Mottern Masonry Design

Probably any contract job whatsoever involves some unexpected and/or unpleasant surprises. In my own experience with Mottern Masonry, there were a few: A) After one particular day's work, my family returned home to find no running water in the house. The main water valve had been manipulated by workers in the process of getting water to the outside valve for their wet-saw, and it had been turned back off to such a degree that my wife was unable to return the main valve to working position. I myself was away on business at the time, so this was a real emergency. That said, Jeff Mottern made a special housecall to remedy the situation, which was much appreciated. B) After all work was initially declared to be completed, I was disappointed by the degree of smudging/dirt on surrounding (especially ceiling) surfaces. But again, I was glad that Jeff did in fact send someone back out to our home to clean the work area more thoroughly and professionally. C) I was surprised that the install of the hearthstone did not itself imply grout-work to make it contiguous with surrounding floor tile. This was more my own misunderstanding than any failure on the part of Mottern Masonry. And anyway, it was very easy to apply the grout myself. All those surprises notwithstanding, the job really was quality. The stonework is a marvel of expert cutting and fitting--the sort of self-respecting craftsmanship you don't find in run-of-the-mill contractors. Our town house has undergone an amazing transformation because of Mottern Masonry. It is now a terrific pleasure to walk into, or to sit and lounge in these rooms that have been rendered so cozy and elegant by the new fireplace stonework.

I have had 2 masonry jobs performed by Mottern Masonry and could not be more pleased with their promptness and quality of workmanship. Each job began as scheduled and was finished to my complete satisfaction. I recently had Jeff over for an estimate on a third project when he noticed my stone patio, previously installed by another local business, had never been acid washed and finished properly. I had no idea the finishing step was a routine process for that type of masonry job. Jeff arranged for one of his workers to come by the next day, and he completed the acid wash in about one hour. What a difference it made in making the stone stand out from the mortar joints. Jeff didn't even charge me for the work. That's just the type of businessman he is. If you want work performed by a local business that delivers superior quality, you will not go wrong in hiring Mottern Masonry.

We had a large project renovating our pool area that included replacing a wooden retaining wall system, timber steps, and walkway down to our pool. We met with several big name landscaping companies and were unimpressed. We happened by Mottern Masonry Design through a recommendation from a family member. Their passion and expertise came through from the first meeting. They built a beautiful two tier stone retaining wall, flagstone steps, and flagstone walkway for us. Jeff and his team communicated thoroughly throughout the project, were punctual, friendly and kept the impact to the rest of our yard to a minimum. We highly recommend Mottern Masonry Design and will continue to use them for projects in the future.

Mottern Masonry Design did an exceptional job from start to finish. Within an hour of sending an inquiry by email, I received a call from the proprietor. He came to give a well informed estimate the next day, with a written estimate on the spot. After getting several estimates, I chose Mottern Masonry for knowledge, professionalism and reasonable price; and scheduled for a date two weeks out. The crew showed up on time, communicated well, and were organized. They went above and beyond in reinforcing an existing structure. Their work was exacting and artistic. They finished on time. I am extremely happy with my new steps. What a difference they make to the entrance to my home!

Jeff and his team provided excellent work - they did exactly what was promised and the workmanship was superb. The job was done on time also.

Mr. Mottern arrived promptly to discuss job and make suggestions for work to fit our needs. He provided a written estimate while on-site and promptly scheduled our job during the end of the concrete pouring season (we called for the estimate mid-December) and offered a discount for late-season work. Mr. Mottern's office notified us when the crew would arrive and the schedule of work to be performed. Mr. Mottern was easily accessible by phone for questions. The work was completed as scheduled and the crew left the work site neat and tidy.

Used same style rock and selectively applied mortar to reinforce new/rebuilt retaining wall. Very good work for reasonable price.

Jeff and his guys did such a great job we brought them back to fix some basement windows and do a concrete slab for our new shed. They were super professional and willing to go extra miles to earn our business.

They did a great job and were easy to work with. We got an estimate right away and were able to schedule the work for the next week. They completed the job in three days. I love the design, the quality of the materials, and their workmanship is excellent. I have no complaints and I would definitely recommend them.

The owner, Jeff Mottern, arrived on time to our scheduled appointment. He actually was early and had already done some measurements. We talked through what I was interested in having done and he gave me options both in price points and visual appearance. He was patient and thorough with my many questions, I even added an additional segment of walkway to be poured based on Jeff’s design idea. I was so impressed I didn’t seek another estimate. Work started on time, Jeff was on site the first day and introduced the “crew chief” to me. All work was completed on time and we are so happy with the results! The color and stamped concrete certainly add to our overall curb appeal!

We were very pleased with the beautiful walkway built in the front of our home by Jeff Mottern’s staff. Project foreman, Jose and his two-man crew were courteous, accommodating and conscientious in their efforts to help design and then construct a walkway (including full-length step and stoop), placing Pennsylvania variegated Bluestone slate slabs on top of a rebar-reinforced concrete base, and including a brick border, with the brick closely matching that found on the front of our home. Weatherface rock risers were included as facing on the steps and at the base of the slate threshold in front of our entrance door. The crew laid warming blankets over the project to protect it from nighttime cold. At the completion of the project, the crew took care to clean the walkway and to haul away all excess debris. Several days later, the crew returned to remove excess concrete dust, using Sure Klean 600. As a result, we will now enjoy an attractive entranceway to our home, for many years to come. After completing much research, we believe we chose the right company to complete this project. - Tom

My husband and I are extremely pleased with the services and the outcome! The work crew was friendly, professional, and hard working. Communication was excellent and the price very reasonable. We plan on using Mottern Masonry again in the future!

Mottern Masonry removed an old patio and installed a brick edged, broken stone patio approximately 16 by 17 feet. The workmanship was excellent and we could not be more pleased with the result. The care the crew used to custom set each piece and to mimic a nearby similar patio was noteworthy. There is a definite artisan quality to the resulting color and layout of the patio. By the way, we’re all used to “broom cleanup” from construction work, which is often lacking. This is messy work but they used a wet saw to minimize dust, captured and removed the water, and cleaned everything well enough to remove all evidence of the construction!

The stamped concrete patio looks great. They did a great job as described. Very professional overall.

They did a very good job, very professional. Turned out better then I expected. They were very efficient and cleaned up after themselves. I am very pleased with the work they did.

When Jeff Mottern of Mottern Masonry Design, Vienna, VA, came over to discuss our desire for a new patio, he encouraged us to have flagstone rather than brick, since our condo is brick. We were leaning toward brick, but liked both options, and decided to go with Jeff’s recommendation. We are so glad we did! He mentioned having on hand stone with variations, which we preferred. Jeff was very responsive to my emails throughout the project, which we appreciated. The men were exceedingly careful not to damage the plants surrounding the area to be reworked in our small fenced patio. They listened to our preferences and responded accordingly. The masons and crew worked hard and obviously knew what they were doing. They were also considerate of the staging area they needed to use in the common space outside our patio, and cleaned up at the end of each day. We were very pleased with their workmanship and the outcome in every way, and highly recommend Mottern Masonry Design.

Mottern is not the cheapest, but do high quality work and were very flexible and professional. They worked closely with us (an HOA) so we could take advantage of the winter rates. We were coordinating work to be done on dozens of homes but Mottern was patient and accommodating thru several changes and delays.

We were extremely happy with Mottern Masonry's work! Jeff Mottern, the owner, came out to review the project within a few days of my initial phone call. I discussed the scope of work with him and explained that we wanted the work completed before we went on vacation in a month. They're price was not the cheapest, but having seen the positive reviews on Angies List and because they could meet our schedule, we decided to go with them.....and we're glad we did!! Being an architect, I was specific about the pattern and type of stone I wanted for the patio. Jeff sent photos and offered suggestions to help finalize the design. Mottern Masonry built the patio on a solid reinforced concrete base with 1 1/2" thick bluestone. The crew worked fast with a high level of detail. They kept me in the loop every step of the way to ensure I was happy with the work. After the work was completed, they cleared the site of debris, worked with me on regrading around the patio, and came back to clean the stone. The result is a very solidly built, beautiful patio and steps! Mottern Masonry works to the highest standard of quality! We are very happy with their work and highly recommend them to anyone looking for quality work!

Mottern Masonry did an outstanding job, replacing an old brick patio that had sunk over the years and actually directed water toward the foundation of the house with a flagstone patio that has solved my water problem and is stunning in appearance. They work crew is organized, prompt and highly skilled. Half of the work was done while I was out of the country yet Jeff Mottern kept me up to date with daily emails and photos of work in progress. If you want top quality and stonework that is artfully constructed and built to last, I recommend Mottern Masonry.

We recently had a new walkway installed (brick over a concrete base) and a front stoop resurfaced (Select PA Bluestone with a brick riser) by Mottern Masonry Design and were really pleased with their help in planning our project and the good communication throughout. The installation was timely and the workmanship was high quality. It has made a huge difference in our entryway! Thank you Jeff and Guy, as well as Jose and his crew!

This is the third time I’ve used Jeff and his Mottern Masonry for a project. I’m so impressed with the quality of their workmanship that I never considered anyone else. I spoke with Jeff in July and asked him to come out for an estimate to install a split-face stacked stone wall in my dining room. Jeff knew I had a very particular vision in mind (stone size, color, shape and texture) and offered several suppliers and product lines for consideration. He worked with the supplier to arrange a rush delivery of the stone and scheduled the job within a week; the entire project only took three days. Jeff and his crew were always professional and pleasant to work with, and they cleaned up as if my house was their own. Their patience and attention to detail are evident in their work and I’m very pleased how everything turned out. Go with Mottern Masonry, you won't regret it.

This was a seriously scary job. The chimney is huge and goes to through a standing seam metal porch roof to tie into very steep standing seam house roof. I naturally asked Jeff to take a look at it and tell me what to do. This was Mottern's fourth job for me. Jeff had a plan -- there was a LOT of scaffolding to set up and I could see how potentially tricky this was, requiring a great deal of skill to be done safely. His crew also reinforced the porch floor and ceiling, and set the scaffolding on the steep roof somehow so that it was not bolted in, which would have required replacing numerous roof sections. This alone saved thousands. Every single stone was then removed from the chimney from the porch roof up. Since these were building stones, they weigh a lot. This was not a trivial job. The entire chimney from the porch roof up was parged and then the stones were reset. Only the deteriorated stones were replaced, again saving thousands. The new stone matches the old beautifully. On the porch, about 8 'bad' stones were carefully cut out and replaced with new stone, again matching beautifully. It took several weeks. The work is warranted for 5 years. The crew was as always very professional and skilled. They worked really well together. They even worked on weekend. When a storm was threatening they were careful to tarp everything. They cleaned up when they left. We talked about sealing it but Jeff felt that it was unnecessary and that it would alter the appearance, plus would need to be redone regularly. I appreciated the advice. I feel so much more confident knowing that Mottern did this job.

The lawn off a back porch sloped away, leading to almost no use of this area. We needed a level area and Jeff gave us one, on solid concrete...no fill, no gravel. This is the 3rd job Jeff has done for me and absolutely the most gorgeous. Jeff's artists are just that. The work they do is messy and noisy and looks backbreaking, but the result is pure poetry. Each stone seems to have been chosen carefully for its colors and how it blends. After a rainfall, it looks almost like a beautiful pool of water and the light plays across the blue and grey stones fantastically. We have dinner there every night. Jeff's guidance is firm, opinionated, and dead-on. He knows what will look perfect, and he's been right every time. I would recommend him --- and have--- without reservation. I don't believe the results could be finer.

Job consisted of repairing an old raised front porch which had started to crumble, as well as other minor pointing issues. I obtained more than 1 estimate - Jeff got the job because he gave me confidence in how the work would be done; he gave me confidence that the work would be done correctly. Once they arrived, it was an extremely positive experience. Jeff and his team were punctual, professional, and I should say "flexible" . . . I changed the approach to the project from removing/replacing the old concrete to replacing with flagstone after they were on site. Jeff and his team did not miss a beat and still managed to complete the project on the original timeline. Did I mention that it looks awesome??? I would definitely use Mottern again.

I called about six weeks ago to ask about a new sidewalk. My call was returned promptly and site visit scheduled for the following week. Jeff arrived on time and did a thorough walk through and discussed options. A written proposal arrived a few days later. The work was scheduled promptly after I accepted the proposal. An outstanding crew of three arrived when promised and worked hard for three days installing a beautiful dry-laid running bond brick sidewalk. they workedcarefully and neatly, avoiding damaging phone cable lines and restoring land and grass around the work area. Jeff checked in regularly to be sure things were going as expected. All in all, very professional. Thank you!