to their number and have evidently decided to keep the money for the remainder of the project and not return? It has now been over two months since they promised they would return. They did good work with the initial part of the project and were a pleasure to work with. I did not frequently text them, I'm not sure what happened, but they did not finish my project and the kept the remainder of the funds.

Very reliable Very nice person to talk to…read moreGood pricing I had a tree taken down the many companies in the area denied doing but he got it done like it was nothing. Very very happy with my experience with Upstate Tree service 10 out of 10 review highly recommend

We had some dead trees in precarious places around the property that needed to be removed. Mark…read morewas great!! He was quick to respond, quick to schedule and was even nice enough to fix up my chainsaw while he was here. His value far exceeded his price!!

From the owner: We are your local, family owned and operated service. We take pride in our work and operate with…read moreover 15 years of experience and a lifetime of passion for the trade. Serving the community with mutual respect and appreciation on the daily basis. We specialize is creating ponds of all shapes and sizes with many unique features including docks, sand beaches, river run stone areas and habitat for wildlife. We install traditional spill ways, water fall style or spill tube drainage control. We also offer drainage management/improvements that includes the pond or simply just keeps areas more manageable. We also specialize in retaining walls , home foundations, septic systems and erosion solutions large or small as well as all your grading, excavation, tree removal or property maintenance needs.

BL Landworks ⁩…read more ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ ⁩ We would highly recommend BL Landworks for their exceptional services in land and forest mulching. We had the privilege of working with Brian and Devin and their professionalism, expertise, and dedication exceeded our expectations. BL Landworks demonstrated a thorough understanding of our requirements and provided insightful suggestions to optimize our land clearing. The team executed the mulching project with precision and the highest safety standards resulting in a cleared area that met our specifications perfectly. BL Landworks also displayed excellent project management skills, completing the work within the agreed upon timeline and budget. Thank you BL Landworks. Melanie and Tom Goodwin

His call back was fast Brian was very helpful . was unable to use his service this year but intent…read moreto buy fire wood From him next spring

Did work on our land and we negotiated a price for an excavator and bulldozer for two days. he kept…read moreon rescheduling the start date ( we needed to get it done as soon as possible because the dryer weather was preferable so that the excavation team could get the best results) the owner had agreed to come earlier but then push off our project for 2 weeks ( which in that time it rained a great deal). when he finally did show up he and his assistance did no put in a full days work. only one machine was running at a time for the most part. the owner/ lead. sat in his machine for the most part and just smoked the whole time. they took long breaks and left at 3pm the first day. I had pointed out an area from the very beginning of of the job, a small stream/spring that needed to stay how it was ( unblocked) so that that area would not flood. he piled tree limbs and other debris so the area, and so it DID flood as i had told him it would. after the job was complete I had pointed this out and he complained to me that it was like that way before. he moved some, but not all the debris and refused to move any more. we had discussed a number of other items that he had agreed to but ignored after the fact, or begrudgingly did after i pushed him on the matter. we had initially agreed for two full days of work, but he had left so much work unfinished that I paid him for one more day to clean up the mess that was left. he sent his assistant for this. the assistant moved at a slugish pace, and started to pack up very early so I had called the owner to tell him this and the owner instructed ME to tell the worker to get back to work. an additional conversation was had and the assistant continued to work for another hour before leaving. bottom line. messy work, unprofessional, and you have to watch them every second because theyll just do the bare minimum so you are force to keep them on for additional time. I DO NOT RECOMEND. you are better off paying a few hundred more and getting a professional.