TBU International LLC

Shoddy work and materials. Hasnt held up.

Very effective design work with variety and adaptability. Great execution in bringing the plan to life. Really added value to the yard. Wonderful people to work with as well.

I contracted with this company for a landscape design and to build a deck to extend a patio. I told Norman Harris if he did not have the skillset to build a deck, to use his contacts to find a deck builder for the project. Norman Harris held himself out as a licensed contractor with a lot of experience building decks. He told me I didn't need a building permit to build a deck. I told him a permit was absolutely required if you connect to structure and have footings. I applied for a permit and could not match him or his business in the state licensing database. I went back to him and he admitted that he was not a licensed contractor. He said he could partner with a friend that was, offered a discount and told me he wanted my project to be a showcase for his family business. Apparently, he did not get his friend involved, as the deck failed multiple inspections. The deck is wavy, he used inferior products instead of the products in the contract, he surrounded the deck with 2 ft. high flower boxes built so poorly most the dirt he put in them is on the ground now. Not to mention the 2 ft. high flower boxes needed to be 3 ft. high, same as a railing, in order to pass inspection. The stairs are horrible as well, the risers range in height from 3.5 inches to 7.5 inches. Every step is a different height. This is a total tear down and rebuild. He also planted shrubs before the water supply was set up, let plants he picked up from the nursery sit in the hot sun for 4 or 5 days before getting them in the ground, and did not set the sprinkler system up correctly. As a result, about half of the plantings have died. I put in a brand new fence before he started work and he has damaged it with his Bobcat. Said he knew it was his team and would fix it. Still not fixed. He has acknowledged, in writing that he is sorry for how the project went, indicating it was their fault. Said he would fix everything, then disappeared. Do not hire this company or Norman Harris.

Very creative design successfully executed

Norm at TBU International has a great eye for landscape architecture. He listened to what we were looking for, and provided a number of creative and artistic suggestions. The plan was excellent, and the execution of the concept was first class. The team had to work through cement shortages, but kept project moving in spite of that. Final product getting rave reviews from neighbors. We highly recommend TBU!

Great design- very pleased with job!

Norm Harris and his workers were very pleasant and amiable to work with. His crew knew what they were doing. To begin with Norm sat on the patio and mapped out a vision for the whole project. All we asked was to get rid of most of the grass using rocks, gravel etc. We like what they did in our very large back yard that was all grass. We wanted to cut down on our water use. everything is now on drip which is great.

Norm was fantastic to work with! His design was beautiful and he was easy to work with. He helped us come up with ways to reduce the cost and still get what we wanted. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a reliable, honest and hardworking landscaper.

Guys did great work and were friendly and accommodating.

Norm Harris is a gifted Architect, and he drew us up a fantastic plan for overhauling our back yard. It was a major project, and we love the finished outcome. He began in early March, and weather and labor shortages plagued him. However, Norm persevered, and always held to his word on everything he did. In the three months we worked with him, we became good friends, and he did an amazing job on our yard. He is a man of high integrity, and you wonâ t find anyone with more passion for his work. His right hand man, Pita, built our two pergolas, and worked tirelessly when planting our many trees and shrubs. He is a man of few words, but did everything we asked., and was a delight to have on the project. Norm is someone we would highly recommend, but only if your wanting a company that will do the job right, even though it may take a little longer than you think it should. He guarantees his work, and has come back to replace a couple of trees and shrubs that didnâ t survive. Look no further if you want someone we have described in our review. Norm is the one who can turn your yard into a masterpiece. Your patience will pay big dividends with your finished project.

TBU International were pleasant to work with. Did a great job. Very hard working, even in this hot weather. They worked many hours a day, as my project was very major. I would hire them again. GREAT JOB GUYS. You guys were awesome?

Xeriscape of the front yard started great early in 2020 -- loved the design. Looked like it would be done in 2 -3 weeks. Then "stuff" happened. Norm had crew members leave - project stalled. Partly covid, partly extra unemployment $'s I think. I saw new crew members every time they were out! Norm kept in touch. I could understand the issues he brought up and decided to stay with him. Project finished last month, as designed, and advertised. W e love it. Norm took no shortcuts --- Called him on some issues and he responded timely and resolved them I admire him for that. I would hire him again for a project, especially for his design ability. I would consider the employment environment and consider how a tight labor market might affect the project. (That's the reason for the 4 for customer service -- if he had been able to keep his full crew it would have been a 5) Definitely consider him for his design sense.

Norm was very professional in working with us. He made great suggestions on our project and helped us land on a beautiful design that meets the constraints we were working under.

The finished product was completely different from what we discussed.

Edit: When I wrote my review in Nov 2020, there were still a few items that needed to be followed up on in the spring when the ground thawed. I had been happy with Norman's communication and gave them the benefit of the doubt that all outstanding items would be taken care of. The design they came up with is great and I love the concept of my backyard, but over the winter, the wood they used to build my deck has warped, the paint chipped, the sprinklers do not work properly, and a few of the plants I paid for had to be ripped out because they had thorns and were too close to the path. I have waited several weeks for them to come back and fix everything as Norm promised. So I am updating my review to say, while the design was phenomenal, the craftsmanship and execution were generally poor, so I need to knock down my review by 2 stars. I have a small backyard and wanted to have a more immersive deck and seating area so I could feel more surrounded by greenery instead of just seeing my vinyl fences and staring at my garage. Norm was quick to respond and draw up a plan and worked through my requests to preserve as much grass space as possible while still making a cute seating area. He worked with me on budget constraints and it was easy to talk about where we could make changes with clearly itemized bids and invoices. If I have to do more work on my outdoor space, I will be talking to Norm again.

I would have given them ZEROS across the board, but the software would not allow it.

There were problems with the work-the placement of the sprinkler control box vs where it was originally supposed to be and its stability on the wall, dirt left in the pile, sprinkler line is not put were originally laid out to go, etc. on the other hand, it was extremely difficult to take out 2 lilac bushes which I commend them for. For some reason, their workers did not show up to finish the job and it took 2 weeks to finish a 3-4 day job (as estimated by them in the beginning).

Wishy washy. Could not solidify any plans and they would schedule an appointment and it would be, this happened, and that happened and we would have to wait.Then 400 dollars for a design which did not meet our specifications Then just silence after they agreed to do the job at the agreed price. and now they have ignored us. I have texted them four times and no response. They should be professional enough to tell us they cannot do the job .

We have a small backyard space and had lots of ideas. Norm was able to pull them all together in a comprehensive plan and worked with us to incorproate any changes we wanted to see. He is extremly easy to work with and I would highly reccomend him!

Norm was very helpful and professional. He provided an excellent landscape design plan and follow-up. Highly recommend.

We have a fairly large backyard with a slope in some areas. Norm Harris is an excellent landscape designer with a very good sense of what will look good and how different plants fit together. He's very easy to work with as is his crew. We are really pleased with how it all turned out. We highly recommend him.

Norman Harris was very easy to work with. He really listened to our ideas and put them on his designs. He actually created the landscape design of our dreams!

Working with Norm and his company has been a delight! He has amazing, creative, and beautiful landscape ideas and worked to create them to perfection! He created a plan for our challenging yard that met our budget and exceeded our expectations. Customer service is exceptionalâ fast responses and cheerful, friendly interactions. Iâ d highly recommend TBU, whether the project is large or small.