Don Spratt Landscape

Firstly, I have written only one bad internet review. I have reasonable expectations. Bad reviews can kill a small business. So I do not take writing reviews lightly. I choose to SUPPORT local Simi Valley business owners and Simi Valley residents.
This is written to protect future homeowners.
My Simi Valley landscape project was $47,218 of hard earned money working overtime as a hospital nurse during COVID.
Warning: Do not conduct business with this Contractor.
Firstly, Don did come recommended from a neighbor ; I saw his completed turn key work and I thought I had THE landscaper I needed. I never got a second bidand agreed to his asking price because I mistakenly thought I was getting a complete landscape.
However, no idea why my project was conducted and experienced entirely differently?

Don Spratt did not complete the contract despite me paying 90% .
Project started July 9th 2021. I paid 90% by August 31 st 2021. ( I am gullible)
Don Spratt will asked you for installments, but not follow through with the agreed upon materials and timeline. Don is sly. Do not give him any installment money until he has COMPLETED previous agreed installment work.
Do not let him change timeline for that is his method to extract homeowner installment prepayments before work is completed. ( gullible again)
Concrete Patio Walkways Driveway and Entryway: my project was originally to be completed in STAGES divided into a back yard hardscape and then the front.
He removed the ENTIRE front and back concrete. The backyard was not poured until 2 MONTHS later - September 3. 2021.
The front driveway and walkway were poured 3 MONTHS thereafter December 8,2021.
5 MONTHS without a driveway or front entry walkway.
Get Concrete Color BEFORE signing contract. Bait and Switch.
Have the concrete manufacturer named in contract.
Decomposed Granite( DG) was not installed nor compacted according to proper installation guidelines-It has no stabilizers-2 inches of DG are to be wetted than compacted with a compactor. 8 hours needs to elapse before next layer. My back yard DG a sand pit. His worker hand compressed 4 inches of applied DG. Don's compactor's belt was "broken" that day. He will tell you " it doesn't matter" it will get hard over time. That is not the case.
Irrigation:
Shoddy Drip irrigation- No formal design- does not calculate drip rate max for the poly run. Runs different g/m emitters on one line/run. Will tell you it does not matter until you the system fails of course. Does not follow industry standards. Uses box store materials. Please write in contract the materials. Educate yourself re : drip systems. Drip has to have pressure regulators and filters, do not mix emitters in a zone, as well as other essential components. - The Irrigation Timer has shorted out with the first use. Why do I know this? Because I installed my first system incorrectly as a DIYS. I hired a professional for a professional installation.
The front yard emitters were installed by me - my cost- my time. Never completed.

Read your contract carefully; He will verbally paint a picture /sell you on a complete hard and soft landscape project and deliver only hardscape that is written in contract. I am gullible - plus my neighbor had a complete landscape project that included the softscape and lights and that is what I envisioned I was purchasing.
He omits plants, top soil , mulch, and landscape lights despite verbally smiling while selling me, the gullible middle class homeowner, that all this is included- Get the plant budget WRITTEN in contract as well as the lights. Know what plants you want before you start the project- especially if those plants are not order-able at box store.
Lights:
Don removed my Volt front yard lights and NEVER reinstalled. He uses cheap materials and halogen lights . He will tell you they are LED-look at the boxes.
The last detail: his workers are incompetent. My entire neighborhood/ pedestrians marveled that NEVER have they seen workers sitting in their lounge chairs texting instead of working like Don Spratt's employees as soon as Don leaves the job site- working is at a snails pace.
Warning; he does not cover window screens before the concrete pour. No, the concrete dust does not "wear off with rain."
The job started July 6, 2021. It is incomplete 1/27/2022.