Ecoyards LLC
About us
Ecoyards is a small Seattle landscaping company that prides itself on quality work and attention to details. We’ll work with you to create a natural landscape that conserves water, encourages plant diversity, attracts wildlife and reduces the need for excess maintenance, pesticides and fertilizers. 7-10 employees. Cost is determined by the job. No travel charges. No service fee. May contact through email.
Business highlights
18 years of experience
Services we offer
& Holiday Lighting., & Walls, Drainage Solutions, Irrigation Systems, Landscaping & Lawn Services – Design & Build, Lawn Renovation, Maintenance, Paths, Patios, Rain Gardens, Water Features
Reviews
4.737 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 86% | ||
| 5% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 3% |
Showing 1-25 of 37 reviews
Karl K.
Feb 2015
Ecoyards worked with us to solve some gardening problems we've had, to add the lights, to address our drainage issues, and to recommend some Northwest-appropriate trees and shrubs. They came when scheduled, finished a large amount of work in just a few days, and thoroughly cleaned up when finished. We would both use them again and recommend them. The price initially seemed high but now seems appropriate given the amount of work performed.
Kevin K.
Sep 2014
Excellent! They were prompt with their appointment, fast in service, and left our yard looking amazing. Got a clear quote ahead of time detailing the work, which was followed to a T. We'd use them again in a heartbeat and highly recommend EcoYards.
LINDA K.
Nov 2013
2013 - Andy, the owner, and his crew were very knowledgeable. The crew was very courteous. They were easy to work with. They involved me appropriately on all small decisions. I would recommend them highly. I am going to use them again next year to put in a comprehensive irrigation system.
2014 - How can I say enough good things about Ecoyards? They go out of their way to please, with as much comunication as you want. Changed the main irrigation controller in the garage to provide me with one they thought more suited to my needs. Of course all was discussed beforehand, to make sure the change was right. Just one example of how they aim to please. Their crews for both the retaining wall and the irrigation project this year really knew what they were doing. Andy has hired the best!
Now I have asked Andy to give me a bid on another small project.
2014 - How can I say enough good things about Ecoyards? They go out of their way to please, with as much comunication as you want. Changed the main irrigation controller in the garage to provide me with one they thought more suited to my needs. Of course all was discussed beforehand, to make sure the change was right. Just one example of how they aim to please. Their crews for both the retaining wall and the irrigation project this year really knew what they were doing. Andy has hired the best!
Now I have asked Andy to give me a bid on another small project.
Mark M.
Sep 2013
See above. Also, she asked if I wanted my yard and quot;formaland quot; or and quot;wildand quot; which didn't make sense to me, as it already was and quot;wildand quot;. And when they came out to repair my sprinkler head, on the initial visit, they tripped the breaker to the irrigation system which also provided power to my freezer and refrigerator in my garage, costing me hundreds of dollars in loss. The sprinkler controls have not worked correctly since, and this will cost me even more money to have someone come out to program. SO, after paying $175. +/- to replace one plastic part of one sprinkler head and mow my lawn, I'm now upside down financially a couple hundred bucks in lost productsand whatever the next guy charges to re-program my irrigation system!
Response from Ecoyards LLC
"The $75 service included mowing plus an hour spent working in landscape beds pruning and weeding. So we were essentially on site for 2 hours or so on each visit (that's roughly $37 / hour). To get off to a good start, we spent an extra 2 hours there on our first visit at no extra charge. We showed up according to the schedule outlined in our detailed written agreement. There was lots of work to be done on our second visit. If there was nothing needed, we would have just left with no charge. The sprinkler controller was fried and causing problems when we showed up on site. We kindly explained this to the homeowner in writing and offered solutions for fixing the problem. He ignored these suggestions, and it sounds like that caused more problems."
Mary R.
Sep 2013
They are very punctual and pleasant and they do a good job every time they come out they come to our home every two weeks to maintenance the lawn and I have been having them come out for the past two years.
Kimberly G.
Sep 2012
It was a one-time fixup landscaping job. Overall, it was good. He knows his business well. He cut one bush way back, and I'm sure it's the proper way to do it. There was a slight error in communication.
REBECCA A.
Oct 2011
They are very conscientious in their work and really listen to what you ask for. Love, love, love having them work on our yard.
Erich L.
Sep 2011
Love that Andy communicates via email, and is prompt with his responses and always on time with appointments. Ecoyards follows through on what they say they will do. Could not be happier with Ecoyards. They are very sensitive to use of chemicals and as their name implies, try to work with the environment in mind. We appreciate that. Good for kids and cats.
I have talked with Ecoyards about doing pavers, their website has a gallery of some of the nice design they have done with patios and walkways.
I have talked with Ecoyards about doing pavers, their website has a gallery of some of the nice design they have done with patios and walkways.
Melissa L.
Sep 2011
We would use them again.
Amy H.
Aug 2011
After the first visit, during which they were able to and quot;squeeze us inand quot; and came out same-day, per my request, things started to go awry.
These are the things that went wrong, with ensuing email correspondence copied here:
1.) They were HIGHLY inconsistent in both the day and time of service. With young dogs in the yard, any level of and quot;flexibilityand quot; in yard crews working is very hard to accomodate. That said, the original day and time for scheduling was, per the owner's email, with contract attached: and quot;Your place is lined up for visits near the end of the day on Fridays.and quot; He went on to say, and quot;Our schedule may be a bit flexible from one visit to the next because we get bumbed around due to weather and occasional requests from customers for add-on services.and quot;
These are the things that went wrong, with ensuing email correspondence copied here:
1.) They were HIGHLY inconsistent in both the day and time of service. With young dogs in the yard, any level of and quot;flexibilityand quot; in yard crews working is very hard to accomodate. That said, the original day and time for scheduling was, per the owner's email, with contract attached: and quot;Your place is lined up for visits near the end of the day on Fridays.and quot; He went on to say, and quot;Our schedule may be a bit flexible from one visit to the next because we get bumbed around due to weather and occasional requests from customers for add-on services.and quot;
- On their first visit, they arrived around 2:30 p.m. (nowhere near the end of the day, by any normal definition) and left our gates WIDE OPEN. Luckily I was home and was able to corral my dogs, but this could have been catastrophic.
- In addition, they nicked the base of a fledgling cherry tree we had just planted, with their edging equipment. I emailed with these concerns, and received a reply: and quot;The timing of our visits; Sorry for the confusion. We start our day at 8 am so 2:30 is nearing the end of our day (We don’t stop for lunch). The guys only had 1 other job after yours that day. The 1st time we mowed for you it was a last minute addition and we had additional projects so we were running way behind. I know there is no way for you to have known this thus the long explanation. As a general rule we will arrive at your home every other Friday after noon. While it is something we cannot do for everyone I will text you before we are coming .and quot;
- I appreciated their accommodating my request to text before the visits though I did take notice that it seemed to put them out ('we can't do it for everyoneand quot; - yet they expect us to accommodate their erratic schedule -- the email went on to say: and quot;There will be occasions that we will need to arrive before noon or possibly on Wed or Thurs...and quot;)
- I have had prior yard maintenance crews employed at this and other locations - never ONCE has there been such inconsistency in scheduling - If our home was scheduled for Wed. at 10 a.m., crews showed up at 10:00 a.m. on the dot; with no issues.Over the next several visits, they never once arrived on any consistent schedule. I received texts saying they were coming anywhere between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and varying from Wednesday to Friday.
2.) I found their demands to accommodate THEIR schedule wholly presumptuous, given the attitude I received in return for such things as asking for a consistently scheduled date and time of service (which was apparently impossible for them - they did not accommodate a request for consistent scheduling - EVER). - When I tried to work with them, requesting only that they notify us when they would be arriving so that we wouldn't lose our pets from a gate carelessly flung open, they responded grudgingly: they texted, but made us well aware this was going out of their way: and quot;we don't do this for everyone...and quot;
- The final straw was a request for a vacation reschedule: we asked them not to come one week when we would be away, and their response was, again, clearly notifying us that this would be an inconvenience for them, they would do it on their terms (coming two weeks in a row to make up for the missed appointment) and that it was a and quot;special requestand quot;: and quot;it looks like I can do the switch... but to keep to our schedule I will back the week of the the 18th. [two weeks in a row] Just an FYI, this is not always possible.and quot; (I asked a house cleaner to similarly reschedule, and there was no problem: the cleaner did not come two weeks in a row to and quot;keep to the scheduleand quot; (essentially, the way I read this is, you can't skip out paying for one date of service by pushing the alternate weeks back), nor did they at all imply that this reschedule was inconveniencing them.)
3) On their last and FINAL visit, they MOWED DOWN A RHODODENDRON BUSH and never told us. We found out later when we were in our yard and noticed it was missing. In my opinion, they should have immediately knocked on our door when they were here, notifying us of this and quot;accidentand quot; or at least, emailed us later to let us know and offering immediately to replace it. Instead, we were left to once again, reach out with more concerns and complaints.
- In response to our irate complaint,once again they adopted a and quot;put-uponand quot; stance, that essentially, they were doing us a favor by mowing around our plants but that it was just too difficult for them to handle. (again, no other yard service has ever mowed down any of our plantings, nor have they complained that they were too hard to and quot;seeand quot; through weeds.)
- When we contacted them, highly upset, we received the following email reply from Andy, the owner: and quot;It sounds like we accidentally mowed down a rhododendron... I'm sorry for this and we'll obviously replace the rhody free of charge. In the future, we're no longer going to be able to trim down those weeds around the plants. We'll just stay in the lawn area. It's unfortunate because we were trying to provide an extra service of keeping those weeds down for you, but it turns out that it's just causing more problems than it's worth.and quot;
- My final email to the owner, in which I effectively fired Ecoyards, pretty much sums up the issues:
and quot;Actually, after all of the problems we've had with your crew, we've decided that we won't be needing your services anymore. Since your crew has started mowing for us, they have:
1) left our gate open, which could have greatly endangered the safety of our dogs,
2) nicked our cherry tree,
3) been inconsistent with scheduling -- I was told in the initial contract to expect mowing on Fridays at the end of the day - this somehow morphed into and quot;between Wednesday and Friday, anytime between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.and quot; This inconsistency in scheduling is unlike any other professional service provider I have ever dealt with, and
4) this final and quot;last strawand quot; of blatantly mowing down a rhody bush and failing to even notify us of it - letting us find out upon our return home - which has upset both my husband and I significantly. I would expect that any yard crew that has attained a level of familiarity with our lawn and surrounding plantings through repeated service would know where the few plantings we do have are located, and also would have proactively taken steps to notify us of any errors on their part, and how you would immediately rectify it. We don't expect to receive a bill for this last service date, and you don't need to worry about replacing the rhododendron.and quot;
He responded professionally (and quot;I'm sorry to hear this. It was an honest mistake and we're sorry for the frustration this has cause you.I definitely will send no bill for that service visit.and quot;), and essentially, I feel as though the situation was resolved.
However, I do NOT recommend Ecoyards and there is no way they are receiving our patronage for a full landscape design and install (yard maintenance and mowing is our test for any company that we are considering employing for a massive project. We are happily taking our services elsewhere - look for that positive review from me at a later date.)
Response from Ecoyards LLC
"Yes, we have a difficult time trying to accommodate a specific schedule down to an exact hour for mowing. We mowed this lawn every two weeks, as outlined in our contract. We never missed a scheduled visit and never came more than that. We also recommend that grass be removed from the base of trees and shrubs. It robs the trees and shrubs of nutrients and water, and is also difficult to mow. We were sorry when we accidentally nicked the plants and offered to replace them free of charge."
Elizabeth R.
Jul 2011
When I moved into my new house, I needed a lawn service. The property had been well maintained and I wanted someone who could be sensitive to the variety of plants and shrubs and also not use chemicals or noisy blowers. Ecoyards filled the bill and also were reasonable in price.
I continue to use them and am very happy with the arrangement.
Raymond N.
Jun 2011
Fairly well - then clean up was not the best.
Kathryn B.
Jun 2011
They are very responsive and always show up when they are supposed to show up. They just run their business in a really good way. I like all the people that actually come out and work on the yard. They are great.
Paul A.
Jan 2011
Andy and crew did an excellent job from beginning to end. Andy spent a good amount of time with me as he worked at understanding our needs. He returned with a detailed estimate of work including a basic cad drawing on what he was going to do. He quickly made changes to reflect my requests. I received estimates from 3 other landscapers and Andy took the most time to understand my needs and did the best at summarizing his work in the estimate and drawings. We set a start date and they started on time and completed within the agreed upon time frame of 3 weeks. His workers spent time each day explaining to me what they did, how they did it, any gotchas they ran into, and what they were planning for the next day or two. Every member of the crew was very professional. They also cleaned up well each day and after the job was done. Andy provided details on garden care and has responded quickly to my subsequent requests/questions via email. Additionally, Andy made it clear that any plantings I wasn't happy with he would gladly replace - this put me at ease so I didn't fret too much over the plants chosen - it's nice knowing I could make simple changes later.
Kathryn B.
Jan 2011
We switched to Ecoyards for our ongoing gardening maintenance a few months back. They are, hands down, the best service we have ever used in this area. We have tried several over the 13 years we have lived here, and were disappointed in all until Andy and his crew. They are very competitive in price, very considerate and professional in their dealings with us, extremely knowledgable about landscaping and maintenance, and have our property looking great again. Thank you!
Danferd H.
Nov 2010
It was a standalone job for which we paid them. I really liked the woman we worked with. She was creative and listened to us well. She incorporated a lot of our desires into the plan. We are planning to use them again for the next phase of the project.
Lauren D.
Oct 2010
overall, they do a good job.
Beth H.
Sep 2010
I am very pleased with how they fixed the fence; my little dog no longer roams free. My patio still looks great after two years, and my lawn is nicely mowed.
RUSSELL W.
Sep 2010
Good in a number of ways but not great overall. The place was a wreck when they started. We'd had Yardmaster who denuded huge patches of ground cover and such via weedwhacking and chemicals. They'd trimmed the bushes even w/ the paths rather than thinning them as necessary to keep them healthy. Andy came out and gave an estimate of what he thought it would take to maintain the property with a bit of extra for catching up from the mess left by Yardmaster. We accepted and he started work. Andy was very responsive to instructions via email. However, after a couple months, it was obvious they weren't keeping up much less catching up. So I emailed them and they suggested adding additional time every week. Seemed reasonable so we said OK. After about 2 years of paying this second estimate, they still weren't keeping up much less caught up. (We knew that for a while, but I was lazy about doing anything about it. And they didn't bring it up.) Finally, I emailed them again. Andy suggested working a one-time extra bit to clean up. Which isn't a terrible idea, but I questioned that this would really do it. Andy noted that we have a number of high-maintenance plants. I noted that these were there when he gave his first estimate. And his second estimate. I'm really looking for a true estimate that will actually cover the work needed. Instead of providing that, Andy opted to discontinue our service. Note: You asked if I would use this company again in the future and I said no. You didn't offer maybe as an option. It would depend what I needed done. I think for a small one-time job, they're probably great. But for a long-term thing, it sort of fell apart in the end. Also note: I gave a lower mark on professionalism because I wasn't sure what else to use to indicate "inaccurate estimates." Otherwise, Andy was very professional. The original estimate was clearly itemized. They didn't bill when they didn't work. (They tended to work less in the winter, for example.) His email communications were generally personable w/o being overly casual.
Response from Ecoyards LLC
"A response from Ecoyards – We agree that we had a tough time keeping up with this property despite our best efforts. The landscaping on this property is mostly ivy, bamboo, morning glory, blackberries, laurel, and horsetail, all extremely high-maintenance weeds and plantings that require a great deal of work to keep under control. Our crews worked hard when they were at the house. In retrospect, we underestimated the amount of time it would take and have learned from this project; we are more cautious with time-estimates to maintain these types of plantings."
Giri S.
Aug 2010
The first stage: design and installation estimates took several months due to an initial design that was way out of our stated budget, and communication problems. Design service was provided (at a rate of $50/hr) by a landscape designer who contracts with Ecoyards. Rebecca was professional and knowledgeable in general. However, it took several iterations to get on the same page, though, since she originally spec-ed out a design that would cost at least $30k, where we said we only wanted to pay $5-10k. That part was frustrating, as it delayed the process by several weeks. Andy was very responsive in getting us an estimate from the design that we ultimately figured out with Rebecca, given cost constraints. However, Andy and Rebecca communicated with each other during the design process, so it was unclear whether Andy figured in cost reductions from updated designs: Rebecca would change the design to make it cheaper to install, and then apparently tell Andy. Again, that delayed the process, because we didn't know whether the cost reductions were actually figured into updated installation estimates. Needless to say, it took awhile to hammer out a final contract for the installation with Andy. The installation: The installation crew was great. They were friendly, professional, and the installation seems to have gone well (i.e. no problems with plants so far). We ran into the crew in the mornings and afternoons, and apparently Andy stopped by during the day to check up on things. In some instances, they took the design too literally; the design blueprint was close but not precisely to scale, and the crew planted accordingly. As a result, the placement of plants could have been better, given the actual conditions of the yard and relative locations of existing plants. As for weed killer, they gave us a choice between round-up and a vinegar-based BurnOut, which we preferred since it was less toxic. The conclusion of the installation job left a sour taste with us. We were pleased with the quality of the installation, but the crew left the existing lighting and two sprinkler heads out of order. These were working fully before the work began several weeks before. Ecoyards came back and fixed the lighting but refused to fix the sprinklers, on the grounds that they already fixed the light. Our final contact with him was a request to fix or pay for the fix, to which we never received a response. This is very unprofessional.
Response from Ecoyards LLC
"A response from Ecoyards – Ecoyards referred the homeowner to an experienced landscape designer, a separate contractor who has a great reputation. We’re sorry to hear that the homeowner was not completely satisfied with that experience. It should be noted that Ecoyards was not directly involved in the design process. Ecoyards made multiple efforts to address the homeowner’s concerns regarding lighting and sprinklers that were in place prior to our work. At the homeowner’s request, we returned three times to fix the lights and sprinklers at no charge; we observed that the repairs were not related to our landscaping project. For example, on one visit, we replaced landscape light bulbs that were burned out, something that clearly was not the responsibility of Ecoyards. When the homeowner called us a fourth time, more than a month after we had completed the project, we kindly explained that we could no longer help with their aging lighting and sprinkler systems."
Kristie M.
Jul 2010
We spent $3500. They had earlier redone the yard. The quality of their work was excellent. I have dogs. They worked with me to get plants that were dog friendly. They took what we already had in the yard and improved upon it. They didn't just rip it off. They improved the natural characteristics that we had and they made it all look natural. They did a great job with the yard. They maintained it for a year. Then they came in and redid the fence. It was great. The owner is very nice and very knowledgeable about local plants. He knows what should go where. He took the time to come out and talk to me about it. We will use them again in the future.
Joan W.
Jun 2010
Work went well with very trustworthy crew.
Brian F.
Jun 2010
When they came to give the estimate I had an idea of what I wanted done. They heard what I had to say, what I was looking to do, and then gave some great suggestions taking the project in a different (and much better) direction. The estimate came quickly. The work was performed on schedule. Used quality materials and didn't skimp on anything. We love the work.
Karen V.
May 2010
Andy, the owner, came out for the bid, and a couple other times when I needed to ask him questions. He was very punctual each time. The bid was right where we expected it to be, and the workmanship was very good.
Victoria Q.
Jan 2010
It was great working with them. They were very easy to work with. If I didn't like something they would move plants. They answered all of my questions.
Licensing
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FAQ
Ecoyards LLC is currently rated 4.7 overall out of 5.
No, Ecoyards LLC does not offer free project estimates.
No, Ecoyards LLC does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Ecoyards LLC does not offer a senior discount.
No, Ecoyards LLC does not offer emergency services.
No, Ecoyards LLC does not offer warranties.