I called Install It Direct to inquire about turf maintenance. I spoke with Jonathan, the…read moreOperations Manager. He explained to me that they only provide this service to clients that they have provided turf for. He then went on to refer me to two landscape companies near my home where we could purchase the infill and the broom to do the maintenance ourselves. He willingly spent about ten minutes helping me, and was so friendly and nice. When we are ready to have more landscape work done, I will definitely be calling Install It Direct.

I am posting this update as a severe safety warning to anyone considering Installing Direct. Since…read moremy initial review, a catastrophic and life-threatening incident has occurred. The fire pit installed by this company exploded into my girlfriend's face. We had an independent professional company come out to inspect the unit and the gas line. Their findings were shocking: the gas connection was completely loose. This negligence allowed gas to build up inside the fire pit structure, which caused it to explode upon ignition. Because of the physical injuries sustained and the absolute gross negligence regarding a gas installation, we are now taking this company to litigation. If you value the safety of your home and your family, stay far away from this business. A "loose connection" on a gas line is not just a mistake--it is a deadly hazard. We are currently in the process of legal action to hold them accountable for the damage and trauma they have caused. Zero stars. Avoid at all costs.

We just wrapped up construction of a Fiberon composite deck (color: Ipê) by Dandy Landscape. Tom…read moreDandy and his foreman Oscar did a great job of bringing our contemporary design (by Kirk Molday of ARC Environments Inc.) to life. We're having a separate company install the glass railings, but we're so psyched with the results and the great personal service. Be sure to check out the photos. We got competitive bids and Tom's was the most reasonable. We highly recommend Dandy Landscape.

Tom and his group were amazing. Tom, himself, was with us every step of the way. They designed and…read morebuilt decking, a retaining wall, landscaping and fencing for our pool. He let us know costs up front, and provided in person oversight of the project, even texting me with progress, photos, and with small decision points. His team even went the extra mile at no extra charge, by patching a couple areas of existing damaged stone scape, and fixing a fence gate that dragged on the concrete when it closed. I would highly recommend this company, and will gladly hire them for future projects.

We recently hired Lusso Design & Build for a backyard renovation project including building a new…read morestaircase and fence, sanding and re-staining a large two-story Ipe wood deck, replacing redwood railings on deck with steel-cable ones. They did seriously beautiful work on everything - this is old-school quality craftsmanship, they did careful and meticulous work from start to finish. Dor managed our project and he was incredibly professional, respectful, and kept me updated regularly. This project with Lusso Design was easily the best experience I've had with a contractor - yes, it can be a positive experience! Their bid came in higher than their competitors, but in my experience you get what you pay for... the quality of their work and their professionalism were worth that price. We are very happy with everything they did for us. When we have another project in the future, Lusso Design and Build will be the first call.

I recently hired Lusso Design and Build for our kitchen and bathroom remodel, and we couldn't be…read morehappier with the results. Dor and his team did an outstanding job from start to finish. The entire process was professional, organized and stress-free. Dor was committed to delivering high quality work. I highly recommend them to anyone considering a home renovation.

We recently completed a hardscape project with Endless Summer which included pavers, retaining…read morewalls, turf/stone ground covering and lighting. It was a positive experience dealing with Shawn and the work crew led by Marcos. The crew was professional, punctual and worked efficiently throughout the project which took only 9 days to complete and the job site was kept clean each day which won the praises from the pass-byers and neighbors. Pricing was competitive compared to other proposals with minimum surprises along the way. Communication with Shawn was consistent and any questions we had were addressed quickly. However, the communication with the work crew required some effort. The finished result looks great and feels solid. We can tell the work was done with care and experience. Overall, we would recommend Endless Summer Hardscapes to anyone looking for a reliable, good-quality hardscape work.

Shawn and his foreman Jobani and their crew was great to work with start to finish. We had weather…read moreto deal with as well as challenges moving an existing outdoor kitchen and a few additions and they always listened. They were very reliable and worked hard to stay on time and on budget. Will definitely be using them again for the next project and would highly recommend them. The pricing was very fair and the quality of work was top notch.

We couldn't be happier with the work California Smartscape did on our landscaping project. Our home…read moresits on a complicated, multilevel foundation and every other contractor declined the project due to its complexity.  Andrew and the Smartscape team embraced the challenge and delivered an outstanding design that incorporated all our needs.   The project included a full pool remodel (replacing crumbling 70s brick), new concrete, a safe and modern upper deck off the second story, a refreshed entryway, and a new outdoor living area to replace an unsightly and unusable wooden deck. Andrew's 3D model helped us visualize the final product and he worked with us to incorporate slight tweaks in the design based on our knowledge of the space.   Smartscape also phased the work so we could prioritize the pool and upper deck first. Leo, our project manager, was incredibly responsive and kept us involved in every decision. The finished pool is stunning with dazzling PebbleTec, modern coping and tiles, and our old jacuzzi was transformed into a luxurious jetted spa with smart lighting. The sleek, modern decking materials not only look amazing but give us peace of mind with everything up to code.   The biggest transformation was replacing the outer wooden deck with a retaining wall and turf, creating a large fenced-in play area for our kids--something we never had before. Now we have space to kick a ball and have outdoor family movie nights.   We started this project trepidatious, knowing that most contractors go over timelines and over-budget, but Smartscape completed everything in just a few months, with expert craftsmanship and within budget. Truly a five-star experience! (Select before and after photos included)

UPDATE: 12/17/25 New Owner Jonathan reached out to me so I give him 5 stars for the timely…read moreresponse. He's going to send someone out to assess the situation and identify best way forward to address the problem. I know it's been a long time since the installation and ownership has changed, so I appreciate Jonathan trying to be helpful, even though I still have this very significant issue with huge potential costs to fix. Updated rating to 3 stars because I am hopeful for a peaceful resolution. I want to be fair and support small businesses so stay tuned. More to come. ORIGINAL REVIEW: Initially, we were very happy with our remodel of patio and landscape. Over time, issues surfaced. We had water damage buckling up on our wood floor. After consulting several other contractors, we realized that the patio pavers were incorrectly installed too high, covering up the drainage holes of the patio sliders and windows by the patio bar, which Smartscape also installed. Now we have major damage inside the house on half of the wood flooring. Secondly, Smartscape installed a shade structure and over time, we saw issues of paint bubbling but could not figure out why. Finally, after consulting other contractors, we realize that material choice of tongue and groove panels were not the best choice; thin and subject to warp; install was uneven; and heaters too close to the ceiling, resulting in melted bubbles of paint. We rely on professional subject matter experts to provide the best recommendations... the onus should not be on the homeowner. We selected California Smartscape after some research. It all seemed good and legit. They seemed to know what they're doing: Richard Hafenstein, Sal Manna, Nick Hoffman. But only to find out too late, after any warranty period, that their work was less than acceptable and continues to erode and present more issues with time. They also recommended plant specimens - half of which I removed after several years, because they were simply poor choices for growth habit and space. How is a homeowner to know?... Isn't that why we hire professionals? We are so disappointed. But still hopeful that we will hear back and they will repair the paver install problem and stop the water leak into the house and foundation. I tried to contact Richard and have yet to hear back from the company. We spent over $172,291 on this project, not including equipment and component systems which we paid separately. We already spent $$$$$ to repair the shade structure paint bubbles. I just want the water drainage issue/paver install problem to be fixed and done right.

Kevin did an amazing job for us. From our first contact to job completion it was less than a month…read moreand a half, the actual work itself took less than seven working days. We walk many miles a day throughout our neighborhood and have seen landscaping projects drag out for months...some even years. We did not want to be in that situation. Kevin promised that once he started the job he and his crew would be on site every day until it was done. He stuck to his word (and we had read previous Yelp reviews before selecting him, as they said the same thing). We had a rough drawing and a laundry list of items we wanted done. Expanded driveway, retaining walls, pavers, landscaping/irrigation/lighting, extended flower beds, etc. The first day Kevin came by to check out the project, he made suggestion after suggestion of how we could make tweaks and adjustments to our plan to make it more functional and visually appealing. His expertise and knowledge helped us from making any bad choices. He was very easy to work with, and we adjusted and made additional changes along the way as we uncovered some less than ideal materials and implementation choices from the original landscapers - i.e. they cut corners, and Kevin highly recommended correcting their mistakes. He uses top notch materials, even if they aren't visible, including wall footings, sprinkler and drainage pipes, sprinkler valves, galvanized metal grids for concrete support, gopher wire, lighting, ... The list goes on. Kevin and his crew just knocked it out day after day, and Kevin always had the following days materials delivered in the afternoon so they were ready to rock and roll in the morning. As other reviews have said, Kevin was in the middle of everything, on site every day, working side by side with the crew on many aspects of the project...and picking up materials himself as needed. His crew was fantastic. They were polite, friendly, and extremely hard working. And, they were perfectionists...everything was carefully measured and sloped during the installation of walls and pavers. The results show it. We couldn't believe how much they achieved each and every day. Before they went home each day, everything was completely cleaned up...as if they had never been there (except for the pile of materials for the next morning!). When the job was finished, everything was put back into place. We can't say enough about the overall team and the way they executed the project.

Kevin provided us with an amazing landscape project to turn our slope into a two terrace seating…read morearea and dog run. The original concept of stairs quickly dissolved and Kevin engineered a beautiful solution...while I was concerned about not having finished drawings something said to trust him..we did and it was a great experience and the results are something I wish I had done years ago

If I could give more than 5 stars I would. SD3D did an amazing job on our complete front and…read morebackyard hardscape remodel. We installed a french drain behind our retaining wall, driveway paver installation, the crew built and installed stairs in two parts of the yard, stucco work and final planting and mulch of our entire property. Matt, Elisabeth, Jake and Ishmael and the entire working crew were professional, transparent and communicative on every level. Our in-person consultations and design confirmation schedule were very helpful from week to week. The work timeline was on schedule. The main crew; Ishmael, Jorge and Carlos were professional, hard working and punctual. Everything was properly managed, including the demo, removal of yard waste and final clean up. Thank you!

This project was expertly managed from start to finish. Matt and Wade brainstormed with me and my…read morehusband and kept tweaking the plans until we were all happy. As issues came up (permit delays, grumpy neighbor, too tall chair ordered on my part), they helped us navigate it all and offered support even when they didn't need to The subcontractors they used to dig, build a large retaining wall, install turf, build the patio, install the pergola, and lay lots and lots of rocks were wonderful--nice, patient, and hard-working. The whole team even took an old playhouse and redesigned it safely for our kids on the hill. Matt's design, attention to detail, and the time he took with our project was above and beyond. He answered every call and text quickly. I couldn't have asked for more. I've already recommended SD3D to all of my neighbors, and recommend them for small or large projects.

My front and back yards are about 10 years old, but still look beautiful due to my diligent…read moremaintenance work. Some things I wish I knew then that I know now might help others when planning their yards. Yes, Smart Landscape does a lovely job. Here's what would have made my upkeep a lot easier. 1. Extra protection ground cover to eliminate weeds. Some yards get no weeds because a super heavy cover has been used. I've spent countless hours pulling weeds since yards were done. 2. Go over what plants are going to be used. If I'd done that, I would've saved money and work to remove those that had needles that made it difficult/dangerous to remove. 3. If the designer had visited front yard, he would have seen the slight slope and the DG pathway would not have been a logical design choice. Rain washes it away and I'll have to eventually figure out a way to close up that space. 4. At that time, I didn't meet with the designer. I should have. Although it's a lovely design, I would have pointed out a change or two I'd have preferred. 5. Gray DG is not readily available and it has been difficult to keep the pathway refreshed. Someone said that he was going to provide it, but never did. Overall, I am glad I hired Smart Landscape. UPDATE: I needed to come back to add another star after carefully considering how wonderful Danny and his team are to work with. I had met with no fewer than nine landscape companies before Smart Landscape and they were nightmares for various reasons. Danny is wonderful to work with and makes sure the customer is happy.

Smart Landscape completely redid our yard from the ground up last year. We now have our own slice…read moreof paradise and are so happy with the quality of the work. They are dependable, honest, and very good people; we trusted them completely with our project. Everyone always comments how much they love our yard!