The Great Outdoors, LLC. — Attraction in Charlottesville

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...

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...

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...