Get matched with top architects/engineers in Castle Rock, MN

"The project was done quickly and with excellent results"

"We are very happy with our new retaining wall and concrete steps! Tom and his crew persevered through many challenges to fill a giant hole that was more serious than anyone had realized! They built a beautiful new retaining wall and poured concrete steps. They created an underground drainage system that will prevent future problems with water erosion. We had formerly worked with a different business to repair the hole but their efforts were not successful over time. We wish we had called Tom first. We have received numerous compliments from neighbors and people passing by on our new, improved front yard steps and wall. Even the mailman was impressed!"

"My experience with them was outstanding, the details were excellent, they turned around the project in a short amount of time, I have nothing but a graceful experience, one of the best experience I ever had."

"Jessica and team did a great job on designing and installing landscaping for our entire yard in August 2020. The team was very professional: they were timely, listened to our input and completed the entire project on time and on budget. Would highly recommend this company and wouldn't hesitate to refer them to family, neighbors and friends. Kyle and Pam Rulau"

"We started with just a big lawn and an old rickety deck in our backyard and nothing else, and planned on a massive project with an equally massive total budget of about $200,000 to put in a new in-ground swimming pool, new deck, new concrete patio with outdoor kitchen, vinyl gazebo, planting beds, trees, fence, and revised drainage scheme for our fairly flat lot with clay soil and poor drainage, plus a small home addition to our house as well. Sculptured Earth was to be our landscape contractor and project manager to coordinate all the various other contractors. Josh (the owner of the company) promptly met with us at our appointment time at our home and reviewed our "needs and wants" for our project. He met with us again a week later with 3 rough drawings/concepts for our yard, and after taking our suggestions and noting our likes and dislikes about each, he came back for a third meeting with a "semi-final" plan with an initial itemized contract showing the price. Up to this point, Josh REQUIRED NO MONEY UP FRONT and NO CONTRACT for all that design work (which must have been several hours worth of work), and only when we decided that this "semi-final" plan was what we wanted, did he ask for a deposit and a signed contract. (Ultimately this was one of the reasons we hired Josh, including his impeccable references. We had interviewed 2 other contractors, one who never called us back after the first meeting, and another who wanted a $1000 retainer to just start the design process). He also discussed various scenarios for staging the project in parts so that we could opt to only do portions at a time, in case our budget required it, but fortunately we were in a position to do the entire project at once. He did allow us to modify some items as the project was in progress when we changed our minds about certain details, or wanted to add components along the way. No "hidden fees" or "change order fees" were ever added on, just the cost of the work and materials. We added and subtracted a few things along the 4 months (Apr-July) that it took to complete everything, which did increase the projected completion time somewhat, but we also had a few delays due to the usual weather issues, and also a 10-day delay that was entirely due to an electrical subcontractor (who was hired through the pool contractor) who couldn't keep to his promised schedule dates. This was not Josh's fault. He was always responsive whenever we had concerns. He always returned my phone calls within a day. Josh's business philosophy is that until his customer is satisfied, he will not be either. His crew was always polite and on time each day. A project of this scope can be expected to have glitches along the way, and ours was no exception. Whenever a problem arose, Josh was always receptive to our wishes when a solution was devised. An example: Josh's concrete subcontractor made a critical error in distorting the pool's autocover housing, such that the cover couldn't be installed. The concrete guy wanted to do a "shortcut" fix which was not something that we would have been satisfied with. I emphasized this point to Josh, and he made the concrete guy do it the way we wanted it, which was going to involve removing and re-pouring 3 times more concrete than the concrete subcontractor wanted to, but would result in a much more structurely sound patio. To be honest, Josh and his crew didn't catch all the problems that arose. Not because they ignored them, but because a project of this size is difficult to keep a handle on for anyone. So I did act as my own "general contractor" to keep tabs on things. I caught the electrical contractor accidentally kinking one of the gas lines to the pool heater. This is not something I would necessarily expect Josh's crew to see. I had to make the calls to the gas subcontractor to make sure this was repaired before the gas line was buried. There was another error that Josh missed which I was able to catch when I noticed that it didn't appear that the deck stairs would reach the concrete patio as intended based on where the forms were relative to the partially-completed deck stair landing. Apparently Josh's error was in assuming the deck plans were completely accurate from the deck contractor, but there was a slight variance in the actual deck stairs once built. It probably would've been better if Josh had verified with the decking contractor where the stairs would end at the bottom instead of assuming things by the plans. But again, I know that Josh would've fixed it if it hadn't been caught by me and the concrete was poured incorrectly. I just helped to circumvent a mistake before it happened. Another potential error happened at the beginning where Josh's crew starting building the stone steps to our shed area, but had to re-do it 3 times because they kept making them stick out into our yard a little too far for our liking. But Josh was more than happy to make the necessary changes (with no additional cost to us) until we were happy with the result. A final glitch happened when Josh was spraying a muriatic acid solution around our newly installed outdoor stainless steel refridgerator, grill, cabinet doors, etc. The refridgerator door was etched by the solution, and I pointed it out to Josh. He reimbursed me for the $200 it would cost to get a new door for the refridgerator. One time, his crew was digging the drainage trench for the French drain, and they damaged the gas line also. Josh notified me immediately and arranged to have the gas subcontractor out to the house ASAP, and he covered that cost without question. I don't want to paint a negative picture about Josh and Sculptured Earth by mentioning these errors. Quite the contrary, because a big project like this has a good probability that mistakes can and will happen even with our painstakingly detailed planning, the homeowner wants the contractor(s) involved to take ownership of the errors and make things right to the satisfaction of the homeowner. What you don't want is a contractor who makes excuses and tries to avoid fixing the problem, or tries to get away with a "shortcut." Worse yet, you don't want a contractor who will try to hide the mistake from the homeowner. I wanted to highlight that Josh is the type of contractor who will do whatever is necessary to fix any glitches along the way. He runs his business with the utmost integrity, his crew works extremely hard to make sure the homeowner is satisfied, and in the end they do fabulous work! If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely hire Josh again. In fact, when we get around to doing our front and side yards, I'll be calling Josh and Sculptured Earth to do the job."

"To be honest Im dealing with a complicated district and I was kind of frustrated that my project was handed off to a new person but Raegan Hammon was the most patient, kind, professional and efficient Architect I have ever had the pleasure 🙏 of doing business with. Thank you for placing my project in her very capable hands. Forever grateful Leilee Keppard [*** Link removed ***]"

"Anna has very clear vision on what has to be done. If you ask for recommendations she is all open to share her thoughts."

"John was very helpful in planning our paver patio and fire pit. The crew was great. Very prompt, professional and courteous!"

"I had a wonderful time working with Gabrielle. She is a talented and empathetic designer who listened to what I sought in my office remodel. She was mindful of my budget and offered great advice on repurposing a few essential items I already had. The final product was so lovely I could use my office as a recording space for a work video! Gabrielle made my office into an excellent space that my whole family enjoys. I also worked with her on my house purchase and was able to initially use her expertise to look over home inspections, view houses via video chat and help me make a decision on the feasibility of said homes. Gabrielle's knowledge was imperative in my home buying decision. Furthermore, she was also pivotal in a kitchen remodle that I did in my small cottage home, attached to my main house. She helped us think of a strategy for removing a partial wall and also how to best position, construct and install a kitchen island. Needless to say, Gabrielle is a one stop shop for any building, interior and consulting needs that anyone has while building, buying, renovating or decorating a home. I highly recommend her services!"

Founded in 2009, Firm Ground Architects & Engineers is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of design and building code standards combined with creative ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests, good stewards of their budget, and make their concerns the basis of our business.\n