Drainage, grading, two retaining walls, steps, a walkway and driveway.
First, there are not enough superlatives to bestow on Atlas Pavers as a company, its employees, owners or the quality of their work. With that said, let me share some examples of their outstanding professionalism, skills, commitment to their customers and deep understanding of a project’s need. After being informed in August of 2016 that my 1930s home needed drainage to preserve its foundation, months of research began. Not only did I have to find and decide on which company was proficient in drainage, I also had to decide on replacing the aged and broken concrete with more concrete or pavers. Learning that pavers would be better long-term—since it’s known the Bay Area has earthquakes (small tremors to large quakes)—I chose pavers. Next came deciding which company could do the work in my area, keeping in mind that the primary focus was on drainage and appearances secondary; thus, leaving only two companies on my list. Knowing the project was large: grading, two retaining walls, steps, a walkway and driveway…I believed the smaller of the two to be less knowledgeable and unprepared to handle the job, so, I chose Atlas. Jeanne, Atlas’ Design Consultant, was not only pleasant to work with, but understood the goal of the project was drainage; giving me total confidence in my decision to go with Atlas. Within a week, Jeanne returned with a specialist, Radek. Radek not only saw the problem right away and began planning on how to correct the issue of standing water against my foundation and under my house, he explained everything to me in a through and professional manner—never once talking down to me, in that “little-woman” voice so many contractors use. Together, the three of us developed a plan and design for the project that fit my budget—something that is rare when working with contractors! Work began in late November and finished just before the rain began in early December—a total of three weeks. Junior, the Chief Operating Officer, was on-site every workday morning. The crew was efficient and friendly—they carried my groceries in for me since I had to keep my car on the street. They also fitted the five down spouts into drains, and several hidden French drains behind the retaining walls carry water to the main system, along with a drain in front of a basement door and end of the driveway. When they encountered an unexpected plumbing problem, they informed me and called a plumber immediately. When I discovered leaking faucets, there was no problem, other than rainy days, for the same plumber to return and fix the aged faucets. After all the rains this winter, there has been NO standing water against nor under my house, no sagging of the driveway, and the design is subtle but consistent with the era of the house. Overall, I am extremely pleased with the quality of the work from the Atlas team…I only wish they gave lessons to other contractors.
