Home Services reviews in Westlake, Ohio

Brandon and his team had excellent bedside manner in communication and took great care of our property during the building process. They followed our creative vision and considered our lifestyle needs when it came to the designs (custom gates for our dog and compost/storage area included). The overall process took longer than anticipated, but the end result far outweighed any material delays due to the pandemic.

Brandon was a true professional. He layed techo block pavers, installed trex decking and seating, built privacy walls for trash and AC unit, had a natural gas fireplace installed from our natural gas water heater inside our house, and got a Tesla Charger installed in our garage which had to go underground due to our detached garage. It is very hard to find good work and people that actually care about their craft and their work. Brandon was a stickler for details and made sure everything was as perfect as possible. We did a full backyard transformation in Ohio City with a smaller lot that is 20x30 and a side yard that is 7x40 and he made it full transformed. We could tell he was a professional from the beginning when he had the architect come by to help with the design. We went back and forth a few times with his architect and had Brandon's advice throughout that process. He was very clear on pricing and let us know what he could do within his wheelhouse and contracted himself trusted connections for the natural gas line and Tesla charger. He handled all of that, so I didn't have to work with multiple different contractors. I would recommend Brandon in a heartbeat. He always left the work area in a clean and tidy area throughout the project and made sure everything was spotless when he was ultimately finished.

Brandon and his team did an AMAZING job on our pergola. He took the time to really understand what we wanted, considered every detail, and executed it beautifully. The design is simple and clean and the craftsmanship is next level. We would absolutely hire Barski Hardscaping again for future projects.

Brandon and team were extraordinarily helpful and timely. They were the epitome of trustworthy in guiding us through what was and was not necessary in our bathroom remodel. At times they offered advice that was not beneficial to themselves which only increased my trust in what they DID recommend for out bathroom remodel. They were prompt, efficient, and utterly ethical. I never know when to trust a contractor but had zero qualms about the recommendations Brandon gave us.

I plan to use them again and would recommend them to anyone who asked for any work indoor or outdoor.

We had a great experience with Barski Hardscaping. The paver patio and pergola they built look fantastic and we can't wait to use it as soon as it get warmer. Brandon worked through cold winter days to get this project done but never cut corners. It was a pleasure to work with him and I won't hesitate to recommend his company to neighbors and friends.

Brandon and his crew did an awesome job with a deck and a fence for us! We were exceptionally impressed and grateful for his attentive and professional work. He certainly went above and beyond, especially when the project included some unforseen hurdles!

I don't know if I can cover everything when I write a review about Brandon and Barski Hardscaping, Brandon did our pavers patio with landscaping work.
There was many points covered in the good reviews he got and I agree with all the good things that were mentioned, so I won't repeat, I would point to things I appreciated the most.
Brandon is excellent at his job, he knows exactly what needs to be done, he does not do any extra unnecessary work, yet he does not cut corners and does not ignore any detail.
He was very good at pointing to things we did not think about, and giving us advices on different issues, he was very flexible at changing things after we started and adding some work that we found out we needed.
He is very friendly and that is very important part for me, when I look for someone for a job, I like to work with a person who is humanistic and who would treat me like a friend and treat my house as if it was his, and not just about business and payments, Brandon was great at that.
Our experience with Barski hardscaping has been beyond great, we highly recommend him and would hire him for any work that we need in the future.

Mazen and Jena.

Brandon did a fantastic job on our new retaining wall! His work was excellent and fairly priced, but more importantly, Brandon was honest, cordial, and took great pride and care in his work! I will highly recommend him to anyone needing his company’s services!!

Brandon did a phenomenal job on our stone patio and pavilion! Very good oversight of the project as a whole, attention to detail, and knowledgeable about each different aspect of his trade. Very quick response time, professional, and a hard worker. We couldn’t be more happy with the process, quality, or the finished result!

This is the 6th project Barski Hardscaping has done for us over the past 11 or so years. Brandon is extremely knowledgeable regarding all things landscaping/hardscaping. He has regraded our entire acre of land, put in a french drain system all throughout, built 2 sets of paver stairs, built an enormous paver walkway, and a large deck with a pergola. (All at our previous home.) It was not even a question as to who we were going to call to complete the work needed at our new home. Now he and his team (Nick and Tyler) are in the process of building a large patio and putting in a french drain system at our new home. You will be hard pressed to find someone more caring about his customers and the work he and his team do than Brandon. Nick and Tyler are part of the Braski Hardscaping team and they hold the same values and Brandon. Both of these gentleman work hard, are very personable, have a great amount of knowledge/experience of their work, and will always take the time to answer any questions you have. You will not regret anything this company does for you!

I added some photos of some of the projects completed at our old home. I will update with photos of the project at our new home once completed.

Brandon is hard working, with good taste and a lot of hardscaping knowledge! Our driveway had a problem with water drainage and erosion and Brandon Barski not only fixed the symptoms of our problems but he found the root cause and was able to divert the water properly, control the erosion from future problems and make it all look aesthetically appealing!

We hired Barski Hardscaping after meeting with several other companies in person. He not only listened to our end goal dream backyard but he gave us amazing suggestions and ideas. Brandon Barski is not just a contractor but a true craftsman.
We started with a complete gut of our current wood deck and fence. We replaced it with a vinyl fence and top end composite decking with lighting and benches that also function as storage. Then we got started on a new paver patio, kitchen counter space with granite and beautiful rock fountain. Along the way we added pavers to extend the driveway and a new front stone walk up.
I am a very particular person and somewhat of a perfectionist. Brandon made this whole outdoor renovation so easy! He gave me many MANY options and samples when I was unsure of products or colors. We were even invited to see one of Brandon’s previous completed backyards to see materials and features.
The final results were in a word, AMAZING! We have a modern and relaxing outdoor space. From start to finish Brandon worked tirelessly to ensure our dreams were brought to reality. We cannot recommend Brandon Barski enough. You will not be disappointed.

My pavers front and back were separating and growing weeds. Brandon and his helper by hand dug out the sand and replaced it with a better grade of sand. Then they put a sealer on. He also corrected pavers that were moving away from the walkway. I am very pleased with the work. Brandon kept me advised constantly. I highly recommend him.

I'd give Brandon 10/10 stars if I could - I had a concrete step that was uneven/sinking and a ridiculous 10 inch rise to my front porch. From the 1st phone call through the date of project completion - Brandon was a pleasure to work with. I love the two steps he installed - they look and function wonderfully.

He has excellent communication skills, is very patient (answered all my questions, which I had alot), and very knowledgeable. I did not feel rushed at any point during the process. He is genuinely kind and not condescending. He was also very friendly to my two young children which I appreciate. I wish I had other projects around the house so I could hire him again! Don't hesitate to hire Barski Hardscaping.

We worked with Brandon for well over a year with design and planning and through the season to get this big project done. Brandon has been great every step of the way even during unforseen issues that set us back but we kept going. All of his team of plumbers, electricians are great. The process was updated weekly and we were always in the loop with everything. Cant recommend him enough and will be returing for other projects in the future. The final products amazing.

Update - 27 May 2021:
A day after my Google review, I received a phone call and a $300 refund was offered, HOWEVER, under the condition to improve or remove my review, which I declined. As a consequence, the refund was never made.
A few more e-mails back and forth, where I explained that this review is not about a loss of $300, but about the overall experience to not try and ‘make it happen’ and instead leaving me with a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude to accept a quote which exceeded my requested budget by 100%. Thus wasting several weeks of my time that I could have used with a different contractor to get started.

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Original Review:
We were looking for a contractor to remove our old cracked concrete patio and replace it with something nice. Any additional improvements were bonus and we felt that our budget of $8-14k should get us there.

The first impression was very positive. Fast response and a visit only a few days later, where we learned what all is wrong with our front- & backyard (we don’t think it’s THAT horrible, but the advice / ideas are generally good).
During the visit we asked for a rough order of magnitude price to realize some of Tony‘s visions for the backyard (patio, pergola, landscaping…) and were a little shocked about the $30k estimate.
I reminded him about our budget and that we might be OK to spend $30k over a period of 2-3 years, but not in year 1.

He seemed confident that this wasn’t necessary and promised to get back to us to get the design survey / study started (which is a fee that is NOT reimbursed even if you realize the project with Ground Works Land Design).
It all took a while after I paid the $300, but eventually somebody showed up to take measurements and after another few reminders, we finally received a first quote.

It came in at well over $20k.
The contract reads that something is designed within the client‘s desired budget (which we clearly stated as described above and again in writing for the survey) and they would iterate if necessary to make it a fit.
Reality was different:
The project leaves no room for improvement and cannot be realized in stages.

Given that the stairs (3 steps!!) alone came in at almost $8k, I wondered why we even started any design survey.
Even with zero additional re-grading (which seemed one cause for the unexpected high quote), the concrete work and stairs exceeded our budget maximum.

Unfortunately, the interest seemed to expire after we made clear that our initial budget of $8-14k (depending on project scope) for the FIRST year is non-negotiable.

Tony brought up the idea, to get the stairs done by a different contractor after I told him that we got a price for stairs for less than $3k.
We sent some additional pictures to revise the quote and add more regrading work while removing the stairs.

Two weeks later, I’ve still not heard back and since the whole communication slowed down more and more, we abandoned this quote and got somebody else in place who clarified measurements, quotes, negotiation and details with us in less than 10 days.
We look forward to getting the same result for less than half the price now.

For larger projects, Ground Works is probably a good fit and I still think they’ll do a great quality job.
In our case, however, we could have all saved time (and money) by letting us know that they are not interested in a $10-12k project, or are too busy or whatever else may have caused this underwhelming experience.

This company has over promised and failed to deliver from Day 1. Submitted a web form for a quote that was never responded to. Gave them the benefit of the doubt, so called to follow up. The company apologized and sent Dave out. We walked through the yard and I pointed out everything we wanted done (a significant amount of work, so in their interest to deliver). Was told I’d receive proposed design in 2 weeks. That was on September 24. Since then, nothing, despite two calls/conversations with employees promising better service, and one voicemail from Dave on on 10/22 telling me I’d have design by the end of that week. We’ve now lost our chance to have work done this year. Extremely unhappy!

Ground Works recently completed a big job at our house and we are very pleased with it. Around our existing patio they installed 4 stone columns, fencing, 2 gates, lighting, and an outdoor cooking station with a built-in gas grill and granite top. We had landscaping on the sides or back of our house. They dug it all out by hand and planted hostas, hydrangeas, and other plants in either river rocks or dirt and mulch. They also added steps and boulders in the back. The workers were all dependable, friendly, efficient, hardworking, and very competent. We highly recommend Ground Works.

Jack & Lori Sammon

Wow!! So impressed with Groundworks. My yard is difficult with two hills on a corner lot. I was mowing and my mower conked out. They jumped ito gear and did a great job. Definitely planning to seek regular service!!!

I will forever be grateful to Tony Nazarella and Ground Works. In 2012 my husband died unexpectedly. I hired Ground Works that summer to take care of my yard. They did a great job. Then in October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit and she hit hard. I remember looking out my bedroom window the morning after to all the leaves and tree limbs down in my backyard. Feeling overwhelmed, scared and distraught I didn't know where to turn. A few minutes later, I was greeted not only by the Ground Works crew but also by Tony. They were all cleaning up the debris in my backyard from the storm. I remember running out to Tony and giving him a big hug. He may not remember this kind gesture, but I always will . Maybe a small act of kindness from Ground Works, but a huge gift and blessing to me.

I contracted Groundworks to revitalize a yard that was in desperate need of TLC. They far exceeded my expectations. We started with a punctual, prompt, efficient quote and walk through of my yard, with Dave. Then a Spring Cleanup that resulted in well manicured flower beds, a fantastic pruning job, and great design and selection of the annual beds. We also had beautifully planted and designed flower pots at the front door and patio. In addition, they did a great job cleaning and maintaining our paver patio and creating great curb appeal with installing up-lights. Their weekly maintenance of maintaining the lawn is exceptional. The entire crew of Groundworks is respectful, mindful, and have incredible attention to detail. They were all very easy to work with and made many suggestions for improvement. They truly aimed to please. Without hesitation, I would highly recommend Groundworks for your landscape needs- big or small. There is nothing they can’t handle. Bravo, Bravo, Groundworks