Established in 2011, we specialize in hardscaping installations! Patios, walkways, poolscapes, masonry work, retaining walls... the list of our skills is long! We have a solid team that possess the necessary experience and skills to build mostly anything that our clients can dream up!
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LLE was recommended to us by our pool company (since they do not handle the landscaping), and was the less expensive of 2 quotes we received (in hindsight, this should have been our first red flag). The pool company assured us that they had worked with Shawn for several years and that he did good work, so we were confident in our decision. Initially, Shawn was great to deal with: eager, responsive, confident. He worked with us to develop a plan for the backyard, and there are aspects of the early work that we are quite happy with today.
We had expected Shawn to be present for the entirety of the job, but he contracted some guys that he had previously worked with to install the pool coping. The work was passable at best, and we had to have them adjust many of the stones because they were not laid carefully. They also placed them too high, leaving a huge gap between the pool shell and the coping that was later filled with mortar (and is constantly chipping away to this day). As the weather turned cold, the work got sloppier. It was clear that they were rushing and the patio itself had large gaps (finger width or more) and sloppy cuts, along with uneven heights from one paver to another. My wife was home when he hit the house with the equipment he was using, but he didn’t mention it to us, and there is clear damage to the parging on the foundation to this day. Shawn had taken on too much work and was having to split his time (poorly) between several jobs, and wasn’t able to dedicate enough of his time or attention to completing the project properly and on time. When the patio was complete, they brushed in the polymeric sand but never tamped the patio so the sand did not fully penetrate the gaps and, in many areas, never hardened. The photos show just a few of the problem areas that I (the homeowner) ripped up and re-did properly because I couldn’t stand the look at it anymore and I knew that even if Shawn did stand behind his work, he was incapable of the level of detail that was required.
Our yard had drainage issues before the pool went in, and I communicated my concerns to Shawn. He assured me that he could fix it, and installed some big-o pipe to collect and re-direct the water. Unfortunately, in his infinite wisdom, he ran a perforated pipe over the grave filled hole for the pool, which did absolutely nothing to address the drainage. I ended up running my own drainage line across the back of the yard to direct the water the other way, and installing a sump pump with buried discharge line to manage the water.
The waterfall feature turned out to be a beautiful showpiece, but Shawn made a stupid decision to bury the water line connection below the ground and I’m fairly certain it has leaked since day one. I haven’t yet dug down to find the connection, but I plan to when time permits. In the mean time, we try to minimize our use of the waterfall because of the volume of water we lose. The patio stairs (photo included) is another story. In an attempt to save me money, Shawn bought a large stone and cut it up in order to build the stairs. I trusted that he knew what he was doing, but his first attempt was a disaster. One of the stones cracked down the middle and had a huge chunk missing. I asked him to replace it, but I was never happy with the results (both from a cosmetic and practicality standpoint). He said he’d fill the gaps with mortar and we’d never see them, but they look horrible (mortar is cracked and a different colour than the rocks). My concerns that they would be painful on the feet went unanswered, but someone hurts themselves on the stairs multiple times per week. Also, they are SO large that they take up much of our seating area. Eventually, I plan to rent a piece of equipment and replace them myself with something smoother and more attractive.
I would NEVER recommend LLE to anyone, unless they want to save a little money the first time around and re-do the entire project later.
Shawn did a great job on my backyard. I wanted to install a stone patio pad and fire pit in my yard and a friend recommended Shawn at Latitude Land Effects. Shawn contacted me the same day, and within a week he was putting stones down for the patio, and finishing up the fire pit.
The patio and fire pit look great and have held up over the first winter. I would recommend Latitude Land Effects for any landscaping or stone work needs, and would contact them again for future projects.
Latitude Land Effects has a TrustScore™ of 2.7. The average TrustScore™ for other businesses providing similar services in Guelph and the surrounding areas is 3.2. For detailed information on how TrustScore is calculated, click here to learn more.
The following elements are used to calculate TrustScore:
Customer Reviews | Last 12 Months | All Time |
---|---|---|
Total Received | 0 | 4 |
Approved | 0 | 2 |
Unverified | 0 | 2 |
Suspicious | 0 | 0 |
Overall Rating | 3.9/5 |
Complaints Received | Last 12 Months | Last 3 Years |
---|---|---|
Suppliers & Creditors | 0 | 0 |
Employees & Sub-Contractors | 0 | 0 |
Transparency | |
---|---|
Posted License Information | Not yet provided |
Posted Liability Insurance | Available upon request |
Posted Workers Compensation | Available upon request |
Company Website | Yes |
Social Media Profiles | Not yet provided |
Endorsed by Peers | Not yet endorsed |
In Business Since | 2011 |
Member of TrustedPros Since | 2018 |
TrustedPros does not validate certain information provided by contractors and vendors in conjunction with the creation or maintenance of their profile and we cannot endorse or guarantee the performance of any contractor. TrustScores are provided for informational purposes only. We urge you to use the TrustScore™ in conjunction with the tips provided in our Hiring Guide to maximize the probability of hiring the best professional for you project.
Commercial Renovations, Decks, Design Build, Drafting Service, Fencing, Paving, Property Maintenance, Snow Removal, Swimming Pools, Wrought Iron
Established in 2011, we specialize in hardscaping installations! Patios, walkways, poolscapes, masonry work, retaining walls... the list of our skills is long! We have a solid team that possess the necessary experience and skills to build mostly anything that our clients can dream up!
Main contact(s) | Shawn Dunn |
Listed with TrustedPros since: | 2018 |
Residential work | Yes |
Commercial work | Yes |
Warranty | We offer a 2 year warranty on all of our stone work! Masonry, interlocking brick or natural stone are all covered under our warranty. We offer a 1 year warranty on all of our planting installations. Industry standard. |
Accepts credit cards | No |
Year established | 2011 |
Offers financing | No |
24 Hour emergency service | No |
Legal structure | Incorporated |
Licensing information | Contact Latitude Land Effects to request licensing info. |
Insurance information | Insurance information available upon request |
Check local laws pertaining to license requirements and verify license and insurance details provided by the contractor prior to hiring.