INSTALL-IT-DIRECT

We just finished getting our backyard paved from Install-It-Direct and I am not exaggerating when I say that they are hands down the most fair-priced, transparent, communicative, efficient, responsive, and customer service-oriented company we have ever had the pleasure of working with. Our moderate size yard was a mixture of cracked Spanish tiles, a lot of tree roots and a huge amount of dirt and rocks and they transformed it into a beautiful space that we can enjoy for years to come. From the designer Steve who gave us an esthetically- pleasing, cost effective design that met all of our needs, Operations Manager Jonathan who navigated all the logistics of getting the project started and progressing in a timely manner, Project Manager Patrick who was here from the beginning to the very end overseeing that the work was going right and responding to any of our concerns, as well unforeseen issues that inevitably rise after excavation, Foreman Antonio and his crew Leandro and later Danny and even the Owners- everyone from this stellar company was super-involved to make our project as stress free as possible, even with the unprecedented SoCal February rain we had after demolition. Project Manager Patrick communicated with us almost everyday during the crazy weeklong rain to give us updates on when Foreman Antonio, Leandro, and Danny can come back. Antonio and Leandro came by to make sure the ground was protected with plastic sheeting and returned back to work as soon as the ground was dried enough. These men are highly skilled and not only care that you get the best looking pavers, but also that you have you have proper drainage (which is paramount in paver installation I was told). They are punctual, efficient, courteous and made sure to leave your property cleaned up as much as possible at the end of each work day, even though we weren't even asking that it be cleaned since the project itself means a lot of dirt. Project Manager is someone who has my utmost respect. He truly cares about his customers and I never felt that I was bothering him with any questions. Often times, he addressed concerns even before we asked. He was texting us and came by to the house almost everyday from start to finish. He is trustworthy, conscientious, and very amiable. Any concerns we had were promptly addressed and he made sure to find solutions, including when Foreman Antonio, Leandro and Danny discovered an unexpected huge pipe underground from our next door neighbor's side of the property after digging. They came up a beautiful solution to make the area look like a plant stand that worked for us. You know how some companies no longer respond in a timely matter after the contract is signed or when the check is cashed? Heck, some of those companies don't even bother texting you back until hours later because they got paid lol. That's the exact opposite of Install-It-Direct. Designer Steve, Project Manager Patrick and Operations Manager Jonathan always responded right away. We never felt ignored or forgotten throughout the project. After the pavers were done, we asked for a replacement of a few flawed looking pavers which we didn't see until the pavers were dried. We thought since the last check was cashed and the project was deemed over, we're probably not going to hear back from them for a while, but Project Manager Patrick proved us wrong! He responded right away to my text and immediately let Operations Manager Jonathan know to have Foreman Antonio return to replace the flawed looking pavers. To me that is the hallmark of exceptional customer service: when a company responds and comes back quickly after the project is completed because of customer request. We highly recommend Install-It-Direct. They really are the best company we have ever worked with and that's saying a lot because it takes a lot for me to write a review but I am happy to write this one for them. Thank you Install-It-Direct for doing such excellent work for us!

Great team to work with! Extremely pleased with the quality of work and the timeframe of completion (<2wks). I also want to highlight the team members - Bill, Patrick, Lucas, and Casper - they were all easy to talk to and seemed to really care to do a great job for their clients. If their managers read this, I would advocate for them to be promoted and/or get raises! See photos for the desert wasteland that used to be our backyard compared to the beautiful outdoor oasis they installed. Our backyard still looked incredible after the storm so it’s a testament to their quality of work! Of note, the cracked concrete and old IKEA tiles are the sections we didn't change since we didn't have the budget haha. For us, we had a lot of input on what we wanted installed and where, so I think it made for better teamwork and we were really happy with the end result. What was done: -- added turf with wavy perimeter -- decomposed granite with rocks and plants to create zen area by pepper tree -- installed plants all along perimeter -- added new mulch -- extended a portion of concrete walkway and retaining wall -- added drip irrigation and adjusted drainage -- added post for market/string lights Budget: IID was very understanding of our budget and worked with us to create a project that we could afford. I am a pretty strict, frugal person so this is saying a lot! Designer: Bill It was a pleasure working with Bill to design the backyard. He would be just as excited about each revision as we were. He did a wonderful job adding the curves we wanted into the turf and seamlessly blending it in with the DG. We wanted to pick our own plants and decorative rocks and Bill was 100% on board. It was super fun picking plants and rocks together at the nurseries/KRC rock. Bill was always very positive and responsive despite our constant questions and revisions. Project Manager: Patrick Patrick was very on top of the project. As with any big project, things might get missed or something might not come out how you imagined the first time. However, Patrick was quick to respond to our concerns. I did not need to ask Patrick more than once to address something. For instance, they originally installed a circular ring irrigation device to water the plants on the DG. However, it was watering too wide of a surface area and leaving prolonged wet spots. So we asked about it and within a day or so, they switched them all to drip irrigation and problem solved. We asked if they could stucco more of the wall - the next day, it was done. We reminded them of the conduit line - next day, it was done. Legit it was incredible how responsive this team was. Installation Team: Lucas and Casper These guys are MVPs! We had our renovation in July so it was 80s every single day. These men worked endlessly to set up our backyard in record time. They were always super hardworking, energetic, and polite. They were also respectful and kept the area very clean. They were responsive to our questions/concerns. I originally brought up the irrigation issue to Lucas and he immediately told Patrick. I asked if they could use a potting mix I wanted for the larger plants and they re-arranged their work to plant the next day so my husband and I could bring the potting mix. I also appreciated their quality of work. I’ve had several friends comment on how well Lucas blended the seams of the turf so that it’s barely noticeable. Even after the SD storm our backyard looked great! And all the drains they installed worked because we didn’t experience any flooding.

BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY: Run, don’t walk away from this absolute nightmare of a company. I’ve delt with roofers, plumbers, electricians, solar installation companies, etc. and never had issues with like what I’ve dealt with here. Just to be clear: what you’re actually paying for is a severely underpaid subcontractor and a series of smarmy middlemen. (Just read some of their responses to negative reviews if you want to get a taste of what you’re signing up for if you use this company.) I had a very straightforward 500 sq ft patio installation and went with this company due to their good reviews, good design salesman, and how quickly they could get the job done. As soon as I signed the initial contract, they hit me with a $1,500 change order to increase a 32 ft walkway by 1 foot (should have been $3-400) and I had to go back and forth and threaten to cancel the job before they backed off. They reassured me that the design manager and PM would be present during each day of the job and deal directly with the subcontracted installation crew what actually happened was the PM would only show up for like 5 minutes each day and didn’t actually seem do anything to check on the quality of the install. They pretended like it was a job well done and asked for final payment until I called them out on their initial install which essentially looked like an amateur’s first DIY job: uneven paver field with humps and dips, borders without cuts and full of dips and waves like they didn’t use a string line, many pavers without joint sand, and a significant portion of the paver field was graded towards the house. To make matters worse, after they thought the job was done, they left about 20 wheelbarrows of gravel base on the street in front of a neighbor’s trailer because the subcontractor wanted to charge them extra money to move it off the street. I had to do come home and move the gravel by myself in the dark to avoid causing extra issues with neighbors. They also ignored our previously agreed-upon plan to install access to a sewer cleanout (didn’t tell me, I had to call them out on it), left a dirty worksite, blew polymeric sand everywhere using a leaf blower instead of a broom, etc. I had to cancel checks, get on calls with the company’s founder, send countless texts detailing what was done incorrectly with pictures and video evidence performing water tests and using my own bubble levels and STILL had them try to gaslight me about what we had agreed upon in terms of the grade of the paver field (towards an existing drain in the lawn), whether the pavers field was going towards house in some parts, etc. It took 2.5 weeks to for them to complete the 3-day job and, to be fair, they were able to correct worst of the initial installation issues (not because they wanted to, but because I called them out on it using bubble levels and water tests). However, there are still aesthetic issues (chipped pavers, pavers without joint sand, and a few elevated pavers in a few places) but I was so tired of dealing with the company that it was clear that the installation crew was not capable of doing it properly. If you do have the unfortunate luck to have to deal with this company, get every single minute detail in writing because they will agree to things in person but then the next day say the exact opposite in text. Be prepared to need to micromanage every single component of the project to double check that you’re not being screwed over. Be prepared to spend countless hours going back and forth with various middlemen to get them to come back and correct anything. If you don’t have a construction background and/or are not comfortable confronting passive aggressive and gaslighting men about the quality of their work, then I highly recommend avoiding this company and find one that has their own crews that take pride in the quality of their work.

I am pleased to write a review for Install-It-Direct and share my experiences with their team. From the initial consultation to the final walkthrough, the entire process was seamless and stress-free, thanks to their expertise and attention to detail. The salesman, Nate, was knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely interested in understanding our vision for the project. He offered valuable insights and suggestions, ensuring we were well-informed and confident in our decisions. His professionalism and enthusiasm left a lasting impression, making it easy to trust Install-It-Direct with our landscaping needs. It should be noted that Nate provided a very detailed proposal. I believe this is the very best way to propose a project, as it doesn’t leave things for later. It’s better to define the scope of the project to include even the smallest details. This approach is useful to avoid unexpected omissions during the project. We were also paying close attention during the project to ensure it was all going according to the plan. For the most part, it was, but there were a few little details that we pointed out. Their response? “No problem.” The designer (also Nate) transformed our ideas into a beautiful and functional design. His creativity, combined with his experience and knowledge of landscape architecture, resulted in a beautiful outdoor space that surpassed our expectations. The attention to detail and thoughtful placement of plants, hardscape, and features created a cohesive and inviting environment that we now enjoy daily. Honestly, the results were even better than I had expected. An added bonus is a number of positive comments from our neighbors. Nice! Throughout the project, the foreman, Troy, demonstrated exceptional leadership and communication skills. He managed the work crew effectively, ensuring that the project stayed on schedule and within budget. His proactive approach to problem-solving and eagerness to address any concerns or questions we had were truly appreciated. The work crew, in turn, was diligent, respectful, and skilled. They worked quickly and efficiently, completing the project in a timely manner without compromising quality. They definitely knew what they were doing, and they worked very smoothly as a team. The level of craftsmanship and attention to detail displayed by Install-It-Direct is exceptional. Their commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction is evident in every aspect of their work. I wholeheartedly recommend Install-It-Direct for any landscaping project and am happy to share my positive experience.

My wife and I bought a new home and trust me I did my research with landscaping companies. I received 4-5 quotes in regards towards our landscaping both very low to very high. When I met Brandon from Install-it-Direct. I knew not only found a good company but a great person to help design, implement, and follow up once complete. What truly impressed about Brandon is he took time to educate me on the different options, had many samples sent to our home, and I could tell he cared more about providing great service than about increasing profits. There quote was in the middle of all the quotes we received but I knew we were going to get the best work for money spent. He provided advice on all different options and gave us the best tips for use of our money with our landscaping, instead of just trying to add items to jack price/profit. Brandon and landscapers/installers Team that came to our home were a pleasure to work with. They were very respectful towards my wife, our two boys, and our home. They were trust-worthy, and very experienced by evidence of the work they completed. I asked Brandon to have his crew come back out to add some artificial turf in an area were we originally had planned to put bark. Brandon work diligently to align his team to come back out and install at a responsible price. If you are getting any type of landscaping completed I would highly recommend Brandon and Install-it-Direct. We all have to spend money if you want this type of work done but with his team there is more value placed ensuring the customer is satisfied than increasing their bottom line. We all work hard for our money and I value those like Brandin who don't try and take advantage of my hard-earned money. Plus they are true professionals, I did get quotes for cheaper but I could tell those types of contractors would inevidebly cost me more money in the long run because the job wouldn't be done right int he first place. My advice is stick with the professionals like Brandon and his team you will be more pleased in the long run. Its not to often that you meet a contractor that truly cares about providing great service and treats as a friend more than just a customer. That is what impressed me most about Brandon and his team at Install-it-Direct. Below you will see the before and after pics of the work completed. My wife, kids, and I are truly happy with our landscaping and home!