Landscaping reviews in Tempe, Arizona

Rob was absolutely helpful, patient and flexible with our yard project. He included all the things we wanted and made everything work for a reasonable price. Our yard is just how we wanted including our bike path for our son and our veggie garden beds. Thank you!!

Backyard has turned out amazing. I wasn't always the easiest customer to deal with and Rob was patient and reassuring. You get what you pay for I feel like this was a great value.

We used this company for an extensive and expensive backyard renovation. This included a water feature and an adjoining wall. The water feature developed problems.....I asked them to help. It was out of warranty and they only offered a random fountain company as a possible source to repair. Worse, the design was faulty and now I have a large plumbing leak of some sort that is leaking into the flagstone and causing huge discoloration, but more importantly destroying the flagstone and the grout. I reached out again.....acknowledging it is out of warranty. All I want is someone to come out, tear up the work they did, so they can figure out what they did wrong and fix it, and their response" I do not have a repairman to refer you to". Of course my direct rep is no longer with the company. I would not use them again for anything.

My husband and I met with Sarah Alton to help design our backyard. After our 1st meeting she said she would have our first renderings completed within a few days. A few days later she scheduled a meeting with us to go over her 1st renderings.

Although there were several needed changes in her renderings, she said we could have the document for $1000. That included 3 revisions and we could apply our $1000 towards any of their landscaping services.

Unfortunately, after we paid her the initial $1000 she stopped returning our messages. After 10 days of not having our 2nd set of renderings we reached out to her boss, Tom Smith.

In subsequent conversations she stated that the $1000 will only be applied towards work over $8,000 - of which was never discussed in any previous conversation or contract signing.

At the end of the day we still don't have our completed renderings.

Do not ever use this company for any Landscaping Services. Initially when we started the process we had a great kid named Devin. Devin was very responsive and clear with everything we discussed in our plans. Unfortunately Devin moved two weeks before our project was complete and the owner Tom stepped in. From that moment on it was nothing but a disaster.

Tom tried to charge us more then our contract stated, which we objected. Secondly his crew build a fireplace above what the HOA guidelines were listed. Even though these were provided to Devin before the process ever started. After asking Tim about this he claims he was not responsible for the mistake and tried to charge us to fix these errors. since then he has been very unreasonable and unresponsive as previously stated by many others in other reviews about the company.

In all fairness to Desert Designer I actually reached out to other landscape companies to see if this was standard. Every one of them stated that if it was them they would be held liable to fix any mistakes made, especially if the HOA guidelines were provided.

So Needless to say it was/has been a very disappointing experience with Desert Designer. I would highly advise everyone to not do business with them in the future.

5.0 star rating12/1/2017
It's been 2years since Sarah Alton came to our house and helped us design our backyard patio. She listened to our needs and developed a plan that seamlessly incorporated our ideas and her expertise into the perfect year around entertaining patio. The crew was astonishing in their craftsmanship and professionalism. The end result was a patio that is inviting and intimate regardless of the size of the crowd. All work is warranteed. Since the install, not one paver has sunk or risen. I would use them again in an instant.

This was hands down one of the easiest and best projects for my house yet. Charlie, the designer, was very willing to listen to what I was generally looking for and came up with a stunning design despite me not having a solid idea in mind for what I wanted. His design addressed functional concerns such as water pooling problems and the need for an extended patio for a spa while also adding color and elegance. He was flexible with coming over to my house at times that were convenient to me and building in last minute design requests like lighting, patiently answering my numerous questions, and was even willing to be reachable by phone on the day some electrical wiring was being installed in the backyard by another contractor, in case there were concerns. I'm normally extremely nervous when it come to other people conducting house projects for me (I've had some bad experiences) but Charlie had thoroughly documented the design details we agreed upon and ensured that his team was fully aware of them. They completed all of the work in 3.5 days, efficiently and with little mess. He was also flexible with making sure certain aspects wouldn't be completed until after the spa I was having installed was delivered, which would have damaged the plants that would be planted. Extremely grateful for all of the work he and his team did and would whole heartedly recommend them to someone else in an instant!

We are so happy with our homes landscape now. When we first purchased our home the landscape was a nightmare. We worked with Rob on our landscape project and he did a fantastic job. There were some aspects of the design we weren't too sure about, but we trusted in Rob's design and it turned out even greater than we imagined.

This is by far the best contractor we have ever worked with. Complete backyard remodel and pool renovation. Quality work, professional dealings with the owner, Rob Plowright. Everything was on time, beautiful and exactly as it was drawn. We couldn't be happier. Most other contractors should take lessons from this company. Thanks Rob!

This review is specifically for Charlie Goodwin at Desert Designer. I cannot speak highly enough of Charlie and the experience we had working with him. Charlie applied no pressure and was consultative with great ideas. Charlie presented a fantastic design after hearing what we wanted amd dealign with the constraints of our space. We wanted to make slight changes and he was fully invested in helping us make those decisions.

The install team was also incredible. Not only did they do the job quickly, they were kind, clean and friendly. High praise for Fide and his team.

You can’t go wrong working with Charlie.

Do not hire Desert Designers!! Owner Tom Smith and Rob Ploughright will not return phone calls, will not return refundable deposit, as per contract. We are currently filing a complaint with AZ state contractor licensing, as well retaining an attorney. Beware don’t make the same mistake we did.

Marilyn Johnson

Update: Wanted to post to let everyone know that the owner did finally return our deposit. We are grateful for that, however it did take two thousand dollars and an attorney.

We hired Desert Designer based on a very favorable recommendation from our family. We were not disappointed. They completed a major makeover of our front and back yards and did an excellent job. We were always kept aware of the plans and they even had some in process recommendations that were great! I highly recommend them and will use them again.

We hired Desert Designer to install a paver patio with a natural gas pit and a pergola in a grassy area that was not used much in our backyard. What a transformation. Cory was our project manager and took care of everything from great design ideas, guided us on material selection, and coordinated the pergola installation and the electrical and gas lines. It turned out beautiful and now we can fully utilize our backyard. We highly recommend Cory and his team.

I can not say enough good things about our experience with Desert Designer. Our guy Corey Sell has been an absolute rock star and our back yard is beautiful! They have gone above and beyond to make sure that we are completely satisfied with every aspect of our backyard even to the point that they completely re tiled our built in BBQ after I was not happy with the way the grout turned out! They didnt even bat an eye, they just came out and fixed it because the customer wasn't happy. Even today, almost a year after the job was completed If I call them with a warranty issue they dont give me a hassle, they just send the crew out to come fix it. If you value quality workmanship and excellent customer service, these are the guys you want to hire!

We are so happy we ran across Cory Sell from Desert Designer at the local home show in Glendale. We were planning a major renovation to our backyard. We provided some basic ideas and the team at Desert Designer brought those ideas to life. Cory’s suggestions concerning plants, location and hardscape were spot-on. We made several changes as we prepared for construction and they were quickly incorporated in the design. Construction commenced and was completed as scheduled. It was well worth the price of having Cory and the team at Desert Designer plan and install our beautiful desert oasis.

Rob and his crew did a fabulous job on our backyard install. A complete overhaul of our yard transforming our old and sad yard to an entertaining dream.

Thank you for the beautiful work and all the follow up.

So happy with our backyard remodel! Designers did a great job. Tom kept the entire project on schedule even with several rainy days. The entire team was efficient & professional. Thank you all!

I just want to say thank to Cory Sell. He was our sales person and landscape designer for our front yard courtyard and landscaping. He listened to our needs and ideas and came up with an amazing plan. Cory was very punctual and responsive and arrived at our home, not only as promised but usually 10 minutes early. He was able to alter changes to our plan to help to meet our financial goals without jeopardizing the integrity of our design. Cory was involved from our initial meeting and oversaw the project each day until completed to our satisfaction. The crew was also amazing. They cleaned up at the end of the day and were very prompt each morning. also the project was completed in the time that was promised. I would definitely recommend Desert Designer and ask for Cory Sell. Thanks Cory!!! Rob & Debbie Richards

This is the third time I have used Desert Designer in the 12 years I have lived at my residence. Tom’s crews are professional, accommodating and all have an eye for detail. The work is absolutely amazing! My back and side yards are an oasis in this desert. Tom initially designed my front and back yard’s landscaping and installed both. About five years ago I added a side porch fireplace and pavers over the top and beyond the side porch. Quite recently I had them re-irrigate my entire back yard and added fresh granite. I love my back yard! Desert Designer has made this a place for me to relax and entertain. So happy with the work they have done. It is simply quality work!

My husband and I wanted to transform our backyard into something beautiful and 'one of a kind'! After sitting down with Rob and discussing what we envisioned, he came back with an amazing proposal. We were amazed by how he could take our notions and translate it into a truly unique and cohesive look. He was fantastic to work with - always accessible and provided timely answers to all of our questions. We were not certain he would be able to do everything we wanted and at the same time resolve our drainage issue. Amazingly Rob and his awesome team gave us a completely transformed backyard and we have zero drainage issues!

Desert Designer did a great job on our project and worked very hard to turn our vision into a backyard oasis. They were able to make good alternative suggestions when supply chain issues arose. The daily communication on the progress of the work was a definite plus preventing re-dos and clearing up any confusion. Very happy with the transformation of our yard. The small warranty items that needed attention were adequately addressed.