We hired Open Range first to create a custom design for our backyard, then to build the majority of that design. They assured us their in-house team could execute the plans on time and on budget. We moved forward with them based on that promise but what followed was a series of costly mistakes, poor communication, and ultimately a complete breakdown in trust. Despite us raising concerns early about slipping timelines and unclear budgeting, no one ever told us the design we paid for was unbuildable. That only came to light after the crew walked off the job without notice, and we had to escalate to the CEO. Only then did someone from their team finally admit that the design was "impossible to build as drawn." At that point, demolition was complete, several mistakes had already been made, and we were left with a partially destroyed yard and no plan to fix it. Some of the major issues included: improper patio grading confirmed by a third party, making the surrounding retention work unusable; trees cut from two neighbors' properties despite clearly marked lines and explicit warnings; steps installed into the hillside instead of from the patio as designed; a path laid in the wrong direction, now leading awkwardly into a planter; rock installed despite clear written communication; fence post holes immediately driven over by machinery and needing to be redone by us; and billing for utilities that were never run and had been removed from scope. We'd like to proactively address the pushback we expect to hear from the owner/CEO in response to this review based on our conversations once things devolved. She expressed that we were making too many changes and that the team did not walk off the job. For clarity, we only made two real changes prior to her involvement and the abandonment of the job: removing the majority of the front yard work from the scope and asking that utilities, excluding a gas line, not be run to the patio as originally planned. We did solidify hot tub vault dimensions, request a drain and electrical conduit to that hot tub vault, and discuss who would lay the pavers--all of which were included in the original bid process and confirmed multiple times throughout the process. Our changes and clarifications were made early, communicated clearly, and should not have impacted the work already underway. The only other scope change came from the Open Range team regarding additional retention needed along the hillside which we promptly approved and paid for. Once they pulled out, we started going back and forth about what we could or were going to do to keep the job progressing until they got back to us with a budget and timeline to continue, but that never came. As for the claim they did not abandon the job, while we (as mentioned previously) were asking questions about timing and budget, we paid all of our invoices and never once indicated that we didn't want work to continue. When the trailer and heavy equipment were removed, we asked about it and were told it was being serviced. The next day, the portapotty was also taken with no communication, and at that point, we felt we had no choice but to conclude the team had effectively walked off the job, which is when we reached out to the CEO. It's also worth noting that we received a lien notice from Sunbelt Rentals, dated prior to our termination of the agreement, indicating Open Range had failed to pay their vendor. We've since terminated our agreement and are pursuing a refund for the unusable design, unused deposit, and work that was either not completed or done incorrectly which amounts to roughly 50% of what we've paid. While we've been told the team is "working on it," we've yet to receive a response or resolution, and the detailed concerns we outlined alongside our refund request have not been meaningfully addressed. We strongly recommend avoiding this company. They do not stand behind their work, do not own their mistakes, and do not communicate when things go wrong. read more