Our family moved from Maryland to East Raleigh a little over a year ago and we knew from the very beginning we wanted to expand our living space by creating an outdoor kitchen and entertaining area but the mere thought of trying to find a reputable, customer-service oriented expert to perform the work had me feeling overwhelmed. While we had a vision, I needed a professional with expertise to partner with and help bring that vision to fruition. There's no way I could summarize our positive experience and convey how happy we are with the outcome with our project in a few paragraphs but here goes. A summary of our project was to install (30x25) backyard outdoor paver patio, outdoor grill area/bar, custom paver fire pit, seated bench/wall with custom outdoor lighting, grading and address drainage, install retaining wall and walkway to back fence. This was a substantial job and I'll forever be grateful to have worked with Nicolas Hardscape/Drainage and the entire team on this project. · Consultation: After reading all the positive reviews, we met with Nicolas many months before visiting his showroom twice. He was very generous with his time to come out to our property (3 times) to gain a clear understanding what we wanted and make many helpful design and layout suggestions along the way. We never felt pressured and Nicolas never made us feel like we were wasting his time. It was evident he was a master of his craft but we had a difficult time making the decision to move forward due to the scale of project and financial commitment needed so soon after relocating. After a few more months debating back/forth with my husband and many more phone calls with Nicolas we comfortably made the decision to move forward with our dream plans. · Pricing: As noted above, this was a large project and Nicholas was very upfront on pricing and what it would take to deliver this project and the need to build a contingency fund in the event we came across something unexpected. We obtained quotes from other hardscape companies prior to signing with Nicolas Hardscape and those quotes were less expensive and some competitive but I didn't get a good feeling that the commitment to customer service standards we expected would be there during the project. · Communication: From beginning to end, Nicolas was flexible, maintained open lines of communication and was very responsive to emails and texts. He listened to us as his client and help guide us thru a successful design of a beautiful functional outdoor living space. We hit a snag in our design plan after discovering something out of the ordinary with the layout of our septic system but Nicolas quickly offered solutions to work around those challenges allowing us to achieve the results we wanted. · Craftsmanship/Quality/Attention to Detail: Nicolas assisted us with selection of paver/granite selections to complement our existing exterior and to match our budget. Everything matches beautifully. With the project now complete you can see every level of care and detail he and the team put forth. It's just stunning if I do say so myself J. The duration of the project took approximately 3 weeks and team arrived daily (M-F) consistently ~ 6:45 am and mindful not to get machinery and other equipment going before 8:00 so as not to disturb my neighbors. At the end of each day, the work area was always cleared, free from debris and safe for us and our dog to move around which was extremely important to me. · Customer Service: Our customer service standards are extremely high and I tend to be a bit of a micro-manager. I work from home and was onsite the entire time this project was underway. We received first-class attention by Nicolas Hardscape and his team and our job was a priority until completion. This gave me a great sense of comfort not feeling we were one of many they were trying to manage at one time or that they would cut corners. We've overseen our share of home improvement projects as a homeowners but I could never have forecasted the success we had. We are thrilled with the final results of the project but moreover the attention, care and integrity that was shown to us by the entire team. Many contractors can take a page from their book to put quality and customer service over quantity. Thank you to Nicholas Hardscape/Drainage and entire team for all your hard work, commitment to excellence and customer service. We consider you as part of our family and look forward to having opportunities to get together socially and perhaps find other projects to work on together. I highly recommend I would be remiss w/o thanking those who participated in the review process before me. It's because of your testimonials that led us to finding a team that helped us get it right the first time. read more

I've worked with this crew on two projects now and both times have been excellent. Nicolas and his team built a patio and pathway for me, did drainage for my yard, and graded my yard. They did a great job on all of it! The quality of work is top notch, the prices were reasonable, and they were able to complete projects quickly. I highly recommend working with this group! read more

We are so happy we found Nicolas Hardscape and drainag. Nicolas fixed our drainage issue, when no one else could! After the project was complete, Nicolas followed up to see if we were happy with the results, we definitely were. I would highly recommend Nicolas Hardscape and Drainage. Very professional and a pleasure to work with. read more

I hired Nicolas and his team to install a patio and walkway. They are professional, prompt and timely. I thought I knew what I wanted but changed my paver selection, added on to the existing retaining wall, added two sets of steps and added lighting. They can do it all! They have the necessary equipment to dig, grade, lay down gravel and sand and the skill to do it properly. I am 100% thrilled with the way it turned out and would readily recommend them to anyone considering adding a Hardscape to their yard or seeking drainage solutions. read more

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Nicolas build a brick retaining wall for me 11 years ago to slow down corrosion and improve yard appearance. It still looks as good as the day it was built. His work is top notch. He is professional and easy to work with. read more

Nicolas' Hardscapes put in a retaining wall in the deep grade behind my house that basically looked and felt like a jungle. He placed 2 dry beds on either side of my house and placed a wall that has not moved a tiny millimeter. We also put grass in to replace the yuck that was there. It has been a year since this work was done (yes, I take forever to leave reviews) and the work is still just as perfect as the day it was complete. I cannot even begin to describe how pleased I was with the end result, and almost as important, the process itself. Nicolas and his workers were always there at the crack of dawn ready to go and worked their collective tails off all day. They were all polite and friendly and I never felt uncomfortable in their presence not one little bit. Besides the work being impeccable, they also went above and beyond for me several times. They looked at an HVAC unit I was having issues with and gave a referral for that service, as well as setting up a better drainage that took care of a the rotting wood that was caused by the prior setup. I had to put in a couple of new sprinkler heads and lines for the back yard that was revised and, when given a $10k estimate by my usual guys, Nicolas set me up with another company that did it for 20% of that and that job was perfect as well. Once the job was complete, there was still a bit of drainage issues at the back of my house, and I let him know. He was back out there and remedied it quickly at no extra cost to me. Also, in the going above and beyond, I had a broken safety glass door by my back door that I told them to ignore, that I would clean up later. I threw a tarp over it for them to walk on and that evening I came back to a clean floor. It was seemingly a small thing, but to a single mother working 70 hours a week, it was gold. Also, on the last day when he came to pick up a check, I asked him to help me move a 100lb safe upstairs and he carried it up himself! Wonderful man! Financially speaking, Nicolas gave me a price that was beyond well under half of what others larger companies quoted me, and most important to me, he LISTENED when I told him what I was looking for. All the other men that came out, TOLD ME what I wanted. He paid much more attention to the issues in the yard and to what I said than any other company that came out. He noticed and pointed out many more things that other companies did not. I will NEVER use anyone else for this type of service ever again. I am a customer for life. And I'm in need of a couple of changes to the front and I will be calling him this week to get that set up! Don't pass Nicolas by! read more

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I have used Nicolas and his team on 4 occassions and could not be happier with the results. Nicolas is a true expert and educated us on the best way to make our vision come true. He has installed patio's walls, walkways and plenty of drainage in both of the homes he has worked on. He is extremely proffessional, friendly, prompt and his cleanup after the job is great. I have received many compliments on his work from my neighbors as well. Thanks Nicolas for all you have done for us. read more

Nicolas did my retaining wall and drainage work around a new driveway. He did a great job! Always completed work on time and his crew cleaned up well. He takes pride in his work and it shows! I had some other things I needed done such as lighting and I had him do that too since he did such good work. I would recommend him to anyone. I will probably have him do some additional work when the need arises. read more

We hired Nicolas to help with some drainage issues, as well as to make our yard more kid friendly and livable. He and his team were prompt, professional, and knowledgeable. They graded our yard, built a beautiful retaining wall, installed proper drainage solutions and planted sod. We are thrilled with the results and will not hesitate to use them for any future landscaping or hardscaping needs. read more

Fantastic. Have worked with Nicolas on several large and small projects. Does exceptional work. Highly recommended. read more

Nicolas does excellent work. He takes the time to come up with a great design plan that looks amazing. We had Nicolas build a fire pit with patio and he is now doing French drains and the whole experience has been great. He is professional and has great customer service. I highly recommend him! read more

They made an appointment with me on March 5th for June 17th and then didn't show up. No call to cancel or any contact after the initial call. read more

The job Nicolas Hardscape and Drainage did for us was outstanding and well within accepted costs for a project of this scope. The outcome was that all the drainage issues on three sides of our hillside house were resolved and we ended up with a beautiful new stepped patio across the front and attractive walkway/landscaping down the side. The workmanship was excellent and far beyond expectations. Nicolas himself was dedicated to our satisfaction, always met commitments on time, dealt with poor weather and provided the best communication we've ever experienced from a contractor. This was a major job and his team of Manuel, Simon and Andy demonstrated their care, knowledge and expertise at every step of the complex project from excavation, wall and step prep, repeated layers of base compaction and through the final installation and cleanup. We will definitely hire Nicolas for any new work and happily recommend him for any hardscspe and/or drainage needs. read more