DSTscaping and RLC Construction

We hired DST/RLC after multiple bids for our backyard update. Their pricing was fair, but mostly we really appreciated how they were willing to work with some of our existing materials. Specifically, they extended our sandstone decking seamlessly to incorporate a new sitting area with gas fire pit. All other contractors wanted to use pavers and tear up perfectly good stone. Rhea was easy to talk to and keep in contact with as our project progressed. Jorge and his team were timely, courteous, and professional while on-site. Both Jorge and Rhea provided insight and suggestions for materials and design. In the end we have a gorgeous refreshed backyard space that we will enjoy for years to come.

DSTScaping did an amazing job on our front and backyard. They took our original plans and really elevated it with their own creative touch. Rhea and Jorge both have an amazing eye for design, colors, and details. One of the features of our original design included an outdoor electric fireplace - conceptually the design looked great but realistically it wasn’t ideal for weatherproofing. Jorge came up with a different design and built a beautiful weatherproof electric fireplace that really became the focal point of our backyard. Every suggestion/recommendation they made turned out perfectly and really brought everything together. Prior to this project, we had issues with heavy rain and drainage - they took the time to listen to us and put in multiple solutions to prevent this from ever happening again. Our project was a big job so it took multiple months, but it was worth the wait knowing that all the small details were taken care of. Throughout the process, Rhea and Jorge’s team were very professional and hard working - they even went out of their way to make sure our property was safely secured from any unwanted visitors. Communication is very important to us, and they were always super responsive. Rhea and Jorge treated us like family and we felt very comfortable working with them from the get go. We would highly recommend them to all our friends and family for any project, big or small.

We are so thrilled with the outcome of our landscaping project executed by Rhea and crew. Rhea has a great eye for design, attention to detail resulting sleek and clean finishes. Jorge and crew are fantastic - they are meticulous and really know what they are doing. I also appreciated how everything stayed within budget despite us changing a few things along the way - Rhea won’t nickel and dime you for the small stuff. Everyone that comes to our house is impressed with our landscaping and needless to say we are so happy to have a beautiful outdoor space!

We had DSTscaping landscape our yard a few years ago. The overall work was great. The end product was beautiful and the person in charge of the construction was excellent. He was detail oriented, very kind, listened to our needs, and managed his people great. Everyone on site was respectful. They also always cleaned up their mess at the end of their day, I had to remove 2 stars from the final review because there were a couple of things they had to take care of and never did. I contacted the manager many times for over a year and she always apologized and said she would take care of us but never did. I quit contacting her. Now I'll have to hire someone to finish the work, one of which was a vendor she works with had damaged the benches DST put in. DST was supposed to fix it up for them, but never finished the job. The work of this company is great, so I recommend anyone who goes with them to give final payment once all the work is done and the permit is finalized. Getting the permit finalized was also put off from DST and gave my husband and me stress. All of my other contractors I worked with have always come back to take care of any problems so I am disappointed that DST did not. High end contractors should provide better than average customer service.

Rhea and her team did the landscaping project for us. They built it exactly to the specs. Quality of their work is really good. Everyone who visits our house, appreciates it. Her team is really knowledgeable in the space. Our project included a custom fountain, pergola, wooden structure, artificial turf, lights and lots of trees and plants. They did it all exactly as per design. We would hire them again if we ever have landscaping needs.

DST Scaping came recommended to us by our landscape designer. We had just finished a long whole house remodel, during which our front and backyards were completely destroyed. DST did an excellent job bringinging our design renderings to life. Throughout the process Rhea and Jorge provided great guidance and recommendations. This is not an exaggeration; all of our texts were answered immediately, and we were never left hanging. I have full confidence in all the workers they used to complete the various jobs that were required to get the project done. We are so happy to have a fully functioning yard again, and are extremely happy with the results. My wife and I pay very close attention to all the details, and Rhea and her crew are the same.

I worked with DST beginning in June 2022 with the first interview and was able to fully complete the project with them by June 2023. The time was broken up into chunks of: ~3mos selecting a contractor ~2mos finalizing plans to get the pricing in line (our grand plans had to be cut down a bit to fit in budget, she was great working with through this process) ~3mos waiting to get started ~4mos from breaking ground to finishing the project Positives: - Final results are fantastic! They are just as I envisioned them with a few minor caveats (my own doing). - The team was great with feedback and fixes along the way. Never once had to deal with it being "our fault" as some contractors would do - Felt overall that both of us were being "fair" with each other. I accounted for changes and associated costs while simultaneous removing some aspects such that we came out net even in the end. This was enabled by how transparent she was in the breakdown of costs of different items up front during the negotiation process. - They stand by their work - 1 year on plants (most companies are 3mos) and she will come back as long as DST exists to fix any other issues that might arise (time of course will tell on that, but I do believe her) - Jorge, Rhea's foreman, was really great to work with - we had issues with an electrical contractor brought in from another contractor we used on our pergola and DST stepped in with their own contacts to both negotiate price and get someone to finish another electricians shoddy work. I'm forever thankful for that support! - Invariably when things don't go as planned, they do not panic, but rather look for solutions and communicate them to you. Negatives: - Communication could be better - her text messages are often very curt or nonsense (likely due to verbal dictation to Siri). She wants to respond quickly, but often not fully. Picking up the phone ends up being FAR better in coming to conclusion then dealing with texts. A number of the issues I had on communication would have been improved if we had spoken by phone earlier. - Her level of detail is lower when it comes to paperwork - fortunately this is compensated by high detail on the job with the actual final work, but for us engineers that want i's dotted and t's crossed, it can be a little frustrating. In the end, I would take over the paperwork then just have her sign off where possible so it could be clean. - With any project there were times there were lulls where clearly the team was working or prioritizing a different project, which were frustrating on making sure we were done on time. I had a hard deadline of early June due to an 80th birthday party I was throwing. Fortunately they did come through in making it on time. Overall this wasn't much of a negative, but have heard with others that it can end up dragging a bit longer than we experienced.

We really enjoyed the outcome of our project, especially for the price. They were responsive to issues we had during the project, and even came back and honored their warranty when we had a couple of issues after the work over the next year. We use our front yard a million times more now.

I found Rhea while researching on Houzz when I was looking for a contractor to hire to do my backyard job. I got my backyard designed by Vision to Completion( one of the best designer you can hire to do your design) and was looking to get someone who could bring that vision to life, just how it was conceptualized. I interviewed a few contractors and came across Rhea. I went to see one of her projects and could tell that she and her team can bring my dream backyard to life. She has an eye for detail and makes good suggestions. Jorge in her team is very experienced and can do any complicated design. Their team is clean, meticulous, has precision and does an amazing job. There were some challenges that we came across during the process in terms of measurements but they were able to fix everything. I’m extremely happy with their work and would highly recommend them.

DSTscaping did phenomenal work installing 24X24 pavers in my backyard. They had to demolish the existing patio ,regrade, install fill ,re-establish new grades and compact the new area. Coordinating and installing footings and drains for my new shade structure was a part of their scope of work and they communicated with my landscape designer to field verify all locations. Their service and communication starting from estimating to planning to execution of work was always prompt and professional. The field installation crew showed up on time each day and cleaned up at the end of the day ! I am very happy with the end result !!

Rhea, Jorge and team helped transform our backyard into this amazing space that we just love. The team’s attention to detail is next to none and we receive compliments from anyone who sees our yard. They were extremely easy to work with, we had no hassle with material or checking on them as Rhea and Jorge are masters at what they do. If there were changes needed to the design they always checked with us first and made recommendations to improve. The team were always on time and cleaned up at the end of the day. Rhea is extremely responsive night or day and they also provide a warranty for the work they do. I highly recommend working them even it means you have to wait a little as the end product is totally worth it.

We had an excellent experience with DST and I would recommend them to anyone considering a landscape renovation project. We worked with them on a full backyard renovation. They did everything they said they would do (and didn't promise anything they didn't think they could do), they were creative and flexible solving problems that came up, and the quality of the work was very high. They showed up on time and their communication was thorough. Rhea the project manager and Jorge the foreman and all of their team of laborers were excellent. They have also been responsive after the project completion to deal with small issues that come up. We would happily work with them again. Their prices are not the lowest but the quality is commensurate with the price. The only downside was their backlog meant we could not get started when we wanted to.

Rhea's quote was the most expensive, decided to went with her as some of my co-workers highly recommended and I don't regret it, Jorge the foreman and his team was some of the best construction workers I've ever seen, they handled everything with care, and there were lots of details in their works that's hard to tell from photos. For example, I've noticed the concrete work from another contractor's job site already had some small cracks after few days, which honestly just felt normal, but Rhea's concrete was excellent and still looks smooth after a month. They also take future into consideration and made sure I have the possibility to add more irrigation / lights rather then just run lines according to plan. The only downside is her team is very busy and I had to wait ~3 months before she can start, but the wait felt worthwhile. Overall very happy with the results.

DSTscaping was great to work with. Rhea is fantastic - great communication, professional, and she knows what she's doing. Her team was also a pleasure to work with - very respectful, polite, friendly, super hard workers, FAST, organized, and clean! They converted our lawns to artificial turf and I don't think it could have come out any better. I was surprised how quickly everything was done, and they did a beautiful, top notch job. Thank you, Thank you!! I highly recommend DSTscaping - You won't have to worry about a thing. They'll do the BEST job!

My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Rhea, Jorge, and their fantastic crew on our modern contemporary backyard project in San Jose. We’re extremely happy with the results, and I wanted to point out a few things that we especially liked: - Rhea is very communicative/easy to reach, and is a straight shooter who will give you her (very well informed) opinion. She is also a gem of a person and was awesome to work with - Rhea and Jorge provided ideas along the way that were really great changes from our original design. They’re creative thinkers, and will propose interesting suggestions that are almost always better than the status quo - The DSTscaping crew is very professional. They clean up the job site regularly, and keep normal hours We’d work with Rhea and team again in a heartbeat!

Our front yard was a mess. And since we weren't entirely sure what we wanted for our front yard we first looked for a designer to give us ideas and make a plan. We found Sam Bella on Houzz, and she came up with a design we liked. She then recommended DSTscaping for the project. We hired them and they did a good job. Jorge and his team are amazing at what they do! All work was done in a timely and professional manner with great attention to detail. Things don't always go according to original plan, but Jorge the foreman was great at making any changes and/or last minute adjustments to the project. We love our front yard now, and would definitely work with DSTscaping again if we do another landscaping project. Two first photos are before the project and the last two are after.

Your search for a landscape contractor has ended! Rhea and her team are absolutely the right choice and we would hire them again in a heartbeat. How many contractors can you say that about? Rhea knows exactly what she's doing and she has a tight crew working for her. We used Rhea's designer Sam Bella (who was also a dream!) to create a "pie in the sky" plan. This was an unexpected and invaluable bonus that anyone who's been asked "what's your budget" can appreciate . Having the plans was extremely helpful as a way to get out of the "chicken or egg" budget battle and get a handle on what we really wanted/needed versus could afford. Rhea was incredible in helping us adjust the plans and stay in a price range we were comfortable with while still getting our backyard made into a space we will truly be able to use and enjoy. Just the fact that Rhea has a go-to designer to help her clients get over that first big hurdle was a HUGE plus in our hunt for a contractor. The minute level of detail that her crew works at was totally unexpected and you can tell that they really care about how the final product will look. They worked hard, they came early and they spent long days toiling to get the work done. The yard and tools were always left in an organized and tidy manner. You can tell by the way in which they work that they've been doing this work for years and have developed an expertise that can't be faked or oversold. The plants Sam Bella had planned out are gorgeous, purposeful and clearly well thought out as to why they were included in the plan and where they would be best placed. Rhea said the grass would be an amazing shade of green and that mahogany wood chips would be spectacular next to it. She was 1000% right- it's phenomenal! Rhea's little touches and signature stylings, like the border pavers, really make the yard feel special and give it that certain "je ne sais quoi". There's not enough space here to tell you that this company is THE BEST!! But they absolutely are, and you won't regret your decision to hire Rhea and her team.

Rhea & her team were great! Showed up daily, knew what they were doing & offered ideas as well. Sam Bella did the design, we already had the 6 garden boxes, which I stained moss green & my husband built the small pony walls. (1st photo shows a section of the yard prior to pulling out the grass & hedge). The job took about 2 weeks. This was the first time we ever hired a landscape designer & contractor, we are a DIY couple and this is what we learned. 1) Make sure when you start your project, the plants your designer choose are in season. 2) Have a backup for plants you cannot get. 3) Understand the distance where to put each plant for growth. 4) Best to be home while your project is going, so you can make changes prior.

We found Rhea and her amazing team after we first moved into a new house and walked around the neighborhood recognizing a trending design. Spoke to one of her head project managers Jorge and got in contact with her through him. We had a small space to work with and with a blank canvas of a backyard and tons of ideas we broke down a list of what we had in mind and Rhea made our vision come alive! Her team puts out nothing but high quality work with exceptional craftsmanship. The crew keeps the job site tidy and organized. The communication between Rhea and is was exceptional. She wanted us to know everything that was happening and our opinions on how we wanted to see things play out. I Would highly recommend Rhea and her team for any size project large or small!

We hired Rhea and her team to completely redo our yard front and back. We approached her with a very complicated design that we had from our designer. Out of the contractors I interviewed Rhea was the only one who could truly read the design plan and make an estimate that contained all elements of the job, including a custom very sophisticated 2 level playhouse structure. The difference between an average contractor and Rhea is that she makes the renovation process smooth and seamless. Her crew always shows up when she says they will on time and stay through the entire workday. They keep the job site organized and clean. She is meticulous about every detail, even the ones that the average person would not notice. She’s always available to talk to and go over what is happening in the remodel. This is not my first remodel. In the past I would have to “babysit” the contractor or their workers to make sure they were doing things correctly. I’ve had to point out missed measurements and inaccuracies as well as solve problems as they arise on my own. I never once had to do this with Rhea’s team. They knew what they were doing that day, and in the future. We never had to backtrack to fix mistakes, and any problems that came up were immediately handled by Rhea. She always had a great idea on what to do. For example the design plan measurements were not correct in several places. This meant that the original 3x3 concrete stepping stones would not fit correctly. She knew exactly how to adjust them to make them fit and to do it without any compromise to the finished “vision”. If she hadn’t told me we had to adjust, no would would ever know that they were supposed to be different. In fact I believe that every single time we ran into any issue the suggested alternative turned out even better then the original design, that’s how good she is. If she decided to do interior work, she would be the only person I would ever hire to work on my house. I know that I can go do the things I need to do, because her and her team are always doing the things that they need to be doing. The value of her work isn’t all in the finished product(even though it’s fantastic), the value is in the piece of mind you have that the job is going to get done correctly. Quite frankly that’s the true value and in a remodel that’s rare and priceless.

DSTscaping just finished our backyard makeover. They removed everything in the previous yard, built a much larger deck with flower boxes, added pavers, a new irrigation system, lights and plants. Rhea guided us through all the choices involved, working within our budget. Using pavers for the flower bed border was her idea, and it looks great. Jorge guided the construction. The deck and hardscape were beautifully built and well thought out. They kept the site neat and clean while all the work was going on. All of the workers on their crews were friendly, hardworking and considerate. Rhea and Jorge are very easy to work with, and helped us deal with several unexpected issues with the landscape that arose while they were here. They listen well and go above and beyond to produce a very high quality result. We would highly recommend this company.

We had the pleasure of working with Rhea, Jorge, and their team on our extensive front and back yard project. We could not be happier with the results and are enjoying our new space on a daily basis. Our children love their new play area, and our entire neighborhood is enjoying our weekend outdoor movie nights in our new movie space. It looks like we have a new house and we constantly get compliments from our neighbors who watched the house transform. Thanks Rhea, Jorge, and the entire team!

Rhea, Piri, Jorge and their teams did a phenomenal job on our pavers and turf. We also had them install a drip irrigation system for the remaining and future trees and an automated 12v Lighting system so we can have color accents in the yard. Their photos are real, the work really is that good!

Rhea, Shawn, and crew are landscape magicians. From helping us design the project to completion, they were amazing. They used our ideas, but added their expertise to create a beautiful space. The work they did on our new driveway and walkway turned out better than we could have imagined. The plants they selected based on our preferences and the artificial lawn look great. However, the lighting--wow!--is our favorite part. The pictures don't do it justice but give you an idea. We love to drive up to our house now (especially at night) because it simply makes us happy. It was a pleasure working with them and we would highly recommend their services for any landscaping/hardscaping needs.

The DTS landscapers promised and delivered a yard we would love. We hired Rhea and her fabulous crew to bring our concept created by Sam Bella Designs to life. The crew was very sensitive to our existing plants and took great care with our plants that were transplanted. The crew was always working and happily. Our foreman was Jorge. Jorge is a very pleasant person, he really puts a lot of time and thought into the project whether it be hardscape, pergola or plant groupings. The crew always cleaned up after each workday. Rhea will work with you to meet your budget.

We hired DSTscaping to bring our dream side yard to life and are thrilled by the results! Rhea and her team (Jorge, Miguel, Roberto) were very professional and very dependable. The work speaks for its self. It looks beautiful, well-made and with a high attention to detail and quality. Rhea not only was able to execute on the design we had in mind, but also provided great ideas based on her years of experience.

Let's just start by saying that we began the process of redoing our home's landscaping over a year ago. We had tried to work with someone who could both design and execute our project, but that business was so unresponsive, we eventually cut ties. Because of that experience, we were a bit sensitive about being ghosted again. Rhea was a referral from our new landscape designer (Sam Bella Design). Out of close to 20 companies that we contacted, she was one of two who eventually provided a project estimate (the booming economy evidently makes it difficult to find contractors willing to work on small projects). She provided a competitive quote, and we worked together to meet our budget needs. Our project took about 5 weeks from demo to completion, but that's only because they're busy working on multiple projects. The workers are super efficient and detail oriented. Rhea was always quick to respond whenever we grew concerned about timing or when we wanted to make last minute changes. In short, we felt taken care of. Our littles absolutely love our new yard. A hummingbird makes daily visits. We're seeing butterflies and dragonflies. It's nice to know how, with the one year warranty, everything's going to be okay.

I worked with Rhea and her crew on front and backyard landscaping. I highly recommend working with Rhea for her integrity, focus on quality, and attention to detail. Rhea and I designed our front and backyard together (without any design charge). She gave very great advice and ideas while respecting what we wanted. When it came to the actual construction, her crews did really high quality work. As soon as our driveway pavers were done, we got multiple knocks on our door to ask who did our job. That really speaks to the quality of Rhea's work. In a big project like our, inevitably miscommunications happen and mistakes are made occasionally. Rhea never hesitated to start over to correct all the mistakes to deliver things exactly the way we wanted them. Rhea and her crew never cut corners and everything was done with quality material and equipment. We are super happy with the finished project and would definitely work with Rhea again if we do another landscaping project.

Rhea and her team did very good job for my landscaping. Good leaders, excellent team work , good professional quality work, high efficiency, detail oriented and responsible.

Shawn and Rhea were great! Their creativity and skill led to a result far beyond what I had envisioned. I got much more than I expected. Their workers kept disruptions to a minimum. The crews showed up when they were supposed to and put in a full day’s work each day. Two of my neighbors said that my house has set the bar for the neighborhood. They came in on time and on budget. I enthusiastically recommend them.

Rhea and her team did a phenomenal job on our backyard landscaping. We met with 6 contractors when initially discussing our backyard project. Rhea came in with the best ideas and best price. Our backyard design evolved over a 6 month period, and Rhea and her team were extremely patient with us and gave us great advice over that time period. Once the project started, Rhea and her team worked fast and efficiently, and they gave us daily updates if we wanted it. This company was very professional with their service and we would highly recommend using them for your next landscaping project.

Rhea and the crew did a fantastic job. The process couldn’t have been more smooth and the results are better than we could have dreamed. Rhea had wonderful recommendations regarding color and style that we never would have considered and everything looks spectacular.

Rhea and her team did an excellent job for my landscaping needs. They added a bunch of little details that really made the overall look pop. She gave great suggestions during the planning stage, and really helped us conceptualize what we wanted. Highly recommended. Gave us a great price for the work done.

Rhea and her team embody the qualities that anyone would want in a contractor. They are reliable, punctual and extremely detailed oriented. I would happily recommend them for any job, big or small. Rhea's "can do" attitude is refreshing and always appreciated by both designer and homeowner alike. Great job, guys!

The team's attention to detail was outstanding. They went out of their way on many occasions to make sure that what they did was pleasing to me. They respected my property, and took care to preserve the plants I wanted to keep. They went "the extra mile" on a number of occasions. Rhea was a pleasure to deal with. Jorge made sure things were done right every time. He always took time to answer any questions I might have. The whole neighborhood has had nothing but praise for the beauty and workmanship of this project. Of all the contractors I've had over the years for home remodeling projects, this company and their crew were by far the best for quality and ease of working with them. I highly recommend them.

In a word - AMAZING. Seriously, Rhea and her fabulous team came through for me on a job that no other landscaping company would touch (and who could blame them? I needed my entire yard redone in a week. Yes, one week) Rhea hooked me up with a wonderful landscape designer and once those plans were ready (also executed in record time) Rhea and her team quite literally sprang into action and delivered me the front lawn of my dreams and time and completely within budget. I have never been so happily satisfied with any contractor I’ve hired. Ever. I pretty much can’t recommend DSTscaping highly enough. Oh, and a special shoutout to Hector, aka The Plant Whisperer for taking such wonderful care of the plants we wound up transplanting from the front to the back yard.

DSTscaping did a great job with our front yard. We loved the finished product. Rhea was very quick in getting a quote for me in a timely manner and helped with trying to stay wihin our budget. we made a few last minute changes that were easily accommodated. When ever we seen something we had concerns about during the process we were able to work it out and was able to fix the matter with no problems. I would recommend DSTscaping to family and friends.

Our job was relatively small... it took a week to complete after a few bumps along the way due to communication with DST. But once they got going, they were on time and professional. The mason that installed our brickwork did an excellent job. The only thing I would/should have noticed was the cleanup. There was cement splatters on our garage .... I'm hoping that I'll be able to get them off. Otherwise, all went pretty well.

Re-doing our backyard, to allow movement thru yard thus making space more useable for family events, lounging etc.. Scope of project remove all grass, install a paver patio with accent borders, decomposed granite pathways and converting sprinkler system to drip operation Rhea was able to quickly interpret what we were looking for in an outdoor space and presented some great ideas for shape of patio and types of pavers that would accent our space. She was able to clearly convey what the project entails and presented a number of options to fit our taste and budget. I am so thrilled with how the job is progressing as Rhea/Jorge and team are very organized, professional and neat leaving the job-site clean and prepped for the next days work.

Shawn is an excellent landscape architect and has installed my landscape at my home. He also did my neighbors home. The work was excellent. I give him and his team my highest recommendation.

I have worked with a number of contractors and got a few quotes for our project. Rhea had been a breath of fresh air to work with...honest, hard working and truly passionate about the work and outcome. We are just starting construction, happy with the progress and flexibility to date. Would highly recommend as a one stop shop for all of your landscaping needs. she is helping make my vision a reality for me and my family.