Landmark Landscapes of NM
About us
We specialize in creative design and high quality construction. We are a small team of landscape professionals that have been working in Landscaping for over 13 years with the same Designer and crew. When you request a free estimate you will meet with the owner/ designer personally to discuss your unique landscape needs. Owner/ Designer Nigel Nowlin has a unique flair for landscape design which is durable, beautiful and cost effective. We do almost everything in house which means we are accountable for the quality of construction and complete jobs rapidly. We have one crew and build one project at a time from start to finish, so our customers enjoy a personalized, courteous and fun installation. Our customers report that we are the most creative, polite and clean-jobsite landscapers they have ever worked with. We believe in environmental stewardship, recycling when possible and using modern (and quiet) equipment to build and clean up your project. We believe in giving back to the community. We love New Mexico and it's natural beauty and express that through our designs and work. - Owner Nigel Nowlin was raised in Placitas and Corrales, NM. He attended Menaul School and University of New Mexico where he graduated with a BA in Communications. He apprenticed for 6 years with a local Landscape Contractor, designing, building and managing high quality projects before starting Landmark Landscapes of NM.
Business highlights
Services we offer
Grading and drainage, Landscape and seasonal lighting, Personalized lansdcape design and consultation by owner. For a free landscape estimates call (505) 620-3233). Patios and walkways built from brick and tumbled concrete, Planting design and installation, Soil and sod installation., Unique shade structures such as maintenance free Aluma-wood and Shade Sails, Water saving automatic sprinklers and drip irrigation, flagstone and colored concrete Low maintenance water features and waterfalls
Amenities
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
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"Thank you for your review- I really enjoyed working with you and the front yard came out incredible."
"Thank you so much for your kind review- we really enjoyed working with you and the transformation of your backyard was incredible. Please let us know if we can help you in the future!"
"Thank you for the review- I really like how the large shade structure and new patio we built changes the whole feel of your back yard. It is so much more inviting and I hope you get a lot of use and enjoyment from it."
"Thank you for the work and your kind review- I really think we transformed your back yard with the addition of the large patio and benches. The view really looks great from the new patio and I hope it brings you lots of enjoyment through the years."
"Thank you for the review- what a difference! I am so glad we got to work with you to finish off the dirt areas in your large back yard. The pathways, plants and fire pit area really make your backyard feel like a resort! This project was a lot of fun."
"Dear client- thank you for taking the time to give us a positive review. We greatly appreciate ti!"
"Thank you for the review- yes, we may cost more than others. But we give so much more than other companies with highest quality materials, , service, installation and nice little extras! Thank you for pointing out that when you work with us you get the BEST!"
We asked Nigel Nowlin from Landmark to design and construct a patio that offered both an intimate setting, but also the expansiveness to entertain large groups of people. He did this in a seamless manner by designing an artistic and flowing patio surrounded by beautiful plants, trees and shrubs and splashes of colorful rock that complimented the pavers we picked out. One end of the patio offers a water feature that's both beautiful and peaceful. The other end offers a fire pit that provides both warmth and coziness to a large yard. Really, the finished product is a piece of art that touches on all the senses.
We highly recommend Landmark Landscapes before you trust any one else with your home. The quality, professionalism and artistry is unrivaled.
"Thank you for the review and the wonderful project! This was a design challenge that we installed with style and quality to spare. I appreciate you and your family trusting us with such a large project- I hope you enjoy the results for years to come!"
Nigel Nowlin and his two foremen had superb ideas and showed great depth in knowledge + installation skill. Our 18 X 28 ft patio of pavers looks fabulous along with the pathway and paved edging to it. They also designed and installed a great drainage system to make sure there is no backyard flooding (we have a sloping lawn which meets the patio, and together could flood the backdoor without proper drainage).
To top it off, they put in many extras without charge or fuss. For example, I came home from work to find that they used the paver leftovers to give me a concrete-set 4 X 6 ft. pad on which to park the garbage and recycle bins! Also, to pick the right tree, Nigel met us at the nursery for a walk around to discuss tree options/traits and hand pick the exact tree that would appear the next day in our front yard. And they did the entire job in 16 consecutive days without hardly taking time to catch their breath.
These are the guys to have when you want the job done creatively, and right.
"Thank you for the review and the work, we greatly appreciate it! Your project was a lot of fun to design and build- I think the color choice for your large patio and edging was inspired. Your new yard is now very pleasing to the eye and hopefully much lower maintenance. We work hard to stand out among Landscape Contractors- we want to be the considered the best in town! Enjoy your new landscape. -N"
We set up an appointment. Nigel showed us his vision. What we loved about his idea was the patio wouldn't be straight across in a square or rectangle, but had many curves and levels, giving it much character. The design complimented the three levels we already had. Nigel drew the design on a sheet of paper and didn't charge us for it. Most contractors do charge for their design.
The day we expected the landscapers it snowed, but it didn't stop them from working. They started prepping, by removing the grass and other objects i.e. rocks etc. which would be in the way. The next day they leveled, laid the under layers of gravel and sand then came the pavers and there were a lot of them. They measured them with a level.
What I loved about this company is they worked straight through from start to finish. It took them a week. Landmark Landscapes employees work during the winter months and that also fit in with our plan, having it ready for Spring.
We were more than happy with the four man crew. We never seen them take a break. They buzzed around like robots and were very particular in making sure everything was done to perfection. Max, the foreman, didn't need to tell the other men what to do next. They automatically saw what needed to be done and did it. All the men were polite and friendly. We enjoyed getting to know such a dedicated group of people who do quality work. We'd certainly use them again. Try them you'll love them!
"Thank you very much for the review! We really enjoyed building your project and we are very happy with the artistic way that it was finished. We greatly appreciate the work in the winter and are dedicated to providing well paying jobs year round to our team of craftsmen. Enjoy your new backyard!"
"Thank you very much for the review and the work- I hope we can do more with you in the future. Your new yard looks marvelous!"
"Dear Client- thank you for your business. However- we cannot be held responsible for plant life if they are not watered. I don't think it is fair to expect that a business would replace plants that are not watered. Also, please check the restrictions- to my knowledge there are no restrictions on hand watering thirsty plants that need a drink. Kind regards- Nigel"
The other contractors came to my house, talked with me and then gave me a design about a week later. Nigel doesn't work like that. He came to my house, talked with me and then spent about 30-45 minutes coming up with a hand sketched design. Which he then reviewed with me. I immediately liked the design but needed some time to think about.
Nigel sent me some addresses of other properties that he had worked on, so I visited them. I wasn't that impressed. We later got together and he took me to some additional projects he had worked on and I really liked what he did. I accepted Nigel's bid.
I expected that Nigel would create a new more detailed design but he doesn't work like that. He prefers to get a design 90% correct and then work out the details as we go. This got alarm bells going off in my head since I have heard of contractors underbidding projects and then making up the difference as progressed. Making you overpay for each change. Nigel assured me that he doesn't do that and I felt good about how things worked out.
About a week before the project started Nigel came out and drew lines with paint in my yard to give me an idea of how things would look. This gave me a chance to better imagine how things would go and I appreciated it.
Once the work started we would meet each morning (sometimes with his crew, sometimes without) to review what they did the day before, talk about what they were going to do and what was coming up. Several times Nigel's crew (which is awesome btw) would stage things for me so that I could see what things would look like and make changes before they were cemented in place. In two particular cases, I made changes that I think improved the landscape and the crew took things in stride. No complaints and no additional fees.
The crew worked for about 2 1/2 weeks and it was great. They clean up at the end of each day and they work hard throughout the day.
I love how things turned out. Nigel was great listening to me, implementing my (and his) ideas, and making good suggestions when I didn't know how I wanted to proceed. I would totally recommend him to others.
Two tips:
1) Nigel loves to use paint to draw the lines and give you an idea of how things are going to work. Be careful about those lines, his crew is super efficient and if there is a bulge or a dip, make sure that you tell them your opinion of it. Some of the places I visited had a few weird bumps in lines and I think the crew just followed the paint because they weren't told otherwise. I made sure that they knew that I wanted smooth lines and I had no problem.
2) Before I started the project, I asked Nigel how we resolved differences since we didn't have a official design for the project, just a hand sketched outline. He said that as long as the work wasn't substantially different from the design, he usually just did the work. For the most part, I found that this was true. But there was a couple of things that I asked them to do (not big things) that ended up costing more than Nigel expected. This came up when we were settling the bill and he added a couple of hundred dollars for it. It wasn't exorbitant and I think I certainly got my money's worth but I wished he had pointed out what was going things were going to cost me extra. BTW they did lots of additional things that they didn't charge me for. I think I came out ahead.
If you pick Nowlin, what do you get for your money? From my experience, you get terrific, personalized customer service; a pleasing combination of artistic flair and functionality; conscientious, diligent, and meticulous workers who've been with the company for at least a few years; and a product that you should enjoy for a long time.
We like our home but our patio courtyard suffered from neglect. We also realized after a few epic downpours in the past decade that the drainage in and around the courtyard area was less than ideal. It was time to embark on a home improvement mission. Nigel Nowlin, the owner, came by for an initial appointment. He carefully listened to our concerns and general impressions of what we wanted. He took this information and outlined some ideas. The ideas made sense and fit the situation. I was particularly concerned about the drainage. Nigel outlined a plan to use a shallow trench lined with cobbles to divert water away from the house and into a small retention pond. We ended up with an aesthetically pleasing design that was also quite practical and functional.
Once we decided what we wanted, Nigel brought his foremen, Max and Mark, over to do a walkthrough of the project. This helped get all of us on the same page. The crew of four men arrived on time every day. I was impressed how they attended to the little details. For example, they were very careful to make sure the installed pavers sloped correctly to carry water off the patio. The drainage swale was similarly constructed with great attention paid to ensuring a continuous slope and drainage across its length.
As noted by other reviewers, Nigel throws in some extras at no charge. For example, Max and the crew tidied up the existing landscaping in the front yard, saving me several hours of work. Nigel took a couple hours out of his schedule to help me pick out a tree that would help serve as a windbreak for the courtyard. Every day, the crew left the work area clean and free of typical construction "junk". Max was great at explaining the progress of the project, and made every effort to accommodate "tweaks" to the project. Nigel periodically came by to check on the work and made sure everything was going as planned.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. My family and I are thrilled with our new courtyard! Great contractor, highly recommended.
"Dear Client, Thank you for your review. I enjoyed our meetings and really like how the project came out. The low maintenance yard came out nicely but my favorite thing has to be the aircraft cable trellis system we designed together. The spacing you suggested looks great and I hope to see it in a few years when the wall is covered in green! Sincerely, Nigel Nowlin"
Access was maintained for deliveries and to client's business office.
Where new construction abutted existing areas great care was taken in matching, cleaning and going the extra step to make it look good.
The crew's attention to detail was amazing. Their willingness to listen and provide suggestions was constant and greatly appreciated. We never felt we were interfering in any way but were on the same team. They were respectful to both people and property. Their demeanor while working on our property was superior to any company we have had doing work on our house.
Nigel and Max went above and beyond to make us happy. The end result exceeded our hopes and expectations. We have no qualms working with them again and hope to work with them again.
We would highly recommend Nowlin Superior Landscapes.
"Dear Client- Thank you for the review and business. Your driveway and sidewalk really look great as they climb up the hill to your home. I enjoyed building your project and hope to help you design any future remodel. Sincerely -Nigel Nowlin"
"Thank you for your kind review. I really enjoyed watching your back yard transform from barren to amazing. I loved the choice of wall color and pavers. I hope you enjoy your new yard for years to come. -Nigel"
"Dear customer, thank you for the kind review. Those no cost little extras are one of my trademarks, I enjoy looking at the project and figuring out how to make it really pop. I really enjoyed building your large landscape project. Thank you again and let me know if I can assist you in the future. Sincerely, Nigel"
Nowlin did not bring in appropriate equipment to do grade work in a timely manner. Construction of retaining wall was not straight or level. Nowlin was unable to professionally measurements and guage grading and drainage. Because the work needed to be coordinated with the construction of a new porch, Nowlin needed to do soil removal and preliminary grading before contractor could build porch. Contractor had to do additional grading that Nowlin would not do to build porch.
Nowlin was paid in full for work at completion of preliminary grade work and before retaining wall was completed. At this time the quality of the work on the wall and the issue of drainage was raised, but Nowlin did not address either issues. Owner should have held back a % of the fee at this time.
Upon conpletion of porch Nowlin was asked to finish work he was paid in full for. He failed to return to the job and stated that he had completed all the work he was contracted for and would not address any of the issues - stating he put in more time on the job than he had esatimated it would take. I'm sorry if he under estimated the job.
He was fired and a different contractor was brought on. The new contractor raised many of the issues stated including that the automatic valve that was installed was in violation of City code. Nowlin neverpulled a permit nor got an inspection. I am now having to pay to have Nowlins mistakes and incomplete work corrected.
"It is always sad to have a customer be dissatisfied. For over 10 years I have built landscapes for happy customers who want 1-on-1 service and who trust my design skills. What this client expected was a Landscape Architect quality drawing for the price of a design. He wanted me to build a "rush" job overseen by two project managers while he was out-of-the country. I should have said "no" to these conditions, but I was too eager to please. Project was completed and paid in full on November 13th, 2012. Two months passed without communication from the client. I felt confident that the job was completed to his satisfaction. Then, to my surprise I was re-contacted by the customer. He wanted me to do additional work with no additional compensation. His memory (not my bid) told him that I was to come back and finish some" to-be- determined" items. To remedy this situation, I met with the Project Manager who oversaw my part of the project on-site. We reviewed the work done as compared to the project bid I submitted. We concluded that the job was built to the specifications of my bid. She relayed this to the customer. I was asked to sign and return several legal and tax documents. Again, as I understood it, my job was complete. Now, I find this unhappy review on Angie's List. So for a third time, I called the customer. We both calmly communicated our understanding of the situation. After all this time, we certainly remember what happened differently. I offered monetary compensation. It wasn't enough for him. In the end we both agreed that I could not make this right in his eyes. In closing, what I have learned from this process is priceless. Clear communication and contracts are paramount. I am encouraged to understand and serve my clients better always. Sincerely, Nigel Nowlin- Owner"
"Thank you for the note, I loved building your project and hope it brings you joy and complements for years to come. -Nigel"
Nigel gave me an estimate broken down by sections, making it easy for us to decided what we wanted now or what could wait. He kept in contact, meeting with us a few times before we made the final decision on exactly what we wanted. The crew Nigel has working for him were professional and extremely easy to work with. As they were working, I kept adding "something" else, and these guys were patient in working with me and making sure I got exactly what I wanted. They showed up early in the morning and worked all day, 5 days a week, until the job was complete. The patio and walk-ways they put in are beyond beautiful! Not only is the workmanship top quality, but these men are a pleasure to work with! If they saw something that needed to be done, they took it upon themselves to do it even though it was beyond the scope of what they were hired to do.
With recent rains, I had no pooling of water which was a major problem before. They are returning to do my daughters yard next and we are planning on having them back to do the front of our property soon! I highly recommend Nowlin Superior Landscapes. Design, workmanship, professionalism, cost were all incredible!
"Thank you for the review . I hope the yard is looking great and hope to help you in the future with the front. Best regards, Nigel"
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