Outdoor Living Reviews and Testimonials

Everyone we delt with, from the bobcat operator to the workers who laid the pavers to the supervisor and of course Ron were always courteous and conducted themselves in a business like manner. We would not hesitate to recommend them to our friends and family and anyone else who asks about our beautiful courtyard. — Shirley A., San Diego, CA

Luke had very good ideas to help us with our plans which the other companies we contacted did not even offer to help with. He actually decreased the work the company would have been contracted to perform by making these suggestions. The end result was that we were very happy with the recommendations he gave and would have been very disappointed with our original ideas. The crew was very hard working, 12 hour days, and very professional. — Mark Breeding, San Diego, CA

Thank you Luke and INSTALL-IT-DIRECT, INC. for rescuing my backyard. For so long I pretended it wasn’t there because it was so ugly – even with a golf course right behind us. Now it looks like a resort and I couldn’t be more thrilled. — Sandy and Bob Eaton, Rancho Bernardo, CA

We are very happy with our new patio and fire pit. The crew arrived early and stayed late, working 9-10 hours for 3.5 days in a row. They were courteous, hardworking, and friendly. They cleaned up well at the end of each day. Tim was a big help in taking our ideas and proposing a design that fit within our budget. We would definitely recommend Install It Direct. Thanks again! — Beth K., San Diego, CA

Luke and his crew did an outstanding job from the initial design to the final installation of our backyard planter walls, patio pavers and artificial turf. The entire crew was very professional and accommodated us with each and every special request. We love the new look of our backyard and once again enjoy having our friends over to barbeque. Thanks Install-it-Direct! — Kip Leggett, San Diego, CA

We had the greatest experience from start to finish with Angel and his crew, and Angel is a true “Artisan” when it comes to quartzite flagstone installation around pools. This crew comes highly recommended, and will be requested on further remodel and installation projects planned in the future for our outdoor entertainment areas.‎ — Dale, San Diego, CA

We’re thrilled with the end result and hope to use Install It Direct for future projects. Thank you Luke and Mario!! — Frank and Michelle, San Diego, CA

Thank You INSTALL-IT-DIRECT for the great work on our project. As you know, we shopped many many installers for our putting green/turf install. You were quick to come out and explain the options and the installation process. Your bid was very competitive and the lowest of the 3 we obtained. A fourth company we called took 3 weeks to get us a bid by which time we were already putting on our new green! A fifth never showed up. INSTALL-IT-DIRECT was able to turn our concept into reality in less than a week. Your installers were timely, professional, attentive to detail, and respectful of our property. — E. Gould, Esq., San Diego, CA

Everyone is happy with the work including the neighbors. I was given lots of options to save money and my wife and I are very happy with the work the cleanup and the money saved. I would work with install it direct with no reservations. The job was even better than we had hoped and we have already started using the fire pit. Thank you Install it Direct — Douglas Drake, San Diego, CA

We made an appointment with Jeff to look at our back patio and give us an estimate. He was on time to our appointment, had a quote ready the same day, and was ready to start the job the following week. Jeff estimated that the job would take 3 days to complete and when it was all said and done it took only 3 days to complete…which was amazing! This was to take out the old tiles (down to the dirt), put in pavers, re-build the planter & fire pit, and add new top stone with ledger stones. We were very impressed with the crew. They worked hard, fast, and have a great eye for detail. We now enjoy spending time out on our new, beautiful patio. We’re so happy we found install-it-direct! — Cristina P., Aliso Viejo, CA

Very professional company. I had Jeff come out and he gave an honest estimate. Work on ~500sq/feet of pavers took only 2 days and looks outstanding. No hidden costs. Everything turned out as planed. I would definitely recommend using install it direct. — Lex Chen, Irvine, CA

We used this company to do our backyard patio. There was some demo involved and then putting up a new patio cover. Ron came out and gave us a very detailed quote on the spot. He was also able to work around our schedule for appts. The crew used was vey professional and easy to communicate with. They were also respectful of our garden which is right up against their work area. — Kevin Connell, San Diego, CA

We used this company to install artificial turf. They removed the old grass and sprinklers. It’s difficult to find a company which is on time and budget. They were quick and professional–I give them 5 stars! — Michelle Oval, Coronado, CA

We had a small patch of grass installed after our 2 puppies ruined our real grass. Install It Direct did a great job. They removed large branches from our hedge that had grown under the lawn. We received another bid, Install It Direct gave us better quality turf for less. They were in and out in just a few hours. I love going out to my backyard again! — Ruth Martin, Mission Viejo, Ca

Just finished having our back yard re-done with Install-It-Direct. Ron Dombroski did an amazing job designing it and the crew did an amazing job installing it all. Couldn’t be happier!!! — Shannon Emory, San Diego, CA

Absolutely Marvelous!!! Install-It-Direct paved our dog run leading to the back yard and installed synthetic lawn in the backyard. We used another company nine months ago to install sythetic lawn in the front yard. Install-It-Direct was significantly better in all aspects: price was less, quality of work and material was better, they needed a shorter period of time to obtain materials and commence work, and the crew was very efficient, effective and friendly. Our backyard looks absolutely AWESOME now, and they got it done before Thanksgiving even though I only contacted them a week before. Now, that is great customer service. Thank you Install-It-Direct and hope you keep it up as you will make many homeowners very happy. Ron, thanks for the exceptional customer service! — Michael Rodriguez, San Diego, CA

Wonderful service, wonderful price! My wife & I are very happy customers. The backyard turns out great!! Ron is a great guy and we definitely are recommending Install-It-Direct to our friends. — Joseph Ko, San Diego, CA

After talking to several landscape contractors, I found Install-It-Direct. Earl came out and saw plans for our backyard and was super friendly and understanding of our needs. The detailed quote was great and they were able to do a small patio for me on short notice.

The crew came out and they got the job done and it looks fantastic. Better than I could of imagined. The crew was very professional, efficient, and I couldn’t be happier about the finished product.

I highly recommend these guys! Prices were very reasonable! — Gerardo Dominguez, San Diego, CA

I just had pavers installed for a patio and walkway. They are absolutely beautiful. The company was very professional, honest, and did quality work. They were on time and had the job done in record time. Amazing. — Dianna Erickson, Irvine, CA

At first, it was hard to visualize what it would look like but Ron had all the samples and pictures and didn’t just send me to the web site. The work was professional and he kept my informed at every step, even my tenant! And it looks great! I couldn’t be happier. The pavers look great and the turf looks fantastic. Thanks Ron! — Barbara Thomas, San Diego, CA

We worked with Laurie Morton from Install-It-Direct on a large (3500+ square feet) paver project. We were replacing a concrete deck and remodeling a swimming pool, and approached the project with some trepidation. Laurie and her crew were fantastic–the demolition phase went quickly and without a hitch, with no damage to our house, lawn or driveway. The crew waited patiently through rain delays and for the pool work to be completed, then came back and installed an amazing, beautiful new deck. Laurie was very quick to respond to any concerns we had, and consequently we ended up hiring Install-It-Direct to build a wall around our pool equipment as well as a 120 foot retaining wall. These projects were done efficiently, neatly and to our satisfaction. No mess or debris was left behind, and we can highly recommend this company. Additionally, we contracted with them to build a custom barbecue island. There were major issues with the subcontractor along the way, but all were dealt with and resolved in a professional manner by Tim, co-owner of the company, and Laurie. We love our new back yard, and highly recommend Laurie Morton and Install-It -Direct. — Sylvia Re, Rancho Santa Fe, CA

They do great work and stand by their product. Ron the project manager was always available and really wants to deliver a quality product. Sebastian and his crew surely know their pavers, the quality of the work was remarkable. We had a few minor issues with the sprinkler system, but Ron was quick to respond and planning to fix it any day now. We currently have a situation where some window reflections are melting portions of the turf, Ron helped me come up with a solution to fix it and is willing to replace the damaged turf at no cost.

I can’t harp on the fact that they stand by their work enough as I’ve had many situations where contractors/ developers/ etc… only look out for their own bottom line and wonder why more work isn’t coming in the door. Install-it-Direct seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to finish the job right. Stand up companies (esp contractors) are hard to come by, I highly recommend these guys to anyone looking to upgrade their backyard. We had pavers, a huge fire pit/ bench, landscape lighting, sprinklers, and turf installed. — Mike Braund, San Diego, CA

Nearly a year ago, I was getting quotes on pavers from a number of potential contractors. After speaking with a number of companies, hearing their design ideas and going through a 3-hour timeshare presentation from the big boy, I decided on Install-it Direct. Other construction problems as well as my out-of-town work situation delayed me for months.

Nearly a year later I called up Ronald from Install-it and said that I wanted to go ahead with the install. He came by within a couple of days, checked everything and made the deal. I had a tight time constraint that they were more than happy to accommodate. Within a week, the working crew and materials landed onsite. The crew worked for 5 days putting in nearly 1800 sq. ft. of pavers (patio, front walkway, and seating area). They did an excellent job, were courteous, packed out their own trash and were extremely receptive to my litany of questions and suggestions. Sebastian and his crew are true artists and professionals.

They shored up the borders with a concrete bond-beam to ensure the borders would not move. After the pavers were installed, the sealing team came in and did a spectacular job sanding, sweeping, blowing off the excess sand, and sealing them to bring out their true color and beauty.

I have done nearly all my own landscaping construction: grading, excavating, gas, low and high-voltage electrical and nearly 400 feet of concrete block walls, fire pits and fountains). This was one of the finishes I wanted done by professionals. I could not be happier with the work they did and I would use them again in a heartbeat. Not only was their work great, they did it for half the price of the big boys and only slightly more than had I done the work myself. — Christian & Michelle Nassif, Chula Vista, Ca

This is a legitimate company that knows what they’re doing from sales, management, to labor crew in home improvement. Phone calls are answered in a timely manner, and I love the fact that they offer transparency in their pricing and profit margins making getting a quote easy. Also appreciated is that they keep their overhead costs down such that the pricing is very competitive, which includes using a virtual office and holding company meetings at places such as a grocery store? Who would’ve thought of that!

In regards to the crew and the job they did, Sebastian and his crew did an awesome job and he really made sure he understood our vision for the project before proceeding, while also making suggestions based on his experience. The quality of their craftsmanship was excellent, and they really made our design come to life.

I’m hoping in the future to use them again when I convince the husband to install pavers in the front of the house and driveway. — Bony Kari, Encinitas, CA

Mike and Anne. This company did a great job of installation and at a price much lower than the competition. Even better, we encountered a problem with the front door step. The company and management came out, saw the problem, and corrected it at their cost. This is a company that follows up and makes sure the customer is happy. A definite recommendation from us. — Mike and Anne Hensley, Laguna Niguel, CA

I was very very happy with this company and would refer them to everyone. I wanted to get synthetic turf on my side yard to create a play area for my 1 year old. I got 3 bids from different companies and Install it Direct stood out from the rest.
Tim Thomas one of the owners came directly for the bid. He was so nice, honest, and his pricing was the best. The work was completed in one day and my son has an awesome play area. After a few weeks I noticed my son kept on getting into these flowers we planted so I can Tim to see if we could get a small piece there instead. I was worried they may not be interested because it was such a small job. But again to my surprise he took care of the grass in a timely matter and we are so happy our son has a safe clean area to play in. If anyone has a big or small job I would give these guys a shot.. — James & Alicia Brenan, Temecula, Ca

We are very pleased indeed with our paver patios and walkways InstallitdDirect built for us. Right from the start I felt comfortable with Brian Sherman, their estimator as I laid out the plan I had I mind. This included a meandering curved walkway, rounded corners at flower beds and pavers in a circular pattern to enhance the location for a small fountain.
Frankly, I expected these refinements might be too costly since there is a lot more labor in these features than in a mostly rectangular area but we were pleasantly surprised that it could all be achieved at a reasonable price.

The most difficult part for us turned out to be choosing the pavers. There are many choices both in color shape size texture. We eventually went to a supplier who had sample areas paved with many of the alternatives.

We asked Brian how the edges of the paved areas would be prevented from moving over time and learned that the edges are cemented to lock them in place. Another concern we had was whether the new areas would settle and were pleased to hear that those areas were to be thoroughly compacted first.

Of course I needed to see work the company had done for others and preferably locally. Brian found me a job they had completed at a neighbors home less than a half mile away. I talked to the owner there and he was very enthusiastic about the work Installitdirect had done for him and I was impressed with his paved patio and side walk.
In preparing for the job a retaining wall was to be built first by another contractor. This was completed sooner than expected so I E-mailed Brian and asked, “Can you start two weeks earlier than planned?” and the answer: “If it works for you we can be there the day after tomorrow”.

Ron Dombroski’s work crew were all we could have asked for; skilled, helpful, and determined that we be satisfied as the work progressed. They worked from 7:30AM until 6::PM. There was lots of demolition work to be done removing two old patios and walkways and that was completed in just two days. Together we determined the final layout. Then the preparation work – filling, spreading the base layer, leveling and compacting started. The pavers arrived the following day and soon after the actual placement began. It took three more days to lay the pavers. After a final clean up they had the whole area looking wonderful, even better than we had visualized it. We have had many complements from neighbors. Would we go to Installitdirect again? Actually we will be having them back to replace our old cracked concrete driveway as soon as our funds permit.

Gordon Collinson. North County. — Gordon Collinson, San Marcos, Ca

I had the absolute pleasure of coordinating with Ron and Install-It-Direct. I initially reached out to Install-It-Direct to get a solid estimate. I had read other reviews that peeked my interest. I had a specific plan I wanted to execute and this company did it superbly. I intentionally waited a couple months to put in my review to see how the pavers and artificial grass would live to the elements. The yard is still in great shape and the kids love playing on the artificial grass.

Our yard was completed within a span of a week. The work flow went quite smoothly. They took my vision and made it a reality. Ron made sure his team stuck within the requirements of our HOA and we passed our inspection with flying colors. I can’t praise Ron and his team enough on how great they did.

Quick Recap:

Service: Outstanding
Timeliness: On Schedule as Promised (Offered to work around our own schedule)
Pricing: Competitive — Jonathan Cortez, Bonita, Ca

The proof of the beauty and comfort of our Tacoma Synthetic Turf is when neighbors take of their shoes and their childrenss shoes and walk on it. They cannot believe how soft and comfortable it is.

We are the “apple” of Lantana Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91911.

Ron Dombrowski as project manager for INSTALLITDIRCT did a superb job as did all from INSTALLITDIRECT. We are totally satisfied and cannot strongly recommnd this company enough for outstanding professional installation. Do yourself a gigantic favor, buy the product you will not regret it.

Ron Yanik
1418 Lantana Avenue,
Chula Vista, CA 91911 — Ron Yanik, Chula Vista, CA

When you start looking for a contractor to do your first big home project, you are pretty nervous about the process. I contacted FIVE companies. One appointment never showed, two ran screaming when they saw the jungle of sunflowers, cosmos and a riot of other miscellaneous flowers, crab grass and weeds making my back yard look half its size. The two companies that did give estimates couldn’t have been more different in their concepts of what I wanted (based on a picture I drew on kids construction paper) and their approaches to it. Tim Thomas really ‘got it’!! Dream-wise and budget-wise. Tim ‘The Turf Man’s team were fantastic. They not only did amazing amounts of work each day, but organized their tools and cleaned up before they left, AND did what they said they were going to do the next day. Loved the whole process. As soon as we can swing it, I will have them do the front yard. Thanks, Sandi and Dave — Sandi Mayer, Temecula, Ca

Install it Direct did an amazing job. We were impressed from the start. Our phone call was returned right away and Tim agreed to come out an give us an estimate the same week. He called us when he was running late and apologized. This may seem like a small gesture, but it showed that he respected our time. The quote he gave us was accurate and he was professional. We felt no pressure to go with him as our contractor, but went with him because right away we felt comfortable with him and felt we could trust him.

The workers showed up on time and everyday that they said they would even working on a Sunday to get the job done. We even changed our minds about the exact design when some of the work was already completed and they changed it to our liking with no problem.

We would recommend Install it Direct to friends and family members and will be choosing them again for our next project. Fabulous job overall!!!!

We had about 800 square feet of pavers put in our backyard. — Christy Franko, San Marcos, Ca

After seeing the good reviews on Yelp we decided to use install-it-direct to put in the pavers around our newly remodeled home. It was a big job with a little over 4500 sq feet to install. They worked with me on the price and Sebastian and his crew were super nice people and helped us with a great final design for our driveway and external patios and pool deck. They really paid attention to detail and were happy to do some minor extra things without charging us. If we ever have any additional work to be done I will be calling these guys back again. — Chris Conlan, Escondido, Ca

I was looking to have my small patio in my condo redone and I got a couple of quotes from companies I found at the Del Mar Home Show. I decided to look at those companies on Yelp and found Install It Direct. During that first phone call I knew this was the company I would use. As a single woman with a fairly small job (300sf) I found that other companies talked down to me and assumed I didn’t know what to expect. But when I spoke with Tim on that first phone call, I was treated with respect, provided a quote over the phone (which was adhered to) and told no job was too small. Dave came within the week to take measurements, and to have me select the pavers of my choice, the final quote was less than my initial phone call. Just let me say this was 25% less than the other two companies.
Ron called to schedule my job and the crew that arrived, Sebastian and two others, were professional and efficient.
My job was completed in two days,and my patio was transformed practically before my eyes. My project was completed Oct 19 2012.

I would highly recommend Install It Direct, the name might through you off, but this is a top notch company. — Julia Kensick, Solana Beach, Ca

We wanted a paver driveway & walkways instead of the aging cracked concrete we had. I checked out several different paver companies with good BBB ratings & had estimates done. Of all, Install-It-Direct was the easy choice & not just for the great price. From the prompt reply to my initial on-line inquiry to their on-time arrival at set appointments, we were impressed. What was even more impressive was the amount of time & effort Ron was willing to spend with us just to pick out the right pavers & all the possible design/finish options. When they said they were going to be here with their crew; they were. They finished on time & on budget with no surprise charges. The finished paver driveway & walkways are beautiful. We love it. So many of our neighbors & passersby have stopped & commented about how the pavers have really complimented/beautified the house it’s amazing! Thanks to the very professional team at Install-It-Direct for a job well done! — Jeff Isabel, San Diego, Ca

I just got a beautiful paving stone driveway from Install-It-Direct and couldn’t be happier. Tim Thomas responded to my online inquiry in less than two hours and we made an appointment for an onsite estimate. Tim had to travel about 50 miles to get to my home but he arrived right on time and in excellent condition. He was very helpful and forthcoming, explaining all aspects of paving stones and detailing the various costs involved. He also spent several hours on two different occasions helping me with design ideas. It was important to Tim that I would be very happy with my new driveway.

The installation of my new driveway was done by his all-star crew led by Sebastian Urias. These guys were a class act…very impressive and very hard working. Watching them work you could tell they were professionals. They started early in the morning, never skipped a beat and knew exactly what they were doing every step of the way, from start to finish.

I now have a driveway that would look right at home at the poshest palace in Beverly Hills. The price was very reasonable and the work was excellent. If you are considering paving stones, you really should consider Install-It-Direct. — David Pamer, Lake Forest, Ca

We were looking to renovate our previously embarrassing backyard with artificial turf (for our dogs) and pavers, so we called Install-It-Direct. Ron came out and worked with us on the design and gave us a quote, and we had them perform the work soon after. One of the reasons we chose Install-It-Direct is that they were one of the few companies that did both turf and pavers (one contractor instead of two). Ron and all of the workers were very professional and the products they used and the workmanship was top notch.

We are very happy with our new backyard and are now able to entertain again without being embarrassed. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking to install artificial turf and/or pavers. — Corey Young, San Diego, Ca

My wife and I decided that we needed to do a major remodel of our back yard and driveway area. We contacted five different vendors to do the work that we wanted done which included:

1) Replace entire driveway with pavers
2) Demo entire back yard (grass, stone work, brick patio, etc) and replace with pavers and artificial turf.
3) Install extensive drainage system (our property does not drain properly) which included connecting directly into the City’s stormwater system (required a permit from City of SD)

The ONLY company that was professional during the quote process was Install-it-Direct. Ron came out, drew up plans on the spot, and developed a pricing model which was better than the rest. The other guys that came out seemed hesitant to give us a written quote, and one actually suggested we NOT get a permit from the City as “they’ll never know”…Yeah, and with a fine potential of $10K a day, we skipped that guy!

Overall, I thought Install-it-Direct did a great job. Mind you, when you work with contractors, you do have to keep on top of them no matter who they are. But any issues we had were minor and Install-it-Direct fixed all of our issues without complaint. I think they could have done a better job cleaning up our area when they were done (pavers = LOTS of dust).

Overall, I would highly recommend Install-it-Direct. Very responsive, and did great work. Once I figure out how to post pics, I’ll put them up. It was like night and day and they solved our significant drainage issues. — Ed Chew and Kelly Smith, San Diego, Ca

When we decided to have our back yard concrete ripped out and replaced with pavers it seemed like a daunting task. It’s a big project and is not really something we wanted to DIY. We wanted to make sure we found a good company that were experts at paver installation. After finding Install It Direct on YELP and meeting with David we decided to hire them for the project. Ronald was the project manager assigned to our project and I can’t talk highly enough about him! There were questions on whether portions of the concrete (that went all the way to the house walls) were part of the foundation or not, and therefore whether or not could be removed and replaced with pavers. Ronald took ALOT of time inspecting the property and crawling into the house crawl space to determine whether or not pavers could extend all the way to the house without compromising its foundation. And then brainstorming with his crew and myself on what options may work to cover the portions of concrete that could not be removed and therefore still be esthetically pleasing. Now, this was a hiccup nobody really foresaw and a crew was already at my house ready to demo when this conversation was going on, so I really appreciated that Ronald in no way tried to pressure me to make a quick decision on how to move forward. He recommended to postpone the project a few days so that my husband and I could decide how to move forward. Ronald did additional CAD drawings of the option we were leaning towards so that we could better visualize the changes (we didn’t even need to ask for them). And he moved things around so that we could get a crew back out to start work and meet our original deadline. So even before any work was done I was already thoroughly impressed! I was further impressed by the speed, cleanliness, professionalism, and workmanship of the crew. Everyday (this was a 7 day project) a significant level of progress was made, the area was kept clean, and Ronald continued to check in with me and the crew on the progress. Making sure that I was 100% happy every step of the way. And I was. Bottom Line: I have no regrets with the cost or the materials and installation of the end project and I would (and will) recommend Install It Direct to any friends considering doing pavers at their home. — Marie Kidder, La Mesa, Ca

This is a great pleasure to write a review for this exceptional company!
We were looking for contractors to do our backyard from scratch. This company took our immediate attention after reading all-5-star reviews on the Internet.
We completed their free estimate form online and, what a surprise, Tom called in two minutes, even before we closed the webpage!
Jeff was our designer and he did a prefect job, suggesting best choices for our small yard and taking our wishes into account, so it turned out exactly what we needed.
Ron was friendly and easy to deal with.
The crew did an excellent job! No extra noise, no trash, very courteous! They did their job very fast and neatly. We love how our backyard looks like now!
Their prices are very competitive and they give you good discounts.
We highly recommend INSTALL- IT- DIRECT! — Mikhail Popovich, San Marcos, Ca

Our driveway had been torn up for some time and we wavered about whether to go with plain old concrete or pavers. We are so happy we went with pavers, they were definitely the right choice, and Install-it-Direct was the right company. Jeff was our designer and he had great ideas about color and style. The crew worked very hard and had the job done in less than four days, working even in driving rain. The thing I most liked about this company was that unlike a lot of contractors, they stand by their word. They will show up on time, fix any problems that come up, with no excuses. They truly want you to be a satisfied customer. We would definitely recommend them to anyone. — Mario Barnabe, San Diego, Ca

So far this is the best company/contractor I have hired for a project! I fired the first contractor and swore I would do my research before hiring anyone else. After checking yelp and reading all the reviews, I knew this was the company I was going with. We got over 4000 sqft of pavers, stairs and walls . They came out amazing and I could not be happier. There were a few bumps in the road, but Tim fixed it right away. I never had to raise my voice once. (Which is really nice when you are used to dealing with contractor ways.) They also only do one project at a time, which is nice because they focus on your project until it is done. Over all great company! I highly recommend them. — Serena Holderman, Norco, Ca

Not only is the quality wonderful and the price VERY reasonable is you have shopped around with other companies, but the WOW factor with the neighbors seals it! My neighbors have been raving about how much better our pavers look that “so and so’s”
The work crew is courteous and polite, even though the only way to our back yard was through our house and half of the time OUR BEDROOM!!! They keep the dirt to a minimum and worked hard to finish the job and clean up behind themselves.
My husband and I are very impressed and happy with the work. — Stephanie & Mitch Frisch, San Juan Capistrano, CA