Home Services reviews in Bethesda, Maryland

Jose and Oscar did a fantastic job leveling our sinking front yard. It looks better than it did before! Furthermore, Blue Collar Scholars was incredibly communicative and professional during the entire process! Highly recommend their team.

Very easy company to work with. Hard to find companies like this in NoVa.

I posted this review a couple months ago and I wanted to shout them out again! They came and cleaned the snow at my mom’s condo complex when the other snow contractor didn’t show up!

UPDATE
Since the below transpired, the company did reach out to ask if they could do something to help make-up for the bad experience. They asked if they could send someone out to do a yard clean-up for free as a kind of apology, I guess.

The guy they sent out did a very nice (and through) job of clean-up, and I am happy with the results. They were also easy to work with on scheduling this time compared to last time.

I can't say overall if their communication problems are fixed (if seems if you can get one constant point of contact, you'll have better luck), but it was better this time around.

ORIGINAL REVIEW
I have pretty mixed feelings about this company. While at the end of the day I'm fine with the work they did, the process of working with this company with frustrating and difficult on multiple levels.

Their communication was very, very poor - the project manager would tell me the crew was coming, only to have nobody ever show-up (and this was after I skipped meetings downtown so that I could be home when they came).

I had to chase down the project manager constantly (as it was pretty rare that she would ever pro-actively reach out to me) to find out when/if the crew was coming, get answers to questions, etc.

I should have known communication was probably not this company's strength when the first time I reached out to them, they were pretty dismissive.

Additionally, I had problems with their finance department that could have been solved with a phone call - and yet nobody from their finance department could be bothered to make that phone call. It was a simple issue, with a simple solution - that Blue Collar made significantly worse by apparently not wanting to engage in any conflict resolution.

Again, the actual work product is basically fine, and the crew themselves that do the actual work are fine. But I probably would be unlikely to do business with this company again due to how frustrating it was to work with their business side.

I would never hire Blue Collar Scholars. Communication was terrible. My neighbor hired them to redo concrete steps that abutted our property line. I found out about the project when I woke up one morning to find them jackhammering out the old steps, including a section that protruded several inches on my side of the boundary. They probably had to do that and I was happy to cooperate with my neighbor to get the project done, but nobody bothered to talk to me about the project before it started and it was like pulling teeth to get a project manager out on the site to explain how they planned to finish the strip on my side of the property line to adequately control erosion. In the end they did a satisfactory job, but only after I intervened during the final steps. When they demolished the old steps, it turned out a section of a fence post that had been buried in the old masonry steps had partially rotted. Once exposed, there was no alternative but to replace the post. They charged me $800 to remove the old post and plant one new 10 foot 4x4 pressure treated wood post in concrete. As I said, in the end their work was ok, but this could have ended up to be mired in stop work orders and litigation. When I have done anything like this in the past, my contractors ALWAYS took the lead in making sure adjacent property owners knew about the project and their concerns addressed BEFORE work started. CAVEAT EMPTOR

I recently hired Blue Collar Scholars for a landscaping project, and I must say, I was thoroughly impressed with their work. From start to finish, they demonstrated exceptional professionalism and creativity.

Communication: The team was fantastic at keeping me in the loop. They took the time to understand my vision and provided great suggestions that really enhanced the final design. I felt supported throughout the entire process.

Quality of Work: The transformation of my yard was nothing short of amazing. They managed to turn a cluttered space into a stunning landscape that perfectly suits my style. Their attention to detail was remarkable, and you can tell they take pride in their work.

Timeliness: I appreciated their punctuality and efficiency. The project was completed on schedule, which was a pleasant surprise. They worked diligently while maintaining high standards.

Affordability: The pricing was fair considering the quality of the service provided. They offered a clear and detailed estimate upfront, which I found very helpful.

Customer Service: Every member of the team was friendly and respectful. They made sure to clean up after each workday, leaving my yard tidy and presentable.

Overall, I highly recommend Blue Collar Scholars for any landscaping projects. Their expertise, commitment to customer satisfaction, and quality of work set them apart. I’m already thinking of new ideas to bring them back for more!

Super happy with the work done! Sam came, did a site visit and came up with a game plan for our drainage job. Over the next month they completed the three stages of our project EXACTLY how they said they would. Highly recommend!

Blue Collar Scholars helped us update one side of our home that's been ignored for about 30 years by replacing the old walkway with a new wider one, removing old plants, and regrading the garden patch with new fill dirt and mulch, as well as burying the drains, and reseeding the grass. They were all very professional, prompt, and responsive and exceeded our expectations in every way! We couldn't be happier with the job they did!

From my very first informational phone call with Blue Collar Scholars they were personable, professional, and knowledgeable. We hired them for a big job of removing a very old stump with very deep roots from our backyard. They did a great job extracting the entire thing and then they filled in and reseeded the whole area. They offered a reasonable price for a job well done. They knew what needed to be done, explained it to us well, and they executed the job in a timely and thorough manner. I would definitely recommend them without hesitation and would use them again for future needs.

We had a great experience having Blue Collar Scholars replace the back deck of our row house! Once we made our decisions they worked SO fast.

Blue Scholars have provided services to us several times now but our latest experience has prompted us to provide this 5-star review! The crew is very knowledgeable, skilled, and hard-working--as well as kind and courteous.. They know the plants and how to treat them (we had some new plantings done this time). We also had a pond spiffied up, fresh gravel put on pathways, shrubbery trimmed, and a general spring cleanup done. My husband is retired from his landscape design business so is a knowledgeable customer. He is very impressed! Thank you Blue Scholars!

They removed a sinking front walkway, replaced it with a flagstone patio and low, lighted wall and veneered our front porch with flagstone. The work was accomplished in less than a week and very well done. In addition, as a type of yard cleanup, another crew leveled the areas under new decks and added a drain and pipe, then placed pea gravel all around in one day. In both cases the crews were very professional, asking for input and agreements with what was to be done. Afterwards all areas were cleaned and all debris removed. If I ever need additional work, I will contact Sam and his company first for an estimate.

My hat is off to the office staff. They have always answered every single one of my phone calls and addressed any issues I’ve had. I know I can be a picky client but they were able to handle me all my concerns in a timely manner. Their work is very high-quality as well.

Blue Collar Scholars did an incredible job installing sod in our backyard along with mulching and cleaning up the yard. They definitely went above and beyond and cleaned up messes that they did not make. Will definitely be using again!

We were really pleased with our experience with Blue Collar Scholars Landscaping. The team installed sod in our back yard. They were incredibly diligent with their work, used high quality materials, and completed the job in the agreed-upon time. The pricing was fair and the communication from their operations team was consistent and clear. After installing the sod the team was responsive to questions and gave clear instructions for care. I would highly recommend Blue Collars Scholars and would use them again for future projects.

Jordan from the company met me at the job site. He listened to my concerns and was precise with his answers. He gave me an estimate and when he could execute the work. He was a bit pricier than his competitors, but I was taken by his professionalism. It felt like I had hired not just a carpenter, which I got, but also an engineer. I gave him the job—and he delivered.

I hired another company that completely botched the job. I had to interview a bunch of new contractors to take over the project (unfortunately!!!). Blue collar scholars was one of them and they actually helped me get my money back from the previous contractor. Blue-collar reached out and asked me to write a review on my experience so here I am! We have a brand new patio and walkway system and finally have a new deck where we have been looking at terrible holes/mud the last 10 months. Forever grateful!

Outstanding and professional experience with Blue Collar Scholars. Christian, Emilio, Juan, and team were phenomenal and responsive from start to finish of a channel drain project on my patio, directing water away from my home. Everything was explained in detail and everyone was very polite and easy to work with. Pricing was very fair and the work lived up to their reputation. Highly recommended for any project. Looking forward to working with Blue Collar Scholars again, thank you for a great experience!

We were very pleased with the work of Blue Collar Scholars. The team did excellent work and cleaned up after themselves. They also applied good-quality grass seed where needed. In addition, Blue Collar Scholars arranged to have our gutter downspouts put underground and drain near the sidewalk. The work was timely done and the quality was great. We love the new stone patio and are happy that water is no longer accumulating near the foundation of the house. Good work!

Work was exceptional. Only issue was the time frame got pushed out a bit from what was initially promised, but this was made up for in quality of the work

The Blue Collar Scholar team worked a miracle on our back yard. We recently purchased a home with a backyard that was basically a swamp after any rainstorm. The yard was a bowl with no clear drain path for the water without cutting through a neighbor's lawn. We were also working within the rules of an HOA. Matt and Gustavo laid out a plan using rock swales and dry wells along the back edge of our lawn. They completed this work in just a couple of days. Not only does it look amazing, it also worked! No more pooling water in our backyard, even after two weeks of rain. If you have water drainage issues in your back yard, do not just pour dirt on it. Invest in a solution that actually works. I recommend Blue Collar Scholars for any of your lawn drainage needs.

Had bad experience with them relocating washer/dryer. Poor communication and below average work being done. They just finish the work under contract and can’t reach them after they get your money. They put the washer box in the same height as the dryer outlet and their fix was to put 90 elbows to clear the water hose. They were gonna charge us more to fix it. Will not recommend