The Great Outdoors, LLC. in Charlottesville
1176 River Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22901, United States
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We offer quality landscape design, installation, and maintenance services for the discerning client.
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We have worked with Graham to complete three hardscaping/landscaping projects at our house and the Great Outdoors team has done an amazing job. We first did a patio in the backyard. Graham carefully considered what shape and size would best suit our needs and the space to blend with our existing landscaping. He suggested the inclusion of seating along the patio wall, and it has been so functional and looks great. Our second project was a long set of stairs up a steep hill. Graham's team was able to source the exact stair I had in mind, and got the project done super fast. Our most recent project was born from a desire to eradicate unused and high maintenance grass from our front yard, to create plantings with native plants and other drought-resistant species. The plan Graham created and installed is even prettier than I hoped and the plants are coming in beautifully. Each time we have chosen to work with The Great Outdoors because of Graham's eye for design, his reasonable quotes, and how quickly we were able to schedule for completion. We have zero regrets about these investments to our yard.
We looked at several companies to do our very small courtyard. One company gave us an extremely high price and would not respond to calls about what the work would involve. They just gave us a price with no details. Graham (with Great Outdoors) came over and gave us a very professional and detailed plan for the work we wanted done. There were a couple of minor changes that were done with no increase in the final price. We thought we would get on a schedule for maybe mid January, but he had an opening the suited us just fine and the work was completed within a couple of days of contract signing. The finished product exceeded our expectations.
10 out of 5 stars! No, seriously, I don't have enough words to describe the absolutely stunning landscape paradise that Graham and team created. He listened to what I wanted, added his own flare and came up with the perfect design for my backyard. The crew was incredibly professional and talented. Execution was top-notch! I would recommend them over and over again.
The Great Outdoors designed and constructed stone pathways and steps leading from our front yard to our backyard. Graham Howe visited in order to understand our needs and then promptly provided a design and estimated cost. After we accepted the plan he told us when his crew would be able to begin work and they showed up at the expected time. Their work was high quality and we have been very pleased with their work. I would definitely use them again in the future.
This review is incredibly delayed but I wanted to make sure to praise the work that Graham and rest of the staff of the Great Outdoors did. This is the second time that we have used the company and both of our experiences were fantastic. For the first project, they installed several wooden retaining walls around the front of our property. The work was done quickly and affordably, and the quality was excellent. The walls are still in great shape several years later. Last summer (2016) we hired the Great Outdoors to install a new flagstone patio and stone retaining wall around the back and side of our home. We were somewhat hesitant to commit to the project because the work would be so extensive but Graham took the time to meet with us, answer our questions, and provide suggestions on what could be done to improve the existing space while still keeping the cost within our budget. In addition to the patio, they also made some alterations to our front walk to accommodate a nearby tree. The walk is now safer and the tree was undisturbed. As with the first project, they were very efficient, completing the project in just under a week, and did a wonderful job. As a result of this project, my wife and I now spend considerably more time enjoying our backyard. On a side note, all of the staff for the Great Outdoors are incredibly friendly and polite, making them enjoyable to work with. The company also has an ecological mentality to their work, trying to utilize local plants in their landscaping, which was appealing to my wife and me. We will definitely call the Great Outdoors for any future work we would like done.
I have worked with Graham on several projects, including hardscaping the back patio and design/installation of landscaping in the front yard. His professional opinion takes into account the level of time I am able to commit to my yard (very little) as well as what plants & trees would work best in this environment. He understands the importance of staying budget; I have always felt that I have paid a fair price for his ideas & labor. Graham is timely in his follow up and follow through. Finally, even when thrown a curve ball (a last minute installation of a fire pit sunk into the patio), Graham embraced the concept & designed a beautiful, cozy gathering space for friends that is the talk of the neighborhood. I highly recommend The Great Outdoors for any landscaping project.
We moved into our new house and felt overwhelmed by the lack of landscaping. We contacted Graham and he prepared a master plan for our whole property. His expertise and knowledge of what grows well in Central Virginia, native plants and deer and rabbit resistance has been invaluable to us. He and his team have completed the front and back for us and in the Autumn we will complete each side. Along with his recommendations, Graham also listened to what we like and incorporated our favorite plants in the plan. We look forward to working with The Great Outdoors again in the fall.
The Great Outdoors installed slate steps and two patios in my back yard this past fall. I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted, and I asked Graham to design a cost effective plan. I was really pleased with the results and the cost. I had asked for the work to be done quickly as I was having a party the following week. This was a tough job to begin with given the pitch of my back yard, and then it rained both days they were here. They got it done on time despite the weather and the backyard looks great! I was very impressed with Graham. I gave him a budget and a timeline and he executed on both perfectly. I will definitely be using them again in the near future.
I had some xeriscape done by them a couple years ago. What was sold to me was completely not accurate and I ended up having to deal with even more weeds and eventually had to get the whole thing redone by someone else. Mind you this was a project for over 10k and when I brought up the problem that the weeds are still coming through the landscape fabric the owner just responded with I still need to spray the backyard even with landscaping fabric. the results were very disappointing and not an accurate reflection of what was promised initially.
Graham is THE BEST! He solved a problem I could not figure out, on the spot, and then gave me a fair estimate. He showed up on time to complete the job and transformed our backyard. I cannot recommend his enough!
FOLLOW UP, one year later: The Great Outdoors build a really nice looking patio for us initially but it did not hold up- fillers between paver was pretty much gone in 12months, pavers became destabilized and wobbles. They came back to refill the polymeric sand (filler btw the pavers) for a fee and did a poor job, and basically said its your problem now! Take away: Cant speak regarding the other landscaping services but I would now not recommend the Great Outdoors for hardscaping (e.g. patio installation). I still hold that Graham was very responsive and flexible- just didnt back the work that he did just a year ago. ORIGINAL REVIEW: The Great Outdoors company made the process of having a patio put in so easy! I contacted Graham (the owner) on Monday, he came by the same day 10mins later, gave me a reasonable estimate, and my patio was installed on FRIDAY! It was incredible how efficient and easy it was. Here are some highlights: 1) Graham was super responsible, responsive, and thoughtful: He kept me updated every step of the process such as when the stones will be delivered, and when the crew can come by, etc. 2) They put thought into the patio design: I had 7 other contractors and hardscape people come by, and their designs were all very similar- gravel and concrete pavers for a path. Nothing was inspiring and we were not excited for ugly poured concrete. Graham on the other hand, looked at our space and asked about our needs, he put thought on where we can best put our hot tub, how to design around that to maximize usable space, and talked to us about what material (e.g. bluestones, river stone) we can use to match our house color. In the end, it was that thought and care he put in that made us go with him. 3) They also thought about the existing space: for example, our house is blue, so they went out of their way to get river stones that have hints of blue in them. 4) The crew was extremely efficient: I couldnt believe how skilled they were- I thought it would take at least a few days, but they were able to finish within 8hrs! It was also nice to see the owner working on site during the job to make sure everything was tidy. 5) Flexible: at the last minute we decided to add a stone area surround our AC.
Graham and his team were reliable, efficient, and cost effective. They put in a bluestone paver walkway for us to connect our driveway to an existing back patio. At the last minute we asked to double the size of the walkway and Graham accommodated without any issue. I would highly recommend Great Outdoors!
The Great Outdoors implemented a professionally designed landscape that included retaining walls, paver-based patio, paver pathways, raised garden beds, fire pit area, lawn cobble edging and other hard-scape features. They successfully planted trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers and completely transformed our back yard with their high quality workmanship. Grahams crew integrated seamlessly with lighting, electrical and irrigation subcontractors as they collaborated to realize our projects design goals We are delighted with their efforts and results and highly recommend them for your project(s) needs, large or small. The Great Outdoors provides exceptional services at reasonable prices. We are highly satisfied!
Graham was great We had a mud pit in our back yard turned into a beautiful patio He was on time with the project Upfront with the pricing and did a great job! We would highly recommend them
Graham you are professional and we will ask more for your help in our backyard still we didnt decide from where we will begin.your plans helpful and we are really appreciate all what you offered and gives us..wish all the best.
We were very impressed with this company! The owner, Graham Howe, was very professional and informative. He planned our landscaping and provided a complete drawing within 24 hours of his visit. The finished landscaping went above and beyond our expectations. We will definitely contact him with any future landscaping projects.
The Great Outdoors, LLC did a phenomenal job helping us design a new patio space this past August. We were so impressed with their quality of work, communication, and planning that we hired them for a landscaping project as well. Our backyard is beautiful now! Highly recommend.
These guys deliver exactly what they promised. We couldn t be happier. Thanks
They are relatively reasonable with prices
Graham and his crew did an excellent job of completing our project on time and efficiently. He was a pleasure to work with all the way along. We highly recommend his company.
Graham and his crew finished a hardscaping & landscaping project for us in Crozet, VA right before Memorial Day weekend in just 3 days. The results are exactly what we wanted. Graham is prompt, courteous, knowledgeable and experienced. You cant go wrong with him and his hardworking crew.
Great design and collaboration with all professionals involved, installed retaining walls, fencing, landscape and final touches to make this major project just wonderful. I highly recommend Graham and his team. Ill be a returning customer.
They helped to improve the landscape at both our home and rental property. They did an excellent job enhancing the look with new trees, shrubs, and perennials. They also installed a beautiful flagstone patio for us. Highly recommended!
Graham and his crew are talented gentlemen who work very efficiently and do beautiful work. I bought a Groupon for a landscape consultation that resulted in an overhaul of the very poor curb appeal of my front yard. With Grahams vision, I now have a lovely appealing approach to my front door complete with new sod, new shrubs, and a lovely rock garden swale that has resolved a long term drainage issue while adding definition and character to my flower bed. In the rear of my home, they removed a 30 foot row of old, out-of-control shrubs and replaced them with four beautiful, well-spaced viburnums. An old overgrown boxwood at the corner of the house was replaced with a beautiful Nellie Stevens holly. He was very careful to choose deer resistant plants throughout the project. The sod placed in the front and back yards was expertly placed and is already well established in a couple of weeks. I highly recommend The Great Outdoors for your landscaping and hardscaping needs. Graham is a delightful, polite, and honest young man and you will not be disappointed.
