Demolition....It's a dirty job but someone's got to do it.

We do Demo...

Yes we do...

We do Demo...

How bout you?

Many times in the course of a landscaping project we are needed to tear out existing landscaping and replace it with rock. Pictured above is a railroad tie retaining wall that we tore out to replace it with a column boulder retaining wall.

We have teamed up with a local disposal company to economically and quickly remove all the unwanted debris from your project to give it a whole new appearance.

So not only can we put in the new....We can tear out the old.

We have a complete package set up if you are just waning to clean up your property as well.

We are here to make you look good and save you money in the process.

Come check out our "Site Clean Up" page for details.

Tootles Till Tomorrow (TTT)



Monte Tareski
 
Cascading Creations

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Nine Mile Falls Elementary....It's a kid thing.....

 

In our off season we find ways to stay busy.....

What you see in the first picture is what we had to start with.

The Nine Mile Falls Elementary PTG hired us to put in an outdoor classroom.

Here was the problem....They didn't have enough in their budget to cover the whole project. 

After long consideration (approximately 10 seconds) My wife and I decided to donate our time (equipment and labor) to get this done for them.

It was a labor of love. 

"Why" you may ask yourself....

"We LOVE kids" would be the answer....

To put in something this beautiful for a school had always been something I had wanted to do. The Nine Mile Falls PTG did cover the cost of the rock, so we weren't out the cost of the whole project. But together we were able to make an outdoor classroom that could be enjoyed for years to come. 

We just wanted to share.....

Tootles Till Tomorrow (TTT)

Monte Tareski
 
Cascading Creations

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Retaing walls for sale....Get your retaining walls here.

So wadda ya think it costs for a retaining wall built out of bolders? Well let me tell you. Since my competitors want to keep it a big secret on how to determine the cost of a retaining wall built out of boulders, I thought I would break down how we figure it out. 

Remember we charge Time and Materials directly to the customer. 

For a complete discription of what that means. 

CLICK HERE

Lets just say you have an area that is 50 foot long and you want a retaining wall that is approximately 4 foot tall. That would mean you have a total face foot of wall of around 200 ff. 

Here is how we figure it out.

• One Box of Rox (one dump truck load)
• 1/2 day for two pieces of equipment.
• 1 Box of 7/8 basalt back fill (optional)

Cost $1000.00(rock) + $860.00 (equipment) + $300.00 (optional back fill) = $2160.00

That works out to $10.80 per face foot. 

Your choice of several kinds of rock too.

If you upgrade the materials to Column Rock (you know that really cool 8 sided rock by the airport) you only add $500.00 per box of Rox.
 

Premium COLUMN BOULDER WALL is only $13.30 per square foot!!

Ask any other company in town how much it will cost to build you a Column Rock Wall and watch um squirm.

Here is the kicker. 

We will also install a set of steps 

(using the rock you have selected) 

AT NO EXTRA CHARGE!

Now that you are a little more educated on retaining walls made out of boulders you can make a more informed decision.

Tootles Till Tomorrow. (TTT)

Monte Tareski
 
Cascading Creations

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Date night....At Les Schwab?

No....I didn't take my Daughter on a date night at Les Schwab. I did however take her out on a date night so I didn't have much time to write a post. So I just thought I would show you a really neat picture of the Sign we did for Les Schwab.....That's all. See ya back here tomorrow!

Monte Tareski
 
Cascading Creations

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Time to fix things around the shop with Gizmo Fabrication

It would seem that every now and again we need to take a break from building walls and making water features. Well that only makes sense since it is winter and all. 

So wadda ya do?

You fix stuff....Thats what you do.

I invited Thomas Carbary from Gizmo Fabrication over to "help" me fix the Aluminum Elk that had fallen over last summer in a wind storm. What really happened is......Thomas came over and fixed the Elk that had fallen over last summer in a wind storm. Let's just say I held the welding rod......

If you need something welded, fixed or fabricated then Thomas is your guy. See the difference between him and any other welder is that he has the eye of an artisan since that is what he primarily does.....art.

Great Guy....Great work

Monte Tareski
 
Cascading Creations

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What in the heck is T & M.....

So....What in the heck is T & M?

T&M Stands for Time and Materials. You may hear contractors talk about T&M this and T&M that but and basically it is "Code" for what the job is going to cost them. 

Here is what I do with all of the estimates that we do. We bid T&M to the customer. 

"Why would you do that?"

 I have been asked

Here is what I tell the prospective customer....

"We are the materials"

• One: Owning a landscape materials yard means we are the materials.  

• Two: as I am the one going to be running the equipment most of the time I sure as heck know how much time it is going to take. If I didn't, I have no business doing the estimate. Don't you think?

 So if you ever hear a contractor throwing around the term Time and Materials you will know what that means. For most  it is their cost on a job. For us it means YOUR cost on a job. And trust me they are one in the same (Their cost with them, and Your cost with us) if you catch my drift.

 

Monte Tareski
Cascading Creations

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So....How much is it gonna cost me?

Have you ever had a contractor come to your house to bid on a project? If you have, what was the turn around on the estimate?

Well.....let me tell you my take on it.  

When I first started doing estimates for homeowners I would walk on to the property and have a look around. Nine times out of ten I would already have a number in my head before I left. I would then tell the prospective customer that I would get them an estimate within a week or so. That was just plain dumb.

Here were the problems with that method of estimating:

• I did believe that I would produce an estimate within a week, but guess what? Life happens.
• When (and if) I  found time to do the estimate a week later I had forgotten several details about the project.
• I may need to go back and re-measure. (more time involved)
• I would  forget altogether and (heaven forbid) the customer has to call me and ask where their estimate is.

Here is my simple solution (and it has worked flawlessly)

I do the estimate while I am there going over the project with the customer.

Why is this important? Well, let me tell you.

I already have an idea what it will cost and you (the customer) have asked me to come to your home for one reason.....an answer to your question.

"So......How much is it gonna cost me."

Since then I have changed things up a bit.....

I've made it my mission to answer that question when I am there the first time. Not a week later. Not on the phone. Not by email. Right now right there. You will have an answer to your question before I leave. I do follow up with an "official" estimate by email within 24 hours, but 95% of the time it hasn't changed from when I was sitting there with you going over all of the details. All of that and it is a Time and Materials estimate to boot......I will go over that more tomorrow. Untill then, have a fantastic day!

Monte Tareski
Cascading Creations

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