Vander Landscaping

My experience with Paul and his crew was a positive one. I hired his company to demolish the existing concrete patio and replace it with pavers. His crew started the job on time and finished on time while being supervised by Paul himself to make sure it got done right. The work was done professionally, they did not take any shortcuts, and cleaned up well after themselves. I’m a happy customer and would hire Paul again!

I have no idea what the problems are with other reviewers. I found Vander Landscape using one of the on line home adviser sites. Less than a minute after I submitted my requirements,
Paul Vander called me, I described what I wanted and we agreed to meet the following Tuesday. He was on time, professional, reviewed my written requirements (I always prepare a spreadsheet when hiring contractors detailing exactly what I want and my expectations), and
prepared a quote on the spot which I thought was very fair for the work I wanted. He used
only the best materials (7 sack mix), rebar (no wire mesh) and an excellent stamped finish.
I am so pleased I had him do the work.
He and his crew worked very hard, installed the bender board, rebar and concrete in a completely professional manner. He made several suggestions which I adopted including
the elimination a step at the porch by gently sloping the new walkway up to the porch so I
have only one step up, not two, using stamped rather than a brush /​broom finish which I decided late in the process and am glad I did. Stamped work looks so much better than a broom finish.
He was always on the job site each day, start to finish, to communicate with his workers
and ensure the job was done to my satisfaction. His employees cleaned up each day and removed the debris when done.
I did not need to make any up front deposit to begin the project and paid him by check
after the work was completed to my full satisfaction.
A word of caution for any construction job no matter who does is — know exactly where
you water lines run. Mine was punctured by one worker when installing steel spikes while doing the bender board forms for the walk. But his contract specifically states that any
damage such as that is my responsibility if the line is less than 18″ deep… mine was 12″
so I paid for the plumbing repair. Lesson learned.

Hello, reading this reviews makes me a bit sick to my stomach. I happen to know what type of jobs Paul does since I have seen and know his work. First of all you get for what you pay for, I am sure that we are all familiar with that term. Plus this in the contract that he provides. What I liked is that any update, or change that was requested was written to not get miss guide me (covering steps). Paul is licensed and most important is fair in his pricing. I was almost miss guided by the bad reviews here, but thought to go against all odds and try it out for myself.
Everything went excellent maybe because I am not the type that changes my mind over and over as project was in process, or I am not a cheap skate. Maybe all the bad reviews here are a little of all I just mentioned and that’s why the projects didn’t go as well as they imagined it. One habit us humans always do is blame someone else an not ourselves.
In overall the services that Paul does are excellent, he is licensed, honest and fair in pricing. If that is what you want in a contractor then «go for it», but if you are a wishi washi, cheap skate and want everything for free then hire another vendor.
Tips: Make sure you have written down what it is exactly that you want for your project. Do a run though the area of where the project will take place. make sure to get blue prints of your house to review. finally meet and review contract and specifications.
Good Luck,
Satisfied client

I wish there is a rating for 0 star. Like many stories you read in this review. this guy came out to bid and ask for a big front deposit for a stucco project then suggests roofing project then suggest he can have his crew do the yard clean like to pro construction site. Don’t hire him and don’t fall for any of the suggestions. So rude and refuse to communicate as he is too busy with too many other jobs. When I terminated the contract, he came back stalking around the house and tell my other contractor that I owed him money. OMG, i paid $ 5800 for a job half done and no one else will take the projects cuz there are crack lines everywhere. The worst part is that he asked me not to talk to his workers. How does this ex-​san jose cop get into this business to begin with. he is gonna use his excuse that he drove 500 miles to see you and bid your project. so he wants you to make up your mind right there on the spot. COMPARE YOUR BIDS, CHECK Unilocal REVIEWS AND DONT USE GUYS FROM CRAIGSLIST WITHOUT GOOD REFERENCE. my very $$$ painful experience with this «wonderful» Vander construction. AVOID!!!

AVOID! He refused to finish the job. He had finished half and I’d paid him half but he aggressively demanded full payment at my door for over 2 hours. I ended up needing to call the police to get him to leave. He put a lien on my house for payment for the work he never did.
At first he was good but then turned into a disaster. When he was only half done he refused to finish the work on schedule and demanded immediate full payment. I of course refused to pay for unfinished work as he was breaking the contract. He stood at my door for over 2 hours and I ended up having to call the police.
Longer story:
I had him come by to remove a large pile of dirt in the backyard of the house I just bought. He was quick and charged a reasonable price. Based on this first work I had him bid on leveling my back yard, install a platform for a playhouse (I was planning to install), and install grass and a watering system. My daughter’s birthday was coming in 2 months and I asked if the lawn could be ready by then. He said there was more than enough time.
Things started well but after I had a tree removed I realized I should move the playhouse. He said it was not a problem but after that I noticed he and his crews were mostly standing around not working. My wife asked what was happening and I said it is a fixed bid so how he runs his crew is his business. He then began a heavy pressure sales pitch for additional work. He stopped listening when I asked him not to run the pavers past the lawn and did it any way.
At the end of one day he said he would not be back for several weeks. I asked how the work would be done in time for the grass to be ready for my daughter’s birthday? He said that it would not happen. I said if you don’t agree to finish my job as the contract says then I’ll have to get someone else to finish the job. He had completed about half the job and I’d paid him half. He became hostile and stood outside my door demanding payment. After 2 hours I finally called the police.
A little later he put a lien on my house for payment for the work he never did. It was a hassle but I had that dropped.
Avoid Vander!

I had Paul the owner come out to bid, I felt very uncomfortable as he told me and my wife that he is here to «empty» my pockets. I thought it was very unprofessional and weird that he would say that a few times to me as if he was funny. Sure enough his bid was 10k over a competitor.

Do NOT choose Vander Landscaping. I called this «company» on four separate occasions, asking simply for an estimate. Each time I spoke to the same clueless-​sounding individual (answering the phone in the most non-​professional manner possible), I was told that I would receive a call the following day to set up an appointment. After not receiving a phone call, on any of the aforementioned occasions, I finally called a fifth time, only to be told that no one in their «office» is interested in doing business in my area, even though their website advertisement lists my area as one in which they provide services. If their level of communication is any indication of their work, I can only imagine it’s lack of quality.