Get matched with top retaining wall installation pros in Glen Echo, MD

"We spent dozens and dozens of hours researching contractors. Save yourself a lot of time, meet with Cleber and CJ, and hire XtraCare. We have done a few renovations - interior and exterior - and this was by far our easiest, most hands-off project with the most stunning results. We worked with a landscape designer to design our backyard. She recommended XtraCare because the work, which required leveling a very steep and large backyard, was complex and because she had experience working with them in the past. I met with three contractors; the proposal from Cleber/XtraCare and my other top tier contractor were nearly the same which said to me that the proposal was the market rate. (My third proposal came from what I called my “cowboy” who was a one-man shop, working out of his truck and often hard to track down. His proposal was lower but I would have to manage everything if I went with him.). Based on my conversations with Cleber, I realized XtraCare would take care of everything, with little oversight and a priority on communication. This is exactly what we got. The excellent service started even before we signed the contract. The proposal was itemized and easy to follow and Cleber made himself available to speak about the proposal and my questions on a number of occasions. He also came to my home three times to ensure he got everything right in the proposal because again, this was a complicated projects with multiple retaining walls, over 50+ tons (yes, tons) of boulder, multiple walkways, and lots and lots of block and soil. Looking back, everything that Cleber anticipated was right. For example, he anticipated that our deck posts would need replacing so he was able to quote us that replacement on the proposal, with no charge until we know exactly what we were working with. Likewise, if he gets the poundage of boulders wrong, your account will be created which eased my mind (I thought 50 tons of boulders was crazy; I was wrong. We used 52). That sort of experience with drafting proposals is mutually beneficial as there were no surprises and I could anticipate how much this would cost at the end. After we signed, Mari was such a pleasure to work with. She handled our DC RiverSmart permeable paver application and refund, in addition to finalizing colors of the patio and walkways. When I was on the fence about colors, she worked with Angela to create a three color design between patio, borders and walls that added texture and interest to the landscape. Our project started in August 2020 which was easily one of the rainiest months I can remember. Like these things go, surprises always happen but we were prepared. Upon excavation under the deck, we uncovered 9 rotting deck posts (installed incorrectly by a previous owner and national deck building company!) but Cleber already anticipated this. The rain slowed the project down but the guys worked as much as they could with the weather, and even when they couldn’t work “on” the project, they were thinking about how to move it forward by bringing material on rainy days. Overall, XtraCare built about 7 retaining walls of different sizes including a beautiful curved one that requires DCRA inspection, five different walkways, two patio areas, five stair cases connecting various areas, and a permeable paver driveway. They laid out 52 tons of boulders to create two organic-looking retaining walls, laid out five pallets of sod, and cut and mulched a number of flower beds in this space. Our foreman Markus was really great, experienced, attentive to detail, and unafraid to ask me questions. CJ the project manager texted, called or stopped by nearly every day to manage the project and my expectations. Everyday, the crew left the place neat and tidy and every day, they worked their tails off and made progress on the project. Lastly, I didn’t feel nickeled and dimes the entire time like I have with previous renovations. XtraCare is focused on getting things right and making things look good, instead of opportunities for constant change orders like other contractors seem to do. In the end, the project took nearly three full months and was well worth the wait. It is stunning! We would recommend XtraCare in a heartbeat to anyone."

"The contractor and crew did a fabulous job of installing a permeable paved driveway and retaining wall. They were respectful of me, my time and property. They kept me updated and explained each phase of the project. I’m very very pleased with the company and the completed project. I highly recommend this company and would definitely use them again."

"Great drawings and very professional. I’m putting this project on hold until the fall. It appears there’s other items on the foundation wall that needs to be taken care of before the landscaping company can do their job"

"Talk about a wonderful job! This company built 2 sitting walls in on my patio! They are perfect! Such a great company. Will definitely hire again and again!!! Thank you Thank you!"

"We had a great experience working with Mike and his DC Patio crews. Relationships are important when entering into a big project, and we clicked right away with Mike. During his initial site visit, he listened to what we were looking for, provided suggestions for us to consider on details where we were undecided, and really took it all in as it was a large project wrapping around three sides of the house. He was flexible regarding our desire to source some of our own materials, and provided a detailed, comprehensive estimate that was very competitive relative to other proposals we received. Our project was delayed due to our preferred materials being unavailable as the factory shut down for two months during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, but once we had a delivery date, DC Patio was able to get us on their schedule and get started. The crews were great: respectful, courteous, polite, tidy. Edgardo and Victor were here almost everyday, and Henry, Marvin, Donaldo, and others joined depending on nature and scope of the day's work. Mike usually came out in the morning to go over the plan for the next day or two and walk through any design decisions that were needed. In the course of about five weeks, the crews were able to remove two old walkways (including jackhammering out a set of concrete steps), add 4-10 inches of soil all the way around the house to create slope for drainage, divert 5 downspouts with underground pipes and pop-up emitters as well as two catch basins, build the crushed stone base for the new walkways and multi-level patio, install a small retaining/seating wall as well as two long, curved steps between the levels, build three small sets of bluestone steps into the house, and install two curving paver walkways, three pavers circles, a fire pit, and a large paver patio, totaling almost 2000 sq ft! And they moved a few large plants and installed some landscape lighting at each stair riser to boot. The last step was to seed the area around the patio for grass, but due to it being early July, we all expected that it may be too hot for the seed to take root even with daily watering. Mike anticipated this and planned to send a crew back in the early fall to overseed, which he did proactively without prompting. The grass seed took hold the second time and now we are all set to enjoy our new spaces this spring! We always like to support local business who take care of their customers AND their employees, and Mike's commitment to communicating with his crews in Spanish is clearly appreciated. The commitment goes both ways - we talked to several of his guys who have worked with him for many years. I would highly recommend considering DC Patio if you're in the market to transform your property with beautiful hardscaping."

"They were amazing. I mean it really looks good. I think that if I paid less, it might not have looked quite as good. They were really professionals that knew what they were doing. The way they did the retaining wall just looks really really nice. I would give them higher than an A in some way. They were so nice. There were so many of them, and they worked so fast. They were experts. The salesman was also excellent because he took into part what I was trying to convey, and he designed it. He kept showing me, and we kept sort of tweaking it. You want that. They were punctual. They were scheduled for a week or so later, and I called and asked if they could come earlier because they had an opening in their schedule. They like to keep their crews working constantly, and I had really wanted it done as soon as possible. So I agreed. They came and they were right on time. They worked very hard. They always cleaned up after themselves. I mean so many leave a mess or leave a part of it undone. Plus, it just exceeded my expectations of how it looked in the end."

"The project went very well. It was completed on time and within budget as designed. Our new retaining wall is beautiful and will keep our landscaping maintained for many years to come!"

"Eddie Lovius & Fortune Stoneworks proved skilled, responsive, and prompt in doing several masonry jobs for us. Over the course of the past year Eddie has built a stone retaining wall for us, two stone stair cases, and a walk. Several of these we thought through while they were in progress. Eddie had no problem accommodating our requests beautifully. And his advice along the way was invaluable. We’d definitely hire him again - and we plan to."

"Mr. and Mrs. Howe along with their team of professionals transformed the entire back yard of my Ellicott City townhouse from grass/weeds to a beautiful hardscape surface. Great quality, extremely efficient from start to finish, overall a wonderful experience. Will be reaching out to them again in the Spring to transform the front yard, I consider them landscaping/hardscaping, "Alchemists"."

"The team arrived promptly when they said they would, cleaned up the yard afterwards and put back trellises, lawn ornaments and drain pipes from downspouts. Beds were cleaned up, weeded, shrubs I wanted trimmed were trimmed and new mulch applied. Nothing was damaged as has been my experience with other landscaping services I used in the past (broken gate, ripped out healthy crape myrtle, shrubs trimmed that shouldn't have been trimmed). Kuhlman did an amazing job --my garden has never looked so good--and I will be using them again next year.
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