I found Randy Dooley, the owner of Backyard Paradise, at the 2012 Birmingham Home & Garden Show (found out later he won first prize in his category). I was planning a full backyard renovation so I received quotes from different contractors. I didn't meet him at the show, but based on his website and materials from the show, I called and scheduled an on-site appointment. I created a plan for my vision of the backyard. I wanted a stone patio, a leveled backyard with no grass, and a living wall of trees to block the view from the open alley. I found by doing my own research and having a plan that the communication with landscapers went more smoothly. I also contacted 3 other landscapers for comparison quotes (all on Angie's List): - the first quoted on the spot, was extremely overpriced and very generic, did not make me feel comfortable about the process - the second was on time, the hardscaping was same pricing as Backyard Paradise but the landscaping was significantly higher - the third didn't show for 1st appt, was 1.5 hrs late for 2nd appt, and then never followed up with a quote We chose Randy based on price (landscape pricing was more reasonable), his ability to show his skill level and knowledge, and we felt comfortable working with him - there was a great flow of open communication and full discussion of creative ideas. The job started a few weeks after our initial meeting because he had work scheduled in front of us. They showed up on time every morning and I was able to have a quick meeting with him before I left for work to discuss details for each days activities. Randy's input was very important to the final product; in one instance I decided to extend the length of the stone wall when he mentioned the impact of the view from our dining room windows. He laid out the shape of the patio and the wall prior to construction and his symmetry / layout of the patio and wall was exceptional (our backyard sloped in two directions), They cleaned up every day, hauled away the debris and easily accommodated any changes I requested. The drainage through the wall was very well done, the arborvitae trees were excellent quality and will grow together nicely to create a courtyard effect. Randy was able to find the stone mulch I wanted (slate chips which look a lot like wood mulch chips, except for the gray color). I am a perfectionist and I have no complaints about the work Randy performed - I am extremely pleased with the results; he does high quality work, is very knowledgable about his business and pays attention to detail. I also hired him to build a fence (which is on a separate review). Once I live within this new space a while I will hire him to complete a planting plan for the backyard courtyard area; but for now I am very happy with the initial result. We also get a lot of cars stopping so people can stare at our backyard... so the privacy effect we wanted isn't exactly working out for us - lol, it will be better once the trees grow together. In late Nov., a garbage truck ran over the corner of our planting bed and did a bit of damage, we hired Randy to complete the repairs and he picked out some big rocks and cemented them into the corner to prevent future damaged - and placed them to flow with the existing edging so I am very pleased with the result. Hopefully, people will watch out where they're driving in the future or they're going to hit some big rocks.