My project had two components. I had a paver patio installed as well as a wood gazebo, wood gate, and wood planter. For the most part, I was generally happy working with Kirill. From the initial estimate to the project nearing completion, Kirill was available by text for quick questions and clarifications.
Everyone at cactus Landscaping came in teams. Their vehicles were all branded and everything was very professional looking. They left my yard and the general area as tidy as you can expect, considering what was going on. Each day that the teams were in they accomplished a lot. I feel like making their deadlines is important and I appreciated that effort.
The patio and sod: 10/10
This team was excellent. The patio footprint was excavated and levelled quickly and accurately. The stones went down quickly and the guys did a great job lining them up to an existing patio. Kirill even was able to find the same brand used on my older patio. The colours are off but that appears to because there is a coat of something caked on them. Im not sure if its supposed to wash away with rain. Ive had a fall, winter, and spring however, the coating has yet to wash away. Overall, I think the patio guys did a fantastic job and I hope the colour of the stones eventually come through.
The Gate: 9.9/10
Kirill and I talked about the gate: keeping the frame and door tight to the house and ground, the lock and handles. When the guys built the gate, they encountered an issue and rather than speak to me, they drilled a hole through the door and tied a string to a latch on the other side. There was no handle and the frame stopped almost a foot from the ground creating a huge gap, that would allow critters in (this was the only reason I had a new gate built). I asked the team to put my old handle on the door so I could open it and then texted Kirill to let him know I was disappointed about this. The next day, Kirill had the team fix the hole and put a proper lock on it. Great job to move from something not right and make it work. As an update, there was a gap along the bottom and I used wire mesh and stones to block out small animals last winter but when they came back to make a couple fixes to the planter - they added a step to the bottom of the gate to finish it nicely and close that space. Again, kudos for seeing an issue and addressing it (I didnt happen to point it out, they saw it on their own and took the initiative).
The Gazebo: 9/10, looks sturdy and well built but initially, there was no slope and because of that, I didnt get the privacy I was looking for and also, rain and snow wasnt able to slide off on to the grass where the patio ends. I raised some concerns and after the winter, the team returned and adjusted the roof to create a slope that works. The rain water runs off beautifully and on heavy rain days, its a but zen to sit under the gazebo and watch the water roll off the roof.
Garden Box: 9.5/10, looks very pretty but the capacity is smaller than I had hoped for. I asked Kirill about building a garden box. It took a lot of back-and-forth to finally land on the cost, size, and style of this box. Initially, I wasnt happy with the craftsmanship of the box but after speaking with Kirill, he sent the guys out and were able to address the issue.
Kirill was easy to talk to and he delivered on exactly what we spoke about in regards to my patio. I would 100% recommend Cactus Landscaping to build your patio. The stonework Kirill was accommodating and able to provide a way to make things happen. Heck, I tacked on two other jobs (door and planter) to the original project because I could trust this guy to come through - he was even able to accommodate and include some other things within the original project scope and cost, which i very much appreciated. Quite honestly, my backyard, prior to Kirill, was terrible and the work Cactus Landscaping did makes it completely useable. I do thank them for that.
Its important to note that while I wasnt happy with the completed wood projects, I am now very happy with the fixes Kirill was able to apply.
Kirill obviously cares about his clients, his reputation, and the quality of his companys work. He took the time to understand the issues and made it a point to address them. You cant ask for more than that - I recommend these guys.
