First Impression Hardscapes

After visiting several design and build companies for the construction of our patio, we decided to go with Mike and First Impressions. Our backyard sloped dramatically across the rear of the house. Other companies seemed to want to bring in fill material to raise lower sections. Mike suggested that we use the slope and dig in more than one terrace connected by paver stairs. Mike was very patient with us in choosing our pavers and tweaking the design. He worked with us to incorporate all of the features we wanted and maintain our sightlines of the US Capitol. When the crew arrived, I was amazed. They brought 12-15 guys that worked together through sweltering heat from 7AM to after 6PM everyday for six days to get it done. The work is beautiful and we'll be enjoying our patio all year (thanks to the fire pit) and for many years. As for the finished product, check out the pictures!! Thanks, Mike and First Impressions

They were great. 7 or so men came every day and did a super job. He asked many questions to make sure he was thorough in his work. It is beautiful. They were good to clean up after themselves every day.

We cannot say enough about the professionalism and flexibility of everyone at First Impressions and the high quality of their work. Our initial contact was with Mike, who came to our house on a Saturday morning to hear our plan and give us a quote. We really appreciated that he offered his own ideas and suggestions, and that he created a computer drawing of the patio plan right at the kitchen table. Once we had settled on First Impressions for our job (we had gotten quotes from five other contractors), Mike helped us choose the paver and veneer materials and got us on the schedule. Mike was very patient through several rounds of plan edits and our many, many questions, and helped us prepare documentation for our HOA application. Within two weeks, the project began and we were introduced to John, who oversaw the day-to-day work. John was just as impressive as Mike. He was on site every single day, usually multiple times per day, directing the workers, fielding questions from us, explaining the process, and troubleshooting as necessary. His 29 years of experience in this line of work was clearly evident?he provided very valuable insights and suggestions that saved us money and improved the functionality of the drainage system. Equally impressive was the team of workers who were at our house 12 hours a day for 8 days. They were efficient, polite, clean, and highly skilled. Having never seen a paver patio project, we were astounded by the precision and effort it required, not to mention the amount of manpower! On several days, there were no less than 12 workers at the house, all with levels in hand to ensure perfect grading of the surface. As with any project of this size, several problems popped up along the way, which First Impressions dealt with efficiently and helpfully. For instance, we discovered an enormous rock under a portion of the area we needed to excavate for the firepit. Mike and John brought in a jackhammer and the foreman spent almost an entire day breaking it up. We were certain the rock situation was going to cost us time and money, but it did neither. First Impressions didn?t charge us anything extra! Several other issues arose, but our project timeline was never delayed and the price did not go up. First Impressions honored their commitment to completing our project on time (actually, in less time than they quoted!) and on budget. After the project was completed, Mike came back to check in with us and make sure we were satisfied. We are! The patio is beautifully done and the attention to every detail is evident. The day after the project was completed, we had a flash flood and got to see the patio and drain system in action. It was impressive, to say the least. The flow of water off of the patio and into the system was awesome to watch and the drain system itself functioned beautifully: no standing water anywhere on the patio or in our yard. We could not be happier with our beautiful, functional patio and with the experience we had with First Impressions, thanks to Mike, John, and the whole team. A+

The First Impressions team was great, and I will definitely use them again! Mike Walters guided us through the entire process of providing the estimate and making recommendations appropriate for the age and look of our house. We actually had another contractor come in under First Impressions' cost estimate, but based on my meeting with Mike, I knew that their expertise was worth the added expense (especially since I lacked the vision of the project). Mike was very responsive throughout the project. The installation team guided by John Morgado was great. They worked quickly, efficiently and created beautiful work. Our new flagstone patio looks amazing as does the new sod. It exceeded all my expectations. And as a bonus, the team repaired some cracks in our sidewalk just to be nice....which was really awesome since we decided to put off the sidewalk replacement for a later date. Overall, great work by the First Impressions team! I couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Mike Walters came out took measurements, drew up a plan and gave me several estimates and options for the project - removal and replacement of driveway, walkway and entrance/stoop for our house. Talked about pluses and minuses for each option and he sent a written estimate that night based on the final decision. The project included a combination of cement driveway with paver borders and two paver stripes plus a paver walkway (reshaped,widened and reconfigured) and paver stoop and steps into house with bullnose edge. Mike came out to our house on a holiday/day off to show us sample pavers/colors and review the project. The foreman came out on Saturday to meet us and review the design and go over everything he needed to know before construction. The crew started at 8 am on Monday and worked until late (5 pm) to get the old concrete removed and framed up the area in prep for the cement install on Tuesday. They carefully took up grass and placed around back for us to reuse, moved plants, sprinkler heads and moved an electrical conduit. The crew showed up at 8 am and worked until 6 pm on Tuesday. The pavers were placed as borders and stoop prepped. Wednesday was final install day, with completion of pavers and stoop. The crew finished the job by cleaning the glass front door, replaced grass, seeded the dirt edges and laid straw on the seed. Our property looked immaculate when the crew left. And the final project is fantastic! We have had a steady stream of admiring neighbors who were as thoroughly impressed as we were with the entire project from start to finish. Excellent attention to detail from start to finish. The project was completed to perfection.

Working with First Impression Hardscapes was a very positive experience from start to finish. Very professional, attentive to detail, and quality and customer oriented. Mike Walters, Sales Manager, met with us to provide an estimate. He measured and explained the various options, scope of work and process. Mike was very patient in addressing questions. No hard sell. At the time we were exploring all replacement options for the driveway -- concrete; pavers; asphalt. Using First Impression turned out to be the best value. It also helped that the company was local and stands behind its work for five years. Their crew showed up on time everyday, worked hard, and cleaned the area up before leaving. John Morgado, principal owner, was at the site bright and early everyday and stopped by several times a day each day. On each visit, John spent time talking with me, explaining each step as they progressed, and answering questions. A foreman was on site at all times supervising and working. I was impressed with everyone's work ethic. it was evident that everyone at First Impressions takes pride in their work. The work was performed within the time frame provided and was top notch! John Morgado and Mike Walters were very professional, personable, and easy to work with. Everything looks great and it was a job well done! I have no hesitation recommending First Impressions and would use them again in a heart beat.

Before going ahead with the renovation, we naturally contacted a number of contractors. We were generally happy with the various estimates (all comparable price wise), but in the end we decided to opt for First Impression because of the design and because of their great professionalism in this process. Mike Walters came to visit the house and provided clear and helpful explanations about his design. He was also available when we needed more information and to answer our questions. As for the work itself, John Morgado and his team were extremely diligent and efficient. While they finished within the deadline, they still did so paying great attention to details, and were also very clear about any future required maintenance for the pavement. We certainly strongly recommend First Impression.

Mike Walters came to my house to see the situation. He explained in detail how his company would approach the project and made suggestions for improving the design. There were six men working on this project in addition to John Morgado who did oversee the project. John was amazing and so patient as he addressed any of my concerns while the work was being done. He was at the house often checking that all was going according to plan -- and all did. Superb company! I have a magnificent front walkway that is giving us such pleasure.

They were creative in terms of design. They were also very hard working and we were very pleased over all. They were also reasonably priced and performed high quality service.

Several years ago, after running into standstill with a difficult contractor and engineer, I took the advice of a neighbor and contacted Right Path Construction Management. Frank D'Anton, the principal, was quick to respond, mediating the situation and finding a company capable of Old World artisanship. This company, which is named First Impression Hardscapes, had staff that was both competent and honest. Right Path saw this project through to completion and I was so pleased with the Consruction Management approach of Right Path that I had Right Path continue working for me - creating a breath taking 500 square foot paver patio, underpinned retaining wall to support a garage on the property line, and most recently, a beautiful bed and bath addition to my house. Vaulted ceilings, rooms filled with light, A.D.A. compliant ramp are just some of the many features that the staff of Right Path worked closely on with my architect to tailor this project to my needs. I strongly recommend Right Path Construction Management for any project you may have. The principal of Right Path, Frank D'Anton, will make you part of the decision making process. He will make sure that changes you make along the way do not become excuses for price gouging. He is a consummate professional who makes what could be a stressful and frustrating process a much calmer and easy process for the homeowner.

They were excellent. Fast and timely in visiting to give us an estimate, they started work promptly when they said they would and finished on time. When there were a couple of very slight mistakes made they were corrected immediately.

No problems at all, true professionals (see above statement)

To start, we thoroughly enjoyed the planning phase with the salesman. We had gotten three quotes before calling First Impression and had not been impressed. The other companies basically asked for our ideas without providing any of their own. First Impression provided a couple of different plans. First Impression was also able to draw a 3-D vision of the new space while the other companies took a few days to email us a one dimension diagram. It was great to be able to see the plan (with the picked out pavers) on the spot. The job took five days to complete. The crew was punctual and polite at the start of every morning. On the first day, the foreman went back over the plan with us (which did not originally include the half wall) to confirm he understood the work to be done. Once the discussion was over, the crew got to work immediately. Since this was the backyard, they kept grass destruction to a minimum with a small path which they backfilled with grass seed and hay. The crew worked diligently for 10 hours each day and cleaned up after themselves at the end of each. When it was ascertained that we would need a half wall in order to keep the woods from falling onto the patio, he let us know immediately and explained what would happen if we did not build it. He then called his supervisor to obtain a quote so that we could make an informed decision. After the job was complete, we were given a couple of days to check out the work before they came back for the final payment. It was a job well done.

This was not the cheapest estimate for the work, but they justified their expense by explaining why what they proposed would be superior and then doing an excellent job. The crew was courteous, and cheerful. They kept us able to access our garage while they worked. The railing repair and installation took a couple of extra days to complete but we were kept informed of what was happening, so there were no surprises. They cleaned up after themselves very well, and everything they did looks good.

Everything was very smooth. I did end up using another contractor but was very happy with this one.

Based on my experience, there isn't a rating high enough for First Impressions. The initial visit and consultation was short and to the point. Mike listened to what I wanted and came up with a rough sketch and (reasonably priced) estimate. The crew showed up on time and the work was performed exactly in accordance with their proposed schedule. We hit one snag, but when I brought it to Mike's attention, it was immediately remedied. Everything about this experience was fantastic.

We received 3 estimates for this work. This estimate was the mid-priced estimate. All parties of this firm were professional, punctual and accurate about the work they would be performing (and performed), including (1) providing excellent ideas for certain aspects of the work that did not add cost to the job, but represented a better approach; (2) working with us to keep this project with out stated budget. and (3) keeping to the timeline for the work. The work took about 2-3 days, and after each day, the work was cleaned up and the yard looked neat and orderly. All of the workers were friendly and accessible. After the work was completed, they power washed all of the areas affected by the work, and planted grass seed in the grassy areas affected by their work. The foreman was a pleasure to deal with....responsive and knowledgeable.

John came to the house to discuss the job and showed us products he recommended. We asked for an estimate for the various parts of the job. He showed us a product catalog and pictures of work he'd done for other customers. When he left, he said we would here from him with the estimate. Over a week went by until we received the estimate. The price was rather high and so, after discussing to do the basics now, we asked him for a revised estimate. We never heard from him again. Emailing didn't help and calls were unanswered. Unless you are planning to spend $10,000 or more, we recommend you deal with another contractor. If you go with John, be prepared for delays and poor communication.

First Impressions is a wonderful company to do business with. John Morgado did a brilliant job and took expert care of every little detail of our patio. He took the plans we had and made extremely helpful suggestions with both the design and material selection. His crew came when they were supposed to, worked long, hard hours to get the job done, were neat and careful in both the yard and in the house when they came in to use the facilities. Overall, they did a wonderful job and I would HIGHLY recommend them. The company that they subcontracted out to do the deck work, Right Path Construction Mangement (RPCM) , however, was a nightmare to do business with. They did not show up when they were supposed to, did not call to say they when they were coming, did the worst job of construction I have ever seen in my life, and then had to be hunted down to re-do the work multiple times. What was promised to be a 3-day job turned into a 2 month nightmare! Throughout this whole thing, John Morgado from First Impressions worked with us, tracked down Frank d'Anton from RCPM, showed up to make sure that he was doing the work he said he would, met with us several times to make sure that things were going the way we wanted, and saw the job through to a successful conclusion. If it wasn't for him, we would still have a half-built deck and steps. I highly recommend First Impressions for any paving or hardscape work. They got the job done and made sure that those they hired did the same.

Wonderful, such great service, from start to finish and responsiveness. Love my yard.

Overall,They did a wonderful job and would ask them to do any future project. I would like to say "thank you" to Mike Walters,Sales Manager for all of his assistance and patience in doing my pavers and working with the DC government.

- Communication with Mike Walters (sales rep) was excellent. He discussed several design options for the patio and provided a written estimate within a very quick turnaround time. - Everyone who worked on the patio, from Mike Walters and John Morgado down to the work crew, was fully informed of the work plan. There were no unpleasant surprises. - The crew was very professional and worked long hours to complete the job. - John Morgado (construction manager) had excellent knowledge and expertise. He resolved all issues that arose. John checked the work progress daily and communication with him was excellent.

They were top notch and I would highly recommend them.

We are very pleased with the results. John was open to my ideas about the design, but also made several important suggestions and allowed me to finalize the layout of the bricks and flagstone the day before they actually put them in place. They worked very efficiently and put in full long days to meet my deadline (we were having a wedding reception). They were a little harder on the grass in some spots than necessary perhaps, but provided replacement sod and it all looks great now. We particularly like the brick design that John suggested in the walk in front of the stoop. His team was skilled and hard working. I had feared that we would have our teeth on edge when they brought in a jack hammer to remove the old driveway, but John just brought in a Bobcat with a forklift, cracked the slab into big chunks and had it loaded and gone in one morning with no jackhammer. We have already recommended him to friends.

I was referred to First Impressions Hardscape by the D.C. Riversmart Program after a stormwater audit recommended replacing my existing concrete driveway with pervious pavers. Riversmart provides up to $1,200 toward projects that involve replacing impervious surfaces with pervious pavers, so the cost listed above, is what I paid out-of-pocket for the project. I received a list of qualified contractors from Riversmart in early April and emailed all of the contractors on the same day. Although, First Impressions Hardscape was the third contractor to respond to my inquiry, it was the second contractor to schedule an appointment for an estimate. Mike Walters, the sales manager arrived early for the estimate and spent an extended amount of time answering my questions and developing the specs for my project. He was very patient and responsive to all of my questions about the estimate, when I was trying to compare the estimates that I received and select a contractor. Although First Impressions didn't have the lowest estimate, it was at the lower range of estimates and based on a combination of word of mouth (through my neighborhood listserv, Angie's List and my positive impression of Mike), I selected First Impressions as the contractor. My project was scheduled to begin on Monday, July 11th. On Wednesday, July 6th, I received a voicemail message from John Morgado, asking if they could start the project earlier -- on Friday, July 8th. I wasn't able to return the call until last on Wednesday evening and John, very apologetically, told me that he has already given the Friday slot to another customer, so they would start my project on Tuesday, July 12th. I said that Tuesday was fine. On Saturday, July 9th, John called and said that he was in the backyard, marking out the project and that the crew would be able to start the project on Monday, July 11th, because they were finishing the project that started on Friday a little earlier than anticipated. John also told me that the crew would be at my house at 7:30 am on Monday. During our meeting, he said that he would have the crew re-route the back downspout under the driveway so that the run-off from the gutter would go into the soil. At 7:32 on Monday, the first crew member pulled some equipment into my backyard. He also apologized because it took longer than anticipated to park the truck with the equipment (my home is located on a narrow side street and the driveway is off the alley in the back of the house). I told him that I would probably be home late that evening, sometime after 7pm and he said that they would probably still be working. When I arrived home on Monday night at about 7:15 pm, the crew was cleaning up and most of the driveway was laid out. On Tuesday, the crew arrived shortly before 8:00 am. Again, I left for work. When I returned at 7:30 pm that evening, the work was complete. The step from the driveway to the alley had been built slightly larger than originally drawn on the plans, but looked even better than I anticipated. The crew had even placed sod around the new driveway and watered it. (which I had not anticipated) The grass was still soaked when I got home (it was well over 90 degrees on July 12th) and according to my neighbor, the crew had just left. John told me the the sod had been removed as part of another project and would have been discarded, so they used it to replace the sod (mostly weeds) that had been removed during the installation of my project. This was an unexpected bonus. I've already received several compliments from neighbors about the driveway and am very pleased with the work and the project.