Reviews of local pros in Encinitas, California

Install-It-Direct did an amazing job.

They removed our old concrete patio, installed proper drainage, pavers, artificial turf, and a pergola (covered and with slats).

We worked with Emily who oversaw our whole project, from consultation all the way to completion. She was excited about helping with us from the first meeting. The initial consultation took a few hours, to go over everything and do measurements. She came back a day or so later with visuals and computer renderings to help us see what she was talking about. We looked at other companies and smaller vendors, and it either took too long to get ideas, quotes, or any information about these types of projects.

Saul oversaw the construction with his crew. They worked very hard and were very professional. Their work is great! During the construction process, Emily was still very hands on and came by almost everyday to check on progress.

One thing that I think would help, would be for either the company to go around to the neighbors and inform them of the upcoming work, or provide a flyer to the neighbors with information about what the neighborhood can expect during construction with contact numbers on it. We live on a cul de sac and they do have big trucks and a lot of equipment coming and going. I knew it was going to be major work, but never having done it before I did not know the scope.

If you are looking into having this type of work done, you can not go wrong with Install-It-Direct.

I got my small backyard done which was grass and not in s state that we could use it in summers (winters completely out of use).
John Campbell helped in Sales and design and he did tremendous job to meet us on pricing and work with us to make it a good value for the money we spent.
Once agreement signed, job started immediately and complete work almost 1K sq ft did not take more than 1 week. Delay in between was only waiting for material.
Patrick Diehl (PM) and Sebastien (Lead) took care to complete the work without any issues. We added standalone barbeque island (as a last min update) using our existing standalone barbeque and they worked with us to design and install it as per our satisfaction.
Sharing some pics to show you before and after pics of the transformations.

Chris and Troy installed hardscape, BBQ island, and turf in our front/back yard and we are very happy with the results! They were so easy to work with and brought their knowledge and experience to the table with great suggestions that improved our original plan.

We extremely regret hiring this company to install a retaining wall in the front of our house which fell on the ground after a couple months.

As most of the work they do is subbed out to other independent contractors, we got a really poor job starting with the retaining wall, which fell off within 2 months after installation. Want to know why? Turns out they were supposed to put glue in every row of the blocks they used, but since they were getting paid piece work (working from 7am to 7pm) they cut corners and didn’t put glue as they were supposed to.

Aron, the project manager, is really slow to respond, and After reaching out for more than a month, he finally came out to check out the fence that fell, he acknowledged the guys they hired didn’t apply the necessary adhesive, so he told us he would send somebody out to repair it. It took them another month to have someone come out and repair it. So for over 2 months, I had a whole fence laying on the ground, in the front of my house. That was the most embarrassing part every because I didn’t event want to invite anyone to my house and see that mess. Even the neighbors would criticize when seeing the fence laying on the ground. I attached photos of it for reference.

By the way, Aaron’s excuse to his slow responding was that he had no time to come out right away because he was managing several projects at the time, over inland empire, Orange country and San Diego. First thing I thought: “that shouldn’t be my problem” but apparently it was because when I reached out to the company for help, there was nobody else that could help me but this arrogant project manager that would yell at me for not understanding his lack of time.

Steve, the sales man, was no good either. He helped out through the sales process but after we signed the contract, we lost him! He didn’t communicate with his people right, the workers were disposing stuff that was supposed to be re used. The contract called out for installation of planters over the rocks. Steve provided the samples and options all last minute, the day before they were going to install the planters, and just told my wife that She had to make a decision now, and hopefully they had the stuff in stock. If they didn’t, he suggested that we can just do that at a later time by someone else.

It was a horrible experience all the way through. They were the most expensive out of all the quotes we got and the customer service is a total fail. Worst choice I ever made.

We hired Install-It-Direct for our backyard remodel project and could not have been happier! Our project manager, Emily Ayala, was fantastic - listening to what we were looking for, putting together a great design and producing beautiful results on time and on budget. The site crew, led by Fernando Alverado, did a great job and kept the worksite organized and accessible. We felt the pricing was fair and are thrilled with our new backyard. We highly recommend Install-It-Direct!

INSTALL-IT-DIRECT prides themselves with the quality of their work and they made us happy and very satisfied with the outcome. We had a great experience working with this company. They completely redid our backyard and front side yard. Steve Brown designed a project that transformed this old water guzzling property into a beautiful drought resistant oasis. Steve's vision made it possible. His organization and caring made us feel confident that we made the right decision. The work was completed fast and efficiently and within budget by Patrick Diehl and his friendly energetic crew. They made it all happen. They redid the landscape, installed paver stones, drainage, flower beds, raised beds, lighting, drip irrigation and a small drought resistant Dymondia Margaretae lawn. We needed and received frequent and effective communication throughout the process. This gave us confidence in the outcome. The new yard is awesome. We love it!

Steve, Patrick, Juan and the rest of the team were great to work with. They helped guide us through the process and were very professional. The team had excellent commutation and were very quick to respond to any questions, and the job was done promptly. They did great work and we are so happy about the transformation of our yard.

My front yard and driveway was a mess! The driveway was cracked uneven and has probably been there since the house was built in 1960. Drought conditions made caring for a vegetation forward yard very costly and consequently hedges that have been in place for 50 years or more we dying. I decided to go water wise and called Install-It-Direct. I am so glad that I choose them for the work. My yard looks lovely and the pavers in the driveway are a dream for me. From start to finish it took 9 days which to me was amazingly fast. No regrets here!

Install It Direct was one of two companies that we went through a full design consultation and estimate process for our small front and back yard in our new construction home. While both bids were similar enough in price, we ultimately choose to go with Install It Direct because of our overly positive experience with Ron, our design consultant.

Ron came with great suggestions and was willing to revise the design and work to maximize our budget. Ron was also straightforward about the pros and cons of turf and pavers and gave advice as to what other home projects we could prioritize next to maximize the longevity of the landscaping project (get gutters!). As first-time homeowners, we were grateful for the extra info.

Our incredibly slow HOA approval process pushed us way past our anticipated start date for install and into the December holidays. Even with the delay on our side and the complete disruption to life from COVID-19, we were impressed that the install team made things work and got everything done in a relatively short amount of time.

Yes, there were some hiccups and slowdowns here and there, mainly due to the state of the world right now, but ultimately, we are happy with how everything turned out. The quality of the work is great, they were able to level our backyard way beyond what we are expecting within our budget. Thanks to the work of Install It Direct we can finally enjoy being in our backyard.

We are so happy with our backyard! The Install-It-Direct team was great. Once we requested a quote, Will came out to the house, offered great options/solutions and scheduled our backyard paver project within 2 weeks! Not only were his recommendations cost effective, the entire project from beginning to end was extremely professional and high-quality. From customer service to craftsmanship, these guys are definitely the best pavers around! We highly recommend them!

Worked with Ron Dombroski to redo the front yard that had been overdue for years. The land was uneven, there were really questionable work from the previous owners that seemed to have accumulated into a mess. Install-it-Direct was very friendly and worked with me to get the front yard into a simplistic design that fit my budget. The best part about this project was the relationship and conversations I had with Ron. I never felt like I was being taken advantage of and he made sure that design was good and worked with me to creatively save costs where it made sense. They are extremely professional and friendly. The most impressive thing about what they do comes all the way down to the quote. It is one of the best things I have ever seen and gave me confidence that this is a solid company to do great work.

On project day - the crew did a phenomenal job. The leveled everything - demo'd some concrete and cleared out a lot of debris and junk. They even finished one day earlier than predicted. I can't really ask for much better. Thanks guys.

This team is top-notch! Patrick, Steve, and Sebastian all delivered exceptional work. They inquire about your requirements, strategize the approach, and expedite the completion process. As the project progressed, they seamlessly handled various mid-project adjustments. We're thrilled with the final outcome!

Project Manager Steve Brown came over and listened to our wants and wishes and he came up with a plan and a price that we felt comfortable with. The very professional installation crew led by Saul started a few weeks later and completed the work in a timely manner despite some rain delays. Saul's crew showed up on time everyday and always cleaned up the work area prior to leaving the job site which was very much appreciated! They installed 1500 sq ft of pavers and 190 sq ft of pet turf with great attention to detail. We asked for small paver walls to be built up around our existing patio deck flush with the deck boards and they did this to absolute perfection! Thank you so much Saul and crew! Meanwhile Steve as our project manager handled all of the material delivery schedules and kept us in the communication loop at all times. Steve also came up with suggestions and solutions that helped us stay on budget. Thank you Steve! All in all it was a pleasure to work with Install-It-Direct and I highly recommend them.

James came out and estimated the job, interpreted my notebook sketch and gave me a very reasonable estimate. Two weeks later, my driveway was finished. The crew was clean, respectful and delivered exactly what I asked James for. One of the best home improvement projects I've ever had done in my 20 years of home ownership. Highly recommend James and Install It Direct!!

Steven, Patrick and the construction team did a great job with my large driveway and side yard paver project.

Update: They also did a great job with my backyard and front yard. Added turf to the backyard and a rock landscape to the front.

Kudos to Ronald and the great install team, lead by Sebastian. Polite, professional, respectful -- and they do outstanding work! Couldn't be happier with the results! They started the work on time, and completed it exactly as promised. As they worked, they were sensitive to noise and disruption and took the time to tidy up at the end of each work day. The results are beautiful. We would recommend Install-It Direct without hesitation.

We are pleased to have the opportunity to write an A++ review for INSTALL-IT-DIRECT, and the outstanding project manager, Sam Muscariello, who managed our project. This was a comprehensive project including design, materials, irrigation, artificial turf, topsoil, mulch, gravel, mulch, lighting, and a myriad of native and other low water plants.
When we look at the before and after pictures, we still have to blink twice, as it is hard to believe the amazing transformation.

This is a cul-de-sac with only a few houses, and now we are the ‘talk of the neighborhood’ with everyone marveling at the transformation, how beautifully done it is, and some inspired to meet with the company for their own upgrades. They also saw for themselves how well organized it was, how the supplies were neatly staged in the driveway each day, how hard the install crew worked and how they completely cleaned up and reorganized every single night before leaving. They also saw how well the crew was managed by Sam, his positive leadership manner, and his genuine care for each phase of the project and for his crew. We are just delighted, and look forward to sharing many enjoyable and comfortable days and nights with family and friends outdoors. See a combination of before and after photos.

We had a good experience with James. We had paver stones installed in our front driveway, front walkway, courtyard, one side of the house and backyard. We also installed a sitting wall that came out nice too. There was a lot of concrete that had to be demo’ed and in fact there was two large piles that took up the driveway at least 5 feet high. We also installed 4 inch drainage system that went all around the house tied into floor drains and our gutter systems. We added a about a foot of filler to level out the backyard and the pavers were set on concrete, geotextile fabric, and leveling sand. Lights were added, polymeric sand was used for the grout and the pavers were sealed to prevent staining. We had two bob cat excavators on our lot for 2 weeks and up to 10 workers working on our house at a time. The project was done in just over 2 weeks and the finished product looked great. I can fully recommend install it direct for professionalism, honesty, quality work and efficiency. Thank you install it direct and to James and his crew.

We went with INSTALL-IT-DIRECT for our backyard project after visiting with a number of different contractors. Emily Ayala, the Project Manager, was so easy to work with. She came with a great plan, listened to our ideas, devised a 3D rendering, and provided sound advice and we're thrilled with the final product. They ripped out our old concrete that didn't match and we've replaced them with pavers and a pergola. Saul and the pavers team did a helluva job. Very efficient and easy to deal with, jazzed up our balcony posts, re-arranged our sprinklers, installed lighting to highlight trees. Very pleased. And the pergola folks, name escapes me, were also great. Installed some new electrical outlets for outside and on the pergola in preparation for string lights we're going to add. They had a few pergola beams that were damaged from the factory and didn't want to install those (even though I barely noticed any issues) until they could get some perfect ones. These guys care about their work. Very happy with the entire experience using INSTALL-IT-DIRECT and dealing with Emily throughout the process was a great pleasure.

This was our second project with Install-IT Direct and we couldn't be more happy with it Chris MacMillan transformed our mess of a front yard into an eye catching centerpiece with turf, a beautiful accent wall around our oak tree (which neighbors didn't even know we had!) and paver-lined planting areas. We also had an aluminum pergola installed in the back of the house. 6 months after the job, we are still getting compliments from our neighbors. Great group to work with, very professional and their work is of extremely high quality. Thank you, Chris and team!

We had such a great experience with Install It Direct and our project manager Emily for our backyard renovation project. We first met Emily with no clear idea of what we wanted other than a modern patio & outdoor kitchen. Emily helped us conceptualize and design something that I know we couldn't have designed alone. We trusted her design aesthetic completely and we appreciated her attention to detail and quick thinking. Using the materials thoughtfully to elevate the space is definitely one of Emily's strengths.
The whole process was easy and quick from demo to completion. Andy and his crew were so friendly and finished the huge job in about two weeks.
Now we are so stoked to have our dream outdoor entertaining space. We couldn't be happier with our experience working with Emily & Install It Direct!