Green Apple Landscaping

Landscape Contractors & Designers
Toronto ON M8Z 5K2
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Reviews for Green Apple Landscaping

Average customer rating:
9.6 10 (108 reviews)

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Philip M
Philip M
4 reviews Toronto, ON
3/10

Front Yard Parking Design

We engaged Green Apple in the summer of 2021 because they advertised themselves as the leading experts in Toronto regarding Front Yard Parking Pads. We paid for a front yard design. In short, we received the absolute bare minimum level of support, a generic unusable design that was way over our budget, and lots of wrong information.

Build Cost: The design was quite generic and not suitable for our home. We reached out to 15+ landscaping contractors for a build quote, and every single one of them gave us a quote of at least 2-2.5x the budget we had told Green Apple for the design. 0/10

Design Cost: The design cost is significantly higher than other landscaping companies. They maintain that this is due to providing support and knowledge for front yard parking applications. It is not worth it as no support is really provided. Another minor issue is that we were told that if we paid in advance we would receive a small discount. However, when the landscape designer got on site, he told us we had to pay there and then or he would leave. We intended on paying in advance anyways, but it seemed strange to mislead us about payment options. 2/10

Design: Every single one of the contractors we contacted for a build quote identified the same issue with the design (which we flagged during the initial design review and were told it could not be changed). Essentially, the design is unusable for actually doing the work. We had to make significant modifications in layout and materials, which begs the question as to why we paid so much for the design in the first place. 2/10

Support during the application process: As mentioned, one of the key points they advertise is that they are experts in front yard parking applications. Be warned, the extent of the support is that they e-mail the application in then send you a short pdf on how to talk to your neighbors during the polling. 2/10

Timeline: The timeline between requesting a design and obtaining and submitting the design to the city was good. A total of a bit less than 2 months including site visit, design, one revision and submission to the city. 7/10.

Some additional details on issues we faced with the design:
- The front yard parking pad dimensions were wrong as it did not include the required 0.3m driveway (no-parking-zone)
- As mentioned before, the cost to build as per the design was over 2x what we told them our budget was.
- There is an excessively large planter that we flagged during design and were told it was necessary. Not a single landscaping contractor was comfortable with building it as per the design as they did not think it would look good.
- We were told to not request a curb cut until then end of the process. When we asked the city bylaw officer about the curb cut, they told us that we should have requested it at the start and now it will be significantly delayed.

Review has 1 previous version
Approximate cost of services:
$4,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

We always strive to satisfy our clients. It would have been better to let us know that you were not satisfied with our service, and we could have taken steps to satisfy you. 

When you first contacted us, you had told us your budget for adding a parking pad to your property was $20,000. I had told you immediately on the phone that this was not a sufficient budget to do your project. I added that perhaps you could find another company that could do it for that budget, but I did not give you any assurance. 

Our offering with parking pad applications is to design the parking pad, submit the application for you, and then coach you through the whole process. After we had done the first two items, you contacted us once when you were doing the poll to ask about how best to do the poll. We sent you a coaching document that discusses best practices for the poll. You thanked me for it, and then we never heard from you again. To now blame us for lack of support is not fair. If you needed more help, you could have contacted us anytime. Other clients contact us throughout the process asking various questions, and we are always quick to answer. 

Your criticism that the planter size was too large was dealt with during the design process. In an email exchange, you had asked if the planter could be made smaller, and our response was, “We can reduce it, but the retaining wall needs to be there.”

Your comment about the parking pad dimensions is incorrect. This 0.3m no parking zone is something the city puts on their sketch; however, it is not required for us to show this on our submitted plan. This 0.3m zone indicates you are to keep your back bumper this distance from the city sidewalk. 

Your comment that the curb cut extension you wanted should have been requested upfront, we double-checked with the city, and it can be done either before or after, and I was told it did not or would not delay the permit issue. Therefore your understanding of this is incorrect.

In conclusion, you blame us for things that were not a problem and for something within your control to have changed. 

S.O
S.O
5 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Backyard Renovation

We are so happy about how our backyard turned out - from a complete tear down to build a fence to match the existing one, retaining wall, stone paver path, and three-tier deck.
Peter has a fantastic team. Fred (landscape designer) was so creative to come up with the plan with our limited space and very patient to listen to our needs. Simon, Paul, Rob, and Shawn were true professionals. They are extremely detailed oriented and care about their craft. They certainly don't cut corners. Everytime we had unexpected issues, they were able to come up with new solutions. They were very patient, friendly, and very professional. We cannot praise them enough for the kind of service they provided us. Thank you so much!

Approximate cost of services:
$70,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you so much for the wonderful review. It was a pleasure working with you to remake your backyard. We are grateful for you taking the time to place this review. Looking forward to coming back in the Spring to do the planting.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

City of Toronto Parking Permit

I moved into a house where the parking pad wasn't "legal" and I had to work with Peter to work backwards to apply for it to be legalized. He was extremely knowledgeable, patient and helpful. We found out this week that our pad is now legal! Such a relief and I owe it all to Peter and his team. THANK YOU!!

Approximate cost of services:
$2,000.00
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Company Response

Thanks so much for placing this review! It always makes us happy when we can help out. Enjoy parking on your new legal parking pad!

Cristina Fowler from Toronto
Cristina Fowler from Toronto
3 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Backyard Redesign

We just completed a full backyard re-design with Green Apple and we are so impressed! From the get go, Peter responded quickly to all emails and answered all of our questions. From our first meeting with Fred, the designer, we knew we had chosen the right company. Their professionalism, friendliness, attention to detail and knowledge of all things landscaping is top notch. We can’tsay enough about Green Apple and their amazing work. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for a landscaping design company. Know that you will be a satisfied customer from beginning to end. A big note of thanks to Peter, Fred, Simon, Paul and the rest of the awesome team.

Approximate cost of services:
$80,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you, Cristina for the amazing review! It was a pleasure working for you to do the complete makeover of your backyard. I appreciate you taking the time to place this review. Hope you enjoy the new backyard for years to come.

Lindsay
Lindsay
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Front Yard Makeover

We are thrilled with our new front living space. The team at Green Apple are professional, very responsive and solutions-oriented when it comes to working in challenging conditions (especially tight urban spaces!). From our initial design, to dealing with an old tree and the City of Toronto, to our redesign and project execution, we were very impressed by Peter and his team's efforts to get our job done on budget. We get compliments on it everyday. We couldn't recommend Green Apple enough.

Approximate cost of services:
$20,000.00
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Company Response

Thanks so much for the great review! It was great working for you to redesign your front yard.

Linda
Linda
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Front Garden Landscaping

I am thrilled with my beautiful new front garden. Peter and Fred and the entire crew were professional and a pleasure to work with from start to finish. I was very happy with the design which reflected my vision. The material choices were beautiful, and the crew were careful, skilled, hardworking and very tidy. In addition, as a group they were just really friendly and seem to be a really well run organization. Thank-you Green Apple for a positive experience and exceptional outcome.

Approximate cost of services:
$30,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

Thank you so much for the great review Linda. It was a pleasure working for you to do a complete makeover of your front yard!

Erin S
Erin S
0 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Front landscaping

We couldn't be happier with our front yard. The workmanship and attention to deal exceeded our expectations. The onsite crew was great to deal with. We would highly recommend Green Apple Landscaping.

Approximate cost of services:
$38,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you, Erin, for placing this great review.

Matthew Higgins from Toronto
Matthew Higgins from Toronto
2 reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Complete Backyard Renovation

Peter and his team did a complete teardown and rebuild of our backyard (a Toronto semi) over a couple of months in 2020, installing two new fences with gates, two new decks, a stone patio with natural gas fire pit, and fresh landscaping. From consultation, to design, to planning and construction, the whole process was seamless and professional. My wife and I have demanding jobs and appreciated Peter and Simon's approach to managing issues and changes with the project, never bringing us problems for which they hadn't already developed solution options. The team delivered at a consistently high quality from design to execution, and Peter's communication throughout the project was excellent. I would highly recommend Green Apple to anyone looking for a very high-quality, turnkey landscaping project.

Approximate cost of services:
$90,000.00
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Company Response

Thank you, Matthew, for taking the time to place this amazing review! We really appreciated working with you to create a new backyard space. Hope you enjoy it for many years to come.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Toronto, ON
10/10

Front Pad Parking

We were looking to put in front pad parking at our house in Toronto and came across Green Apple Landscaping online. We could not be happier that we found this company. From originally getting in contact with Peter, to drawing up plans with Fred, to the execution of the project with Simon, Paul and Bogdan, we were thoroughly impressed with the Green Apple team. Their attention to detail, extremely quick execution and a great final result exceeded all our expectations. They took care of all our questions along the way and made sure to always keep a clean job site during the project to ensure our neighbours were respected as well. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for guidance on permitting, front pad parking and seamless job execution.

Approximate cost of services:
$30,000.00
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Company Response

Thanks so much for taking the time to place this very nice review! It was a pleasure working for you creating a functional and beautiful front yard parking pad. Many years of enjoying the convenience of your parking pad.

Private User
Private User
Private User reviews Toronto, ON
2/10

Backyard Redesign

We first engaged Green Apple Landscaping in January 2021, assuming this would be ample runway to have a backyard redesign in time for the summer. Unfortunately, we were strung along for months and are now left scrambling to find another contractor who can finish the project. 

The designs provided were good but required very obvious revisions for simple things - like proper access to our door - and did not reflect our personal preferences and taste. When we requested a difference colour palette, for example, we were told this was their style and they failed to give us adequate alternatives. 

The service was very slow and lacked coordination. It took 15 weeks to receive the design and budget (which we paid $4000 for). It was our impression they got very busy and were unable to manage all the projects they had on the go.

When we finally did receive costing 6 weeks after approving the designs, it was drastically over the budget we shared with them and which they said would be respected.

In our experience, they are quick to make promises, have you sign a contract and pay a deposit but unable to hold up their end of the bargain. 

Note: In the spirit of honesty and transparency, we shared this review in advance of posting it here and they took no ownership over the situation.

Approximate cost of services:
$4,000.00
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Company Response

I'm sorry that you feel this way about our service.

January 21 was our initial meeting and a design contract was signed.
January 27th - we received a deposit and you were told it would take 3-4 weeks for the design presentation.
On Feb 24th the design was presented. It took exactly 4 weeks for us to present the plan to you.

At this point, during our meeting, it was mentioned that the balance of the design fee was due, and you agreed to send the payment for the balance. Despite a few more reminders, we did not receive payment from you until after we gave you a quote for the build.

March 3rd We received an email with the request for changes after the design was complete and changes were to be made you mentioned ..."I understand costing is the next step but we are firm on keeping this project at $30K max so would like the designs to reflect this reality. If we are completely off base, please let us know!"
Our reply was: "It's hard to determine exactly the cost without going through the process. I would suggest that we make the changes and send it to Peter for the quote and then if we need we can adjust the drawing if need be. I can respect your request and we will do our best to try to accommodate from our end and if we can't make it work on our end the way it is designed then we will do our best to find an alternative way to get it done and still give you a beautiful yard."

March 14 you poked me for an update.
On March 15 I sent the revised design.
March 16 you had a few minor questions and asked for a 3D revision as well. As I mentioned this was not part of the design scope however I provided them as per your request.
March 17 I responded to your questions
March 17 you asked if I could accommodate your request for the 3Ds and I said I would do that for you.
March 20 you responded
March 22 - 2 days later I had the 3ds revised for you.
March 23 almost 3 weeks later we were still waiting for the contract fulfilment regarding payment. Once payment is made in full the costing process is put on the front burner. We do not usually apply the next phase of pricing if payment is not paid in full.

As you can see, we had had no lapse in timelines from responses and requests you had made. Once I heard from you I always responded in a timely manner. It is quite normal to have a design process with revisions take 4-6 weeks.

In response to the budget, it was clearly pointed out to you what things might cost in an email sent on January 22nd which was after you had signed a design contract but before you had sent a deposit. The budget requirement we gave you was considerably more than your stated budget yet you proceeded with a design anyway. Since that time lumber has doubled in price and other materials have been increasing 30% in some cases.
When there is a wish list, we do our best to keep the budget in mind, but prices and wish lists can play out against each other. Prices are what they are and that is out of our control.

Regarding being all in for signing a contract, We would remind you that you waited almost a week before sending the deposit to the contract. We did not push you or promise the world to you. My advice to you was that you need a good plan to do it right. There was no pressure from our end at all.

Regarding the delay in providing the quote, you hadn't actually paid for the design, even after being politely reminded several times to do so.
We do thank you for paying now, but you only did that after we provided you with a quote for the installation.
Would any business provide a timely quote if you haven't paid for the original work?

I'm sorry that you felt the need to try and tarnish our reputation. I wish you luck with your project.

The reviews on this page are the subjective opinion of the Author and not of HomeStars Inc.

More about Green Apple Landscaping

Category: Landscape Contractors and Designers.

Modern Landscape Design. Toronto's premier modern landscaping company.

Your modern lifestyle, outdoors. Creating usable, functional and refined environments with a modern aesthetic.

Green Apple offers a complete residential landscape design and build service in GTA Toronto, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Kleinburg, Nobleton, Caledon, Richmond Hill, and Thornhill. With over 30 years of landscaping experience and a portfolio of award-winning gardens, we are dedicated and passionate about creating the perfect garden for our clients.

We are now pleased to offer three dimensional (3D) plans as part of our design process. This is in addition to our standard two dimensional (2D) plans. The 3D plans provide you with the opportunity to visualize your landscape makeover in photorealistic 3D pictures of your designed landscape and actually see what your landscaping will look like before it is built! See our 3D designs on Homestars and Houzz.

CATEGORIES
Landscape Contractors & Designers
PRODUCTS
2D & optional 3D landscape designs as a starting point for our design + build landscape makeovers
SERVICES
Only Complete Landscape Makeovers of Properties for Curb Appeal and Backyard Outdoor Living
BRANDS
Unilock, Permacon, Oaks, Techo-Bloc, natural stone products
STYLES
Contemporary Modern, Eclectic Modern, Modern Formal
SPECIALITIES
Modern Landscaping - Design + Build, Front Yard Parking Pads in the City of Toronto (Plans, Permits, Installation)
WEBSITE
https://www.greenapple.ca/
YEAR ESTABLISHED
1995
NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
7
RETURN POLICY
We believe that the customer is always right. Complete satisfaction guarantee.
PAYMENT METHOD
Cheque, Visa, Paypal, Financing Available
LICENSES
Certified Landscape Professional, Certified Landscape Technicians
MEMBERSHIPS
Landscape Ontario Horticultural Association
LIABILITY INSURANCE
Yes
DIPLOMAS
Certified Landscape Designer
WORKERS COMPENSATION
Yes
PROJECT MINIMUM
$25,000
WRITTEN CONTRACT
Yes
WARRANTY TERMS
Up to 5 Years on all labour, Lifetime on most products from the manufacturers.
Company profile information is not moderated by HomeStars. Ask the contractor to verify before hiring.