Hobson Landscapes

First of all I would like to start by saying overall we are pleased with the result but getting to that result had some bumps along the way creating more stress and problems then I was hoping for during this reno. Ted is a very nice and honest contractor and does decent work however there are some major problems in the area of communication.

There was a lack of good communication both between us and Ted, and between Ted and his crew. There was very little attention paid to details and virtually no review of the details before hand. We tried to discuss all these things before the start of the Job but it was left that it would all work out and we didn’t need to do this.

To be fair as well we did have a lot of rain and bad weather for the first part of the project and I know this can create some issues and am factoring that out of this review, it has no impact on my rating.

There were a number of things I would say were not done “as if it was their own house” which is what I expect for a 10/10 rating.

Examples include:
1) not cementing high enough on the fence post that was installed, when I mentioned it they added more, but it was done poorly (rushed I think) and I had to re-do it myself.
2) not taking care when putting in the pavers to use the “nicer” looking side and avoid putting 3 bad corners together. This is another thing I ended up doing myself since it was something I could do in the evening.
3) Adding some cement based caulking at the corner of the house and the cement was done so poorly (I think from a new worker) that it would have caused more problems then it was intended to solve.
4) There were a number of things also done poorly and while His crew attempted to fix them, they were still not done the way it should have been had it been done correctly in the first place but going back a third time seems like too much stress to handle and we can fix it ourselves down the road and frankly I expected a bit of a discount for some of these issues.
5) 2 of the 3 deck lights were visibly crooked and had to be straightened out
6) The lights for the garden and deck took almost 4 weeks to come in yet we were advised to pick them out 1 week before the end of the job when this should have been something done when we first signed to contract so that it could all be done at the same time.
7) tried to talk us out of doing a circular herb garden at least 2 times which was in our plans and something we definitely wanted.

We were however very pleased with some of your suggestions and recommendations including the river rock under the fence between our yards and the fact that you re-sanded the entire pathway for the neighbours (due to a few dislodged stones as a result of our fence post replacement request). Also the cedar board in front of the shed was a great idea. I was also very pleased with the attention and quality of the work done for the window sill (your masonry guy does really nice work).

In summary I would say as long as you are watching what is going on and make sure ALL the details of your project are worked out before hand. Do a detailed walk around with your drawing and what you are planning and make sure it is written down what is expected and is to be done. Sure things can change once stuff actually gets laid out properly but at least you wont come home to surprises that you were not expecting. I would also suggest to Ted that he take the time to really walk through and look at what his crew has done and he would see these things before we did and correct them himself, thus causing us to be pleased instead of stressed about having to mention all these little problems since it felt like they were received with some apprehension.

Aug 14, 2014 edit to correct spelling mistakes and adjust a formatting issue that said 23 times when it should have been 2-3 times. also raised the rating to 8 based on Teds very thoughtful response.

Ted Hobson, of Hobson Landscaping, did a great job on my bathroom build. The job was done seamlessly, painlessly, timely and professionally. His carpentry work is quite impressive. Ted is easy to deal with. I am really pleased with the results.

I was impressed from day one. ted was both responsive and patient while we worked through finding a solution that fit my budget. The crew was very professional and did a great job The end result exceeded my expectations and my front yard is now the envy of all the neighbors. I will definitely be giving these guys a call again for future projects.

Ted and his crew were very professional and friendly throughout the entire process, from quote to completion...and the results exceeded expectations. They took the time to explain things and made me feel comfortable with the entire project. And the best part is everything looks great!

Ted and his crew were everything you are looking for from a landscape company - courteous, efficient, reliable and genuinely nice. They transformed our small yard from a useless catch-all storage space to a family friendly, beautiful space that we will use year-round. Ted had great suggestions to bring our hopes for the space to reality and we couldn't be happier with the result. Even better, the price was right and perfectly aligned with the quote.

Ted and his team were great! They showed up when they said they would, and remained on site until completed. They did the work they said they would and they made everything look awesome!
I would recommend Ted to anyone

I find there are very few contractors who actually listen to what you want and take the time to make sure the details are taken care of, Hobson Landscapes did everything I asked for and more. Ted and his crew were always professional, listened to my concerns (which were very minor in the big scheme of the great job they did) and did a fantastic job. I would happily recommend them.

Ted and his fine crew worked on every part of what is a compact corner property. The only exception was the driveway, but even this had some creative interlock work on one side to blend it with the rest of the project.

The contract included: an extensive amour stone retaining wall; stone slab steps; a complete front porch rebuild; rear deck, fence and storage area; and some interlock brick work.

The experience working with Ted was exceptional from the get go. We had a few contractors quote on our pre-prepared design concept. Ted immediately stood out as personable, knowledgeable, experienced and competitively priced. He fully understood our design intent. As someone who is in the design business, I may have been more “hands-on” as a client during the course of construction. This did not faze Ted. His suggestions regarding a number of details were instrumental in bringing our vision to reality.
While he may have desired to complete the project slightly earlier, we were pleased with the timing overall. And, despite a few additions/modifications to the plan, he remained on budget.

Ted’s team was shortlisted mainly due to reviews on HomeStars. He and crew did not disappoint and have proven more than capable of deftly handling projects that are larger in scale. We would hire them again in an instant.

Ted Hobson and his crew of wonderful workers just completed the renovation of our front yard and we are elated! The contract included replacing the front porch (pressure-treated wood), re-building the garden wall, and replacing the stones in the walkway.
Ted was very responsive when we asked for a quote, and he provided us with a very detailed plan of what we had in mind. He also made very good suggestions, including the use of India stones for the walkway instead of Interlock. Altogether, working with Ted was a pleasant experience and we had the feeling he was listening to us.
We had to postpone the work for a few months, but when we were ready, Ted and his crew showed up on the morning they were supposed to be here. And the work finished right on time! We were amazed how nice everybody was on that team. Even our neighbour who is doing her front yard by herself kept saying how nice Ted's crew was and how they would give her tips during the day!
I highly recommend Ted Hobson, especially if you want to renovate a small lot in the city. He will bring great ideas, a top notch crew, and you will be amazed with the results!

We booked Ted and his crew in the winter of 2009 to rebuild our deck and create an outdoor dining area. From the beginning Ted was very professional offering great suggestions and experienced advice. We wanted to use composite decking but Ted suggested using Ipe hardwood instead and we are very pleased with the recommendation. He created some very professional drawings that helped illustrate our options and explain the project clearly. Even after much planning, there were a few changes made during the project. Ted was helpful throughout, making good suggestions, dealing with any issues in stride and being proactive. His crew was very polite, clean and efficient. We did have a small issue with some grass dying and Ted came back and replaced it for us. They showed up on time, when they said they would, and completed the project on time. Ted was not the least expensive quote we had but we certainly feel we received great value for our money. We would not hesitate to recommend Ted and his crew.