Affordable Landscape and Design

We had a huge water bill and identified our irrigation as the the culprit. Chris came out and inspected our whole system (front and back) and identified the problem. He reprogrammed our control so we were watering as expected (and according to city restrictions) and adjusted the sprinkler heads even replacing some so they sprayed more on the plants than on the fence. He was knowledgeable, friendly, and most importantly efficient. I’m very happy with the service and would definitely recommend these guys!

I had them do my backyard irrigation. My experience:
1) The written quote they gave me said «Install new irrigation in backyard lawn area». I took this to mean they would be installing a brand new irrigation system. When they arrived, they said they would just reuse the existing irrigation system that was there (but not working). I was not pleased and felt misled. But I agreed, assuming they would make sure everything was properly installed and working properly.
2) The work was done poorly. So far the system has sprung four separate leaks (all in less than a year). Two of them I had them come fix, two I did myself because I was tired of having to tell them to come fix their shoddy work.
3) They don’t do scheduling well. The second time they came to fix a leak, I asked them when they would be coming by and never received a response. Then they just showed up one day in the morning without first confirming with me.
4) After the last leak, I told them I was not happy with the work and wanted an extra year of free warranty because of all the problems I had. They never responded to my email.
To top it off, their website is completely broken and should be taken down until they can get a proper one built.
EDIT: To clarify this point:
There is website number one which is «under construction» here:
Then there is website number two where they list «Jane Doe-​Ceo General Manager» with email «
» (next to a picture of an apple and a lime) here:
Their place of business is also listed as «Some Place Hometown, USA 1 234» with the wrong phone number here:
Not sure which website is the right one, but both are broken and unprofessional.

I spent roughly $ 20,000 with Bob for a modest landscape makeover, and one fence. Bob measured the paver area incorrectly, and messed up on a fence post upgrade. He asked for around $ 1400 in up charges for these items, I declined. Bob then refuse to finish the contracted work to my satisfaction, and informed me that he has put a lien on my home. No stars!

I had nothing but the best experience with Bob and his crew. They transformed our backyard from an eye sore to something beautiful. Every time we go back there, we can’t believe it is ours. He did not design the yard, but he did make suggestions along the way that enhanced the design we already had. This makes me believe that if he HAD designed the yard, it would have come out just as well, if not better.
Bob is a very professional, kind, and thoughtful person. At first I was a bit annoyed that we had to wait so long «in line» for our job to get started, but now I am so glad he runs his business the way he does. Instead of having several jobs going on at once, they concentrate on one at a time. This means you have their undivided attention, and they are always available to answer questions. Never once did we feel that the smaller size of our project was something they resented us for. Also, as issues came up, they either just fixed them, made adjustments, or discussed options with us, depending on the issue.
Bob’s crew is amazing. They are animals. They come in and attack the project. I have never seen such hard workers, while also being extremely polite and willing to answer questions/​deal with concerns.
We even had a small property line issue at the end of the project, and Bob’s crew came on their way to the next project to move a few things. I found that to be exceptional service. The job was over and paid for, but they still came out to fix the issue.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention Mary. She is the person you will deal with a lot for logistics, scheduling, and such. She is extremely helpful, has no problem giving you ideas and opinions when you ask, and keeps everything moving. She is an asset to the company and to the projects.
I cannot recommend Affordable Landscape and Design enough. These guys know what they are doing, are extremely professional, and I can’t be more happy with the outcome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Bob and his crew just finished our beautiful backyard makeover and we’re really happy with the results. Bob did a great job executing on our plan to make over our 3000 sq foot backyard. We had a cement patio from the 1980’s and a huge expanse of grass and tan bark. Now we have pavers, decomposed granite, and a number of large new trees. The work was done extremely well done and we are thrilled with the results. Bob also did a great job of adding some design flourishes that we hadn’t considered such as an additional stone bench with some lights. Bob also took care to make sure the plants were of high quality. We would definitely hire Bob again!

I’d have to agree about them not being too cordial about potential new business. I wish the very first words in response to my inquiry weren’t that they were backed up for two weeks. I’d have considered waiting if Bob would’ve said he’d like to talk in a couple of weeks when they aren’t backed up. Instead I had to offer that.
But it’s ok. I called another place and had a wonderful conversation and think I’ll get what I need from them.
Update: I appreciate the attempt at concern. Yes I did lose interest when I had to ask for a call back vs it being offered. It’s all fine. It’s nice to know upfront what type of service you will receive so I can make an informed choice.. Sometimes a phone call and Unilocal response is all it takes. I only wish the work response time was as expeditious as a response from a review. Thanks again!

Bob and his crew came to my rescue in December when the big rains hit the Bay Area. My back yard is just enough lower than my neighbors, that the water would pool against my house. It ended up coming into my house. Ugh. Bob came up with a fantastic solution with a drain system, after lowering the level of my yard so that it sloped away from the house into the drain.
I called them back again a month and a half later to create a stone planter with a seat wall and built in sprinklers in the side yard. I’m more than happy with the work they did and will most likely have them do more work in the future.

Very friendly and responsive. Just had some landscape lights to repair and they did a free inspection and did the work within a week. Highly recommend!

I had another unbelievable experience with Affordable Landscape and Design today. We thought we had another leak in our sprinkler system so we called their office and asked for Chris, the same man that helped us last time. In 15 minutes he evaluated the situation and told us we did not have a leak in our sprinkler system but that the water coming out our French Drain was from a neighbor. Period. If you ever have a problem with your sprinkler system, look no further, this is the company to call. :-)

We hired Bob & Affordable to do our newly purchased home in Sunnyvale. Bob is a super friendly guy (with a really cute dog) and his crew is friendly and reliable. We were on a budget, and Bob helped us to get what we wanted. Not only that but he threw in some extras, and now our front and back yard is amazing. We landscaped front and back, did a paver patio in the back with a pad for a hot tub, created a woodchip area for our child’s play structure, new fence all around with 2 gates, put in lighting and irrigation. Everything looks amazing and we’re totally happy with the work that was done. Estimate was very close to the original bid (total cost ended up being a little more but we kept adding things we didn’t realize we wanted… it’s so hard to say no once you start seeing the ‘bigger picture’ and it’s looking so good) However, Bob was up front about extras that we wanted (extra lights, an extra tree, etc) so there was no surprise costs in the end which I feel like happens a lot with contractors! Estimate on timing was spot on. He quoted 3 weeks and it was 3 weeks and one day. Overall we are very happy with our yard (s). Thanks, Bob!

I had heard really good things about these guys and they
also had good Unilocal reviews… We were looking forward
to working with them.
I know people that were very satisfied with their work,
and yes that was a year or two ago. However I think good
response days were in the past. Too bad.
It appears they have way too much business these days.
It takes them a long time to respond and follow-​up
and without much sense of importance or urgency.
Even talking with their office staff doesn’t show
much interest in new client projects.
We’ve contacted them for projects twice over the past
18 months and both times were surprised at how they just
didn’t seem all that interested in new business, unless it
was for the much larger jobs.
Granted ours is not some monster property in the
hills with 2 acres and $ 30,000 of work, but
these are reasonably sized projects by any standard
for us and our neighbors.
Here’s another really amazing thing:
Their bids even have a fuel charge! Are you serious???
These are local contractors for specific projects
in the same city or county.
Somebody is giving these guys very bad business advice.
No thanks. There are plenty of guys out there that really want the work.
PROS
These guys have good business potential
They know how to do quality work.
They do seem to have some satisfied customers.
CONS
They’re pricing is strange: A fuel surcharge?!?
They’re job pricing is high.
Seems like they have too much business already.
I hope they can get some business coaching and come
back to earth with quality work at reasonable pricing
the way they used to run their business.

Chris (Bob’s son) was here less than 24 hours after my call for help to troubleshoot a cracked pipe underneath my solenoid and concerns regarding the pressure associated with my drip system.
He graciously educated me on how to effectively use a drip system & didn’t try to ‘up sell’ anything to me. And, he optimized my sprinkler system for the back lawn to minimize water waste.
As for the cracked pipe, he said that even if he spent the time digging up the entire box to troubleshoot it, he knew he didn’t have the parts to finish whatever he diagnosed. So, we both agreed to have the original landscaper fix the issue.
I’d recommend this company in a heartbeat & will be doing so to my better half immediately.

We couldn’t be happier with our experience with Affordable Landscape. Bob Wong and his team are remarkable. After talking to several different landscapers, he was the most timely in getting us his quote and understood our sense of urgency in getting our backyard done before the summer arrived. He completely understood our vision, our budget and helped guide us through the process.
He always listened to what we wanted and took all of our ideas to heart. I would text and email him ideas and he would incorporate them into his plan. He did everything we asked — to a T — and them some, all while keeping us on track with our budget.
They installed a new travertine tile patio, replaced and moved around our irrigation system, re-​designed the landscape along our fence line and planted gorgeous trees, boxwoods and rose bushes.
His team was incredibly professional, courteous and respectful of our home. Everyday they left our backyard as clean as they could while we were under construction. Bob was on-​site everyday, providing his team with a plan and direction.
We were extremely pleased and highly recommend Affordable Landscape.

I am quite satisfied with the job that Bob and his team did on my front yard. In seven days they transformed my tired, worn out landscaping to be something new and stylish, this time with a comprehensive sprinkler system. He came in on time and under budget!

This is the second home that Bob Wong and his crew have designed and built up our backyard for us! Let me say that he does a fantastic job with the design and the materials used to accomplish the look and feel you want. He is very accommodating with last minute changes that we requested, and he will follow-​up with you after the job is completed! I would recommend Bob and Affordable Landscape and Design to anyone that would like a very beautiful and comfortable backyard oasis! Thanks Bob and your team!

I contacted Affordable and scheduled an appointment for checking on a leak in my irrigation system. I got a time slot that’s about 10 days out. It was a bit wait but I had a way to shut off the outdoor water so waiting was not a problem. 10 days later Bob and his son came out and diagnosed the leak fairly quickly. They fixed a broken pipe and replaced a valve set. We also discovered the HOA’s irrigation was connected to my water source. They fixed that too. After all piping issues were fixed, they replaced all my sprinkler heads which were too old and made sure they had a good spraying coverage. Bob also checked on the broken lighting (that I’ve no interest in fixing) in the yard and let me know what could be done. Overall they were very helpful and got things done in about 1.5hr. The rate was reasonable as well. I’m glad I hired them and I know I’ll contact them again next time I have any landscaping needs.

Found Bob on Unilocal.I had another guy who trimmed my trees give me a bid for a small job. He bid just shy of $ 600. That price was way out of line. Bob came in at $ 245 and even fixed an extra thing. He arrived right on time (actually early) and did a fantastic job. I have already recommended him to a friend who needs some work done.
In summary Bob was punctual, professional, detail oriented, and did quality work for a good price.

This is a real buyer beware. I’m sure Bob will tell you how horrible I was and how this is all my fault. If you want to see the job and the plans, let me know. You can judge for yourself.
Be aware that if there is any kind of disagreement about the job, the quality of the work or even ‘if’ the job is finished, this is his policy:
«Please note, as stated in my email yesterday, all completed jobs with outstanding balances after two weeks from date of completion have liens placed until the outstanding balances are paid.»
The key here is ‘completed’. He drew up our plans, he was hired to do the job he designed. He did NOT complete the job as designed and many elements were poorly done — like the concrete work. I immediately called, left a message and followed up with email — within 1 day of the ‘so called completion”. I was told he was gone over the holidays.
When he returned, he said, «I’ve put a lien on your property.» There was no discussion of concerns or resolution. That was literally the first response I got to my email and phone call.
Furthermore, when we did agree to final payment and removal of the lien, he wanted me to pay him in full and then he would release the lien. Really?
He also collected more than the maximum 10% deposit for the job — which is against the law. So be aware of that as well. This is per the CA State Contractors Licensing Board. And then forgot the subtract it from the final amount owing. Again — be careful.
I never saw Bob on the job. As far as I could tell he put his people out there and never supervised the work — especially at the critical time when the concrete work was poured and finished.
He also ‘accidentally’ removed old fencing that was not agreed to in the contract and then said, ‘oh I thought that is what you SAID to do’. Seemed to have no connection with the written contract and the work.
He did clean up the job site very well.

We got a quote from Bob to do our yard and told him we needed to discuss things and would get back to him. We had Family emergency and had to leave state for a few months and when things finally settled down we called them 2x to see if they could do the work and they never called back.

The back yard of our 1950’s ranch home was in serious need of a refresh. The original lawn had long past its prime, there was little shade, and the concrete patio was cracked, stained, and too small for outdoor living and entertaining. In general the space just wasn’t ideally set up for our young family to enjoy and get the most out of it.
Bob Wong — Affordable Landscape and Design — was recommended to us by a friend, who had themselves heard good things about the company by word of mouth.
We contacted Bob to set up an appointment, and he got back to us very quickly. Bob came out to our house soon after and reviewed our plans for the garden, took photos and measurements, gathered our requirements and goals for the space, and made some great suggestions based on our intended budget.
We were immediately at ease with Bob. He was very knowledgeable, friendly, came with a portfolio of his work, and suggested design details we might otherwise have overlooked… and regretted not including.
Bob got back to us very quickly with a detailed estimate that broke down each element of work for labor and materials. We asked Bob to go ahead and add us to his schedule. Work was scheduled to start in early May 2011, and completed right on-​time a few weeks later. We couldn’t be happier with the results!
Throughout the process Bob was very responsive, had rapid follow-​up to any questions I had, and had a very good handle on the progress of the project. Bob was clearly focused on putting the customer first at all times.
Bob’s crew was amazing too! My wife and I were continually stunned at how much physical work they could do in a day. It was really impressive to see their progress, speed, and quality of work throughout the project.
The project finished in May of this year, and we’ve been making full use of our new back yard. It’s gone from something hardly usable for the family, to somewhere we love to be!
Project Included:
— Demo/​disposal of old concrete patio
— Removal of old lawn and plants
— Excavation and grading
— Installation of concrete paver hardscape, path, and raised planter
— Automatic Irrigation system
— New Sod
— Flagstone path
— 12“x12″ redwood arbor
— Low voltage lighting system
— New plants/​shrubs/​trees
— Bark for the planting beds
Needless to say… We’re extremely (!) happy with all aspects of the work done by Bob and his crew/​company. We plan on contacting Bob again when we get around to refreshing our front yard.