I contacted "Under the Sun" landscaping to help us with some much needed hardscaping in our dreary, unkempt backyard. I didn't know exactly what I wanted (deck vs. patio, new shed vs. refurbished shed) so I wanted an ecologically sensitive company which would work with me to hone my vision and to give me sound advice on what would and wouldn't work in terms of practicality and environmental impact. Well, "Under the Sun" did not disappoint! From the beginning Sal was very receptive to my ideas and had lots of suggestions of his own. He drafted a basic design which I quite liked and then we were able to go back and forth about the specifics. I had LOTS of questions and Sal answered all of them with patience and in-depth knowledge. Eventually we settled on a brand new cedar fence, a cedar deck and a refurbished shed with a living roof. But Sal didn't just concern himself with the aesthetics of the project; he ensured that things like water drainage and the underpinnings of the deck where it attached to the house were addressed as well. We were excited to get home each evening to see the progress being made by the crew. And when the fence finally went up we were not disappointed! It's beautiful and gives us just the right level of privacy we were looking for. The deck is also lovely and Sal even came back to do a little sanding when he felt one of the boards wasn't quite smooth enough. The shed was transformed from a water-damaged, crumbling eyesore into a charming, cottage-like structure with a window, new wood cladding and a stunning living roof. We still get a kick out of showing it off to our friends! Throughout the process Sal was very good about communication and about addressing all our niggling concerns. He even gave us advice on things that were out of his purview but of which he wanted us to be aware, like some possible foundation issues. And he has made suggestions for how we might want to go about installing native plants, trees, etc. And, even after the project was finished, Sal was available to answer questions. We were so satisfied with "Under the Sun's" work that we asked them back soon after to replace our front fence as well! Considering the superior level of service and craftsmanship we thought the pricing was reasonable and were extremely pleased with the whole process. We would definitely recommend Under the Sun and would certainly use their services again.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $10,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Company Response
My whole hearted thanks for this wonderful review Marisa! You really went out of your way to list the details of the work done. And thank you for all your positive words. It was a true pleasure working with you. We were a great match I think, you were able to take a first sketch and really run with it. After some fine tuning, you were decisive and pulled together a plan of action. I love that you were after a truly organic aesthetic, certainly the highlights of this project for us was the curved deck cedar deck and the shed restoration with Green Living Roof to boot. I love that you were after details like a preferably salvaged/reclaimed window for the shed (in lieu of buying brand new materials). There is such a wealth of quality, character filled reclaimed building materials in this city, it is such a win win situation in my opinion when people choose to give new life to relics. Thank you for being a kind and easy going person. You even were sure to send project end gifts home with us! Much appreciated! (best wine I've had in a while too!)