Get matched with top brick, stone or block wall installers in Ancram, NY

"Summary: Quality work for the most part, but may shake you down for more money to complete the job, so make sure that you get your contract in writing. Detail: I had just purchased a new home and needed to have an old retaining wall re-built on short notice, as well as have a drain installed due to some erosion causing the wall itself and the brick flower beds below it to become misaligned and lose structural integrity. I contacted a few companies including Eldi Landscaping. After receiving a rather high initial estimate in person of $16,000 to repair the wall, install the drain, and re-align the flower beds at the bottom of the wall, with a 10 year guarantee, I let Eldi know that I would compare his pricing to that of the other companies I reached out to and would let them know if we decided to go with them. He later texted me and lowered his offer to $13,800 to use new material, or $8,800 to do the job with my existing slate. $8,800 was a great price, we were strapped for cash from the new home purchase, and the stone was still in good condition, so I let him know we were on board with that. The work was started quickly and finished over the course of 3 days. The wall looks good and has been holding up well. However, on the last day he called me downstairs and told me that he wasn't going to fix the flower beds at the bottom of the wall unless we paid an extra $2000. I protested this and reminded him that we had discussed the full job being completed, including that section, and that he offered $8800 to complete the job without my prompting him for a lower price. At this point he essentially told me that he wasn't going to complete the job unless we agreed to pay him the extra money. I looked through my texts with him to find something in writing and realized that he was very careful to not mention specifics about the job in writing and kept all the details of the work that he promised would be completed to phone discussions. In the interest of not having them leave the job half done (while we were having this discussion, the wall was torn down and the hill it was built into all dug up), I stupidly agreed to pay him the extra money. I had offers from other contractors that were lower than the $10,800 I ended up paying, and went with Eldi because they offered the lowest price. I may have gone with another contractor if they quoted me what I actually ended up paying. It was pretty much my own fault for not getting our agreement in writing, but I'm a new homeowner without much experience working with contractors and I feel that Eldi took advantage of this to strong arm me out of more money than we agreed to. Additionally, when they left the job, they did not completely clean up, and filled one flower bed with small rocks (which is what we asked for), and the other with patches of grass, small boulders, and dirt that they had torn up from the hill while working. I later had to pay for a dumpster and remove all of this myself. As I said, the work itself turned out pretty good and was completed quickly. But if you end up working with this company, make sure that everything you need done, including a full cleanup, is documented in writing, with a specified price and signatures from both parties. Otherwise you may find yourself the victim of the classic contractor shake down that I unfortunately fell victim to."

"Rich came out and noticed my chimney had excessive chimney cracks which was allowing sulfur gases into my home, we had Rich install a chimney liner to prevent any more issue. Rich was very professional and very fair on his prices! I I highly recommend using Exclusive sweeps for any chimney needs!!"

"OC Construction did an outstanding job remodeling my kitchen! The new tile backsplash completely transformed the space and looks absolutely beautiful. Their craftsmanship and attention to detail were excellent, and everything was installed perfectly. The crew was professional, punctual, and respectful of my home throughout the entire project. They finished the work on time, communicated well, and exceeded my expectations. I couldn't be happier with the results and would highly recommend OC Construction for any kitchen remodeling project!"

"Mike was incredibly kind and helpful getting things done to code on our budget. He did our porch, firewall and kitchen floor without a big crew or making a huge mess. Highly recommend for anyone who needs a fix up or a bigger projects and needs to work on a budget! Will happily call him for any other repairs needed going forward."

"We bought an old farmhouse that we knew needed some masonry work repairing a stone retaining wall, and keeping water out of the house and rain runoff away from our wellhead. I was absolutely dreading the repair, but Greg and his crew made things easy, and took care of a huge job in 2 weeks. Even as the scope of the project grew, based on some more issues found after excavating, Greg walked us through our options and took on the expanded work instantly. I couldn't be happier with the results-- even as things got pricier than I had hoped, the work is top-notch and Gregs resourcefulness, communication, and skills are the absolute best. If your project needs craftsmanship that falls under the many diversified trades that this team can take on, consider yourself lucky. Highly recommended."

"We had cracks in the dyed mortar of the bricks above our garage. Grady took the time to match the color, even with the color having aged 10 years, and you would not even be able to tell that there was new mortar. If your project is anything like ours, you will not be disappointed."

Welcome to Top Hat Services, we look forward to discussing your home improvement project, please reach out to us anytime!

Doing paver work has been my passion for years. I think of it as an artisan style. Whatever you need or want. We can get done

"Good experience. Needed to have an exterior glass block wall resealed. Emails/texts were generally responded to promptly. Workers showed up on time and the work was professionally done. Would hire them again."

All phases of construction and masonry from start to finish. Additions, new construction, restoration and garages. If we cannot do it, we will find the right professional to help you out. When you deal with us you will be treated with prompt professionalism and respect. Our prices are not the cheapest but our quality is the best. The knowledge and experience we will provide will give you a far superior product then that of the cheaper contractor.