Bzak Landscaping

Bzak designed and installed new landscaping for our front yard  We were very pleased with the design and the installation was professional. We waited about 3 months from the time we contacted them until the installation was scheduled and then was completed in a day. One of the trees suffered shock after it was planted and we have been assured it will come back in the spring but if not they will replace it. A sprinkler head was damaged during installation and they did replace it. 

Was disappointed and surprised that they suggested we caused the shock to the tree due to overwatering.  The yard has a nice slope so it would be very difficult to overwater anything.  They also suggested that the sprinkler head was already damaged but it was clearly obvious by the size of the gash in it that it was struck by the rototiller when they were preparing the planting area.

I would use them again if the work is scheduled on a more timely basis.  We have been loyal customers for years but this is the first time that we used their services for design and installation.  Typically we are DIY'ers.

Pros:  Excellent design, quality nursery stock, friendly staff
Cons:  Waited about 30 days for design and another 60 for installation; inappropriately tried to place blame on the customer for issues for which they were responsible.

This entire project was estimated at a week during the spring.  Overall the project came out great.  I was more happy with the work done on the new stone walls, and less happy with the work done on the concrete pour of stairs and new path, and the laying of the pavers, and the time it took for the subcontractor to order and install the rail.  I was also happy that Bzak came out and fixed what I asked to be fixed, but I wasn't happy I had to ask for these things.  I think it is reasonable to expect that they put their stamp on the work and they would want it to be as finished looking as they could get it.

There were torrential rains this spring which pushed back all of the jobs.  As a result, the job I asked for didn't get started for about a month later.  When all was said and done, the final finish with touch ups was about the end of August.  

The most disappointing parts through the process were:

1. They used a subcontractor for the rail order and installation.  They also used a subcontractor for the concrete pour of the stairs. I selected Bzak because they said they do not use subcontractors.

2.  Timeliness of responding to my calls and requests for touching up portions of the job which appeared to be unfinished.  For example, there was glue that had oozed out of pavers, and should have been cleaned up.  There were some areas of the new stone walls that didn't look uniform and had to be redone.  There were some pavers that were higher than others and needed to be resized.  The rail area needed some finishing work because my old rail was removed from one side of a post and then installed on another side of the same post.  Thus some holes were left in the post and it was not filled in with wood putty, or painted, until I requested it.  This was in part due to a lack of communication between the subcontractor rail company and Bzak.

3. There was a change right before the project started on the day of the project's beginning day, where Bzak Landscaping did not think the charcoal pavers around plain concrete path would look good.  So they decided that the path going out to the street should be laid in concrete first, with room on top for pavers across the entire top.  The outside would be charcoal but the inside area would be a mix of reds.  Bzak said that due to this last minute change, the didn't feel comfortable with the original plan and to persuade us to go with the style that they felt more comfortable in doing, which was concrete under the pavers, Bzak would throw in the rest of the pavers at no additional cost to us.  Ultimately we decided that this would be in our best interest since Bzak would be most comfortable with the project, and we thought it would look good (not necessarily better than the original design, but just different).  In the end, the path and rail did look nice but this last minute change caused us more headaches in the end.  The pavers were not uniform in height, and some needed to be shaved more.  The concrete was not poured and dried according to code (the inspector advised Bzak of this), so the pavers on top had to be removed so more concrete could be laid to even it out, and then, the pavers relaid.  When the pavers were relaid the second time, more of them appeared to pop up and it was disturbing that Bzak did not catch the project meeting code the first time (they could have saved some labor on their end) and when the pavers were relaid, they could have looked at where clearly some areas were higher than others).  Last, the pavers, when relaid, were not as tightly laid as they were the first time, so we asked for an area to be relaid so the pavers were closer together.  These errors drew out the finish of the project.

4. In the beginning stages Bzak was great about responsiveness to phone calls, but in the end it was difficult to get the crew back out to finish the corrections.

5. The subcontractor concrete company/truck ran in to a tree on the street and broke a branch.  The city does not like this.  If I had known about the large truck and the pouring of the concrete out of a truck, I probably would have asked for a foreman to be there from Bzak.  The workers were doing the best that they could, but the guy in the truck wasn't helping much.  In my opinion, the head of the project for Bzak should have been there for this.  I was happy that at least I was there to see the fiasco.

6.  The subcontractor rail company took our old post and didn't let us know (or Bzak upon asking) why they removed it, and when was it coming back?  The workers were smoking on the job and I thought that was unprofessional.  When I asked the installers why I hadn't received a call that they were coming, they advised Bzak said to just come and finish the job, where Bzak said they didn't know when the rail guys were coming.  It seemed like the left hand wasn't talking to the right hand.

First, I met with Trish who is one of their landscape designers.  We met in her office first, then she made an appointment with me to come out and see my yard and take a picture of my house from the street.  I met with her again and she redesigned the landscaping and showed me what it would look like on her computer with the new plants, etc.  It was exciting to have a picture in my hands of what my yard would look like when it was finished.  We did change a few things there in her office.  The work was done in one day.  I was amazed and so pleased at how my lawn looked after the grass grew in.

I also signed up for their maintenance program which is very affordable. They fertilize and add weed control as needed.

The spring weather set them back as we had a lot of rain, they stayed in contact and got the work done as soon as they could.  Did a great job, yard look great and the new plants did well this summer

We spent around $3000 to $4000 the first time over a year ago.  During the first time, they admitted the fact that the guy did not have the expertise.  I had 3 dead trees and 2 grass plants.  He told me he was putting in a white Avila.  He put in a bright pink Avila right next to a bright red Japanese maple.  When it bloomed it wasn’t looking good.  They put in a red bud tree that basically just died off.  I found out that it was not the appropriate tree to be planted in that place.  Since then, their people have come out and apologized profusely about that first estimator and job crew.  The second crew was very good.  Once they got here, the trees are lovely.  We had them come back and take some of the trees.  I hope they resolved it.  I had a schedule, and they said they will be here by 9 o’clock.  I called them, and they said they were coming by 10:30 am.  I had to leave, so I left.  When I came back from my appointment at 3: 30 pm, they just came.  They did the job and it was fine, but being in a service business it is not the right thing.  When they specify a time, they should be here in that time.

We had a good experience with them. I spent around $500 on that work. They did good work. They were professional. I felt the price was a little high but I know that they are all pretty high.

I don't think it takes 2 weeks to write an estimate, does it? Thanks, i'll take my business elsewhere.

They are always very kind and helpful when you are there. They have exceptional variety. They have fantastic inventory and are very knowledgeable. They are helpful with what you need. They always have what I need. They are pricey.

They are excellent! The workmanship of the designer was outstanding. The price and follow up was great! It was an all around good experience.

The pavers and workmen from Bzak were scheduled by our builder. Overall it went well. The pavers and installation look great.

The landscape designer came out to the house to see what needed to be done and took pictures of the house and yard. Then we met at her office at Bzak's and she photoshopped a picture of which plants would be used and where they would go. She welcomed my input regarding my own preferences and we actually went out and chose which plants we would use. Flowerbeds were done in June. Lawn was done in September because it is not recommended in the hot summer months. Each half of the job took one day and was done on exactly the day specified. The landscape designer called the next day each time to inquire about my satisfaction.

We obtained three competing written bids and selected Bzak. Our written estimate included extending flower beds, fertilizing, mulching, and general clean-up. Bzak arrived on time on Tuesday, but it started raining just as they started and rained the remainder of the day. The landscape designer only planned on extending one flower bed and one tree bed, even though the estimate clearly said extend beds 6 inches. She agreed to extend one more, but indicated we would have to pay more. I didn't push the issue, since I hadn't been at the original meeting. Be careful to make sure that you list each flower/tree bed that will be extended to avoid any issues. During the consultation, the designer indicated that our lilac bush had a fungus and included an inexpensive treatment. However, due to the fact that it was raining, she was unable to apply the treatment on the day of the landscaping. When I asked the job foreman, he indicated she would return the following day to apply the fungicide. Next day, no designer. Thursday morning I left a message on the designer's voice mail. By the following Tuesday, no response, so I left another voicemail message asking about the fungicide treatment. I received a call back that afternoon from the designer. She indicated that she had left me a voicemail, but I checked the call logs for our home phone and all cell phones, and no incoming calls came from Bzak or any unknown callers in the days following the landscaping. If she did return a phone call, it wasn't to my household or cell phones. I asked when she was coming to apply the fungicide treatment, and she told me she wasn't. She was simply removing it from my invoice. So I asked why not, and she indicated that she would have to charge me another $35 to come to my house and apply the fungicide that SHE had recommended. Basically, because it rained the day they performed my landscaping (which they did in the rain, all day long) she was unwilling to waste her time and come back out and complete the job without charging me an additional fee. I told her that I didn't realize that the estimate she provided was only good for certain weather conditions. It doesn't speak well of Bzak's professionalism to leave the job undone because Mother Nature didn't work in their favor. And after we spent over $1,000 for their services, I would have thought they would want a repeat customer.Apparently not.

The wall was started in a couple of weeks. The old wall was removed including a short, crooked half wall of manufactured stone . The old manufactured stone was neatly stacked on the driveway and the railroad ties disposed of. The site was cleaned up at the end of each day, a drainage problem addressed and the project finished in about a week. Even with all the rain we have had recently the back fill and wall have had virtually no issues. The wall is beautiful and I am sure will be there long after I'm gone.

We would use them again in the future.

They were awesome. We talked to a number of landscapers, but, were not satisfied. Then we met the owner of this company; he gave us a proposed design and provided all of the materials like trees, shrubs and things like that. He was just very hard working, made a beautiful design for landscaping and his price was just unbelievable. The quality of work was also wonderful.

The service from this company is first-rate. They are helpful in selecting the trees, and the trees are of top quality. They delivered the trees on the date I was going to be available to receive them. The installation crew worked efficiently and didn't damage the lawn. They gave advice on exact location and care after planting.

This is the third year in a row and they always do a good job. They know which bushes to leave alone as they will be blooming soon and which ones to trim etc.

They did a good job for us. The job was done six weeks ago and it is winter. We don't know what it will look like in the summer. The job, so far, looks just fine. They were knowledgeable and professional.

Eight+ weeks and still have not heard back from them.

We worked with the company owner for the estimate. The installation was good. They were punctual. They worked with us on color, grade, quality, sizes and patterns.

WHEN THEY DELIVERED THE MULCH, THE BAGS WERE STILL ON THE SKID. ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER THE MULCH SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE SKID TO BEGIN WITH. WHEN HE DUMPED THE 27 BAGS OF MULCH ONTO THE DRIVEWAY, IN THE PROCESS OF DROPPING THE MULCH ONTO THE DRIVEWAY, THE SKID WAS DESTROYED AND 10 OF THE BAGS OF MULCH RIPPED. THE DRIVER DID NOT GET OUT OF THE TRUCK WHEN I TOLD HIM THAT THE SKID HAD BROKEN INTO MANY PIECES AND THAT SOME OF THE BAGS RIPPED. HE SAID THAT THE GUY WHO LOADED THE MULCH SHOULD HAVE NOT LEFT THE MULCH ON THE SKID IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE TAKEN PICTURES OF THE MULCH AND SKID. AFTERWARDS, I CALLED THE COMPANY AND TALKED TO THE GM, GREG LUCAS, AND HE TOLD ME THAT BASICALLY HE DID NOT DOUBT WHAT I WAS SAYING, BUT THAT HE NEEDED TO TALK TO THE DRIVER AND THE GUY WHO LOADED UP THE TRUCK. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD CALL ME BACK THE NEXT DAY, AND HE NEVER CALLED. I TRIED CALLING AGAIN AND GOT HIS VOICEMAIL AND HE HAS YET TO CALL ME BACK.

It was hard to get the firm to return phone calls quickly but once we got in touch with them they did the job within 2 hours. They even came back after hours on a Friday night to remove one last tree with that was too close to the foundation of the house to remove with a frontloader. They did this before we could even call and question why one tree was left.

Very professional sales personnel. Very eager to show me what was available at their yard. Very easy to schedule work. Arrived/delivered/planted and spread the dirt on time and in a very professional manner. Offered me a 2 year discount on plants purchased there later.

THE GAL I TALKED TO GAVE EXCELLENT INFORMATION ON TREES, INCLUDING THE JAP LILAC TREE (DISEASE RESISTANT) WE ULTIMATELY BOUGHT. THEY OFFER CASH DISCOUNT AND ALSO DISCOUNT FOR NO INSURANCE (1 YR. TREE) VERSUS INSURED PRICE WITH WARRANTY. GAVE UNSOLICITED WARNING TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY SURE GOT PLUM TREE WOOD CHIPS AFTER STUMP GRINDING OUT AS ARE TOXIC TO NEW TREE. SOLD US GOOD ROOT STARTER SINCE LATE IN SEASON. LOTS OF GOOD SELECTIONS!!!!!!!!!!! THEY WERE A LITTLE SHORT HANDED THE ONE DAY BUT I FOUND WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. WELL WORTH TRIP THERE AS NOT REALIZED SO MUCH TO OFFER!!!!!!! VERY PROFESSIONAL FOR A DO IT YOUR SELFER; QUESTION ON WARRANTY WAS NOT ABLE TO BE ANSWERED IMMEDIATELY SINCE A WEEKEND.

I MET WITH TIM LEBONGE, WHO WALKED AROUND MY PROPERTY AND DISCUSSED IDEAS FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE. HE SAID HE WOULD HAVE A QUOTE FOR ME WITHIN A WEEK. AFTER 3 WEEKS AND 3 UNRETURNED PHONE CALLS, I FINALLY REACHED TIM, WHO SAID HE WOULD HAVE THE PROPOSAL FOR ME WITHIN A FEW DAYS. A MONTH HAS NOW PASSED AND I HAVE YET TO SEE ANYTHING FROM BZAK, AND HAVE HAD MY MESSAGES IGNORED. ADDITIONALLY, I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE OWNER/MANAGER (MARTY) TO LET HIM KNOW ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AND MY INTENTION OF POSTING HERE, BUT HE IGNORED MY CALLS.