Southern Scape, LLC
Sullivan, Madison, AL

Southern Scape, LLC Reviews

3.6 stars based on 43 reviews

Featured Comments:

• T

  Tracy Davis

  2.0

  This is my two-year review on a retaining wall that I had installed by Southern Scapes. Originally, I had planned on posting after the wall had been completed, but I had my reservations about the construction of the wall to begin with and thought I would wait to see if their engineering would stand up against the test of time. When properly built, a retaining wall should be able to go decades (or longer) before any noticeable distortion of the of the block placement. In July 2019, I contacted Southern Scapes to have a retaining wall built across the entire length of my property in my backyard. I met with Greg who came out and took several measurements. Greg assured me that they had experience building retaining walls and indeed their website shows numerous retaining wall projects. Greg recommended all of the materials for the retaining wall and the columns as well as the construction technique. Bearing this in mind I received approval from my HOA to have the work completed and I paid the large deposit and entered into a contract with them to have the wall built later in the Fall when there was an opening for the work to be completed. Work commenced on October 16, 2019. Since I work full-time, I was unable to monitor the work in progress, however, my wife is retired and was able to watch their comings and goings. She called me to say that they were gone by early afternoon. When I got home, I would peer out at their progress, however, I could not see what was below the surface. I did have to make comments to Luke the project manager, about things I could see. It had appeared to me that corners were being cut to reduce the quantity of materials (namely disregarding a solid footer and not going far enough into the slope), Luke reluctantly made a few changes to the plan to add height to the wall as well as cutting more into the slope. Since it was still below our agreed height, Greg offered to add an additional row on top at an additional cost of $6K. Unfortunately, I had to be out of town on business during the final days so I did not get to see the last of the construction. In March 2020, only three months later, I contacted Greg about several issues I saw developing in the wall that I needed address as I thought they posed a concern to the structural integrity of the wall itself (Photos Posted). The first issue was several blocks were disintegrating as water pushing its way through the blocks. Greg passed me to Luke who responded after a discussion from their supplier, that basically, it’s a flaw in manufacturing. They had a fix but it was never applied. Additionally, I included photos of the wall with numerous gaps between the blocks. By mid-summer, I realized that I was not going to get a response. This brings me to today’s review. Over the course of the past two years, I have concluded that: 1) there was not a sufficient base for the wall to be placed on. I am sure that they never checked the density of the ground to determine a proper load. 2) they did not put any Geo Fabric to aid in the structural integrity of the block, instead relying on the rocks in the block and the glue on the top caps to keep them from shifting, 3) they did not install proper drainage for the water buildup behind the wall to be released which created a back pressure on the wall. This is evident as none of the drainage behind the wall protrudes from the wall (not even from around either end). And 4) they did not consider that the columns would apply additional weight on each end of the wall forcing the wall to lean in the direction of least resistance. Since all of these should have been basic planning principles, it leads me to believe that their experience in building retaining walls was non-existent with the crew that was sent out to actually build the wall, coupled with the non-existent presence of any project/company management. Imagine building a house without any home inspections and a builder who cuts corners. That’s what you’ll get with Southern Scapes should you choose to do a project of this magnitude.

  ---

  Response from the owner

  Mr. Davis - I apologize for any frustrations you have from your experience with Southern Scape. I also, very much appreciate receiving any and all feedback...good or bad. Your review of your experience allows us as a company to discuss areas that we need to work on. As far as our capability to construct retaining walls, I can say we have installed hundreds of walls similar in size over the last 20 years and have not experienced any one of them failing. My email is [email protected] (office phone is 256.746.1001), if there are any future updates on the status of the wall over time, I'd very much like to learn how it is holding up. We are not a perfect company, but we will continue to strive to be better at our craft and customer service, so again, I really do appreciate you taking the time to write a review. - Denny Langston, GM

• T

  T. Kent

  5.0

  We selected Southern Scape to develop an outdoor sensory area for our students. We found them to be super easy to work with, very accommodating, and mindful of our needs and wants. Not only were we impressed by the quality of their work, but also by their level of professionalism, how quickly and efficiently they completed the project, and their level of communication. It was very helpful that they worked within our budget. I would highly recommend their services. TODD KENT | The Riley Center

• R

  Rocket Cowboy

  2.0

  Spoke with a "Sales Team Member" from this place after waiting over a week. The girl's name was Micah. I was not impressed. First, I was completely distracted by the fact that she said "like" every third word. Maybe she went to school in Barbie college in California back in 1999? I highly recommend a speech class if she continues to work with professionals. Next, I admit that I have no idea what construction items cost. That's not what I do for a living. Once I told her what I was hoping to have done, and what I was willing to spend, she was very rude and condescending. Sorry. I don't push dirt for a living, that's why I'm contacting you. Very unpleasant experience. Went with someone else that was 1,000's cheaper.

  ---

  Response from the owner

  Hello Mr. Cowboy, I am sorry to hear that you found your experience with Southern Scape to be unpleasant. Our team works very hard to reach out to inquiries as quickly as they can. As you can see, construction in the Huntsville area is around every corner and it keeps us very busy. All of our Sales Team are highly educated and knowledgeable in their field. We take great pride in the fact that they are always professional and courteous to everyone they speak to. We are very happy to hear that you found someone to complete your work and we wish you the best of luck.

More reviews (2)