Core Landscaping

I hired these guys to do some landscaping in my mom’s back yard in Cupertino, including planting a large crêpe myrtle tree. They were professional, responsible, and very easy to work with. (And that’s not easy, since I’m pretty particular and demanding.) The results are beautiful, and Mom is so pleased with her «new» back yard! Thank you Core Landscaping!

My husband’s wish came true! An edible garden has been created with the expertise of Core Landscaping. We have had a wonderful experience with Marc, Laurence and the Core Landscaping staff. We were able to continuously work with Marc presenting him with our plant and fruit tree ideas/​wishes. He gave us time to research and decide about what we wanted. If plants weren’t always available Marc made a point to check out other nurseries. The planting happened in a timely fashion & the landscapers went quietly about their work, leaving things very tidy at the end of each workday. Everyone cared to listen and be pleasing. Despite the heat everyone worked hard & smiled all the way. We felt our project was important to everyone and that they wanted us to be happy. We are thrilled to have an edible garden & Core Landscaping made this possible! Thank you for such a GREAT JOB!

Core landscaping just finished installing new perennial border and updated irrigation system in my back yard. This was my first landscaping project, and I approached it with some trepidations, but the whole process went smoothly and the end result was great. Marc explained the details of the project to me, updated on the progress and gave good advice. He and his team are easy to communicate with and very efficient. The work was done in timely manner, using quality materials, and the price was reasonable. I am definitely happy that I found them and hope to use them for future projects!

I was looking for someone to help convert my front/​backyard into something more drought tolerant, and found Marc & his team. They did a fantastic job, with probably very little direction from me — I had some visuals and a rough idea of what I wanted an a smaller sized property, but I am certainly not a designer!
The reasons why I picked Core:
— Marc answered my emails and phone calls. I got tired chasing after some of the other bidders, and decided I didn’t want to chase them to finish my project after I signed the contract.
— Marc seemed ok with the fact that I didn’t already have a designer hired/​plan produced
— Some of the other contractors simply had a price minimum I couldn’t hit without hardscaping or extensive waterworks, which was definitely not something I wanted.
— Marc and his team were able to start and complete within a reasonable time and that was reflected in the contract.
All in all, I’m very happy with the work they did. It’s been pouring this week and all the plants seem to have held up well and everything looks good. Kudos to his team for also finishing the project when I was out on vacation, it was nice coming back and not having to worry!

I’ve been working with Marc at core for a few weeks now to try to lock down a quote for a front-​yard project and he has been very communicative and incredibly professional.
The one thing that truly sets Core apart so far as a landscaping company is how professional and thorough they have been — they truly thing of every detail and I love that they spend the necessary time thinking about the project to make it a good process.
Their quote was very fair in relation to the other ones that we compared them to as well. We just decided to move forward with them, so I will be updating my review as we proceed with the project!

Just passed my inspection from Santa Clara Valley Water District!!! Thanks Core Landscaping. Everything was done completely and competently. The yard looks great and you worked efficiently with and around the other contractors. Thanks for telling me about the landscape and irrigation rebate program and giving me such a positive experience!

We found Core through Unilocal after two contractors bid way over what we could afford and another just stopped returning our phone calls/​emails. Marc was super professional from the get-​go, but also really relaxed and easy-​going and took the proposal from the third contractor (because it was within our price range), adjusted it for his team, and got right to work.
Literally, within days of contacting Core via email, Josh was hard at work in our backyard. It wasn’t a huge project and was done in about 7 working days and we are THRILLED with the outcome. Core cleared out our existing concrete patio, leveled the yard, lay a gorgeous paver patio, built two lovely raised beds for veggies, put in some hearty plants that should withstand our Labrador’s torture, and ran drip irrigation throughout the whole yard. It’s exactly what we wanted, only better. I only wish our property was larger so we could have had them do more work!

Wow– super nice team that really cares about the finished product, and if the customer is happy. Marc, Lawrence and their guys are so professional and did a great job landscaping at a house I was moving out of. Very relaxed but hustled to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time. I will definitely call on them again to help with landscaping atu new house.

Marc and his team just redid our front and back yards in record time. After a remodel of the house, we were left with very ugly looking yards and not too high of a budget to get them up to shape. We heard from many other contractors that all bid way above what we could spend and weren’t very helpful in making the project fit into what we had to spend. Marc, on the contrary, was VERY helpful in this sense and we were able to adjust the scope to what we could afford.
His team is highly professional, all very friendly and easy to work with. We felt totally «listened to» throughout the whole time and are extremely happy with the results. I would recommend him to anyone who needed this kind of service with my eyes closed.
Core Landscaping will now be taking over the maintenance of our yards and hopefully, in the future, we will be able to do the parts of the project we had to leave out for now. They will definitely be the ones we will reach out to when that time comes.
Thanks Marc, Chris, Josh, Francisco, Laurence and all the rest of the team!

Core Landscaping just completed a major drainage project on my home and they did an outstanding job. They installed sump pumps, rainwater collection systems, drainage from the house and garage to the street which involved ripping up and repaving part of the asphalt driveway, gutters on the garage, and also took care of all the wiring. I’m very happy to say that the guys from Core exceeded all of my expectations, They were professional, considerate, efficient, reasonably priced, and above all — a real pleasure to work with. I am already planning to have them back to do the front and back yard landscaping.
I left Marc a voicemail on a Saturday and promptly received a call back on Monday (they are closed on weekends). He set up a time around my schedule to come by to give an estimate for landscaping and drainage, and was right on time. The drainage portion was more complex than we anticipated, but Marc consulted with his foremen Chris and Josh (both experienced home builders) and Chris came out to take measurements and assess the scope of work. The estimate was thorough and reasonable. The nerd in me appreciated the PDF format estimates and invoices, and ease of communication via text messages and email.
Chris and Josh spent extra time researching parts and prices and saved me a serious amount of money by shopping around. I had suggested a rainwater collection system as part of the project, and Chris stopped by a hydroponic supply store to do some research. He helped me save $ 300+ on the rainwater system alone and even ordered parts that were color matched to my house (a detail that I hadn’t even thought of).
When it came time to start work, the guys really shined. I was told that they would start work at 8am — and looked out the window to see them arriving at 7:49am. Every single day of the job, they were on time or early. Their work ethic is second to none — whenever I dropped by the house, there was always someone working. I’ve seen many other companies where everyone disappears for lunch, but not these guys. When I asked why, they explained that #1 tool rental costs money and they want to make the best use of the time, #2 they wouldn’t want to have to put away all of their tools since that eats into useful work time, and #3 they want to be efficient and get the job done. It rained in the middle of the project and Chris and Laurence came to the house on a Saturday to make up for the lost time, even though they were supposed to have the weekend off.
They were very considerate and took care to keep the job site (aka my home) clean. Josh offered to knock on the neighbours’ doors to let them know that they would be doing work on the house since I hadn’t been able to talk to my neighbours before work started. Every day all the tools were put away and the driveway was tidied up so that I had somewhere to park my car. I even saw Sean one day compacting the yard waste I had haphazardly stuffed into a bin that was spilling out (thank you!).
I could go on with my novel, but the bottom line is that the crew at Core Landscaping is top notch and I feel very lucky to have had them work on my home. They did an incredible job given a short amount of time, and Marc checked in with me several times after project completion to make sure there were no loose ends or details I was dissatisfied with. The selfish part of me wants to keep these guys a secret so their business doesn’t blow up with the Unilocal effect, but at the same time. they really deserved a 5-​star review.

Good:
Marc and his team is easy to work with. They listen to what you have to say. All his people are very friendly, professional and come across as nice people (and clean).
Out of 4 – 5 quotes had we had received for the work, their quote was right in the middle. We picked them because of reviews on Unilocal and because they seemed knowledgeable and trustworthy. They were good with communicating over phone and emails, which helped us go with them. They also offered good ideas with overall design before we picked them.
Bad:
If this rating was just based people-​skills of all the people on Core team, I would give them 5 stars. When quality of work and actual achievements taken into consideration, my rating goes down to 2 stars.
Our project cost was increased by 40% — and that too with actual reduction in the scope. Some of the hardscaping work is doing beautifully while some parts falling apart after a short period of time. Towards end of whole extended project, we were told that some of the hardscaping choices that we had made were not correct, and the frustrating part is that we had only chosen from the options given by them. Plant installation went smoother compared to other work but few months fast forward — many of the plants are dead. My suspension is that when the project went over time, they cut corners with soil preparation and irrigation system.
I won’t be using them again for our future projects.

Thank you, Marc and your team!
I recently hired Core Landscaping to purchase and install new trees, plants and masonry and all new irrigation in my backyard, and we are SO pleased with their work. He took the time to also teach me so that I could take care of the garden on my own.
Plant Installation:
Marc sourced our trees, plants, soil and compost tea at a competitive price and great quality. They helped me build my raised vegetable bed and filled it with amazing organic materials. The mulch and placement of the entire backyard made it look very professional and well kept.
Irrigation:
Marc and his team replaced the entire perimeter irrigation system with new tubing to ensure all plants (new & old) had a working water source on the timer system. He even helped repair sprinkler system damaged by another contractor, and came back to check it.
Masonry:
I had another contractor lay flagstone pavers and I wasn’t entirely happy with the way it turned out. Marc helped me cut back the pavers and suggested using an alternative of «gator dust» which he and his crew then installed, and we LOVE it. He rescued the project.
Marc was personable, professional and very easy to work with. Core Landscaping will be doing my entire front yard in the spring!

My family and I moved to the bay area 2 years ago. Our new house was wonderful, but one thing was missing. A BACKYARD. Core landscaping transformed my backyard into a beautiful sanctuary for my family and I to enjoy. My once weedy, desolate, boring backyard is now a gorgeous escape from the hustle and bustle of the bay area.
Core installed multiple stone pathways, a new lawn, several planter boxes, a fantastic organic vegetable garden, a new irrigation system, and the list continues. I was able to choose from hundreds of plants, flowers, vegetables, trees. Marc and I decided to go with a more native and drought resistant approach. It has been almost 6 months now and my backyard is still flourishing!
The core landscaping crew is friendly, knowledgeable, and very conscientious. They showed up on time and completed the project when they said they would. Core is a true organic landscaping team! I plan on using Core for all my organic landscaping/​maintenance needs. Thanks Guys!

Core landscaping is a true organic vegetable/​edible garden landscaper, and I was really lucky to have found them. They delivered the best experience I’ve had with any contractors, and I managed an extensive remodel of my home as a general contractor, which means I cycled through many many contractors.
My project was to turn the ~2700 sqft front yard into an organic vegetable garden, and the scope was comprehensive, ranging from fences, vegetable boxes, mulching, soil prep, irrigation, planting and hardscape. Marc, John and his crew did an amazing job transforming my front yard into an aesthetically pleasing home farm that can provide enough food to feed our family.
Marc and John are both very well versed in organic farming, coming from farming roots back east. John in particular taught me so much about critical techniques about farming to get me started on the right path. More importantly, unlike most conventional landscapers out there who have no idea about how to grow food organically (I have had self-​proclaimed organic gardening contractor offering to use Round-​up for weed control!!), these guys actually practice what they preach, John is a subsistence organic farmer himself. He feeds his family with his own organic patch in his San Francisco home. He knows what to grow, where to grow, how to grow and gives very insightful information that can only come from a seasoned practitioner. I am particularly impressed with their attention to detail, when John sourced seeds for me, I didn’t really specify my needs, but he was proactive enough to get me heirloom seeds so that I can try to practice saving my own seeds later. In another incident, an organic compost company that I insisted on using dumped their delivery outside of my fence in the street instead of in my driveway (my fault), the Core crew kept shoveling a mountain of compost back onto my garden till late at night so that my neighbors won’t have an issue, all done proactively, without me saying a word. John hurt his back at the beginning of the project, but even if he was not on site, he was always available to communicate with me on every single detail.
I am a micro-​manager with strong likes and dislikes, but with these guys, I never felt the need to watch over their shoulders, they are always a step ahead of me. Core was not the cheapest bid, but came in to be very competitive, however, after interviewing and dealing with many landscapers, including those who market themselves as the organic vegetable gardener, Core definitely is the most knowledgeable and most professional among them. I even used a couple of those so-​called organic edible garden contractors from East Bay for initial design, their knowledge don’t even come close to John’s.
I have dealt with many contractors, and Core is by far the most professional, thoughtful and ethical among them. Ethical contractors sound so much like oxymoron nowadays that when I come across one, I hold on to them. I like Core so much that I will have them back to do my entire backyard organic garden project later.

It is with great pleasure that I give John and his team a stellar review for their landscaping of our front yard. We decided to redo our front yard in preparation for selling our home and now I wish we had discovered John and his team earlier so we could have enjoyed the results of their work for longer.
John responded to my initial inquiry in a very timely manner and came out to my home to discuss our needs. He immediately struck me as responsible, honest and fair and I was very pleased with his proposed timeline and quote. It was fun and interesting to talk with him about his ideas for transforming our very outdated yard into a cost-​effective, low maintenance and drought tolerant garden.
He and his team from Core Landscaping arrived early on the day of the scheduled work and they completed our yard after working tirelessly for 12 hours. The results were beautiful and we have received numerous compliments.
What has also been truly impressive is John’s follow up on the project. He continues to check in with us regularly to discuss maintenance needs and has been out to the house several times to help us keep the front yard looking pristine. It is obvious that he and his colleagues take great pride in their work and enjoy what they do.
If you are considering hiring landscaping contractors, I cannot recommend John and his colleagues at Core Landscaping enough.

Core landscaping just finished our backyard/​patio project. I couldn’t be happier with the end result. We have a smaller outdoor space behind our townhouse, and they transformed it into a backyard/​patio where we want to spend all of our time. I mainly worked with Marc, but John is great too. They both really know what they’re doing, and also really listen to what you want. You can tell that they really care about their clients being happy with their work. Even without giving them tons of direction, they figured out what would work best for the space, and were able to give us a patio that we will enjoy for years to come.

I was looking for some knowledgeable landscapers to transform my water sucking yard into a drought tolerant, easy on the water bill, garden. Marc and John showed me that not only could i have a garden that was drought tolerant but one that was pretty too. I had a few specific fruit tree problems that were corrected too. Core Landscaping was punctual and professional. They were hard-​working and had the job done in a timely fashion. I am really impressed w\ the job they did and would recommend them highly. They do my maintenance too.

John and his team did a fantastic job on clearing out my backyard and front lawn and replacing the front yard with a brand new landscape design. John and team were able to clear out the overgrown backyard (which hadnt been regularly maintained over the last 2 years) and dead front lawn in just one day. John was great in asking what I wanted removed vs. just pruned back and cleaned up everything at the end of the day. John was also awesome to work with in coming up with the design for our front yard and replacing the lawn with native and drought resistant plants and a very pretty stone border. We’ve already gotten feedback and inquiries from people walking by it. John really listens to your concerns and offers a lot of great ideas and options. John’s also very knowledgeable and had a ton of information he shared with me. I look forward to working with John and his team in the future for our side and backyard projects.