Get matched with top masons in Cross River, NY

"I hired Alex Masonry to remove and rebuild a retaining wall that was leaning. After some discussion, I decided to expand the project to include new bluestone caps and to re-do my cracked concrete walkway with pavers. Alex and his crew did an outstanding job. Alex is extremely knowledgeable, personable and a pleasure to work with. His pricing is very reasonable. He and his team did a great job. Hard workers, with great attention to detail. I would highly recommend Alex Masonry!"

"The workmen, including Ettore Bolani, did a beautiful job. They were always on time, and they completed the job within the given time-frame. We were impressed by their pride in their work and the quality of the materials. We are very happy that we chose Bolani Masonry."

"Very professional organization that suggested ideas for the best way to fix my wall. The price was reasonable for the services provided and they did an excellent job."

"James and team showed up when he said they would, did good work and finished quickly. I'd hire them again for masonry work."

"Work was done well and what was done looks good. The spacing between the blocks is less than the original which looks better but this resulted in the need for more blocks. I purchased additional blocks so that they could complete the border on one side but the other side is borderless. The job was supposed to have the walkway look the same once completed. Also, the material used in between the blocks has come out and popped up in places. I texted a couple of times to have it fixed but to no avail"

"Frank and his team were honest and easy to work with. We had a planned event and wanted the patio done prior - they worked hard to get it done in time. Our project was huge and they still did it in just 3 days and were conscientious about impacting our garden. Would recommend them for any project!"

"Extremely knowledgeable, professional and reliable. Thorough, top notch job repairing my chimney. Highly recommend for all masonry jobs."

"Great workmanship. Top notch service . Very detailed oriented. I am very happy with the deck, gutters , concrete driveway / backyard that was installed. I will work with this company again in the future and will continue to recommend to friends and family."

"Provided recommendations and installed concrete pavers and Belgian block curbing at front walkway of my home. Arrived on time for initial appointment and arrived promptly to begin work on the day promised. Good quality work was completed in a timely manner. I would use Escalera landscaping again and would recommend this landscaper."

"An A++++ CONTRACTOR
From day one they were very professional and courteous.  I sent my inquiry in via the website and got a call back the same day. The office schedules an inspection and in the mean time, they mail an information package and educational book (its a sales pitch but does have very good and mostly honest info).  The salesman / inspector was scheduled to come to the house and the lead time was 4 weeks.  This is a bit long but I was shopping this project around so I decided to be patient, especially due to the good reviews on this site and from a co-worker who had it done 10 years ago.
Of the 6 companies I had come to see the space and give me their proposal, CT basement systems's inspector Ralph came with the least amount of pressure (actually none). He presented to me their solution to solve my issues and didn't try to up sell me on anything.  He Explained the options available and gave me the information I needed to make the decision for myself. He answered my follow up emails and questions promptly and with detail.
Before I continue let me explain the issues I was experiencing in my basement....
- water entering around floor to wall joint during rain storms and snow melt periods.
- water entering through stone foundation walls during heavy rain and snow melt.
-water entering through foundation wall of front porch about 1 foot below grade (in the basement the porch has a crawl space and not a full height basement).
-always very humid  and musty smelling even with a dehumidifier running.
-We live near a lake so we have a high water table in this area.  
Once i had all my proposals in hand (from excavating around the house to various versions of interior french drain/sump pump systems), i based my decision on the following criteria:
-reputation
-reviews
-number of years in business
-Warranty/Terms
-Cost
-Financing Options 
Basement Systems was NOT the lowest number nor were they the highest.  I chose them because:
-Great reputation and reviews both on Angie's list, via a google search and from co-worker (and Bob Villa ha ah)
-Over 20 years in business (important when a company is issuing a warranty as its only as good as long as they are in business).
-A life time transferable warranty against floor joint and wall leaks.
-Available/ Good financing options
-Triple Safe pump system.
-Ralph (the salesman/project manager) told it to me straight with no filler and didn't try to up sell me on anything.
Scheduling was quick and painless, however, it was 2 months away. Again I didn't like the lead time but I was patient as i felt they were the right company for the job.  The lead time allowed me to get some things ready in the basement before they came.
While you wait, they send out an information package on the electrical requirements recommended to run the pumps, a note on the dust that will be created during the installation as well as a form to fill out with an area to write notes to the foreman.  I filled it out and sent it in.
 I received a call 1 business day before the scheduled date to confirm the appointment.
The crew arrived on time as promised. Initially, I walked the space with the foreman and told him my water issues, concerns and pointed out areas to be EXTRA careful (.i e. Around water main)- he listened to me well and passed the information on to his crew - before any work started and before the crew entered the work area.
They worked very efficiently and hard. The foreman was, what we call in the trades, a "non working foreman"... This means that his primary responsibility is to supervise his crew and make sure they are installing correctly.  He did do some of the more difficult or critical installation items such as: setting up the triple safe pump/battery system, piping, and even set the pace by jack hammering along with the men at the beginning.  They took (1) break for lunch.
The foreman would periodically come get me and show me what they were doing and explain why.  I liked this.
At the end of the job the space was left broom swept clean and neat.  The foreman walked me through the triple safe pump system and how the components worked.  He showed me the 12 volt dc battery back up system and marine battery.  They left nothing behind.
The ONLY ISSUES I had were:
- they did not install the clean space wall covering about 3 feet wide (floor to ceiling) at the chimney location where the boiler exhaust pipe comes into the masonry.  When i asked the foreman why, he told me that they normally do not install it there as the pipe gets too hot.  I let it go as i figured they must have ran out of material.
- Later in the night i also noticed that they did not seal around the pipes that come through the wall and penetrate the clean space.
That night I wrote Ralph an email with photos showing and listing my concerns/ punch list.  I also pointed out that on the proposal document, it showed clean space in the location where it was left out.  The next morning i called the office and explained my concerns.  The woman listened to my concerns and took notes.  She told me that the service department would handle the punch list and said that she needed to put me on a brief hold so that she could get the service manager up to speed before transferring me to the service department.
The service manager was kind and listened well.  She did NOT make any excuses, argue or trivialize my concerns.  She asked a few questions to make sure the tech had everything he needed to finish the same day.  She initially told me they were booked until mid October and that's when I kindly explained that i would be holding payment until i received what was agreed to in the contract.  A tech was scheduled for the following Saturday (a week and a half away).  By  this time Ralph had answered back via email (less than 24hrs time) and i told him i called the office and they were taking care of it.
The tech arrived on time, was very friendly and courteous and completed the punch list in about an hour.
No more wet basement and the dehumidifier is working MUCH more efficiently and running less.  The house feels less humid up stairs and the basement space looks better too (clean space is WHITE). 
CT Basement Systems comes HIGHLY Recommended.
"