Mottern Masonry Design

Had several contractors give me a proposal for the repair work. This company's solution and cost were very competitive. Very punctual with providing the estimate and responding to follow up questions. Did get a little defensive when I asked about the comment on the proposal, "grout will not match exact." However, I suspect some customers expect an exact match on grout that is 25-30 years old as was the case with my grout. Also, showed up on time on the scheduled work date, which is not always the case with service providers in Northern Virginia. Quality of workmanship was very good. Bottom line is it was good work for a good price. I would definitely hire this company again.

My ratings is purely based on their pricing....not service. They may perform a great job... i don't know because i can't afford them. Unbelievably OVERPRICED!!!! Reason is because theirs will last for 100s of years... compared to others which last 60 years. I decided to hang up and not go with them. I'll grab someone off the street to do it for me for at most a $1000. Good luck.

I did not contract with Mottern, but it was a very close call. I had two contractors I thought would be very good, but of course I only needed to hire one. The main reason I went with the other contractor was that he was able to work with glass block to do the garage repair that needed to be done, whereas Mottern wasn't. Mottern was absolutely professional. They showed up when they said, estimated the job promptly, and explained in a very logical way why the pricing was what it was. I had a larger job (taking down a chimney and rebuilding from the roofline up) and a much smaller job (repairing holes in the side of the house left by the previous owner). For reasons that were quite logical, they explained that if I did the two jobs at one time the cost would be significantly less than if I separated or staggered them. If I have another job that needs Mottern's skill set I would absolutely consider them for the job.

Jeff and his team were punctual at all times of the engagement - from returning phone calls and emails to showing up exactly when he said he team would. They installed a beautiful new flagstone patio, using our existing concrete patio as the base. The original patio has some curvatures to it which they matched perfectly with cut flagstone. They were patient while we sought the required HOA approval, and performed the work as expected during the timeframe they agreed to. We would definitely use Jeff and his team again.

My Fiance dealt with Jeff during the initial phase / quote. She was very impressed with the amount of time he took with her and his knowledge. Jeff gave us a great deal and honored off season pricing with no pressure. He gave us several quotes with different scenarios. Of course we went with the most expensive which happened to be a terrific deal. The entire process was smooth. The workers showed up early each day and did quality work. They also cleaned up everyday before they left. I would have no hesitation to hire Mottern Masonry again! The new entrance has really enhanced the front of our home and we are very happy : ) Thanks Jeff and your team.

Very fast, clean, efficient. They did what they said they were going to do and we are very pleased. From start to finish this was the easiest job I have had done on the house since I moved to Northern Virginia.

The Flagstone Patio was completed on time and it came out beautiful. I interviewed multiple contractor's and Jeff by far was the most honest and reasonable from all contractor's offerring the higher quality. He gave a solid estimate using the highest quality materials (2" Thick Flagstone Slabs) and pour over 4000 PSI concrete (very strong foundation and retaining wall). They selected beautiful PA Varigated Blue Flagstone and took their time to install each flagstone. Jeff's crew lead by George was the best you could get as they were clean, on-time every day, and provided day-to-day progress status. We felt very comfortable with them working at our house. We are absolutely satisfied with the quality and look of the finished product. If you are doing anything outside with Flagstone and concrete related, don't search for anybody else, Jeff is the best. Some other companies will not let you know all the details (stone thickness, inches of concrete that need to be pour to create slab or quality of stone until you start or sign/pay deposit). We now can enjoy our new patio and we already recommended Jeff to other neighbors that were asking about Jeff's Company.

I emailed the company asking for an estimate after reading their reviews and seeing that they serviced Fauqier county. I was contacted within 24 hours and advised that I lived outside their service area (even though I live in Fauqier county). I responded, thanking them for the info and recommended that they update their service area on Angie's List since it indicates otherwise.

They did a terrific job. They had to work around the crazy weather. They came back to finish job on Saturday due to approaching snow . I would use them again and highly recommend them.

From the very start Jeff was prompt to come out and discuss and give us an estimate. We enjoyed discussing ideas together and listening to his expertise on the pros and cons on different designs. Jeff was never pushy. He went to his vehicle, worked up a price, and gave it to us to think about and compare. We took our time and decided to go with Mottern since we were able to take advantage of the off season discount. We knew how quickly it would be completed would be based on the weather and temperature. Due to this late winter being worse than previous years we had many stops and starts but were relieved they did pay attention to the weather. Jeff always kept us appraised of the days they would or would not be here and even sent his crew on weekends if the temperature was good. When the days were nice and a proper temperature George, our foreman, arrived with his crew and worked diligently each day. On the first day, after removal of shrubs, Jeff and George laid out the lines and worked with us to make sure we were happy with the new curved design since we were changing it quite a bit from our previous long walk. The removal of the bricks from our very large multi level stoop was difficult but they were careful not to use any large jackhammers since they didn't want to chance any damage to our foundation. To prevent as much sinking as possible of the new walk this time they had rebar come out of the stoop to connect with the walkway. They also used rebar through the whole project. It is now completely finished as of yesterday when they came and did the final chemical cleaning of the project and area clean up. It looks fabulous!!! We are so happy. The only thing we need to do now is have new landscaping put in.

We were happy to take advantage of an off-season discount. Jeff Mottern and Guy were prompt for the appointment to give us an estimate. They were very professional, yet down to earth. Jeff was able to quickly catch our vision. He priced it out the same day, sat down with us and we signed on the dotted line. The crew was out within a few days of signing the contract. They were here exactly when promised - and worked hard to complete the different stages. They dug the area out and then we had the horrible snow storms which delayed the process but no fault of Mottern. As soon as they were able to come back out and finish up they did. We now have a very large, gorgeous patio. It will be sealed tomorrow, and I cannot wait. I highly recommend this company. I have already recommended to a few folks. We would definitely use them again. Pictures will go up on FB and I will encourage all my FB friends to use them should they desire a patio.

We were very pleased with the work. Prior to the work starting, Jeff met with us to discuss the plan, go over the process, give us an estimate of how long the job would take. The date the work was scheduled to begin, Jeff and the crew arrived to begin. They began by making sure that the furniture and floor were covered. They took great care to ensure that ..... we were set back a couple days because it was right in the middle of the snow storm, these guys went above and beyond by returning to finish the job in the bitter cold - cutting stone outside Even though we had the option to go with other less expensive providers - we really felt that for this case you really do get what you pay for - a top knotch quality product, customized and tailored to your needs, excelleint customer service, timeliness in project completion We would love to have Mottern do other work in our home and would highly reccomemend them to anyone considering masonry work. See before and after picture of the completed work.

The did a professional job. I would hire them again.

Jeff Mottern was very professional and easy to work with. We had many days of bad weather when they could not work, but he was sure to keep me apprised of the conditions and when he expected to be able to complete the work. His crew were very pleasant and went out of their way to be helpful and explain the process. The work is beautiful and I would use them again without hesitation.

The crew, along with the owner, Jeff Mottern, arrived promptly on the appointed day. The work was completed over two consecutive days. All of the masons and helpers were professional, experienced, courteous and we enjoyed watching them work. The forty-year old, builder-grade fireplace has become a beautiful focal point which draws the eye immediately upon entering our home. There is no doubt that we would contract with Mottern Masonry again and we highly recommend them.

Jeff Mottern setup a visit and provided a quote shortly after I contacted him. His winter rates were attractive. For this indoor job, scheduling was dependent on the weather with other jobs, but I was flexible. His crew started the work in about a week from when we signed the contract. In two days, the job was done. During the work, I asked them to correct the shape of the arched opening; they were very professional about it and made the modifications. The crew also did a great job cleaning up after each day's work. I'm very impressed with the finished product. Photo attached.

Initial job was done in two pours. The stamps were not matched, placed in opposite directions and the sides were painted in different colors. We had several other contractors come evaluation the work, none of which was positive. After several botched, quick fix attempts to fix the appearance, he brought his own contractor to prove that there was not an issue. Apparently his contractor saw several problems and fixed the work at Jeff's expense. The entire slab should have been taken apart and redone, however a two inch pour was done on top of the existing slab, which we have been told by several contractors, may lead to cracking and separation issues in the future. We now have to raise that portion of our yard even higher to even out with patio. The stamps are now matched but the color is horrible. Jeff told us to wait six months for the concrete to cure and that we would see a big change in the coloring. We have waited and it is still uneven and splotchy. Initially, Jeff was great, very polite and responsive. But when the work was done poorly, Jeff was extremely difficult to work with while trying to resolve the problems. He was never at our project, leaving the work to his laborers. He only came to see the finished results when we insisted that he come see the poor workmanship, which he continually avoided responding to. The quality of the concrete pour was fine, the aesthetic portion of the project was garbage and extremely amateurish He kept showing us pictures of the foundation in his home, comparing the quality of work. I should not have had to point out that a foundation is not exposed while an outdoor patio is. Mistakes happen, which we were very understanding of, but errors need to be acknowledged and corrected. He was very argumentative, combative and the language that he used towards us was extremely unprofessional. His manner of handling the situation was appalling. We will have to have this project redone at some point and are considering what actions may be appropriate. We have filed a report with the BBB. We have many pictures which we would be happy to share. Our patio is an embarrassment and not appropriate for the value of our home. I'm sure this was an unfortunate and isolated incident. Jeff is obviously not used to mistakes but is very immature and unprofessional in resolving customer service issues. I wish our patio looks like the ones in the posted pictures. What we have does not come close.

Jeff Mottern quickly responded to my call and came to my house to provide a free estimate. He carefully explained all options and gave me a cost-effective solution to the various repairs needed. Mottern Masonry performed the repairs in a timely manner. The workmanship was flawless and the repairs look better than the original. In addition, they completely cleaned up the work area.

He was very responsive and also applied very practical, cost effective solutions. The workmanship was flawless.

We took advantage of the winter rate, and was able to get the work done within 1 week of expected date, due to a cold snap. When scheduling the work, we were told the timeline that work would be done, and this schedule was kept. Which was nice to have for a multiday project. The first day, I showed the workers the three areas for work. We came home, and the old stoop was gone, and the new concrete pad was installed. We came home the next day and the stoop and steps were installed and covered to protect them from the weather. There was some end pieces of the bluestone in the yard, and was very happy with the thickness of the stone. The next day they finished grouting, and did the repointing work. Jeff Mottern called from our site to let me know that work was complete, and that we could walk on the steps if we wanted. They do not do railings, but recommended another company for that work. A couple of days later, they came by and powerwashed the steps, and brought out the color of the stone. It looks great, and we are very happy with the work.

I was looking for a cost-effective solution for turning the dead space under our deck into a usable space. I interviewed half a dozen masonry and landscaping contractors, but none of them came close to matching Jeff's responsiveness, honesty and price. I had recently had a lousy experience with a deck builder who did not complete the work he was contracted to do, and the process of interviewing other companies to build the patio brought me to my wit's end. I knew Jeff was going to be the right choice when he called me within a few hours of my submitting the contact form on his website. We made an appointment for a site visit the following week, and he showed up precisely on time, took measurements, and gave us a quote on the spot. I then had to submit my patio plans to our HOA for approval, which took nearly a month. In that time period, I had to refine the details of the plan a few times with Jeff. Each time I called or emailed him, he contacted me back immediately and answered my questions. When we finalized the date for the start of the job (which was delayed a few times by bad weather), Jeff and his crew showed up at 7:30 am and got right to work. As promised, the work was completed in 4 days and the end result is amazing. The Mottern Masonry crew took great care of the surrounding areas (they put down boards to roll their wheelbarrows up and down our yard, they put up plastic sheeting to protect the deck supports and patio door, etc.). When the job was done, they even power washed our driveway to remove the tire marks left by the concrete truck. I couldn't be happier with the work they did, but most importantly, what was the REAL differentiator between Jeff's company and the others I spoke to was Jeff's personal involvement in the project and his responsiveness. I never had to chase him down for any details or status. He proactively communicated everything to me and I was never in the dark about anything. I will be using Mottern Masonry Design for some stone work on our front porch this coming spring.

Removed brick and concrete walkway and porch area and replaced with brick and slate. Removed several shrubs and small, ornamental trees. Removed damaged concrete area in garage and replaced.

Jeff Mottern was very professional and responsive when providing a free estimate and was flexible when scheduling the weather-dependent work. Jeff stayed with his original estimate even though his mason identified additional damage to the front steps. I was very satisfied with the workmanship and attention to detail. The same mason and assistant returned five days later to thoroughly clean and acid wash the entire brick walkway and steps.

They determined that we didn't need any workdone at the time but he offered a few tips in the meantime...

Called for what I had hoped would be a repair to fix broken bricks on a very large front stoop and stairs to the front door of our home. Jeff Mottern responded promptly and when he got to the job quickly assessed the state of the whole structure, showing me that it was all falling apart -- which it was. Stated he was reluctant to repair it and that, if we tried that, it wouldn't last for more than a couple of years. Got an estimate for redoing the whole thing in flagstone from Jeff. At first, we wanted only to redo steps and stoop (got estimate for that), but then decided to add to that putting the same thing on a large concrete landing at bottom of front steps, concrete path to lower stairs going down to our driveway. Got estimate for that, too. Our little neighborhood, however has all brick stoops and steps, so we eventually moved to doing it over in brick, which upped the estimate a bit. Work: Tore out large brick front stoop and steps, including down-sloping, raised brick supports for iron railings. Had to rebuild and mortar the foundation for the steps and stoop (that is, what was supporting the whole thing, for another $2,500-- something Jeff warned me he might find once the old stoop and steps were removed, though he said at the time of the estimate that it was "not likely" he would have to do this) because original builder had just supported the whole structure with loosely aligned concrete block and junk. Jeff, replaced the stoop and steps with new brick that I at first feared would not match the other brick on our house as well as it turns out it does. (Jeff also warned us that this would not and could not be identical because the old brick used on our house is no longer made. Do not be deceived into this worry, as I confess I was: new, wet brick does not look like what it will look like in the end. Trust Jeff and his crew It looks great now, a month later.) He also covered with pavers of the same brick the concrete areas described above. The brick below our front stairs and stoop does not perfectly align with the brick stairs and stoop, but this seems to have been a function of the imperfect set of the covered concrete areas and I cannot see how anything could have been done to avoid this. One way or another, under the circumstances, something was going to end up misaligned slightly. (Tiny imperfections in alignments that are not visible when one looks at a large, flat concrete space become meaningful visually when smaller straight lines are introduced, as they are when brick is used to fit a large concrete space. So I did not foresee this -- and I am not sure Jeff did either.) But this is barely noticeable now, and the bricks that needed to be cut and matched to meet the foot of the front steps to deal with this were expertly done, as in fact was the whole job. The overall look of all the news brick is excellent, tightly mortared, and pleasing to the eye. Jeff also told us up front we'd have to have a rail guy come in after a couple of weeks to replace our iron railings at the sides of the new steps and stoop -- which seemed strange to me at the time: why wasn't that part of the whole job Jeff was undertaking? But what do I know? Doing that was later estimated by the rail guy with whom Jeff's outfit works as another $600, but it turned out that the old rails wouldn't do at all because the slope of the supporting brick Jeff put up was different from what we started with and putting in the old rails just wouldn't do: the angle would have been off-- a small disappointment because new rails had to be made, increasing that extra amount to $1,500. Note: this meant that getting everything done by Jeff and the rail guy came to $13,900, hard to be entirely happy about when the original estimate, albeit with warnings about what could increase it, was $9,900. I am not complaining about it -- just warning you about how these things can go. Jeff's crew was punctual, started every day very early, hard-working, pleasant, neat, did excellent clean-up, did the best they could to spare large plants we have at the edges of everything (and actually had to cut very little to make way for their work), and stayed on the original schedule set by Jeff -- about five days of solid effort. I wasn't there for much of it (I work downtown) and so do not know how often Jeff was there to supervise or make decisions. One understands that rain is incompatible with brick laying and we did have one of those days as I remember, but otherwise nothing interfered with or delayed the work. It went down exactly as Jeff had told us it would. A last word on pricing: Jeff was conservative in his estimates, and sticks by them in his contract. Though the switch to brick from flagstone ought to have raised the ante somewhat, somehow it did not come out that way. Ditto about having to reconstruct the base for the stairs and stoop: came in under his estimate for that extra work. That is, if Jeff gets a saving somewhere along the line, he passes it along to the customer. (How often has that happened to you lately?) Was all this a sizeable task that encountered a couple of unforeseen challenges? Yes. Did it come out well? Yes. Are we pleased overall? Yes -- and I'm pretty picky.