Reviews of local pros in Poway, California

I talked to at least 12 landscape contractors. Our Fron, back and side yards had to be taken from dirt to design to working scape. Smartscape provided a designer that knew her stuff. She kept us from making hard and soft scape blunders and botanical mistakes. She provided a great color rendering with detail and specifications.
The Field Supervisor Alvaro was super! He supervised most of the work, was my contact throughout the project, and was always immediately accessable when I had a question or ran into a problem. He helped us navigate the COVID supply chain issues and we moved things along well even despite the pandemic issues. His Crew Chief Carlos was outstand as well as his crew. Extremely hard workers and very meticulous, even the daily clean up was great! Smartscapes runs projects fairly strict. We made a couple of changes, and each change was ordered, documented, quoted, and timed. The Project came in pretty much on time and on budget.
If you are looking for a professional landscape service from Design to Working layout with quality, on-time service, and attention to detail: then Smartscapes has got to be on the top of your list. They are not the most expensive and they are not the cheapest. I received quotes and calls and visits from companies that promised the moon, but could not draw it out, write it down, or give me a decent BOM and Quote. If you are looking for quality landscaping design, construction, and detailed work, Call Jessica, Shayna, or Alvaro at Smartscapes!

We hired California Smartscape for a complete backyard redo. The landscape design was creative and stretched our imagination while checking the list of what we wanted. We had both pavers and poured concrete hardscaping installed and the craftsmanship on these were top notch. We really appreciated the thoughtfulness of the workers, every day they cleaned up any mess on the front driveway and street so that there was minimal impact on the neighbors during construction. We are cactus and succulent enthusiasts and the landscape architect was very accommodating in fulfilling our plant wish list. The reason for 4 and not 5 stars is that communication between the project manager, lead architect and us in terms of next steps and change orders could have been better and a few miss-steps could have been avoided. Overall we are extremely happy with our new back yard and with California Smartscape.

We just had our backyard remodeled this fall by California Smartscapes. The first word that come to mind is Professionalism. Nick, our designer came up with great ideas that really opened up our yard and made it more usable for entertaining while simultaneously transitioning plantings to make them more drought tolerant. Overall the yard has a much more high-end look to it as well. Alvaro, the lead contractor and the entire crew were terrific. They were always on time, worked hard long hard hours, were incredibly friendly and professional.
They cleaned up every day, other then durring the demolition, our yard was spotles at the end over every work day. Alvaro responded immediately to any questions or concerns that we had throughout the process. Both he and Nick are also very honest. They never tried to up-sell us on anything, they made sure we were fully aware of any pros/cons of certain decisions that we had to make throughout the process. There were only a few minor issues along the way(mainly with the electrician)
consider this review 4.5 stars, everything was resolved and overall we love our yard. We finally had an opportunity to "break it in" a few weeks ago. We had about 30 people over and there was plenty of shade and dining space, spots for the kids to play, areas for corn hole etc... it worked out beautifully.

Enjoyed the whole process with California Smartscapes from start to finish! Jesse was a great design expert and nailed the clean look we were hoping for. Our crew was led by Alvaro and he was the best! Super hands on and there everyday to make sure the work was done correctly. We are so happy we went with them and LOVE our backyard paradise:)

I am very pleased and even amazed at the transformation of my back yard. First, I must compliment Jesse, the landscape architect who designed my project. I had very specific "wants and needs" which he incorporated perfectly. The renderings and plans were excellent. The job supervisor, Leo, was very impressive. Even though he was overseeing quite a few other jobs, he never forgot any details or tweeks I wanted in my project. He was always very responsive. It took approximately 3 months to complete my project. I'm sure it would have taken other companies much longer as I saw happening when my neighbors had landscape work done at their homes. Many days there were 5-7 men on my job; they showed up promptly at 7 AM and worked very hard all day. They would also clean up the site at the end of each day. They were very experienced, as evidenced by the great work they did. I am a very particular person, so I closely watched the work being done. Santiago was often on-site and always checked the plans to be sure the job was being built as specified, He also expertly did much of the work himself. My backyard went from having very little useable or functional space to a place where I can easily entertain 50 or more people. When the job was done they did the final TLC, as Leo calls it, and they even washed my lower story windows and patio doors that were bordering the construction site. Final compliments to Jessica the office admin person and Richard the owner of the company.

We had a blank slate at our new house and California Smartscape showed us what we could do with it. The sales presentation and 3D renderings were all done without having to make a dollar commitment which we really appreciated: they took the time to earn our business. After we signed the contract we had a few minor delays due to city permits but once the guys got started they really came through - just like the owner promised us. It just 3 short weeks we went from a diet front and back yard to our dream yard. Leo was our project lead and we absolutely loved working with him. He continuously went above and beyond to make sure every detail was exactly how we wanted it. California Smartscapes is an incredible company and really deserves all the praise they get. Thanks for everything!

We used Ca Smartscapes to landscape our back and front yards. We were new construction so we’re working with a large dirt lot. Andrew was awesome to work with on design, goals, and budgets. They required no up front payment unless you loved the design they built and wanted to use them to do the work— took all the pressure off until we designed a solution that we loved. We met with many other landscapers and this was not the case at all. They even had us into the studio to do the whole HGTV experience of visualizing out backyard in 3D. When the work started they had a top notch team with a great project manager (we had Leo)- stayed exactly on budget and within the proposed timeframe. Would gladly work with them again and again.

California Smartscape provides a landscape design service you will appreciate as the owner, Richard helps you develop your best options to take a nondescript landscape and makes it remarkable. Andrew Vesey, the designer has broad and specific knowledge in hardscape design. If you have ideas or not Andrew will help you bring options into focus. He has a creative mind and well-thought out plans to put your landscape project in the best possible condition. His work crew is highly commendable because of their talent and work ethics. They are on time, work hard, and pick up the site at the end of the day. They are gifted and dedicated workers who are professional, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. If you have any questions or concerns, the Project Manager, Alvaro, will address them. He stands behind his work 100%. You can depend on your area lasting a long time since the materials used are excellent quality. The outcome is a beautiful oasis and one I will enjoy for many years.

The process was great. Working with Nick was easy and he adjusted our design within our budget without compromising aesthetics. Our construction project manager (Leo) made this entire process much easier. A few items had to be addressed and adjusted and Leo was professional, thorough and direct. We love our new backyard.

After a house fire destroyed most of our home and the surrounding landscaping, my husband and I started a search for a reputable landscape company that could take on the scope of our large project. We interviewed with several companies that were referred to us but they all lacked an interest in transforming our property. After reading positive reviews on the houzz site I emailed California Smartscape and was soon contacted by Nick. My first conversation with Nick, the landscape architect, left me feeling hopeful as we talked in length about our project and set up a time to discuss further on site. Nick spent numerous hours working on our project using his creative abilities to design a beautiful plan that incorporated everything that we wanted to transform our yard. Unlike the other landscape architects we spoke with Nick took a real personal interest in our project, he always went the extra mile to make sure everything was just right! The project manager, Leo, was also a pleasure to know . Leo is hard working, reliable, knowledgeable, and very pleasant to work with.
I could go on and on but in short our yard turned out better than I expected . It is absolutely beautiful and our favorite place to
spend time. Nick and Leo did a fantastic job and I strongly recommend using California Smartscape.

My husband and I are thrilled with our new backyard! From the beginning Andrew understood our needs and worked on a design that would give us more usable space for our family gatherings. Andrew is jus wonderful to work with! He is attentive to your needs and concerns and has an incredible vision for hardscape design and landscape. Once the design was done, they had to demolish existing cement and level our whole backyard to have more usable space. They installed pavers, lighting, gas lines for our fire pit and grill and landscape. It all came together even better than we ever imagined! The whole team was led by our project manager, Alvaro, who is a pleasure to work with. Every worker that was brought in was professional, punctual, and tidied up before they left for the day. Alvaro was always responsive and accommodating with the changes that we thought needed to be done along the way and still the project was completed on time and within the budget. We wish we could give more than 5 stars and cannot recommend this company enough! Hiring California Smartscape was the best decision we could have made and one we will enjoy for many years to come!!

Cal smartscape did a great job on our yard. They installed 12x24 Belgard pavers which look beautiful . Also a firepit , hot tub . Lighting of our special trees , all new drainage and drip lines. We love everything! They had really great customer care and professionalism . I recommend them !

California Smartscapes has really come through for our plans and backyard
drought resistant, low water, plenty of seating, shade, pavers, an awesome
pergola and it ties into our side yard seamlessly like a glove. It's really
so so nice now and we could not be happier. We experienced Total
professionals, good listeners, really coordinated processes and top notch
job focus by Alvaro and the crews that came here. Our designer Andrew
planned for this dream and drew it with us, Gustavo coordinated, Krissy
beautified and they were all specialized and so kind, creative and always
made solutions available. I respect this company. I have a place in my big
heart for all of them.

We contacted California Smartscape to give us an estimate on redoing our front and back yards. They had been destroyed by putting a pool in and by a large tree in the front yard that damaged the hardscape. We spoke at length to Richard and Nick about our budget and our ideas for the yard. The proposal they came back with was within our budget and had all the elements we wanted. We were pleasantly surprised because we had contacted others and their proposals were way above budget and did not have the elements we wanted.
The crews that came out to do the work were wonderful. They were professional, considerate and respectful. Steve was a great project manager who attended to things as they came up during the work. Ruben was a good crew supervisor. He had a good relationship with his workers.
Now that our project is complete, we couldn’t be happier. The whole yard has been transformed into a natural landscape with easy to care for low water plants, low voltage LED lighting and drip irrigation. We even have a small artificial grass lawn in back!
If you need landscape work, this is the company I would recommend.

I have been extremely impressed with California Smartscape. Their team has been professional and responsive throughout the project. I feel at ease knowing the site supervisor, Leo, is quality-focused and has taken the extra steps to properly construct the yard. He is very pleasant and has always been responsive to phone calls and texts. Jesse has been phenomenal. He communicates well and has made multiple suggestions that have transformed the backyard into an artistic and functional retreat. He is timely and follows through with his promises. Krissy has made wonderful recommendations for the plant selection to elegantly tie the softscape to our hardscape. The head of the company, Jonathan, has checked in on me to see if there was anything we needed from them. I was impressed, as it is so uncommon to receive that type of personal touch these days! California Smartscape has been very fair and transparent with fees, in addition, they send weekly emails to help me track progress throughout the project. I confidently recommend California Smartscape to anyone looking to complete their landscape project.

Upon completing a new house, my husband and I had to have our backyard completely done. We had decided on California Smartscape for many reasons. They were professional, honest, knowledgeable, courteous and knew how to stay in our budget with great suggestions. The overall process was easy and they had completed our yard earlier than expected. The entire team from start to finish were tremendous. We absolutely love our backyard and would highly recommend them.

CS was attentive and suggestive to my goals for the property, listened intently, created 2D rendering of the project concept all at no initial cost to me. Had owner, Richard and designer Samantha actively engaged in making my plans for the project not only appropriate for the property but also worked aggressively to control the budgetary requirements. Compared to the 2 other designers I was evaluating, it was an impressive beginning. Project delivery, given the hurdles that we had to jump through, was amazing. Project Supervisor, Leo, was attentive to my desire to make changes on the fly as we laid out the project and was good to communicate and discuss the additional cost for change orders. The professionalism of the crews and attention to details was a very positive experience. Even up to the day of the final walk through. Having been through a massive landscape remodel of this kind only once before (not same in scope) I was impressed with their ability to manage all aspects of it's complexity. I could not speak more highly of CA Smartscape and their team. Would hire them again without question!

The team at Cal Smartscapes brought our dream backyard to life. Leo, Gustavo, Krissy and Jesse were all professional and attentive to our project. From start to finish they took care to suggest and execute details in the project to accentuate our property. They were pro active in making sure to have every aspect at the highest quality and transparent in terms of cost. We appreciated the flexibility throughout the process as well. Would definitely recommend to friends and use for future projects

The insight that Jesse provided in the design of the project went beyond our expectations. Alvaro and his team treated us with the utmost respect and were incredibly professional through the entire build out. Unlike other contractors in the past, his team took the time daily to clean up the site which I appreciated. In the end, the finished product reflected exactly what was shown to us in their architectural 3D renderings. I highly recommend California Smartscape if you are looking to enhance or build the outdoor space of your dreams. Thanks so much you guys!

Cal Smartscape did a fantastic job on my backyard remodel. Richard the owner was attentive and responsive, but even more impressive were the guys in the field. When we started the project the project manager, Al, told me he had his best crew available. I had a time crunch to finish my job, and Al did not disappoint. These guys worked their butts off and worked fast!! They finished the 4 week project in just over 2 weeks and didn’t miss any detail. They did everything the right way, didn’t cut corners, and Al was very responsive throughout the process. Their pricing was fair and I’d absolutely recommend working with Cal Smartscape, Richard, Al and his awesome crew. Thanks for transforming my yard into a usable space!

We used CA Smartscape for the design and construction of our project (front and back yards). Jesse was our designer and was excellent. He has a lot of design experience and was extremely patient, thorough and responsive to our feedback. Leo was the overall project manager and was awesome! He ensured the project was moving along at a good pace, helped us work issues and coordinated changes. Gustavo was in charge of the pool and spa tub and was also great to work with. Krissy helped us select all our landscaping and she is very detail oriented and goes above and beyond to make sure you love all the plants and trees. The entire ‘dream’ team was very professional, extremely responsive to our needs and questions, and were all great to work with. They were a super personable team and work together well. The quality of the work and execution were both very good.

This was the largest project we have ever done and CA Smartscape made the process easy for us. We love the end result with our landscape design, pool/hot tub, hardscaping, patio area, fire pit, putting green, plantings, etc. We highly recommend the entire team and were very pleased with everything!