Don Ostwalt Brick Mason

They did a good job on the wall but they left a mess and din't finish the wall all the way down

It went really well. He's a craftsman. He's a seventy year old Sicilian and he's been doing it for forty years so there is not much that he doesn't know about it. He did substantial amount of work. He cleaned up and took all the debris away. I would recommend him. It was $200 cheaper than the other guy. He's a gawky old man.

It went well enough. We thought that the price was a little high for the actual work done but, he came out promptly and the work was done very satisfactorily. He cleaned up after himself. He's courteous and professional and did the work. It took less than 2 hours, I think. We have no complaints. He did what we needed when we needed it so, we're happy with that.

Great! He does things right without rushing through the job!

I have used several contractors in the past and I have to say without a doubt that Don has to be the best contractor I have ever used! He spent two days working at my house and was always punctual. His main concern was doing a good job and making sure that I was happy with the work. He is very meticulous in his work and takes the time to do it right. Although Don charges by the hour he does not goof off at all. His work is that of a perfectionist and he has a strong work ethic. He is very honest, and when he gave me the final bill after completing the work he itemized everything down to the penny including receipts for the materials and hours of labor. He is also easy to talk to and just a genuinely nice man. If more contractors would strive to be like Don there would be a lot of happy homeowners out there! I hope to use him again in the future to replace my concrete slab patio with some type of designer stone such as man made flagstone.

Very well.

I think things went very well. Don was there early to get started and worked all day, a total of 9 hours. Which was pretty true to his estimate. We are pleased with the quality of his work and will use him for some future projects.

He is a great guy. He charges $20 an hour and he is always very fair. He doesn’t goof around and gets down to business. He is prompt, reliable and honest, and when he is done, the work is perfect. The work that he has done for us looks good, and the joints have held up for a long time. He is a pleasant person, and if he says he is going to be here at 7 a.m., you would hear his cement mixer starting up at 7:05. In fact, he would be sitting out in the front at 6:30. He never uses subs, and once in a while, if it is needed, he will get a helper. I would rate him highly overall. When he says that he is there for an estimate, he is always there. If there is any change - which there rarely is - he communicates right away. He is not fast, but he is very careful and very reasonable. I’d rather have somebody do the job right at a reasonable price than have somebody for less and then have problems. I wouldn’t consider hiring another brick mason.

WE had several people bid the job for the addition. Mr Ostwalt was NOT the lowest price, but he was 1)prompt in appearing for the estimate and 2)he pointed out different considerations and ideas (which we liked) and 3)he was, in our opinion, very realistic about what the job involved. He likes to work from 7am-3 pm, at which time he departs and does estimates for other jobs. You could set your clock by Mr. Ostwalt. He was out front in his truck around 6:30am drinking a coffee. At 7am, he began mixing concrete and 7:05am you could hear his cement machine. He would have a little midmorning break, a little lunch break and clean up and finish by around 3-3:15pm. In his hourly calculations, we were not charged for his breaks. Our first job, the addition, was done by the job. Part of the job involved taking bricks from several different cubes of different bricks, mixing them up to appear random, and then moving them to his work area. We homeowners worked with him on this because it kept the cost down and it helped us to deal with any issues as they came up. If you yourself would not be into participating in this way, I assure you that Mr Ostwalt could have done this brick mixing himself. It simply would have added to the cost. To tell the truth, he is such a pleasant man, it was a pleasure to work with him and the work went quickly. Let me describe this man so you will have a picture. He is local to Mooresville. All his family is here. He is in his late 40's, very agreeable, quiet, yet still friendly. A family man, his children are now grown, but still live in the area. In the time since his working on our home, he has also given advice and consultation to a Girl Scout Silver Project and a Boy Scout Eagle Project which involved brickwork. He is generous and sincere in spirit. I am convinced that he is one of the most honest people I have ever met. Don Ostwalt likes to work locally, although he tell us once that he was doing a big job for someone in Boone,. Perhaps he might travel some you need someone of his skills and work ethic. To continue about the jobs, anything that came up was completely resolved. Never once was there anything done that wasn't of high quality and workmanship. Now when rains pour, our large patio drains perfectly into 2 storm drains and a wall drain which distribute rainwater to the garden. All mortar joints have all held - no cracking or flaking. I am very confident that if a problem did come up, he would come to the house and repair it. However, there has been no problem. I have recommended Mr Ostwalt to several people who have been just as pleased as we are. I wouldn't have anyone else do brickwork. How fortunate to find someone who is pleasant, professional and talented. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO DO ANY WORK OF BRICK OR STONE AT ALL, large or small, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER HAVING DON OSTWALT GIVE YOU AN ESTIMATE. WHEN YOU HIRE HIM, YOU WILL FIND THAT YOUR CONFIDENCE IS WELL-PLACED.