Get matched with top retaining wall installation pros in Avon, MN

"Before I made my selection to go with Genadek Landscaping I did my homework!  I met with 6 different Landscapers, got estimates, read Angie's List Reviews, checked with the BBB.  The reason for this is my particular project was difficult.  I needed to replace a retaining wall that was about to fall down and hit my house.  It was about 3 feet from house and 4 feet tall (so you do the math).  Problem is that the retaining wall was holding back my neighbor's hill so I needed a Landscaper AND an Excavator.  Enter Stan Genadek.  
From the moment I met with Stan Genadek I could tell that he and his team were different.  Not only were they landscapers that understood soil dynamics, but they were also an excavators and could remove my retaining wall and build a new one the right way without damage to my house or my neighbor's hill.  Also, they were able to do other things (example - remove my old window wells and put in new ones) whereas some other landscaping companies weren't comfortable doing all the work I wanted done.  Also, I found Stan to be really pleasant to work with and could ask him any questions I had.  Stan even game me some terrific additional ideas for my yard that I ended up using.
Overall, comparing estimates I found Genadek Landscaping to be about middle of the road (in terms of price) they weren't the most expensive or the cheapest.  But really seemed to have the expertise, so I booked my job in end of July and put my $100 down to reserve my place in line.  I was told that the project would be about 10-12 weeks out due to how busy they get.  So here's a warning, book EARLY!!!  But it's definitely worth the wait, the work is top notch!
The project started around the end of September and took about 3 weeks.  The foreman's name was Mike and there was a 3 man crew.  I was immediately impressed with the work!  Very professional, great attitude, and daily check-ins and updates to let me know what was going on.  I got all my questions answered on a daily basis and the crew cleaned up after themselves each day.  I was really impressed with the work and could see that Mike and his crew truly cared about my house and my project and wanted it to be great.  Mike would even take me aside with just random pieces of advice and comments about things I could do for maintenance and upkeep with my landscaping after they left (just as a courtesy).
Once the project was completed we did a final walkthrough and went over every small detail before handing over my final check.  I was very satisfied!  I've already received a number of compliments from friends and neighbors on the work and will go back to Genadek landscaping in a heartbeat for any future jobs.
Also, I have to say Stan was great to work with on the business-side of things throughout the process as well.  I had Stan's email and cell number and whenever I left a message I'd get a quick response back and he was always pleasant to work with.
Overall, I'm very happy and can't say enough great things about this company!"

"Working with Artistic Fence was a great experience.  We needed a fence that could contain a dog that can climb chain link, but didn't want a privacy fence to cut us off from our neighbors.  Amy from Artistic Fence came and looked over our property, talked about our options for our fence, and wrote out a bid right there.  She answered all my questions, and was very helpful and professional.  Their bid came in on the low end of the quotes we got.  Their building timeline was reasonable, even though it was the busy season for new fences, and the folks that came to build the fence where prompt, and impressively efficient.  The fence is exactly what we hoped for, and is beautifully done.  We couldn't be happier with it.  
I really recommend Artistic Fence.

Update: A few months after the fence was installed, a few of the wooden caps that cover the fence posts began to split, assumedly because of water.  I called them, they sent someone out, and replaced the broken parts free of charge under the warranty."

"I was really happy with Justin and his team. For me this was a big job and involved a lot of money and a lot of moving parts. The ceiling texturing had been poorly done so removal was not as simple as scraping popcorn ceilings. The house had many different dark colored walls so the painting over them was not a simple task either. Justin is very meticulous and thorough and his crew is polite and determined to get everything just right. I can recommend them without any hesitation whatsoever."

"Will complete in spring of 2014 when other hardscaping is completed.  Josh is great to work with and I'm looking forward to completing this next spring.
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"The technician arrived late, but there was road construction everywhere and traffic was at a dead stop, so I can't blame him, and it wasn't a big deal. The tech. seemed knowledgeable and recommended replacing 4 sprinkler heads and digging out and raising two. I knew that I had at least one head that probably needed to be replaced and was not too surprised that others needed to be replaced after the winter and the snowplows going over them, which is why I purchased the tune-up special at $69. Since the company that installed my system charges $100 just to come out, this was a good deal for me. The technician seemed thorough and I would use this company again.
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"They did a super job. Driveway looks excellent with the new crushed granite. I was having run off issues on 2 sides of my house. After being leveled that problem is gone. Landscape rock next to retaining wall gives a nice facelift.
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Vitaly (owner) came to my house to see what needed to be done and to offer suggestions.  He was polite and professional.

Viktor came to work on time a few days later to start the demolition. The dumpster was not there the first day so he came back the next day to start. No problem.  Viktor and his helper worked very hard to demolish  the bathroom.  They cleaned up each day before they left.

There was some mold on an adjacent bedroom wall , which was not surprising, since the some of the old bathroom shower tiles were missing.  Vitaly thought that we could find some kind of a solution to get rid of the mold, but  none of the stores had a powerful enough formula to do the job right.  After a  few days, I decided it was best to have that wall removed completely.   Vitaly asked Viktor to give a bid to remove the bedroom wall.  Viktor did not want to take on that job.  Vitaly then gave me a name of a contractor who specializes in mold removal.  I hired that company and in about another week, the mold wall was carefully removed and replaced with another bedroom wall. 

Before the bedroom mold wall was removed, Viktor installed an outside vent cap for the bathroom fan.   There is a small section of roof (approx. 18 inches) with a pitch extending from the side of the house above the bathroom ceiling where the vent roof cap could be placed.

 Viktor installed  a vent cap, but it was the wrong type.  He installed a wall vent cap, not a roof vent cap.  Also, the vent was installed over the shingles and flashing, instead of under them. If left as is, wind and rain  would be able to come into the exhaust pipe or leak under the shingles and enter the bath fan/house.  I notified Vitaly about it.  He called me back and said that they would fix it.  He said that Viktor told him that he had installed that type of vent before.   I said to Vitally that I would remove it and install a new, correct type of vent.

After the bedroom wall was replaced, I decided  that I did not want to use Vitaly's services any more.  I called Viatly and talked to him about the situation and my decision.  He was very polite and listened to what I had to say.  We agreed that it was best to settle on the charges I owed him and move on.    

 I've called Angie's List a few times, since, to talk about the situation.    One of the things that I found from the Angie's List Representative was that Vitaly's company had already been paid by Angie's List.  This surprised me, since I thought a contractor would get paid for a Big Deal only AFTER the work had been done.

  At this point, I want to be sure that Vitaly's company gets paid for the work they did. (they have been paid, amount is unknown) 

  Also, I would like to get a refund for $3700.00     I feel that I owe Vitaly $1300.00 for the work his company did.   My figure includes an adjustment for replacing the bath fan vent and for the extra 5 days the dumpster sat in my yard.

I would appreciate a resolution to this situation so that all 3 parties can move on.  Thank you. 

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"Working with Heinen Garage Construction was a great experience. They tore down our old garage and built us a new 22x24. They were great communicators through the process and we are so pleased with our new garage!"

"When work was started to remove the crushed rock, there was standing water and a lot of mud.  The construction also took place during the very heavy rains of last June.  Tom dug out all of the crushed rock and enough soil to install a good class 5 base, followed by sand and then 7" think Versa Block pavers.  The job was excellent and came through the winter and spring in fine shape, while our neighbors experienced significant frost heaves.  Tom was punctual, took care to not damage the rest of the yard when removing all of the stone and bringing in the pavers.  The work was excellent and we have received many complements on how it looks.  We feel that we definitely got our money's worth with the job.  I would highly recommend Tom and his team.
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"It went great. They were on time and found a loose wire and reconnected it. Cleaned the unit well and just charged me for the cleaning and tune up."