Samscaping Landscape Design and Build

What can we say about the people who transformed our yard into something we truly enjoy every day? Wonderful group, they care about what they do and how you'll enjoy it, and work hard to do things right the first time. It’s always nice when a project runs perfectly and everything falls into place as planned. However, a true test of a company is when things don’t quite go as smoothly. Due to circumstances that could have not be foreseen by the company, our landscaping project had a hiccup that caused a few weeks’ delay. That was when the high level of professionalism of SamScaping came to the surface. Because it led to our project lasting longer than planned and skewing their project pipeline, it interrupted their schedule more than it did ours. After the initial confusion, they did their best to accommodate our project among the many others they had. As it turned out, those little delays in between actually ended up for the best, as they gave us time to live with things for a while and initiate a few small changes that made our property look much better than the original planning. One thing we learned is that when things didn't quite go according to plan or the schedule, it was usually for the best. Sam (Owner): Sam struck us as a highly conscientious professional, who cares for the quality of the project as well as the welfare of his employees and is not just about making profits - a rare gem! A few examples were him making it a point to come by when subcontracting was involved, or stopping the work and sending the crew home when it got too hot in the summer. When a Jasmin plant didn't make it after the transplanting, he dug-up one from his own yard to replace it. These personal touches show how invested he is in the work, and it carries through to his team. Frank (Foreman): It is hard to describe how much Frank added to the project with his suggestions in all domains. His attention to detail was superb, and his unique design ideas upgraded our project. He also was extremely helpful on the practical side with generous advice on pretty much everything, and we soon learned that he’s usually right. Frank made sure things are done in the right order, the right way, and without cutting corners – and all that with a constant smile and a refreshingly wonderful sense of humor. His level of attention to details and caring about our project was above and beyond what we’ve ever experienced, as was his patience. Fermin (Mason): Fermin, with his 30+ years of experience as a mason, is a master and an artist. He soon figured out our taste, and though he didn't always share it, he made extra effort to add little touches that complemented it. His suggestions during the design process of the hardscaping were right to the point, as he has the remarkable ability to combine practical considerations with an admirable sense of aesthetics. Our hardscape design was full of curves, always a challenge and some new ones that Fermin never encountered before. He came up with creative ideas to tackle these new challenges and seemed to have enjoyed the process. Dawn (Designer): We got to work with Dawn after the designer who was originally assigned to us left the company. Dawn's knowledge of plants is impressive, and her great suggestions showed she was taking what she had learned of our tastes into account. The garden ended up looking quite different than what we had in mind--and much better. She has the artistic eye to tie things together and create a flow that is pleasing yet doesn't look contrived. She was very open to feedback and encouraged us to say what we don't like, and when we followed her advice and cancelled a couple of plants on her list, she suggested another plant that's become my favorite. The crew It was such a pleasure to have the SamScaping crew work on our property. The friendliness, caring and good mood of the workers made the experience a pleasurable journey. They all seem to take pride in their work, to the point that we often found one of them fixing something during his break. We were impressed by how clean they left then property every day, and by the way the different crews (hardscaping, irrigation, drainage, landscpaing) respected the work of each other. Our garden looked surprisingly beautiful throughout the winter, and now—almost 9 months after the project was completed, and passing the test of torrent rains and a few nights of frost, it’s starting to come to life as spring begins. Sam and Frank have stopped by throughout the winter and into spring to check on how everything was doing, replacing a few plants that didn't make it, and checking in with us. And the end result is truly amazing. Thank you so much, SamScaping, for significantly improving our quality of life. And the neighbors are happy, too :-)

Samscaping is a great company which does incredible work. I have been on a number of their projects and, as a landscape architect, can attest to the quality of their work and their eye for detail. I am also a college professor and Sam Whitney has assisted our horticulture program on a number of occasions, most recently in the loan of a large tree for our use in creating a garden for the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. I would highly recommend this landscape construction firm.

I've had the pleasure of working with Samscaping for a few years now, they are a valued customer of Peninsula Building materials. I worked closely with Dawn Engle and Tracy Vanoncini who often bring their clients to our masonry Design Showroom in Mountain View. It's very pleasing to see how they have incorporated our Stone and masonry products into their very creative designs. They have been around for a long time, are very professional, and in my opinion, do great work. If you are looking to be inspired, take a look at their web site www.samscaping.com

I am thrilled with how my project turned out. It entailed a complete makeover of my front and back yards. Samscaping may well not be the cheapest, but my key criteria were quality and peace of mind. Also, I look at the difference between price and cost. The price is what I paid. The cost to me was knowing that I got: (i) value for money (as evidenced by the joy we get out of using our new backyard and the comments from friends and strangers) (ii) peace of mind that I didn't have to micro-manage the project. I actually had an enjoyable experience (unlike some of the horror stories you hear about contractors), (iii) comfort knowing that I got a quality product in the end. Samscaping worked closely with my designer (Julie Orr Design) to take her vision and make it into a reality. Sam has a degree in horticulture so I was able to benefit from both his expertise in this area. Sam was easy to deal with and even on the few occasions where there were minor issues, I found him to be very reasonable and fair. I have to give a special shout-out to the day-to-day Project Manager, Frank. Awesome! I cannot speak highly enough about him. Apart from really knowing his stuff, he is very detail-oriented and has a great design sense. I trust and value his opinion so much it got to the point where I would ask his opinion on everything (furniture, paint colors, you name it). If Frank is looking after your project you will be in very safe hands. The majority of the team has been with Samscaping for many years (another good sign). When I compared the various initial bids I decided I wanted to buy experience. That had real value to me as I had never attempted anything like this project before and I am not very handy around the house. Sam, Frank and the team have been around the block many times and it showed. There were several times during the project when they made suggestions above and beyond the plan which turned out to beneficial to the overall project. The bottom line is, I got an excellent quality end-product and value for money. Highly recommended.

Working with Samscaping had been fantastic, and still is to some extent as it's been over an year since we have completed our project and they still come by to replace plants, if dead, and check on their work. Enrica (our designer) was a joy to work with and was the one that designed both our front and back yard. Sam (the owner) was just amazing to work but I think his best traits were his honesty and integrity. He was extremely up-front with any issues and recommendations throughout the entire process. The projects was managed extremely well and within the budget and time completed exactly as negotiated. He gave weekly reports on what was happening just like you would expect someone managing an expensive project like this to do so. The crew was extremely professional and at times, I probably saw 5+ working on the yard. I can tell you that Samscaping is not the cheapest landscaper out there, but I would have them landscape any home and recommend him for any projects in the future. Like most homeowners, one of the biggest reasons for choosing a landscaper is to ensure that they are on budget and willing to work with you if you find issues along the way without gouging/hold you hostage for price. How many of us actually believe that we wouldn't want minor changes throughout the process? He did all that without charging anything extra. The finished product is exactly what I wanted and never felt like if I had only changed it this way, I'd be happier. Sam will work with you the entire process. You are paying for a peace of mind and I think that's worth it given the horror stories I've heard from other homeowners. What also sets Sam apart from others is his love of his work. He really enjoys what he does and it shows in the finished product. It's as if he was trying to landscape for his own home and so he will meticulously ensure that every nook and crack are looked at as if he owned the home. He will find issues that you weren't aware of and will fix anything you find. In fact, months after he was done, he continually checks on his work as plants do need time to set in and adjusts water as needed. Just recently (over an year since I finished the landscaping project), he came by and replace dead plants as well as the entire electrical outdoor outlets since I was complaining that it has been shorting out recently. No cost! It just doesn't get better than this and I highly recommend anyone looking to landscape their home to at least talk to Sam and see what his team has to offer.

Samscaping was a wonderful company to work with. Sam, his designer, and construction crew were all outstanding! We worked with them to design and construct our dream backyard, including an outdoor kitchen, spa, fountain, fire pit, putting green and amazing flowers, plants, and trees! They provided us with professional service and a beautiful finished product. They are solution-oriented, and have provided the highest level of customer support throughout the project and beyond. We highly recommend Samscaping!