Alder Group, Pool and Landscape Co.

Finding a reliable contractor is not easy. After interviewing several candidates for renovating our backyard, we selected the Alder Group. Don prepared the plans for our renovation. Don Vivatson was very knowledgeable, open to our suggestions and needs, and we relied on his experience and taste in selecting the vendors and materials. His crew were both skilled and efficient and paid particular attention to details. We enjoy our beautiful outdoor kitchen and large firepit with family and friends. We highly recommend the Alder Group to anyone who is planning to build or renovate their backyard.

Don and his crew did an amazing remodel of our backyard! From start to finish there was professionalism and a commitment to a beautiful result. We added a hot tub to our pool, replaced all of the old concrete with pavers, added a seat wall, re-landscaped and put in lighting. Don had great ideas, like a barbecue pad and light, and had such a beautiful plan for the landscaping and lighting. He kept the project moving in a timely manner and was responsive to our questions and requests. We have worked with several contractors in the past and were definitely impressed with The Alder Group. Highly recommend!

Don just finished a complete renovation of our front and back yard and it looks amazing! When we bought the house last year it had an empty pool and old overgrown landscape. Our original plan was was to remodel the pool and refresh the landscape. We got quotes and interviewed multiple companies but decided to hire Don because he had great reviews, had done amazing projects, and we felt comfortable after talking with him. It was also a big plus that he could do both the pool and landscape so we didn’t have to deal with multiple companies. After getting started we discovered that the pool had structural issues and our project morphed into removing it altogether and building a large retaining wall in its place. Don helped us through the architects, engineers, and the permit process. His crew and foreman were extremely hardworking, friendly and reliable. Even when we had to change course, we always felt that Don’s pricing was fair and he never took advantage of the situation. By the end we fully trusted Don’s recommendations and let him implement his vision. The results speak for themselves and we wouldn’t hesitate hiring Alder again.

This team is second to none! We contracted the Adler Group for a complete package, from design through construction for a complete remodel of our back yard....landscape, pool, pavers lighting, drainage.... This team is respectful, easy to work with and very experienced. As project go, changes come to mind and they are open to listening and working with you for the ultimate outcome. I highly recommend the Alder Group for you next project. We love our new yard!

Don has been wonderful to work with. He is incredibly responsive and attentive. We worked with him and his architect/designer to do a high level design for our project upfront and it was super helpful to make our key design and layout decisions.

We selected Alder Group, Pool and Landscape to completely redesign our backyard after seeing the fabulous work of Don and team showcased in garden tours, magazines and client referrals. We can’t thank them enough for the incredible transformation of our backyard into what we now call our resort paradise. Don is someone that truly listens to his clients and provides professional expertise and recommendations based on current styles and techniques that will not only make your vision a reality but so much more. Our vision was a bit complex given concurrent work constructing an ADU in our backyard. Like fitting pieces in a puzzle he was able to design our yard and consult with our ADU builder in the process to create a stunning masterpiece complete with a beautiful pool situated between our house and the ADU, a new fire pit with rock wall seating, an outdoor BBQ with counter seating, a retaining wall, and a sport court. The attention to detail, ease of communication, and professionalism exhibited by Don and his team make us look forward to future projects with them and highly recommend them to others.

Don is a true professional and he did a fabulous job on the landscaping of our house. As an architect I look forward to collaborating with Don on many current and future projects. Don understands how to budget a job properly and has very friendly workers that work with him. Don is also very hands on in the field and not only would I recommend him (and have been) on my jobs but would recommend him for anyone!

We are thrilled with the amazing transformation that Don and his team designed and delivered for our backyard and pool renovation project! Our home is in a typical suburban neighborhood, but this was not a small project. For three months, Don and his team were working on our yard every day, on time and 100% focused on our project. Don was completely transparent, updating us daily about what they were doing and what to expect next. The results are beautiful: a gorgeous pool with new plumbing, a new concrete deck, a new pergola, and new landscaping. Thank you Don, for making our home a resort we can enjoy year-round.

I cannot thank Don and team enough for my paradise of a back yard. I have no vision so I trusted Don’s advice and my yard is even better than I could have imagined. We had a rough winter and these guys worked nonstop. Nothing kept them from working. The biggest compliment I received from friends was that my yard looks like a resort. So happy to have worked with Don and Gillian! Can’t recommend enough!

Whoa! -- Is what most people, including us, say about our new backyard. Don worked with an extremely terraced yard, adding concrete steps, rock work, an oversized and simply fabulous arbor, a BBQ, and fountain/fire pit area. We feel like we live on our own winery. Why go anywhere else? One of Don's gifts is of listening to his clients closely, getting a picture of what they want, and working to achieve those goals--and very often improving on the original idea. We have spent a year and a half enjoying our yard, and it just keeps getting better!

Amazing company to work with, I have referred my clients to them and have had more then satisfied reviews and comment's . Alder has a standard of construction and quality that enables me to give my clients and deigns to them to work with.

I can't wait to work with Don and his team on the next project. I hired the Alder Group to turn my sophomoric landscape ideas into a polished reality and they hit it out of the park. Working on just under half an acre they transformed my ideas for a fire pit, bocce court, and vineyard into stunning reality. The attention to detail by Don and his crew were second to none and I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome.

Wow! Its been 1 year and we love our new backyard more than ever. Don spent the time to get to know us, how we planned on using the yard and helped guide us to exactly what we wanted. It truly is our dream backyard and a beautiful extension of our house. Don and his team were extremely professional and a joy to work with. If you are looking to transform your backyard into the space of your dreams, contact Don at Alder Group!

We selected Alder Pool & Landscape to completely re-design our front yard, We worked closely with owner Don Vivatson & his most qualified staff Daryn, Office Manager & on-site professionals Sergio & Jaime and crew members. Everyone was most knowledgeable, courteous & made it a priority to address all concerns & suggestions of the homeowner. The Alder Group bid was competitive & most importantly fair. And always with the owners vision in mind. The final result is beautiful, framing our home as in a gorgeous garden & adding significant curb appeal to our home. We are so pleased & now have a lovely landscape to enjoy for years to come. Sincerely, Norman & Sherry Alamo

I'm just completing a project with Don & his excellent team at Alder Group. My project was incredibly complex and the Alder team brought the expertise, hard work and craftsmanship necessary to complete it in a timely and extremely high quality fashion. After interviewing a couple other contractors that I didn't believe were up to the task, I turned to Houzz to find a group with great reviews and the necessary experience to complete our project. I'm really happy I found Alder and detailed examples of their work on Houzz. Our house has a large hill behind our existing swimming pool. The Alder team installed a 100+ foot pre-fabricated water slide that runs down the hill and into the pool. In addition, on top of the hill, they graded out a flat spot to build a bocce court with beautiful arbors on either side of the court. Lastly, they added landscaping across the hillside to make everything blend together with the landscaping that existed on all sides of the construction project. Throughout the job, Don and his excellent foreman, Jose, were very responsive, customer focused and professional. I've done a lot of construction projects in my life and was prepared for the typical over-budget, past-due project on this one, especially given the complexity of it. I experienced the exact opposite with Alder. Everything was done on time and within the agreed budget with extremely high-quality workmanship. Don was on-site multiple times a week to review progress and ensure quality and client satisfaction. The crew was very respectful of our property and always cleaned up at the end of the day. In summary, we are thrilled with the awesome job Alder performed and would have no hesitation recommending them for any project you are considering.

I have nothing but the highest praise for Don Vivatson and the group of people that work for him. I knew the minute I saw the pictures of what he had done that he was the right one to do my backyard. I checked out other landscape groups but none had the vision of my how I wanted my backyard to be like Don did. He came up with wonderful ideas and I loved them all. Now I look out my kitchen window and see my new "backyard room".People that have seen it absolutely love it and wish their backyard looked like mine. Everyone was very professional, arrived when they said they would be there, cleaned up every day and always wanted me be to be happy with the results and I couldn't be any happier! I highly recommend the Alder Group. You will not be sorry if you have them recreate your yard into a place of beauty.

"We have just completed a major renovation of our backyard, thanks to Don Vivatson of Alder Group. Don was on top of the project from concept and design to final walk-through. He was enormously collaborative, listening to our ideas and preferences, providing his interpretation and expertise, and educating us on new styles, products, and technique. This was particularly useful for us since our yard was over 30 years old! Due to the age of the yard, we did have a few surprise structural issues (i.e. old clogged drains, gas and electric line corrosion), but Don was out in front of all "challenges" with solutions and costs in a timely fashion, keeping us on track, and ensuring any repair was done properly. He has been readily available to us at all times as well as had a project manager on hand on a daily basis. His crew was hard-working, tidy, efficient and courteous. We would not hesitate to recommend Alder Group--and we're already having fun showing off the yard to family and neighbors."

We did a lot of research on Houzz to find our ideal backyard and every design was by Don Vivatson and Alder Group so we met them for a quote and instantly loved them and hired them. Don was very friendly and kept us involved in every aspect of the design and build project. He was always very explanatory and available by phone to answer all of our questions. Our project was not only finished in a timely manner but over exceeded our dreams and expectations. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a professional job to hire the Alder Group.

We did a lot of research and found the Alder group for our house in Walnut Creek. As soon as he started to discuss his vision and what the project entailed we instantly knew he was far better and professional than his competitors that seemed to try to cut corners. He built us a beautiful outdoor kitchen that was unlike anything I have ever seen. It is extremely unique and made our backyard more beautiful than we could have ever imagined! So all in all we are very pleased with how it all turned out and everyone that comes over can't stop talking about it! I highly recommend them!

I am currently working with Don Vivatson and the Alder Group on a very extensive renovation of my backyard. Don has been professional through the entire project and his follow up is exemplary. In response to "misslpc1's" review; I find it difficult to believe we are speaking about the same Company. Both my husband and I found the design process to be very timely and sensitive to our taste and desires. I would not hesitate to provide a referral for Don and his company.

I was surprised to read the comments by misslpc1 as my experience with the Alder Group and Don Vivatson were completely the opposite. Our project involved a complete renovation of the pool, decking, retaining wall and landscaping. Don and his team were a pleasure to work with. Don reviewed the landscape plans with us and we were very pleased with the selected plant species. When we wanted some changes to the plant selections, he worked with us to find a preferred choice. When it came time to select the pool tile, coping, pool interior and stamped cement, he brought over a nice selection of tiles and colors and gave us information on where to view pools containing the products we were interested in. He and his foreman were always available by phone if we had any questions. Don's team arrived on time each day. They were professional and cleaned up at the end of each day. There were no gaps where work was not being done, with the exception of a few rainy days. It was such a smooth transition from one part of the project to another that I could never have scheduled the work like he did if I had to be my own general contractor. Don was a sensitive to our budget and found ways to provide our wish list and stay within budget, The final results look amazing! The pool and spa have been transformed into something that looks like it belongs in a 5 star resort. The once blah landscaping is now full of color and variety. Don's talent for this aspect really shines through. Our budget was somewhat modest and one can spend an enormous amount of money on a renovation but I can honestly say that you don't have to spend a king's ransom to get the yard of your desires with Alder Group.

This is a difficult review to write because I want to be fair to Alder Group since we never got to the actual installation of my project but the reason we didn't get to that point was because of their contracted designer Christopher Lines. I am ticking the "Other" box but because the technical distinction between who is an actual employee and who is a contracted employee is confusing. I did pay $2,000 for the design consultations that I had with Alder Group's designer who they say isn't a part of their company but he's their designer and is on their website as their designer. I first contacted Alder Group because of their great pictures and reviews on Houzz. My project would include re-doing part of my pool area which Alder Group does. At the time they said they were running a special where design fees would be refunded upon completion of the project and I was very interested in finding a company that could do both the design and implementation. I contacted Don Vivatson, who is the head of the company, and told him about my project and about the special I saw advertised. He explained that they used contracted designers and that he would recommend one based on who he thought would suit my project best. I'm going to try to keep this short, so the bottom line is he referred me to Christopher Lines, who is on the Alder Group website as a designer, who came to my home, discussed the project and then requested $2,000 up front before he even put a pen to paper. I gave him the ORIGINAL drawings for my back yard which should have made his job a LOT easier. He promised me that the drawings he would deliver would be so much better than what I had given him and that I should trust him. Fast forward several months and what I got was a plan for lighting and and landscape plan that was unusable because he did not make requested changes that very easily could have been made on his computer. The plans were just basic black and white drawings with absolutely NO plant recommendations (I requested low water), NO notes for irrigation, soil amendment, nothing that was usable to me. Furthermore, he sent a contractor to my house, unannounced on a Saturday, with the unrevised plans to give me an estimate. Now how does a contractor give an estimate with an incorrect plan and no specified plants? When I questioned Christopher he said that he was essentially done and that revisions would cost extra. I asked about Alder Group's involvement in the job and he said he hadn't heard back from Don. At this point I felt very let down and frustrated. This job never should have gone to bid without an approved plan. I never should have had to pay full price UP FRONT. I was told later by Don that it should have just been a partial deposit and that I shouldn't have had to pay the final payment until I was happy with the design and we had had group meetings about the project, none of which happened. I decided that clearly Christopher Lines was not the right designer for me and by that extension I'd have to find another Landscaper as well. I asked Christopher for my original plans back and he told me he would mail them to me. Nothing. I asked him again would he please mail me my plans back or could I pick them up and he asked me what address I'd like them sent to.....how about my home? Again, no plans. I asked a third time and again nothing.....Finally I contacted Don to ask him to intervene and to let him know how let down I was by his company and by Mr. Lines. At first he seemed very concerned and he was able to get my plans back from Mr. Lines. He said he would like to bring them to me and I could show him what Christopher had come up with vs. what the new designer had delivered. I said I would be happy to do that that the difference was night and day. I told him about Mr. Lines having me give him the $2,000 on our first meeting and he said he should not have done that but made no mention of perhaps recouping any of that money for me. He said he would be happy to consult on my project now that I have a usable plan but I explained that there was nothing for him to do, the new designer and company got the design done and was breaking ground the following week. I told him I really just wanted my plans back, that I did hold Alder Group responsible for sending Christopher Lines to me and that his unprofessional behavior shouldn't just be shrugged off, that I was going to write a review about my experience on Houzz because that was my only recourse, he already had my money. At that point I think Mr. Vivatson lost interest and instead of handling the matter himself he passed me on to his assistant and eventually my plans were delivered back to me. This is not a small project, about $50,000 and I really have no idea why the ball was dropped by Mr. Vivatson or why Mr. Lines broke protocol in terms of payment and failed to deliver what was promised to me. I met with another designer and boy what a contrast, no money up front, only $1,500 for a complete plan with all plants specified, all lighting specified, soil amendments, planting notes, and site cleaning included. I only paid when I was happy with the design. The landscapers gave me a reasonable bid and are doing a great job that I am very happy with. My only regret is that I ever dealt with Alder Group at all, it cost me $2,000 and I got nothing I could use and a whole lot of frustration.

I was sitting out in my yard thinking how much I didn’t want to write a review for Alder Group. This is simply because I’ve been enjoying my yard so much, I have been reluctant to come inside to my computer ☺ We stumbled upon Don Vivatson’s website on-line and loved his portfolio. However, we do not have the incredible property or sweeping vistas that appear in his photos. We live in a suburban ranch house with a small, fully fenced yard and an existing overly large pool. When Don met with us, he encouraged us to envision our yard as a private courtyard or oasis. We discussed the experience of drinking a cup of coffee or sipping wine in a beautiful Napa-style courtyard - intimate and tranquil - and I was sold. All I can say is, Don delivered. His vision was perfect. He allowed us to be involved in the creative process as much we wanted, but took care of all the details as needed. Artistically and practically, he knew when to guide us. I discouraged some of his design elements early on because I was worried about our limited space. However, Don took the time to walk me thru his thinking and suggested creative solutions to my concerns. I’m so thrilled I listened to him. Don envisioned more from our yard than I ever could see. Due to the size of our yard, the backdrop is every bit as important as the structures. Don approached our yard with a landscaper’s eye. It is gorgeous. (He also spent an entire afternoon teaching me about the care of each type of plant because I’m interested in learning.) Everything turned out beyond our expectations. I still can’t believe this is our yard.

Don was great. He is professional and has a great eye for design and planting. We were very happy with his suggestions and working with our ideas instead of pushing his own or telling us what we wanted to hear. Our yard turned out fabulous. We highly recommend Don and the Adler Group Landscaping.

We just recently re-landscaped our backyard. After taking the time to understand our needs Don created a spectacular backyard that we could relax, enjoy and entertain. We absolutely love our fire pit area and find ourselves sitting outside enjoying our wonderful view. Don was very professional, courteous and a very pleasurable to work with. His team members were easy to work with, followed directions and really did and excellent job with our backyard. They were very neat and cleaned up after each day. We have recommended the Alder Group to our friends and neighbors. Thanks Don! The Taylors...

We now entertain in the backyard quite often due to the fact we’re so proud of our landscaping and design done by The Alder Group. Our guests are in awe as to how beautifully lush our trees and plants look, their strategic positioning, and the clean transition of sod, cement, and borders. The attention they paid to the preparation of soil, grading, irrigation systems, and to “seaming” the sod rolls as they were installed have had great results to say the least. It’s obvious that the owner of The Alder Group takes great pride in all stages of his creative designs and work as does his workforce. They are equally proud and conscious of their customer’s expectations. From the design, implementation, seasonal enhancements, and weekly maintenance, The Alder Group always exceeds our expectations! We were so incredibly satisfied with the completion of our backyard landscape and design, we had The Alder Group come back and design/landscape the front yard as well. We will definitely be customers of The Alder Group for life!

Don Vivatson recently completed our backyard remodel. The finished results are spectacular. The former jungle of a yard has been transformed into a stunning space for entertaining and just plain enjoying life. He took my plans and meticulously re-scoped measurements to ensure everything was just perfect. This added extra time but ensured the finished results were just flawless. As well, Don used his creative experience to solve unknown issues as they arose which actually added further interest and beauty to the project. He is both fun and easy to work with and his followup has been amazing. I especially appreciate his warranty work once my project was complete. He has quickly responded to and accommodated every item I have brought to him. I would hire him again on another project. Footnote...18 plus months later...loving my garden more than ever. Everything is more exquisite with each passing day.

Alder Landscaping did a great job on our landscaping project. The design was beautiful and the execution was excellent. They were prompt, courteous and performed quality work. They always responded quickly and the owner took a great deal of interst in the job. Overall, we are thrilled with the job.

Developed a very good design proposal and executed the project timely and on budget The design was innovative and very attractive Very responsive Good focus and understanding of our needs Quality work Excellent outcome, very pleased Very good follow-up Owner provided a lot of personal attention and was very attentive to the details and our needs.

The Alder Group did such a great job on our back yard that we decided to have them also re-do our front yard. Don was available throughout our project with great ideas and great vision. He listened to us and was able to combine our thoughts and his creativity into a fantastic living space. We have used our back yard more in the past three months than we did in the previous ten years. Don's employees were always prompt and courteous and kept the jobsite clean and clear of debris. The monster job concept is great in that our job was finished well within the time we expected. We have had many comments from neighbors and passers by as to how much the landscaping has enhanced the look of our home. We would not hesitate to recommend The Alder Group for major landscape remodeling or refreshing of existing landscaping

I just completed a remodel of my pool and landscaping with the Alder Group, and simply stated I could not be happier. From the first meeting until the project was completed, Don always looked for ways to improve the project and at the same time ways to minimize the cost of the project. His keen eye for design saw needed simple improvements that were relatively inexpensive but had a massive effect on the overall beauty of the project. Perhaps most importantly when the manufacturer delivered the wrong custom coping, and I worried that we would not be able to meet the deadline of a large party that was planned for my backyard; Don found a way to resolve the issue and keep the job on schedule. Don is truly one of the good guys.