Get matched with top brick and stone patios, walks, and steps installers in Stillwater, MN

"The owner was excellent to work with. He knew what was needed to resolve our wet basement issues. The crew removed old timbers, bricks, shrubs and a lot of weeds. They packed black dirt, installed edging and prepared the space for mulch. They were prompt, courteous and extremely hard working. I would definitely hire again!"

"Pros: Decent work (some good, some bad) Cons: Poor communication, doesn't fix issues (per contract), a number of poor installations, lack of customer service, etc, etc Hired to install front patio, retaining wall, landscaping. I should have known based on the first meeting after signing contract that we would be a second thought (despite spending +$100k)...initial meeting to pick bricks and stone, the lady was confused with who we were as she shuffled through her many layouts for other customers ("sorry, we just have so many"). Was told initially work would start once ground was ready - started a month later due to them having to 'take care of previous year work'. That's fine, just tell us during the winter so we can plan our interior house remodel accordingly. Just got a note one day out of the blue saying that work will start that day despite numerous calls prior trying to get a start date with limited feedback. After working for a few weeks, just stopped showing up for a few weeks. Because they had torn up the front door entrance, it was kind of a big deal to us. Only after a number of emails did we get a note explaining that they were waiting on a permit for the retaining wall. In the meantime, they would not have a crew work on our entrance until they could work on the retaining wall at the same time so as to 'maximize crew efficiency'. Thanks, I'm glad someone else is getting their work done while we (and now our interior contractors, because you started late) have to go in a different entrance because you couldn't get your permitting done correctly. When work finally was resumed, there were issues that became evident. They ripped through a big root on the main locust tree in our yard (how do you miss that?), threatening its survival. They installed a bench against one of our walls without our approval, despite it not being in the plans! We go away a couple days and come back to an unplanned bench. Only because it worked for the space did we accept, but what if we didn't?? There must have been a drop dead date for the job, because all of a sudden one day there were a whole group of workers on the site trying to get it done in a day. When cramming it all in a day, the quality was lost. Hopefully you can tell from the pictures where the patio seems to not be graded right, so water just sits on the patio; downspouts they installed were installed improperly and fall off all the time (and leaves get caught in all the time - what kind of dumb design are the drains?); electrical wires aren't buried correctly and are sitting above the ground us to trip on or animals to chew on; electrical tape on downspouts, etc. Communication was horrible. Only time they would be proactive in reaching out was the day after they issued their invoice asking for payment (sometimes before the work was even completed). We paid promptly each payment, but you wouldn't think so with the emails/calls we received (we won't pay final payment until job is done!). Received zero updates/feedback on a daily or weekly basis from the site foreman, so no idea where the project stood more than what we could see. I believe there was a language barrier. Once job was finished, took them until following year to fix steps that were installed poorly and broke - I'm guessing only due to our constant request for status. They put a 1 year warranty on plants, but when a few of the plants died and requested replacements, they never returned communication despite multiple attempts. Way to do the right thing...they got their money, why would they want to uphold their contractual responsibilities. Leaving overall C grade because a good portion of the work was done well - the retaining wall, facing on the wall, back patio. Left such a poor taste in our mouth with the terrible customer service (communication, follow-through) that it offset any goodness associated with the work. We got the impression that unless you are a super big project (more than the +$100k we spent) that you will be put at the end of the queue (if at all). Would not recommend."

"Artistic Landscapes Inc. was one of many companies we talked to and received quotes from about installing a boulder retaining wall in our backyard to replace aging railroad ties and decking. The backyard is sloped with very limited access to move materials and equipment, therefore many of the companies we spoke with responded with either limited options for landscape ideas or unaffordable prices. Chris came out, listened to our ideas, gave us some of his and told us exactly what we could expect; he quickly put a bid together and we were elated it fell within our budget. 



He and his crew not only worked around the limited access issues, but challenging weather including rain and wet conditions/clay soils. In addition to an approximate 60 foot long boulder retaining wall, they installed 33 paver stones for a pathway, steps as a feature area, additional large boulders for aesthetic enhancements and graded the area to address critical storm water runoff needs. The placement of each stone/boulder was clearly thought through, resulting in a unique and attractive wall versus many of the standard "one on top of the other" looks.



Toward the end there were a few minor tweaks we requested to which Chris and his crew were more than happy to accommodate until they knew we were completely satisfied. Clean up was fabulous too; our front yard damaged by major equipment during the process (which we knew was necessary) was fully restored as promised!



Chris was good to communicate with and very trustworthy in terms of what he committed to delivering. I would recommend Artistic Landscapes to anyone seeking quality work at a fair price, and by someone who knows what works and what doesn't. We absolutely love our new backyard...thanks Chris and Artistic Landscapes!
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"I'm long overdue to write this review, but we hired King Scapes last summer to complete an extensive project to replace a rotten timber retaining wall, replace it with stone, and build a new stone patio with fire pit in our back yard. Even before that, we had met with Don to discuss our broader vision for our yard and he created a three-phase plan (this was phase two) that we could complete as it made logistic and financial sense for us. We were extremely impressed with the professionalism and the quality of work that was completed. They always kept us up to date on what was happening and asked us whenever a decision needed to be made. This ensured we were happy with the finished product. The project was burdened by lousy weather, and they never complained nor did they cut corners to get the job done faster. The work wasn't cheap but that's the nature of the project we embarked upon. We just wanted it done right. I would highly recommend King Scapes."

"This spring we were in search of a company to pour a concrete patio as we were removing our old floating deck. We came across Clark Companies at the White Bear Home Show @ The Hippodrome. They followed up promptly afterwards and set a time to come out for a quote. They answered all our questions and helped us envision what it could look like. They were the only company we had out that actually cared (the others you probably hear advertised all the time). If you're here because you are researching them you can see they do this all the time and they do it well. They gave us many options to choose from for the patio & other items to complete the project (I.e stairs or grass seed). During the installation they were very professional and consulted with us along the way to make sure we were happy before all was said and done. Thank you Clark Companies! We look forward to enjoying our new space for years to come!"

"When the project started, the crew worked hard and efficiently, and answered any questions raised along the way. Everything was rebuilt, including the gravel packed below. It solid and looks great!"

"Jessica and her team completed our project in 1.5 days which is what she initially said it would be. They worked extremely hard morning until late afternoon. Clean up was terrific! You couldn’t even tell someone had worked on our driveway. We enjoyed the bees and butterflies visiting our new plants/shrubs all summer! Many thanks to Jessica and her team at Better Yards and Gardens!"

"Our home was build on a hill. Jamin helped us design and install boulder retaining walls and steps to manage our slopes. He is very talented and easy to work with."

"Fantastic! From the planning stages to actual work everything was smooth. The attention to detail and getting the job completed was a great experience. Super friendly, hard working, and honest and open communication. I will be hiring them again ……soon!"

"Golden Stones fit me into their schedule to repair an outside brick wall of my 100 year old house that i desperately needed finished at the very end of the season. Their price was reasonable and they did great work with good communication."