Milwaukee Water Fountain Installation

We were very pleased with Curt's quick response to our call and the scheduling of our work for the next week. His crew were hard workers and did a great job. They treated our yard as if it were their own. They did more than the contract called for, were punctual and very personable. They cleaned up thoroughly every day and at the end of the job. They were all great to work with.

We were very pleased with Curt's quick response to our call and the scheduling of our work for the next week. His crew were hard workers and did a great job. They treated our yard as if it were their own. They did more than the contract called for, were punctual and very personable. They cleaned up thoroughly every day and at the end of the job. They were all great to work with.

They did a fabulous job. We could not be more satisfied with the way the water feature turned out.

Our experience consisted of both good and bad. The Good: We interviewed several contractors, and Bryan, by far, best understood what we wanted, and provided us with a detailed concept that matched our needs within our general price range. Bryan is very personable, provided excellent ideas regarding stone types and design concepts, and was willing to work with us to tweak the design to our liking. His company started the construction the week that he originally anticipated. He was responsive to several small issues/repairs that were needed to the work during the initial construction process. The overall patio was done well and turned out beautifully. The Bad: During the interview process, we stressed how important our landscaping was to us. To put things in perspective, we have over 600 different perennial flowers in multiple gardens spread throughout our yard. We specifically asked about how they were going to protect the lawn between the driveway and the back yard, where the patio was to be installed. Our understanding of that conversation was that they would lay plywood down to protect the lawn from the construction equipment and general construction area. The crew arrived while we were at work, and laid two pieces of plywood down to protect the edge of the driveway. The short story is that our yard looked like they held a monster truck rally in it for a week, destroying the grass in roughly two-thirds of our back yard and one side yard. When we finally agreed how this was to be repaired (excavation of compacted and rutted areas, depth of soil, etc.) we found out, because we came home before they were finished with the repair, that they did not excavate the compacted and rutted areas as agreed, and only spread soil across the top of the damage. I protested, and I believe that they repaired the yard as I requested the next day, based on several stakes that they put in the yard showing the excavated depth. Although Bryan said that he did not charge for the repair labor because of the misunderstanding of the requested lawn protection, the lawn repair cost us an additional $1,000. The other bad part of this was that the dirt that they brought in had an unusually large amount of stones and weeds. I spent many, many hours during the rest of the summer continuously removing these. Also, because the dirt settled, and the seed did not come in evenly, near the end of the summer I ended up bringing in my own dirt, spreading and leveling it across the entire repaired area, and then over-seeding. We also had issues with the water feature losing water (far beyond evaporation or spray). I did multiple controlled experiments, and found that the water feature would lose about 15 gallons every couple of days. It took two and a half months and multiple communications and visits by their subcontractor to finally get it and quot;betterand quot;. I still think that it can be improved, and will work on it myself in the spring.

Eva took the ideas I had and turned them into reality. Raul and his crew were highly professional. When a problem arose with the water feature Eva was here to fix it promptly. I enjoyed working with Eva.

He did a really good job and was very prompt, professional and efficient. He recommended some spring landscaping tasks so I will hire him again in the spring. He also winterized my outside water feature in my pond.

Staff were generally personable and courteous, but disorganized and often late. The electrician who installed the outlet put it in front of the area that the fountain was supposed to go, so there is a junction box sticking up at the edge of the patio. He refused to move it when requested. Three young men did most of the preparatory work for the patio. During my initial discussions with the contractor, I was clear on several points: the patio should drain into the side gardens, the soil should prepared for the plantings(remove impacted clay soil and replace with dirt that I provided), and all the old soil that was excavated was to be removed from the property. The contractor was also to deliver all materials for the patio. Later however, the contractor said he didn't have the cash, and asked me to order the patio blocks and pay to have them delivered. He ordered more than twice as many blocks as were needed, which had to be returned. He also had issues with removing the excavated clay soil. He piled some of it against the neighbors house, where the shrubs were to go. When it came time to settle, he wanted to charge extra for removing it. The plan was changed several times(I had to do my own drawing)and when it was time to lay the blocks, it became clear that the contractor had not figured out in advance how they would be laid out. The blocks were not set close enough together, and there is a big gap between the sidewalk and the patio(1/2 inch). I was told they could not dig a trench for the shrubs, but that they would dig an adequate sized hole for each one. Except for three large plants, the shrubs were supposed to be 2 feet apart, but were planted closer(14"). If the holes had been dug according to the planting instructions that came with them, they would have had a trench by default. Immediately after the shrubs were planted, I found that when I watered them, instead of soaking into the ground, the water poured off the top and pooled onto the patio. Before the contractor completed the job, I let him know of my concern that the ground had not been properly prepared and the shrubs would not have proper drainage to survive. He did not take any action. Within a couple of weeks, the shrubs started turning brown. In addition, I found that water pools on the patio. A brief inspection revealed impacted clay soil surrounding the shrubs. I emailed the contractor to express my concern. He responded on the phone, and said it was "normal" for them to do that, and did not offer to check out the situation.

The overall experience was great. The landscape team of Sean, Katee and Martine communicated every step of the way. They were professional and reliable. We never experienced any problems from the first day of planning and during the three week project. They used top quality materials and the work was done by true craftsmen who took pride in their work. Very respectful and they kept the work site clean after each day of work.

Excellent excellent excellent. Jamon and Greg Peterson treated this project like it was for their own home. They listened to our needs for creating an outside living space that would compliment a new additiona that we put on last year. The yard was a mess from the prior contractor and the landscaping needed to be updated. Our goal was a seamless experience between our new garden room and the yard. Extreme Exteriors brought in a landscape architech who understood our vision and drew the plans. Jamon and his dad then began the project in June of 2011. I have dealt with many contractors but none as customer focused as Extreme Exteriors. They knew better than I did what I wanted. Their quality and attention to detail is phenominal. They always left the work space in spotless condition. My friends and family are blown away by our new outdoor room. It is truly our get away - our most favorite place to be. I can not say enough good things about Extreme Exteriors except that they deliver Extreme Happiness!!!

Integrity was exceptionally easy to work with and very professional. I had contacted two other landscapers prior to calling Integrity and was not pleased with either. My first meeting with Integrity was with the owner. I told him my vision and it was like he was in my head. I wanted more of an old fashion, vintage vibe. A plan was created that was perfect. Although Integrity provided the highest bid my initial experience was so positive I opted to have them do the project. The crew arrived on time with the owner. I was very impressed that the owner spoke Spanish to his mostly hispanic crew, making sure there was clear communication about the project. I was included in the process, reviewing work at various stages and providing input regarding location of plants, fountains and decorative rock. Everyone was so friendly and professional. The job was completed in less than 1 day. Also of note, the lawn was protected with ply wood for moving equipment. The site was cleaned and looked great when the crew left. I have waited to write review because I wanted to wait until the end of the season to make sure I was completely satisfied. There was one hiccup, but it was minor and Integrity resolved the issue rapidly and beyond my expectation. From a cost perspective I was able to use the Angie's List discount offered by integrity. That was a nice perk, but note cash payment is expected. There is a fee for using a credit card. Overall Integrity is a class act. I am very pleased with my experience with them and would recommend them to anyone with confidence. I get so many compliments on my yard. The landscaping was a great enhancement to an already great condo. I love my outdoor space!