Lazar Landscape Design and Construction

We recently completed a fairly large project with them. The final result is a nice transformation of the space but it was really expensive. And while the on site crews were great - hard workers who cleaned up and secured the area nicely every night - the overall project management was difficult to work with. The project involved construction of a lot of retaining walls. We went with a design-build firm because we wanted some flexibility during construction. When we'd meet on site during construction Pam would say something about what could be done but would need Maribel to either approve or correct her. At one point it was discovered that the original design pushed too far into the corner of the lot and the roots and canopy of an existing Oak tree. That seems like something that should've been obvious from the beginning. Stuff happens. The solution to round out the corner created an issue with locating a fire pit in the remaining space. They did nothing to help us figure out how to make it work. We had to rough it out on graph paper and then tell them how big the fire pit should be and where it should be located. Even then they didn't understand what we wanted as they thought the fire pit should be aligned with some stairs. Had they actually reviewed such a plan they would've seen that doing so would make it impossible to put furniture on one side of the pit while leaving a bunch of excess space on the other side. There were other annoyances that mostly involved their lack of communication about when finish decisions needed to be made and installation would be. Ultimately, it all felt kind of formulaic once the walls were built. if I'd had a better sense of what could've been built in the yard I would've hired my GC and had him build the whole thing. Based on one piece of demo work he did, it would've saved a chunk of money and it definitely would've saved some frustration. The downside would be that Pam wouldn't have done the plant design. That seems to have been her specialty before assuming ownership and project management responsibilities and she definitely knows her plants.

I was looking to replace my entire front and back yard with a drought tolerant, low maintenance and contemporary landscape and selected Lazar Landscape based on their strong portfolio and good reviews. Being an architect, I drew up my own concept site layout with bluestone select walkways, patios, ledgestone wall, decomposed granite paths and planting area along with gathering images of planting that I liked for reference. Not being familiar with appropriate planting material, I liked that Lazar provides both design and build services. I worked with Lisa for design input in selecting appropriate plants, ground cover, stone wall, paving, gravel and mulch along with other recommendations to the layout. During the proposal process, they gave several options to reduce project costs. After selecting several of these cost reducing options, the budget still came in higher than what I had originally had in mind. However, I felt that you get what you pay for so I was willing to pay for a higher level of service, materials and construction quality, which I received from Lazar. Construction started first with a meeting with Lisa and Mirabel who was the project manager to do a quick review of the project. The total construction time from demo to final completion took 6 weeks and went smoothly except for a couple of change orders which included re-pouring the front porch concrete slab and replacing a wood post due to the poor condition of the porch. I was at work during construction so there was no impact to me in terms of noise or traffic. The construction site was kept organized and tidy and I communicated with Lisa and Maribel through email if I had any questions or needed to coordinate tasks. Mirabel did a great job in scheduling the construction sequence and making sure that all the landscape materials were delivered at the right time so there were no delays. Lazar tried to complete the project as soon as possible so as to minimize the impact on my lifestyle. After the landscape was completed, there was a plant warranty period where any dead plants were replaced. There were a few plants that needed replacement and I asked Lisa if different more hearty and colorful plants could be used and she agreed. Overall, I am thrilled at how the landscape turned out. Everyone at Lazar was easy to work with and they were professional during all the phases of design and construction. I would recommend Lazar to anyone looking for high quality landscape design and construction services.

I've used Lazar for two fairly significant landscaping projects on my property in the Bay Area. They handled both projects from initial sketches, to formal plans, to demo, construction, planting, through final finish work. They were a one-stop firm and I never needed to work with anyone outside of Lazar. Their design group (Lisa handled my projects) had tons of great ideas that my wife and I hadn't thought about before. Using their designers not only resulted in great plans, but was also way more cost effective than using an independent designer. The build crew was fabulous. They do not mess around and work hard. They take their time and do great work (they hand-built many beautiful stone walls) but although the work was laborious it moved along without delay because they never miss days and they are very efficient. Our project manager (Maribel) was outstanding and in control of all details. Even one of the owners (Asa) was regularly in communication with me, including at the design phase, and visited the site several times to make sure everything was going smoothly (it was). They really work as a team and my experience could not have been better. In terms of cost, the Bay Area is a pretty expensive market for these sorts of services, but I felt that Lazar delivered a solid value for what I received: completely overhauled portions of my property that Lazar transformed from pretty drab to beautiful stone terraces and landscaping that look like something you'd see at a Napa Valley resort. Overall I am very satisfied, feel that they delivered excellent value, and will use them again if I ever have another landscaping project...although I think their work will likely last for many decades.

Pam and Lazar did a wonderful job transforming our awkward upslope back yard into a beautiful usable space. Pam and team are true professionals. We've worked with many contractors and Lazar is a breath of fresh air! We broke our project into two phases and can't wait to work with them again on phase 2. We highly recommend Lazar Landscape and Design.

Lazar Landscaping did a complete renovation of my back and front landscaping. The yard was mostly dirt and weeds when the project began. Lazar worked with me to develop a garden plan that produced a beautiful, low maintenance garden. The work included a lot of excavation and off haul from the site, many linear feet of ledge stone walls and a gorgeous bluestone patio. Lazar did the entire project including the lighting and irrigation. I couldn't be happier with how the project turned out! My house is geared to indoor/outdoor living and the garden is beautiful and inviting. It makes me happy every time I see it. Lazar was great to work with at every level. They gave me exactly what I wanted. A yard I can enjoy without a lot of work. Invariably when I have friends over they remark on the beautiful landscaping. I would definitely recommend Lazar for any landscaping project you are undertaking

Overall, we had a great experience with Lazar and our designer, Pam, and I would highly recommend them! We have a typical Orinda hillside home with a small, awkward down sloped backyard. Lazar landscaped both the front and the back. We had a bit of a rocky start - at our first design meeting we were surprised by the cost and didn't feel as though we had been heard when we communicated our budget during our initial meeting. When we brought these concerns to Pam she really listened and responded in a fair and professional manner and helped us tweak the proposal to make it more in line with our budget. Once the project was underway it was smooth sailing. The crew was respectful (especially important with a barking dog and napping baby at the house) and kept the job site as clean/organized as possible. Pam kept in constant communication with us throughout the process. Our project manager, Maribel, was always available for questions/concerns and went above and beyond (entertaining our baby during site meetings and writing step by step instructions for our gardener for ongoing plant care). They finished the project on time and on budget. Unfortunately for us, the project was completed right before a huge storm and we had some drainage issues. Pam and crew came out immediately to take a look and trouble shoot the problem. We soon discovered that the drainage challenge was an existing issue and not a result of the landscaping, but Pam and crew helped us out anyway (brought over a waddle before the next big storm, etc). We recently had a plant warranty check - most of our plants are doing fine but Lazar replaced the handful that didn't make it. In general, landscaping is expensive (especially turning sloped areas into flat) and the process can be time consuming and frustrating. Pam and the entire team at Lazar made it as easy and painless as possible. I would definitely hire them again.

I only have good things to say about Lazar Landscape. A little over two years ago we bought our house. With the house came a front garden with a few nice plants, but an unsafe staircase, a crumbling fence and an acacia tree covered in 20 feet of jasmine. Our driveway, with its two-tone concrete was also and eyesore. And the backyard…..again, a few nice plants, but in general an overgrown jungle that I couldn’t control, another crumbling fence and an odd patio system that did not work for socializing. I’m a graphic designer myself and I love gardening so I came into the process with a lot of ideas about our new gardens. Pam Cosce, head designer and co-owner, was wonderful to work with. She took my ideas and said, “I love your ideas, and I’ve got some of my own.” For both the front and the back gardens my husband and I reviewed three designs that incorporated my thoughts, but improved on them. We settled on final plans in a couple of weeks. We also got sound guidance on material choices from Asa Sanchez, the other co-owner, allowing us to weigh cost, longevity and aesthetics. Pam came up with the brilliant idea of moving the old pavers from our backyard into the driveway, thus saving us material cost and allowing us to focus on a new, lovely bluestone patio for the backyard. As Pam was developing our plant palette I probably had more opinions than the typical client. I’m a person that appreciates a straight shooter. Plenty of my plant selections got the green light or the comment “love it” or “you got it.” Then there were others that got these comments: “a thorny beast”, “looks like a mangy dog in winter”, “stinks”, and my favorite, “could make your life a living hell.” But, every time a plant was shot down, there was always a suggestion that started with, “if you like the look of that plant, you may like this one…” She really helped me build cohesion and sense into the landscape while staying true to my taste. The crew showed up everyday by 8:30 with smiles and ‘good morning’s. Really nice, hard-working guys. Neighbors on both sides even commented on how nice they were. When the yards started taking shape, there were a few instances when I wanted something changed or adjusted. Mirabel Ramirez, the project manager, always answered with “no problem” or “easy peasy.” The work has been beautifully done. The carpentry on the fences and beds, the stone work on the patio and stairways – all has been completed with great attention to detail. And the driveway – an amazing result from reused material, looks fantastic. My backyard has transformed from an unwieldy mess to a gorgeous open space for socializing; beautiful beds with fruit trees, flowering maples, evergreen shrubs, tried and true perennials, and raised beds for vegetables. The front yard gets a ton of sun so we landscaped with drought-tolerant plants. Succulents, sedums, kangaroo paws, salvia, purple smoke bush, and dymondia to name a few. And the neighbors won’t stop talking about how great the place looks now. Not only did it greatly increase the value of our house, but I think the whole neighborhood is pleased at the increase in property value for the block. The place was really a shambles before. Now, rather than wincing as I pull up to the house, I come home dazzled with my gardens and driveway. These people are great to work with and do excellent work. Highly, highly recommend! P.S. I live in Mill Valley. Though they are based in Oakland, they had no trouble working in the north bay.

We had a great experience with Lazar, and would hire them again in a second! We wanted a complete renovation of our Oakland backyard to include an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, deck with hot tub, raised planting beds, and a new fence and gate. Low-maintenance and drought-resistant plants were a must. Pam, our designer, got it immediately, and created a plan for a functional, beautiful, and inviting extension of our mid-century modern house. The Lazar crew really delivered, with stonework of the highest quality and a beautifully made deck. The one hiccup involved finding the right stone slab for our giant counter-top, which took a few weeks longer and was more expensive than budgeted. In the end, we went with a matte black granite, which looks great, and Lazar was very reasonable about splitting the extra cost with us. They even refunded money when the fence cost was lower than budgeted. I highly recommend Lazar without reservations.

Lazar did a design/build project for our steep, upslope property in the Oakland hills. They dealt with the challenges created by the property extremely well, and everyone we worked with was wonderful. The end result is beautiful and perfectly balances our wooded area and desire for lots of space to have a backyard edibles garden with our interest in a modern, functional outdoor space for relaxing and entertaining.

Over the past year, we have engaged in two large projects in our back yard with the crew at Lazar Landscape, involving a new flagstone patio, ipe deck, curved stone staircase, terraced gardens and rock wall. Our designer, Lisa, was terrific to work with. She has a great eye for design, knows plants and captured exactly what we had in mind (to tie in with our craftsman "look"). The crew, overseen by Maribel, was very hard working, dependable and skilled. The amazing thing is that we left for a 3 week vacation out of the country while they did the work. They communicated with us regularly, were very trustworthy and there were absolutely NO problems during our absence. Both Lisa and Maribel were very responsive to any questions or issues we had along the way. We are also pleased that all the plants are warranteed. The crew came back (four months later) to check on the plants and replace any that have not "taken". The projects were completed right on schedule and we are enjoying the beautiful results. We would highly recommend this company to anyone who appreciates quality.

Lazar executes! I worked with a Lazar designer to transform the front of my house. The plans were well executed and the implementation looks terrific. The installation included new bluestone walls and front steps, a paver driveway, sidewalk cutouts, irrigation and all plant material. My neighbors complement me regularly on the attractiveness the front of my house – two years later. Lazar sends potential customers by my house to see the quality and creativity of their work. I highly recommend these folks for their professionalism and attention to detail.

Great and easy to work with. Crew was always on time, courteous and worked very hard to help us achieve our vision. A few hiccups in the project along the way, but everyone at Lazar made a conscious effort to help keep things on time and budget, and their follow through after completion has been fabulous.