One of the reasons we moved to our new home in North Royalton during the summer of 2015 was the…read morebackyard. While still in a nice neighborhood, it was deep, private and perfect for hanging out with friends and family. Quickly, my wife and I began discussion options to increase our outdoor living space. We already have a spacious stamped concrete patio, patio set and a nice propane fire pit. Since we love the outdoors, we started to envision a larger fire pit or fireplace and some type of open structure.
A friend recommended a contractor based on experience working with the company to redo their patio. I had the company out and we briefly talked over what I was looking to accomplish, the total visit was about 20 minutes. The owner returned several weeks later with some basic computer drawings, plans and a crazy high price tag. I knew the vision wouldn't be inexpensive, but it seemed significantly over the top for the proposed paver patio, pre-fab fireplace and 14'x14' pavilion. A little disappointed, I decided to get a quote from a second contractor. They quoted the same basic setup, including the same pavilion and pre-fab fireplace and a few dollars more expensive. This was starting to look like a non-start or at least a multi-year project.
Fast forward to spring 2016 where I'm still a bit frustrated with the cost and materials. I decided to see if I could contract out all the components myself and manage my own project. That's when I met the folks at Bennett's on Route 18. I stopped in to talk to them about a pavilion. Nancy asked enough, pointed questions for me to pull out the plans from the previous contractors. I shared the plans with her and even talked about pricing. Not only could Bennett's cut the price of the pavilion by almost 50%, Nancy told me I must talk to their neighbors at American Natural Stone, all but promising a lower cost with much higher quality. Ultimately, Nancy put me in contact with Tom Jackson. Tom came to our home about a week later. We spent a least an hour talking through all the options for our ideas and the various possible spaces in our backyard.
Due to some business travel on my end, Tom came back out about a month later. Tom presented very detailed digital drawings and renderings. His proposal include Red, White and Blue options that offered an array of options, materials and stones in the three different price groups. All options included 3" of concrete under all pavers, sinking the pavilion posts 36" into concrete and a 36" deep concrete footer for the fireplace. When neither of the previous two contractors included those options, I was fearful for to see the project prices. I almost fell out of my chair when Tom shared the three price groups. Tom's highest price group was a solid 20% less than the least expensive competitor, including all the concrete, a custom-built fireplace, gas line and LED lighting. No prefab fireplace unit or uneven pavers here. Tom even worked with Bennett's to get us a larger 16' x 16' pavilion.
Needless to say, work stared later last summer. American Natural Stone is a multi-generation family outfit. During the project, I had the privilege to meet Tom's father, mother and brother. They were all very polite and considerate. They even let my two young sons help every now and then. Overall, the project took a bit longer than I expected. However, the end quality more than makes up for any small delays in the project plan. We now have a beautiful paver patio, pavilion, custom fireplace, lighting and landscaping to complement the existing patio. Can't wait for spring to come so we can get back out there to enjoy the great outdoors. If you're building a home or doing any patio or stone project, I highly suggest your first stop be to American Natural Stone.
Thanks Tom and the crew.
