Patricia Dechon

I got the bill, and I was being charged $2,225.60 for the job. I wrote to Valerie Hufnagel, the owner, asking how the price got that high, and noting I was being charged $185 per hour for 8 hours for the job. She said she needed 4 men on the job instead of 3, so had raised the rate. I was home, and there were only 2 men who did the entire job, with her son, Jason, briefly there as as a supervisor. I have no problem with Jason--he does great work, and is extremely nice and easy to get along with, but he was only there for about 1/2 an hour. Valerie then wrote back, saying she made an error in how many men where on the job, so she lowered the total cost to $1926.00. She ended the e-mail by saying " I am offended by your lack of respect for my costs and my overhead. Please pay the invoice attached and please don't ever call us again!" I wrote another e-mail, questioning the $600 total for the materials. She had said it was $100 for the pump, and $200 for the pond liner, plus a 100% markup on all materials. I went on Amazon to price similar materials, and came up with less that $50 for the pond liner. (the pond is 3 foot round, so a piece 10 feet square is more than enough to line it) The same pump that was used was price at $70, and the pump filter $9. So the price of the materials was around $130, not $300, and I also asked about the 100% mark up. Most contractors do a 50% mark up on materials maximum. Valerie responded "I find it funny that you think I purchase my materials at Amazon....We purchase our materials at suppliers that specialize in pond equipment." She also sent me the receipts for the materials, which were as she claimed. I suspect that the $200 price for the pond liner was for larger than a 10 foot by 10 foot piece, and was for materials used on other jobs. Also, if you can get materials at a much reduced price on Amazon rather that dealing with your current providers, why not do that? As for the 3.5 hours required for door to door, Valerie said that with traffic, it took at least an hour to get from their central office in New Jersey, plus the time required to load the materials. I spoke to some of Valerie's workers doing a job around 7th and Hudson Street, and asked them how long it took them to get from the central office to the cite in Hoboken. They responded that it took about 15 minutes. When I was told I had been charged for over an hour each way (3.5 hours more than the time on site), they all apologized, saying that was way out of line. As for loading up the truck, there were no special materials used on the job, just shovels and picks, which are always on a landscaping truck. Valerie's explanation for that was "Your project was the only project done that day. And yes you are being charged for 8 hours, because that is what door to door mean. My my door first think in the morning, back to my door in the evening." The e-mails were getting increasingly hostile, even though I tried to keep my side always reasonable, and trying to work out an equitable solution for both sides. Valerie was never willing to negotiate, and never even apologized when it was pointed out I was charged for a man who was never on the job. I ultimately paid the entire bill, but I felt I was unfairly treated. If you are working with Hufnagel Landscaping, I would ask these questions: 1. What is your markup on materials? (50% markup is usual for contractors.) 2. Will they make a reasonable effort to get their materials from the lowest cost provider? 3. If you are being billed door to door, what is the time getting from their office to your job? Readers of this review may think that I have cherry picked from Valerie Hufnagel's e-mails unfairly, so if anyone wants to see the entire e-mail exchange, including my side of it, just post a question here and I will be happy to provide it in total to show I am not being unreasonable.

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They came when they were supposed to come and they did everything to my satisfaction so I was happy with that. Their reliability and their workmanship was good.

We paid the deposit and she started working with the Historic District.  However, we abruptly decided we needed to move.  Not only did she refund the entire deposit without our offered retention for her time spent, she very promptly sent a crew to do front patio repair needed as a result of the buyer's unreasonable demand for re inspection of the underground storage tank that had been decommissioned previously.  AND SHE REFUSED TO TAKE MONEY FOR THE WORK.  There are not many people who would come and do an emergency small job for someone moving out of the area, never mind not charge for it.  We can't say enough good about Valerie.

No services provided.

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Valerie came over and seemed very thorough and professional. I though initially she would be a great fit for the project. She said a  quote would be ready in 2 weeks. I emailed her each week after the two week mark checking in to see when the quote would be ready and she would always reply back with "I'll have it at the end of the week" and still no quote. This went on for several weeks. It ended up taking 37 days to receive a pricing estimate. She sent us a rendering and quote , but it did not address the specific concerns and requests that we had. The unresponsiveness was a red flag but that combined with the lack of detail made me not pursue her for my backyard project. If it was this much of a hassle for a quote - I could only imagine the issues we could have during the project. After reviewing some of her poor reviews on Angie's list and seeing her sassy response to them I am very happy I did not choose to work with her company.

Last week, I had the privilege of having the folks at Hufnagel Landscaping again do the spring cleaning and just yesterday, I met
with Val D. who is going to step in and redesign and plant my garden, sadly undone by one rather large Golden Retriever.
Over the years, the crew at Hufnagel has replaced my deck, done major garden renovations, from design to installation, replaced an entire sidewalk and even dropped sandbags for Sandy.  At every turn, Valerie and her crew have been responsive, professional,
thoughtful, honest and honorable.  It is no easy feat hauling materials through one?s home to build a deck or lay out a patio of pavers.  They do all of it efficiently, neatly and reliably.
 In a town, where many contractors know they can over-charge clients and under-deliver excellence, it is comforting to know that there are still reliable business owners out there who value the quality of their work and the satisfaction of their customers.

They are extremely high priced.  I'm sure they would do a good job, but we had a wonderful contractor who did the work for less than half the cost.

Unhappy with the experience. They were supposed to give me a proposal within 2 business days and 2 weeks later I still haven't recieved it. I tried calling and sending an email with no response.

Clear estimate, honest pricing that stayed the same to the end.  Nice people.

The work went smoothly, and the crew leader was wiling to discuss and make small changes in the plan.  In the afternoon, a second truck arrived with more workers to make sure the job was completed that day. At one point I counted nine men.  Ms. Hufnagel's son came by  to inspect the work in progress. Although everything had to be carried in and out through a basement apartment, tarps were laid to protect the floor, and there was not a speck of dirt left behind.  This is an experienced, professional, and friendly group of workers. Once all the new plantings take, my scruffy back yard will have been transformed into a pleasant and attractive urban garden. Amazing!

This was a great experience from start to finish. In response to my call, Valerie Hufnagel first visited us to assess the current situation and discuss possible ideas of what could be done.  I had a general idea of what I wanted and Valerie came up with several excellent additional things that needed to be done but I hadn't thought of (replace drain, repair brick stairs). We shortly thereafter received a bid which we found competitive.  We were told work would commence in approximately one month but would be kept advised as the date drew nearer.  Throughout this period,  Valerie was completely responsive and available as we worked through some of the details, including plant selection.  Work started on time  - the team (led by Jason Hufnagel) showed up when promised and worked diligently throughout each day.  While I profess no knowledge of how to do what they were doing I have to say that I was very impressed with the care and attention to detail they demonstrated in all they did.  Everyone was polite and courteous and the work site was left in good shape each evening.  The work was completed in a week - just as had been promised.  I am 100%+ pleased with my new garden and would highly recommend Hufnagel Landscaping for a job very well done.

 the owner came to our property and provided literature and options.  they left the design and layout completely to us.  the work went extremely quickly once all plans were finalized.  there was one hitch.  my wife and I were under the impression we were paying for a privacy fence with a finished cap.  the owner quickly offered a suggestion which allowed the look of the yard to follow our hope.  they installed a complete cap on the entire fence at no additional fee. 

i found all the workers to be extremely friendly, professional and prompt. 

they followed our design to a 't' and we love our back yard.  I would recommend them in a heart beat and actually have to friends and acquaintances.

the work done to remove the previously undone construction debris was monumental.  debris as removed.  the house was kept clean.  the landscaping took only a few days.  followed by the construction of the fence and ended with the installation of the pond. 

it's beautiful!  HUFNAGEL is truly professional and knowledgeable. 

It went very well. They are professional, they did job faster than expected, the employees were very good, and I had no problems with them at all.

They were great and the service was excellent. They were on time, clean, and friendly.

They were great and the service was excellent. They were on time, clean, and friendly.

THEY WERE A VERY GOOD COMPANY. THEY DID WHAT THEY SAID THEY WOULD DO. I THINK THAT THIS COMPANY WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL. WHEN I TOLD THEM TO COME BACK THEY DID. THEY CLEANED UP ALL OF THE LIMBS.

THIS GUY, WHO IS A LICENSED ARBORIST, TOOK CARE OF THE JOB VERY WELL. HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT, AND HE GAVE ME A WRITTEN ESTIMATE. ALSO, HE HAULED AWAY THE REMAINS FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE.

THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THIS COMPANY IS THAT THERE HARD TO GET A HOLD OF. THEY DO A GREAT JOB AND CLEAN UP AFTER THEY ARE DONE. THERE PRICE IS FAIR AND THERE SERVICE IS NICE. I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THERE SERVICE.