Varela Design

If you see the name Varela Design Raymond or Mirta Varela run the other way!!  They are the most unprofessional and unskilled people I ever met.  We hired them to work on a landscaping and pool job back in November 2014.  They were supposed to finish by January 2015.  We paid them almost the whole project before going on vacation at the end of December because they promised to finish by December 31.  We came back, and no significant advances were done.  The kept working during January and February but very sporadically because they showed up late, not every day.  Everything they did was wrong, and needed to be re done.  They installed an inside floor on the deck, which was really slippery.  They guy they use to install the tiles confessed us that his job was fix small mistakes in floor installation and he wasn't a floor installer.  When we confront them regarding everything that was wrong, Ray Varela told us he ran out of money and that we will have to wait for him to repair all the mess he made.  We agreed on finishing what they could and wait for them to come back, but at that point (end of April begging of May 2015) they disappeared and never came back.  I can keep going on all the mistakes they made (like breaking water pipes, pool water heater, etc), but I think this is enough to reflect my experience. <br /> We've been trying to get their insurance information (they said in the web site, which now  is down, that they had insurance), without any luck.  <br /> So to summarize it was a nightmare, they took almost all our money and we had to hire another person to fix all the mess they did.   <br /> If you are already working with them, retain your payments until the end and good luck!

I previously provided review of the project and from a design perspective the project appearance is exactly what we wanted. <br /> We needed a project manager function to provide a complete solution and Varela Design promised and delivered the plan. <br /> Varela sub contracted with other functions to bring together the total package. <br /> Project came in a few weeks late and we had a few "add-ons" to the orginal written agreement and those items were fullfilled. <br /> The issue came from follow-up and the subsequent service needed to keep the spa performing. Raymond stopped returning phone calls, texts, and emails in April 2015. When I requested a service call and wanted to order supplies he could not be reached.Complely ignored my numerous requests for help in ordering new filters. He seemed to drop out of the business <br /> with no forwarding information or contacts. <br /> I eventually reached a contact from the manufacturer of the spa in California who indicated they were not able to reach <br /> Varela Design either. As the designated sales and service represenative for South Florida, there was no where else to go. <br /> Finally I was able to find the filters I needed on-line from a third party vendor. The manufacturer also helped me find a local service contact who was able to trouble shoot it operating issue with my spa.  <br /> Although I did not expect it from my earliest encounters with Ray Varela, I am upset that after a fairly large purchase of goods and services from Varela Design, he left me high and dry. <br /> <br /> <br />

On 10/22/2014 I bought a Big Deal which was to include $4500 of landscape or deck work.  The price was $1359 for labor with me paying for the materials.   On 10/28/2014 Raymond Varela (accompanied by Mirtha) came to my home and gave me an estimate for some landscaping as well as for the deck repair. I decided to have the deck redone. He said he could do the deck for $3900 /or in 4 eight hour days.  He left saying he would "have to see when the deck guy could work".  In November I was asked for my contact information.  I heard nothing then until December.  "Al" said he could do the deck in 2 weekends starting 12/13/2014 and ending 12/21/14.  He arrived 12:30 PM on the 13th. First he stated "Yes, I can do the job for $4500 then later said it would cost "extra" because of the work involved in doing some wood replacement.  I didn't reply.  He did some sanding on the floor, leaving several times stating he was "having trouble finding the right sandpaper".  He left at 5:30PM and returned the following day accompanied by a female.  He sanded one french door and started one board on a second door.  The lady put blue painters tape around the windows in the doors.  Al then explained to me that I should really have the doors and floors stripped.  He said the "cost would be more but the outcome would be much nicer".  So I gave him a check for $441.86 and he left in the early afternoon supposedly to buy materials.  He promised to bring me a "detailed list" of the materials I bought.  He said he would be back 12/19/2014.   He was a no call/no show on the 19th.  On 12/20 I got a call  saying that he guessed someone had "dropped the ball and no one had called me.  The truck for hauling supplies had broken down".  He would return 12/26/2014.  I was going to be out of town and I called back and asked that the work resume on 1/05/15.  On 1/08/15 I got a call from Raymond saying "everyone" had been sick.  On 1/09/2015 I texted Raymond saying they could work any weekday.  On 1/23/2015, I called the company asking for the work to be done.  Raymond said "I will send someone next Thursday to finish the job."  No one showed up on 1/29/2015.  I called in the afternoon and was told by Raymond that someone would "be there tomorrow morning I promise".  No one showed the next day.  I texted Raymond on 1/31/2015 and pleaded with him to send someone to complete the work.  I heard back via text on 2/2/2015.."I will have someone there 2/5/2015.  I texted back again requesting a list of the materials.  On 2/5/2015 no one came,  Raymond called on 2/6/2015 and said his"guy called out sick yesterday and today and" and he "would send him Monday".  No one came on Monday.   I called on 2/11/2015 and got no reply  I called again on 2/12/2015.  Raymond texted back "Will be there tomorrow".  On 2/13/2015, when no one showed up I called..Al finally arrived at 11:45 AM but with no list of materials that I had been asking for.  He said he "couldn't find my work order" but said he would ask Mirtha to send me the list.  He also stated that he had "another job" so he could only work on weekends.   I asked him if he was going to start with cutting wood (I wanted a chance to put fans on to pull vapors away from the house as I did not want the vapors to harm my birds).  He said yes, but the next thing I knew I was smelling heavy vapor fumes!!!  He worked with chemicals on the doors and floor.  He washed the doors off with a hose blowing loose stain particles all over the painted wall and doors he was finishing.  A white powder was on the gate, outside step and deck floor.  The last thing he did was cut a foot square hole in the deck floor and then left without a word to me!     <br />        Update 3/25/15   At this time the wood repair on the deck, the sanding of the doors and floor and the stripping of the floor is not complete.  The rebuilt step is half the size of the original, even though I paid for sufficient supplies to rebuild the step of the same size. (At this time the doggy door opens to a drop to the ground!!)   No finish/stain has been applied.

We were looking for someone to help update our pool, redo the pool deck, install a Hot-Tub, and improve the  <br /> appearance and functionality of our outdoor living area. <br /> We spoke to pool contractors who would diamond brite the pool and change the coping. <br /> But they did not seem to have good selections or opinions about the options for stone tiles for the deck. <br /> We spoke to companies who had nice options for the stone deck, but wanted nothing to do with refinishing  <br /> the pool. The hot-tub companies were singular focused on selling us a hot tub and were not too concerned <br /> about the appearance and integration with the other elements in our deck. <br /> Raymond Varela called me following a request on line for information about hot tubs. <br /> He described the service he offered and it was what we were looking for: expertise in pulling together <br /> the parts of the project into a whole solution: Pool Refurbishing, Select and Install a Hot Tub, Redo our <br /> large pool deck and adding stone over the stamped concrete which was there, building a wall to integrate the pool  <br /> and hot tub into one cohesive look, and adding landscaping to pull the elements together. <br /> Project took about seven weeks from start to finish. Raymond hired and managed the experts to build the wall, <br /> the team to refurbish the pool, the team who did all the stone work on the deck, the electrician,and the landscaping. <br /> This was a very complicated project with so many moving parts and different expertise.  Coordination with the parts was not something we were willing or able to do. The decision we made to hire Raymond Varela was the best decision we could have made otherwise we would not have been able to tackle this project.  In a few instances the tile team got out of sync with the stone team. <br /> Raymond addressed the issues. His approach was the customer is always right and if I was not happy, they would address whatever <br /> it is because the customer is always right.  When one of the steps to the hot tub wall was not to my satisfaction, the work was redone.  The contractors need supervision  and oversight, someone to enforce the vision and standards on the project. As the design manager and project supervisor, Raymond Varela delivered to our expectations.  <br /> Project took about one week longer than originally anticipated due to our South Florida late afternoon rains but the results were <br /> great and we are really happy.   We just love the results and will contact Varela Design when its time to design and refresh our front yard landscaping and approach to our front entrance.

Varela Design finished the project within the deadlines. They were very informative and patient.  The plants were selected just as we requested. They were constantly giving us updates during the process of the projects and were very considerate. Upon the selection of the plants and design spent numerous hours with us to make sure we were happy with all the details.  I would definitely work with them again and recommend to anyone who needs landscape design, deck building services or pool construction. <br />