Environmental Design and Services, LLC

Very professional. Chris was great and very reasonably priced - the basement water issues we had are now completely resolved-thanks Chris

Chris Lofstrom, owner of EDS, help us out on a project involving landscaping, patio hardscaping, storm water management cistern/system, an irrigation system in back and front yards, and a new fence around entire property. The storm water cistern collects water from our sump pump system as well as our rain gutters. The automatic Rainbird irrigation system can source water from either the cistern or the house potable water supply. While the physical scale of this project was not large, the many moving parts of it were complex and a challenge to coordinate. Chris and the EDS team put in the new patio, the underground storm water cistern and collection system, and the irrigation system. A separate designer provided plans for the patio and landscaping, a landscape company installed the plantings, and a separate fence company installed the fence. EDS had to work around and help coordinate with each of the different companies to keep things moving along. They also had to address the challenge of getting heavy equipment into a fairly confined space while a new house was being constructed next door. On top of everything, Chris had to help educate some city officials, over multiple visits, about the techniques being used in order to get the proper permits approved. So again, not a huge project as seen from the surface, but actually fairly complex given all the moving parts (both literally and figuratively :) Across the whole process Chris was very easy to work with. He's also a nice guy and it was fun to discuss all the ins-and-outs of the project with him and bounce design modifications off him. Chris had excellent technical knowledge of all the trades in play on the project. The masonry and irrigation teams he brought in were great as well - hardworking, good proactive attention to detail, and responsive to questions and needed modifications as things progressed. Chris is calm and collected under pressure. He was able to address challenges that arose during the project, as well as concerns I had related to those challenges, in a practical and professional manner. This is not always easy when trying to balance deadlines, technical limitations, weather, and other outside factors beyond control. I would recommend Chris and EDS to anyone contemplating a project such as ours. Our project finished just as winter was setting in, so we are now finally happy to start enjoying the new space as it gets warmer. The whole thing came out wonderfully.

I hired Chris for this large project that included hardscape (stone wall, stone patio), building an arbor, lighting and landscaping (plants, erosion control) and he did an OUTSTANDING job. Because it was a large project, I invested in a paid upfront landscape plan and that was later absorbed in the cost, and that was the best decision as it brought clarity to the entire project. He gave me professional quotes, and his follow up was great as I did not have to chase him. The thing I liked about his company is very professional - both he and his workers paid a lot of attention to small details. For that reason, I think he is a great choice - I had checked his references before I hired him, and it was spot on. I would recommend him in a heartbeat.

I really enjoyed working with Chris from Environmental Design and Services because right from the start he listened to what i wanted out of my landscaping. I have a townhouse and I work long hours. I wanted a design that would be easy to maintain, look nice, and bring in native birds, butterflies and other insects. Using native VA plants, Chris has made a beautiful flowerbed in both front and back of my house that does not need much in the line of maintenance, and every spring i don't need to spend money and replant flowers. Every year, i have neighbors walk by and compliment my landscaping. Also, I have seen many gold finches, dragonflies, butterflies and cardinals. I really suggest you consider Environmental Design and Services as Chris has a great eye and actually listened to what i wanted.

Environmental Design and Services has transformed our wet backyard into a usable and enjoyable space. We always receive complements and look forward to our next project with them soon.

This is the second time I have used Environmental Design for our community projects. Both required extensive drainage work, in addition to building structural work on the most recent project. We are extremely pleased with the work Chris and his team performed. Most importantly is the advice that Chris provides. He offers reasonable alternatives at decent prices compared to other contractors. He is very knowledgeable on drainage issues and is great to work with.

I've used Chris for various projects over the years and have found him to be very knowledgeable in his field and innovative in problem solving.