Get matched with top retaining wall installation pros in Hoffman Estates, IL

"RESEARCH AND PLANNING: My wife and I were looking to upgrade our backyard and were in the process of looking for the right contractor. We had multiple contractors over and ultimately found Daniel. He first came to the house in 2016. We never hired contractors before. The only knowledge we had was what we read online. Daniel arrived on time and he took measurements of the back property. He prepared a pdf sketch of his plan and estimate of the project. Other contractors quoted us at $30,000 for just the backyard patio with no firepit or electrical hookups. Daniel's quote included everything mentioned and also included the front patio for the same price. He offered to put together a computer model to illustrate the design if we decided to move forward with the project. We waited another year to save more money for the project but we made our choice. We contacted Daniel a year later. We asked for references on his work and he provided us four initially and offered to provide more should we request it. He also provided us pictures from the references. We went to the residences to inspect his work and were pleased with what we saw. He also offered to provide the 3D model to us which we declined. We began making revisions to the old plan which Daniel helped us with along the way. We communicated primarily through e-mail. We went back and forth on ideas in the form of sketches. He bounced his ideas off of us and gave us many options to work with. Daniel continued to assist us and we paid him a deposit to secure his services. He assisted me on selecting the proper pavers and instructed me on the difference between the many options out there. The final contract was prepared with the estimate. We requested that Daniel itemize the contract and provide his insurance information and license information. He completed and complied with everything that was requested. He also included a time frame and warranty for his work. Daniel informed us that he would subcontract out the gas and electrical work which we agreed to. He also offered to run and install low voltage accent lighting. We would pay for the lights, transformer, and wiring separately. We signed the contract and Daniel applied for the permits. I went to pay for the permits and the village approved all of the work. THE PROJECT: Daniel and his crew came they started work at approximately 8 AM. Daniel and his crew tore down the eyesore that was our old deck. During demolition, Daniel discovered a portion of the siding and house that was rotting. He offered to repair it as long as we provided the materials. We made our first payment which Daniel annotated and signed on the original signed contract. I made copies of the contract with the annotations and he sent us an e-mail confirming that the payment was good. Daniel and his crew worked till approximately 6 PM. This would continue during the entire process minus some days where the crew were rained out. Daniel would send us e-mails informing us if he could not work due to weather and would start later or end earlier due to weather. During construction of the patios, Daniel would update me on his plan for the day and answer whichever questions I had. Daniel and his crew concentrated on their work and were self-sufficient. I was slow on providing much of the materials to Daniel but he was patient with me. His crew laid down plywood wherever they were using heavy machinery to save as much of my grass as possible. There was a single paver that appeared broken and when I pointed it out to Daniel, he promptly removed and replaced it. Due to the weather, Daniel and his crew worked on Saturdays to catch up. During the project, Daniel attempted to schedule an inspector to do the final inspection but the village was unable to send an individual out until after the completion date. Daniel and his crew, completed the patio, installed the low voltage lighting, and fixed the rotted area under the siding. On completion, I made another payment to Daniel but withheld the rest pending the passing inspection. I observed a deficiency on one of the pillars which I informed Daniel of. He told me that he would correct the problem which he later did. We waited for the final inspection and passed it. After the final inspection, Daniel came to set the pavers, repair the lawn, and I informed him that I no longer wished for him to set the concrete footings that we originally agreed to. He had no problem with the change and only requested that I reimburse him for the concrete. I provided final payment to him and requested a signed lien waiver from him and his subcontractors which he provided to me. He annotated on the contract that the contract was paid in full. SUMMARY: If you decided to skip the details and go to the bottom here is the summary. Daniel was easy to work with during the entire process. He provided feedback and updates regarding the project. Daniel and his crew are workhorses and very friendly. Daniel will correct deficiencies that you point out but there were very few to correct. He communicated to us through e-mail and updated us on project status. He completed the project in the quoted time, even with the weather delays and inspector delays. His price quoted was less than all of the other companies and the quality was more than we imagined. We plan on using him again when we decide to redo our driveway and mailbox. You won't be disappointed in selecting him to do your work. DISCLAIMER: Daniel constructed the firepit and laid down river rock for the filler. I bought the firepit glass and the burner as well as a whistle-free flex hose due to the volume of gas going into the burner. Daniel's plumbing subcontractor provided a flex hose and set up the burner for me but the whistling was driving me nuts and I decided to correct it without requesting that they correct it. I also bought the pillar lanterns and accent lighting for the patio but Daniel and his crew set the wiring."

"J&P was great to work with. Juan was very responsive to my emails and all my questions. He made good recommendations to improve our landscaping but wasn’t pushy. He got us on the schedule quickly, and the work was done promptly. In three days they had installed a new brick paver wall, completely reset and properly leveled our paver patio, trimmed/cleaned up all planting beds and put down new mulch. They even built a small pathway in our garden with our leftover brick. His team was professional and quick! Pricing was competitive. We have had several complements from the neighbors already - thanks J&P!"

"We worked with JD from Green City Gardens to design and plant new landscaping in the front of our house. This included removing the existing shrubs, adding organic materials and planting the new flowers and bushes. In addition, JD, Doug, Carl and John removed two existing trees which had died and replaced them with new trees. The project was projected to be completed in about 2.5 days and the team achieved the target. The entire crew was excellent to work with--each provided their input and recommendations regarding plant placement. Communication was excellent throughout the entire process--from initial design through planting. JD's design was excellent and the new landscaping greatly enhanced the front of our house. Doug, John, JD and Carl worked diligently to remove the existing landscaping and planting and mulching the new plants. Based on our experience, we highly recommend Green City Gardens---they were reasonably priced and easy to work with when making significant enhancements to our landscaping."

"Our natural stone retaining wall was failing due to improper initial installation by the original contractor several years ago. Brian and Luis came in and totally rebuilt the wall properly with the correct base and drainage to insure a long lasting product. The team arrived as scheduled and completed the work within the timeframe given. We couldn't be happier with the result!"

"I highly recommend Northscape .John and his crew did a fantastic job redoing my entire backyard, patio and sidewalk. The patio and sidewalk were sloping down about 45 degrees towards my basement after the polar vortex. They removed all of the concrete , raised the dirt, and poured in new concrete. My backyard desperately needed redoing. About 1/3 of it was always flooded after heavy rains. John and his men built a retaining wall on the end of the property to help correct this problem. The yard was also raised and sodded. Everything looks great! This year I plan to have my driveway and sidewalk done along with the front yard. I was very impressed that John worked alongside with his men. I highly recommend Northscape."

"Midwest Landscaping did a top-notch job on my front yard. I had 2 trees that needed major trimming, along with thinning of an over abundance of hostas. Pat was very personable and friendly, making it easy for me to voice my wishes and concerns. He explained in detail the big branches he would cut, where and how he would place the flagstone paths & outcropping stones and also the new nursery stock his workers would be planting. He and his team were quick and professional completing their work and clean-up in one day. They moved and re-planted some of my existing plants too, expertly placing them and changing my helter-skelter overgrown hosta carpet to a beautiful park-like setting. Beginning with something that looked overly oppressive & shady, my front landscaping now looks light, airy and welcoming. My curb appeal has just gone up 100%! Pat and his team of professionals were fabulous!"

"The project turned out top notch. Patio and stairs was completed on time They cleaned up and showed up on time I would definitely hire them again. Tony also did some landscaping planted bushes and put down mulch excellent job"

"They did an excellent job. Edvin is great and customer service oriented. They came on time and did the whole job as discussed."

"They did an excellent job cutting and patching the asphalt around our minestrone landscaping walls and bluestone pavers that when they end are flush with the asphalt"

"Well built and holding strong my family loves the new addition to the house, gives it a beautiful look"