I didn't go with them only because the other landscaper I chose could do it sooner, but the costs were similar and they both looked like they take pride in their work. Geoff, the owner, was great and responded promptly. Geoff was upfront too about when he could start my job in the first minute of the first call so I knew that in the beginning but wanted to still get estimates. I give their customer service thumbs up! read more

Assuming you are reading this review in order to make an informed decision on which contractor to hire, I'll simply focus on a few deciding factors in our recent experience to implement a water-wise landscape design. 1. Avoid looking for a contractor before the holidays. With the persistent drought in California, contractors are in great demand for turf removal. Geoff was very responsive with a bid while patiently working with us to fine-tune the details. Unfortunately, his schedule was booked a couple months out, so planning ahead is a good idea if you have a deadline. 2. Online landscape information needs to be validated by an experienced person. Geoff recommended an excellent landscape designer, Joan Moore, to finalize our plan. Many online recommendations do not account for geographical constraints (which zone you are in) or seasonal changes (how does it look in winter). Joan and Geoff's crew shared their invaluable experience to make sure we selected the right plants for what we wanted to achieve. 3. Look for a concrete expert for your masonry work. Geoff's crew includes many experienced landscapers who have been with the company for a decade or more, and the make-over clearly reflects their expertise. In particular, the meticulous masonry work done by Cristian created a strong focal point for our tile walkway and stone columns that exceeded my best imagination. I believe the masonry portion is a particular strength of the company. Overall, Geoff and his crew were very friendly and accessible, which greatly eased our trepidation for this complete make-over. We will certainly ask them back when we are ready for our next project. read more

Although the time our project took was definitely more than we'd been told it would be (hence 4 stars rather than 5) that's the ONLY negative there is. Love the finished product and all of the guys couldn't have been any nicer. Everything is clean at the end of every day. Geoff is a really nice guy & Manuel is the salt of the Earth. Gilbert, Martin, Willie, & Luis were great at the beginning of the new yard (demo, electrical, irrigation & planting). Cristian's masonry work was fantastic. Salvador & Umberto are absolute artists transforming ideas into actual structures and Jose wraps everything up at the end. We'll definitely use Swanson's again. read more

We first used Swansons aprox. 10 years ago to redo our back yard. Than just last month they did a backyard cleanup, new wood chips in kids area and they built a new fence which came out great. They do our weekly maintenance too. Their guys are really great to work with. read more

Had Swanson's Landscaping redo our back yard to my own design and we are very happy with the outcome. Geoff said back in August he would be starting about the first week in December and although they started the second week making me slightly concerned the backyard would be all dug up over the holiday, Geoff promised it would be done by Christmas and it was! His two workers, Sergio and Candi were great guys and worked really hard. At the end of each day they cleaned up the driveway and patio which I really appreciated. Nothing was too much trouble for them....when I changed my mind a bit about placement of rocks and plants they were only too happy to oblige. They really cared that I was happy about how the work was progressing. The Porta Potty was kept on their truck which was nice as that too was taken away at the end of each day. When the work was finished despite them having worked a 12 hour day they still cleaned up really well, pressure spraying the patio and driveway and making sure everything was left looking good. I asked Geoff to redo the estimate for me when I changed my mind about some materials and the price even went down a bit. Very happy we had Swanson's do our backyard. read more

We had Swanson's perform landscaping repair and improvements to both our front and back yards. This work included new sod, upgrade of irrigation system, shrub removal and replacement, installation of artificial turf, construction of a small retaining wall around a large redwood tree, and pavers. Geoff's crew and foreman arrived and left as expected and got the job done timely. The quality of the entirety of the work was quite good and Geoff's responsiveness to any of our questions and requests was also quite good. We surely recommend Swanson's and would use them again without hesitation. read more

A+ review for Geoff and his team. After getting multiple estimates Swanson's was the best priced and turned out to be the best value as well. I had them clear a TON of weeds, leveled soil, build and install a fence lattice, spread ground cover and install a flagstone walkway. Special shoutout to Pepe and Luis who came in for an extra day to complete the job. They were on time, committed to and executed all requested jobs and did high quality work. He also billed exactly the estimated cost so I was happy with that. Best thing of all he accommodated our quick turn around time frame on a weekend. Thanks and highly recommended! read more

I contacted Geoff Swanson in mid December regarding a backyard patio project that included tearing out existing concrete, pouring a new concrete aggregate patio, placing plants, installing irrigation and tying it into the existing sprinkler system, installing landscape lights with transformer, and installation of artificial grass for my dog. We set a date about 3 weeks later, and Geoff and his crew were there at the time promised. He stated that the project would take two weeks, and it did, exactly two weeks. His crew was friendly and professional. Geoff demonstrated a fantastic attention to detail. I am very happy with the finished product. Also, he's a good guy. read more

We have been getting our house ready for sale and needed a lot of concrete work and landscaping work done. We interviewed several landscapers and had various responses as to what work should be done for sale. When we interviewed Geoff Swanson he put his bid together into sections and advised us to check with a realtor to find out which stages of the work would give us return on our investment. He was very knowledgeable on both the concrete issues and the landscaping issues. We hired Swansons to do the work and they were professional in every step of the process. The job was completed on time and looks fantastic! We have had several people stop by and ask us for the name and phone number of who did our landscaping. We would highly recommend Swansons landscaping. read more

We have just completed our landscaping project with Swanson's Landscaping. Geoff provided a prompt, well written and easy to comprehend estimate for our front and backyard landscaping. Geoff stated that they were booked out for 4 months...an indicator to us that they must be doing a good job and were in demand! Geoff answered every text and call promptly. Several businesses in Livermore recommended Geoff and Swanson's Landscaping. We appreciated that they are licensed and had a good reputation. Danillo and Cuberto arrived on time,were courteous, friendly and worked very hard each day in inclement weather. We felt safe knowing all employee's are Swanson's employee's. Our yard was cleaned up at the end of everyday. Geoff and Manuel, the supervisor were very professional, knowledgeable, helpful and we appreciated their suggestion's and expertise. We are very grateful to all... for a job well done!! We are very happy with our new landscape and highly recommend Swanson's Landscaping! read more

They were very fair on the price and did an excellent job removing some trees in our yard. The owner is very friendly and responsive. I would recommend and use them again. read more

Swansons did beautiful landscaping work on several yards in our neighborhood in Alamo Creek. We hired them to finish our back yard. They did amazing work with minimal to no supervision. We have our dream back yard in less than a month! Thank you Geoff! read more

Swanson's is great! I needed a French drain out in to take care of water seepage under my house. I had several bids ranging from dirt scary cheap to are you serious! Geoff came out to give to review the job with me. His ideas and my thoughts were exactly aligned. He gave a very reasonable quote and I scheduled the job. The workers came out and we're fantastic. The crew worked very hard and made sure everything was cleaned up every day before they finished. I actually had to question whether the job was being done because it looked like the pavers and landscaping they needed to dig into weren't even touched. It was awesome. I added a bit of scope to the work to tie in some additional downspouts. Geoff promptly revised the quote. I couldn't be happier! The only cons I had was the drain caps came loose during heavy rain which Geoff's team came back out and fixed in only a couple of days from telling them. Lastly when they dug the trench and put the dirt on my colored concrete patio and then had to shovel it back in my patio has a lot of scrapes in it. I need to reseal the patio this summer so we will see how well it gets masked. It's understandable just wish they either put the dirt in the grass during trenching or had the patio covered with a tarp. Overall for the price and quality of the work I am very happy and would happily recommend them to anyone. read more

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We just completed our second project with Swanson's Landscaping. We are again very pleased with the result. Leading our crew was Gilbert who is very committed to making the final outcome exceeding your expectations. We did a front of property remodel. We highly recommend.Q read more

I recently used Swanon's Landscaping (owner Geoff Swanson) to do the complete landscaping including irrigation, lights, concrete work, stone work, pad for my hot tub, and outdoor kitchen island, along with a courtyard that included a curved wall. This work included everything transforming the dirt that was left by the builder to a stunning finished product that "wows" everyone who sees it. Geoff and his team did an outstanding job and exceeded all of my expectations. Geoff himself is the easiest person I have ever worked with, he is patient, conscientious, and takes great pride in his work and goes out of his way to insure you are satisfied with the work. He communicates in a clear and concise manner at every step of the way, and is equally responsive by phone and email. Geoff's leadership transcends down to all of his workers as they are equally conscientious and they too take great care and pride in their work. While the work was being done, they made sure to keep the mess to a minimum and completely cleaned up at the end of each day. We had many questions and adjustments along the way, Geoff and his team handled all of them with ease and often pointed out their own suggestions which we always took avail of. I highly recommend Geoff and his team, we could not be happier with the results and the process along the way. read more

geoff was able to create exactly what I wanted for my small yard. His crew was top notch. Everything I hoped for. Finished on time even with my change requests . I would recommend to everyone. read more

One homestead in my neighborhood tried Swanson only to discontinue. I interviewed him and he showed more interest in being on the phone. He did not impress me at all during the interview. I know a good landscaper when I talk to one and he isn't. In my opinion he simply fell into it because he speaks English, etc.. I agree with the post below to exhaust all alternatives. read more

Recently, I asked Swanson's Landscaping for a cost estimate on yard cleanup and maintenance. Geoff Swanson came by the house on time as promised and gave me a reasonable cost estimate in a timely manner. I found the company to be very professional and would not hesitate to recommend it to friends in the future. read more

Swanson's Landscaping are the best. That's why they stay booked out and you may have to wait. They are worth waiting for they do excellent work at a fair price. They have earned their five star rating.If I could give more than five stars I would. read more

Geoff Swanson is an amazing owner of Swanson's Landscaping. His crew is always on time, hard working & take pride in their work. If we ever had questions, Geoff Swanson always answered our emails or texts within an hour which included the weekend. We highly recommend this company to others. We are very impressed with the design & workmanship. Jim & Gail read more

We recently moved into a new home and just had our back yard done by Swanson's Landscaping. They were amazing. We have built homes before but never had such a pleasant contracting experience. Each crew (we had hardscape and putting green) was exceptional: friendly, helpful, skilled, and over-the-top willing to do whatever we wanted so we'd be happy. Geoff Swanson hires really good people to do the work. They worked long hours and completed the project in a timely manner. Geoff answered every question we raised, and responded by emails and phone. Every single worker seemed to feel confident in handling their part of the project. We got three bids and Swanson's price was very competitive. We couldn't be happier. We would recommend them to anyone contemplating a landscape project. read more

Appreciate their work and that they ask me any questions before cutting something if they are not sure. They pay attention to details in garden. Very happy! read more

Professional and quickly diagnosed the problem and came back the next day with the replacement timer & when it still didn't work, he knew to look elsewhere & had the part. We paid a fair price for Jeff to replace it with professional parts & services from its previous jimmied retail parts of our sprinkler system that weren't installed correctly that we wouldn't have known. read more

I am a very happy and satisfied customer! Everything went very smoothly from day 1. Thank you Geoff!

After interviewing quite a few landscapers, I chose to hire Swanson's Landscaping, based on the owner, Geoff Swanson, being easy to talk to, apparently knowledgeable, and timely. While I understood the several week delay in start time was due to successive days of rain, Geoff and his crew showed up on a Monday morning at 9:15 without any contact letting me know they'd be starting that day. I was leaving to go out of town at that exact time. I hoped this would be a minor inconvenience. They sprayed the rain-soaked weeds, took out an old brick patio, removed the old fence, trenched, and installed the sprinkler system, and brought in compost. When I returned the following evening, they had pretty much completed the work, and there was a member of his crew raking the dirt. Geoff's crew had installed the line that ran parallel to the sidewalk 1" from the sidewalk. I had to have him change it, as there was no allowance for the fence he knew was being installed. There was a sprinkler head installed at the bottom of both sets of steps, centered, about 4" out from the bottom step. I had him remove one, and have made adjustments to accommodate the other. They broke my sewer line in two places, and did a repair on one spot. They may not have even noticed they broke the other, but I was not informed about the break. I found out by asking. Geoff offered to pay $60 toward the repair of the break. The rototilling that was agreed upon in the contract was not done. Working in the garden, I am finding 3" of compost resting on the solid clay soil. I have asked Geoff to come and install one more sprinkler head at one end of the yard, where the soil does not get watered thoroughly. The center of my yard is reached by several heads and is muddy, while the end looks wet immediately after the irrigation system shuts off, but is completely dry below 1/2" down. The soil is bone dry all the time. At this point, because Geoff told me that he has lost money on this job, which is the result of the work being done incorrectly, he is not returning to make the work right. Because the system works technically, in that it sprays water, and they did remove the bricks and fence, I am giving them a rating of 2. I would not recommend them for landscaping under any circumstances. read more

I would not ordinarily post negative comments on a contractor because there are so many extenuating circumstances that affect any individual job. But my experience was so similar to another poster's that it seems there are some consistent trends. The job was a small pergola over an existing patio, and Geoff was referred by the designer. The estimate process was great. After that it was a mixed bag. Scheduling seemed to depend on the squeaky wheel principle, but no matter; we finally fixed a date. From there the quality of the installation depended on my involvement. The anchor points for the posts were initially set in the wrong places - they were obviously not positioned symmetrically, and I had to be persistent about getting the measurements right. The finishing work was poor. There were visible gouges in the wood, the ends of the shade rails were splintered and rough, primer was exposed in places where the paint had not been applied evenly, some boards were split where nails were driven through them. When Geoff came to do the estimate we had discussed putting bases on the posts to hide the brackets, but those apparently were not included in the price, so I was quoted an additional cost to have them added. It took another 10 days and a couple of follow-up requests to get the post bases added and the job finished properly. Geoff didn't come by to inspect the job on either day. Why 3 stars instead of 1 or 2? I guess because the pergola looks nice, and it is finished. Edited on 9/19: Downgraded to 2 stars - I noticed the post bases aren't level... read more

Thank you to the entire crew....(Havi, Julio, Jose, Sergio to name a few) for all your hard work transforming our neglected front yard into a beautiful and safe space for us to enjoy. Thanks again Jose for the recycled paver design! See you all again for Phase 3.... read more

I emailed Geoff to bid two projects. He responded to the email quickly, but did not show up at the agreed upon time, After he did not show up, I emailed him again to reschedule (he did not contact me) and we agreed upon another time. He did not show up to view the projects again, but did call this time to reschedule for a third time to see the jobs. This time he arrived at the appointed time and agreed to do the yard clean-up starting on a Monday in about 10 days. He did not show up to do the job and has never contacted me. I would definitely stay away from him! read more

Geoff Swanson and his crew just finished a project in our front yard that included concrete and stamping, flagstone, a lot of rock, drainage work and some planting. We had plans drawn up and Geoff is creative and helpful with the details that are necessary to bring the project to fruition. A great crew, lead by Jose, was always punctual, they worked very hard and kept us informed of any issues that needed our attention. Ernesto and Manuel went above and beyond making sure that every detail of the project was attended to. Their work on the flagstone exceeded our expectations. Throughout the project the integrity of the entire team was clearly evident. We would highly recommend Swansons Landscaping. read more

Swanson's Landscaping operates like a well oiled machine. They have crews for each stage of the construction who specialize in their respective area. Each crew was prompt, professional and very courteous. Their work ethic is like nothing I have seen before (9am to 7pm in some cases). Just watching them work, it was clear that they treated my project as if it were their own - sweating the details and not rushing to finish the job. We had our backyard covered in flagstone with a retaining wall around one corner and a couple of planting areas against the house. The very first thing they did was trench the whole yard to provide proper drainage. My yard is 25'x25' and they put in 8 drains...I don't have to worry about El Nino rains. We let Geoff pick the trees and plants and he did a wonderful job of mixing up the colors and choosing drought resistant plants. Also included in our job, they installed path lighting in the planting areas and step lights in the retaining wall - a very nice touch that I didn't expect. I saw a lot of our neighbors using fly by night landscape folks (we are in a new development), but for me, I wanted the comfort and security of using a licensed, insured contractor that doesn't look for shortcuts to save money on a project. Swanson's is booked out a while, but Geoff assured me it was worth the wait and he was right. Anyone that can start right away can't be that good. I can't say enough good things about Swanson's Landscape, I would highly recommend them to anyone with a project to be done. read more

Hands down Geoff and his crew did a FANTASTIC job on both our front and back yard areas. We had him do a stamped concrete driveway and walkway in the front and a second raised patio in the back. We also had him add some drought tolerant plants, which he was very helpful in picking out. This was the second time using his services and each time we have been very pleased. His crew is very friendly and clean and was always right on time and in budget. I would highly recommend Geoff to all of my friends, clients and relatives. A+!!! read more

I've hired Geoff for several jobs and have always been pleased with the results. Most recently, I asked him to install a drain where water was pudding during the rainy season. During the process, they uncovered an existing drain that was clogged and covered which was causing the issue. Geoff waived the entire invoice and was prepared to absorb all the cost associated with the partially completed job which was certainly beyond the call of duty. I offered to compensate him in some way and he graciously accepted. That kind of behavior in a service provider is top of the class in my book and engenders loyalty in customers. Geoff is the first person I call for any of my jobs and I would highly recommend him. read more

This relates to irrigation work. I received great service, They are honest people to deal with. I will use them again.

Nice looking putting green on your portfolio. Polygrass did one identical to it in San Ramon. What are the odds of that? Keep up the nice work! read more

They have done an awesome work. The employee are very knowledgeable and provided very good advises. They came when they say they would be coming. Highly recommended. read more

Worked with Geoff 3 years back. I found him very reasonable with the pricing. He provided stress-free delivery and was very involved on a daily basis. He did not even require any upfront advance to begin the work. read more

Swanson Landscaping just completed our complete yard make-over-both front and back. I am 100% satisfied with the quality of work and the final product. Jose and the entire crew, Carlos, Cristain, Mike, Danilo were top-notch. They worked off a set of plans we had done with attention to detail throughout. If we wanted something adjusted or changed, Jose would make it happen. The crew worked hard every day to meet the deadline we had set for a retirement party we were having. They met the deadline despite us adding a fire pit to the plans and changed the fountain from a pre-made plug-in style to a large granite boulder spill-over style! They completed the project in 4 weeks right on schedule. The design also included flagstone pathways and patio which look fabulous. They left the property clean and organized at the end of each day. I couldn't be happier with the job they did! The price was fair (in the middle of 3 bids I obtained) and worth every penny. Without hesitation I would recommend Swanson Landscaping and Jose! read more

We couldn't be happier with our back yard all thanks to Swansons Landscaping - Geoff and his wonderful team! We received several quotes for our back yard. Swansons wasn't just the best quote, but we also really liked dealing with Geoff and felt very comfortable with having him create our back yard happy place and we are so glad we did! It took the team less than 4 days!!!! They were so very nice, professional, and kept the place clean throughout the process. Now we can enjoy the Livermore weather in our beautiful back yard. Thank you Geoff and team! read more

Highly recommend! I've been trying for weeks to get somebody out to look at some faulty sprinkler heads but everybody was too busy with bigger jobs. Geoff came out the day I first contacted him and his price was very fair. While he was here we started talking about the backyard and some work we'd like done. Geoff and his sister measured and will be getting me a quote right away. He's booked through September but I'll wait for service as good as his. read more

Replaced my driveway. Great job. Cleaned up everything and finished the job promptly.