Im a commercial property manager, and hired Bluecollar Scholars to perform waterproofing work on a 100 year old building that was having problems with water getting into the basement during rain. I was expecting a crew of ~ 2 workers, and was pleased to see that they actually sent 4-5 workers each day, getting the job done faster than estimated. Recommended!

Blue Collar Scholars installed two patios for us. The crew did a wonderful job. We showed them inspiration photos of the very modern, concrete and river rock patios we had in mind, and they executed on that vision perfectly. The crew was extremely hardworking, professional, and friendly, plus they made small tweaks and suggestions to improve the design as they went along. They really are artists. They also carefully cleaned up and put the yard back together when they were done. The project timeline was estimated at 7-9 days, and it only took 7. We plan to use this company again!

The Blue Collar team installed new 6x6 garden borders and replaced all the 6x6 framing for a set of stairs (and then reset the existing flagstones within). The headlines: excellence in understanding my project, getting it right the first time, taking care of my heavily landscaped yard as if it were their own, and asking a few very good questions during the work that led to a better outcome. (Note in the photos how neatly the work was done, with minimal disturbance to all the plants nearby.) This was a great crew, and they did a great job - Id certainly work with them again, and recommend them to anyone.

Best crews. The guys are friendly and work so hard to get the job done efficiently and with great care. I have hired them repeatedly over the past 3 years and they do it all from basic yard and garden maintenance to expanding & replacing our concrete driveway. The services I’ve used them for include masonry work, fence and gate construction, deck & pergola construction, and tree installation. I love this company and am so happy that I’ve found one company to manage all my garden & yard demands. Their yearly contract for mowing and cleanup is the best around.

They removed a sinking front walkway, replaced it with a flagstone patio and low, lighted wall and veneered our front porch with flagstone. The work was accomplished in less than a week and very well done. In addition, as a type of yard cleanup, another crew leveled the areas under new decks and added a drain and pipe, then placed pea gravel all around in one day. In both cases the crews were very professional, asking for input and agreements with what was to be done. Afterwards all areas were cleaned and all debris removed. If I ever need additional work, I will contact Sam and his company first for an estimate.

Love Blue Collar Scholars! They were easy to work with, easy to schedule and absolutely hard workers. We had some serious pooling/standing water issues and in one day they solved the issue. I am so grateful I found them and will continue to work with them in future jobs. Everyone was great; I’d give them 6 stars if I could!

We had a great experience with Blue Collar Scholars. Of the companies we consulted about our landscaping renovation, they were the only ones to point out the need to fix the negative grading toward our house. They did a top notch job on everything, and our yard looks great.

My aunt just moved to DC and asked me to help her find a landscaper near Dupont Circle. Of course, I googled best landscaper near me. They weren’t in the ads but they showed the highest rating in my area. I called them and their customer service was great, I set up an estimate three weeks out for my aunt. That was as much as I did about four months ago but when I came to her house last week her backyard was absolutely amazing! She has a new stone patio with a beautiful sitting wall. She is so happy with it and she thanked me all the time for finding these people!

We had a retaining wall fall over in between my aunts house and her neighbors house. We called about five companies and four of us kind of gave us the runaround. It turned out we needed an engineer drawing and a permit to reconstruct the large wall. Blue Collar Scholars was the only company that made that clear in the beginning while all the other companies just wanted to go without a permit. The entire project took about one month they were professional, responsive and easy to work with the whole time.

Blue Collar Scholar Landscaping was great to work with. it was easy to get a estimate and great communication about what the process would entail. When the project started, the crew that came to our house was super professional and did a great job making a new patio for us in roughly a week. I would highly recommend This company to anyone looking for help with landscaping for an outdoor patio, masonry, brick or landscaping project!

Blue Collar Scholar designed and installed a french drain along the side of my house to move water away from the house and repaired concrete and masonry damaged over the years. They showed up on time and worked long hours to finish the job in 2 days! Im happy with the experience and will use them again.

The guys who showed up to do the work very great. Very nice and responsive to my questions. They picked up and nothing was left behind. They were very careful to replace the sod back once they had finished and you could not tell that any work had even been done in my yard. (other than the cleaned out front gardens which had looked horrible before!) I would recommend them!

They did an excellent job installing a flagstone patio and walkway in our back yard. They completed the work in just over a week, and everything looks great. They also cleaned up after themselves, which is a sign of good work.

Sam and his team did a great job repairing our walkway and our patio. They were prompt with their response, courteous, and the work they did looks great. Thank you .

Alex and his team did an amazing job! We definitely plan on using them again on future projects.

Blue Collar Scholars helped us update one side of our home thats been ignored for about 30 years by replacing the old walkway with a new wider one, removing old plants, and regrading the garden patch with new fill dirt and mulch, as well as burying the drains, and reseeding the grass. They were all very professional, prompt, and responsive and exceeded our expectations in every way! We couldnt be happier with the job they did!

BCS is a great local business! They are very friendly, responsive and prompt, both in scheduling/estimating services and in their actual yard work. Used them for fence removal and construction, mosquito/tock spraying and sodding, and am very happy with all of it. Definitely recommend, and definitely will use again.

Blue Collar Scholars completed regrading, buried downspout pipes and put in a dry well. The worked cleanly and efficiently. They were knowledgeable about the work and once scheduled, completed the work ahead of schedule. The cost was a bit high, but the work was done well.

We have used Blue Collar Scholars for a few years now. They solved a water issue that we were having with rain runoff that works for both me and my neighbor. Blue Collar employs many of the same team members that worked on my first project. I appreciate an employer that treats its team members with the dignity and respect that Sam Forline instills at Blue Collar.

Blue Collar Scholars did a great job installing a french drain and repairing the masonry of our front steps.

Blue Collar Scholars are my go to company for landscaping and other outdoor projects as they always do an amazing job! When I had a large tree that was growing over my house - I knew I could trust them with the project and they did not disappoint. They showed up early (8am) and did not leave until sundown as they meticulously took down each section limb by limb with the upmost of care - never rushing or moving more quickly despite the fixed cost quote. It was evident from the start they knew what they were doing and I felt entirely safe working inside my home. They even cut some of the wood into sizes for my firepit! As part of the service they also ground the stump down - but ran out of daylight so had to come back the next day to finish the job. Again - they showed up first thing in the morning and did an amazing job grinding it all the way down so that the area the tree stood is completely flat. It was a large tree so some of my grass came up due to the large size of the limbs and trunk. They replanted grass seed in those areas and cleaned everything up to perfection and checked in to ensure there was nothing else I may need done. It was the talk of the neighborhood - as all my neighbors also marveled at how meticulous they were.

We are so happy with the work Blue Collar Scholars has done for us! First, Blue Collar Scholars did yard maintenance for my sister for years so they came highly recommended.This fall Blue Collar Scholars did our yard cleanup. They did an outstanding job. The entire crew worked efficiently and left the yard looking so much better than they found it.This winter Blue Collar Scholars repaired and updated the water drainage system in our yard. Sam and Tim surveyed the entire yard(front and back) and came up with cost effective solutions to the issues we had and provided very reasonable estimates. There were no end of project cost surprises. We had to wait a few weeks before they started work but once they did, the crew was amazing. They were knowledgeable, professional, kind, friendly and respectful of our time and property. Emilio discussed the project plan with my husband and explained what they did and why from the first day to the last.Jamie, Austin and Rebecca are such a pleasure to work with as well. In fact, while we were in line for the drainage project, we received a handwritten postcard letting us know that the Blue Collar Scholars Team is there for us every step of the way. That was the icing on the cake! Blue Collar Scholars is our choice for yard maintenance and any special projects.

Ive had two great experiences with Blue Collar Scholars.This spring, Blue Collar Scholars did an awesome job cleaning up the mulch beds and plant areas in my yard, and then applying new mulch in each of these areas. I was impressed with the teams attention to detail, including hand-pulling all of the weeds from each bed as part of the preparation. The final result was beautiful.This fall, Blue Collar Scholars returned and cleaned the gutters on my house. My main roof is rather high, and I was impressed with the teamwork where one worker acted as the belay with the rope to ensure the worker at the edge of the roof was able to perform his task safely.Thanks to the quality of service Ive received, I will definitely be using Blue Collar Scholars for future work.

Excellent quality. I also had them install a new privacy fence which looks great.

Everything about Blue Collar Scholars is top flight. They do meticulous work and are a pleasure to work with. Ive used them to install a patio, build a fire place, plant numerous trees, build a walkway, put up a fence, and many other projects big and small. I cannot recommend them enough.

This is a great company and well worth the investment! They did an amazing job with sodding our backyard, and re-seeding the front and back in the fall. They also went above and beyond in answering follow-up questions we had, hand-pulling weeks, cleaning up our overall yard, and kindly doing extra things like helping us adjust our lawnmower settings for optimal grass care, and changing the gas/oil in the mower. They were just a class act all around and the only company we could find that does not use pesticides -- which is great for kids and pets. Thanks to them, our lawn looks better than it has in years!!!

I am super happy with the work that blue color scholars did with our new flagstone patio. They were efficient, their crew was very nice and best of all I can just tell the work is solid and I won’t have to worry about it. Thanks so much for the entire team and a special shout out to Jen as she is great on the phone. Super sweet!

It was a real pleasure to work with Sam and Jamie and the team. Jamie provided a quote the same day. Sam ensured that our difficult timeline was met. Most important is that the work was perfect- the team went out of their way to ensure that there were no problems and that we (the customer) was pleased with their work. Amazing service! Thank you.

Amazing company. I love working with these guys. You will not be disappointed.

Reliable and timely service. Pleasant to work with.

Blue Collar Scholars installed a beautiful stone patio. Very professional and high quality from the initial visit to discuss the scope of the project (including drains under the patio) through installation and follow-up after the patio was installed.

Blue Collar Scholars is the best. We used them to replace mulch around bushes with river rocks to improve drainage to a nearby storm drain. They are competitively priced, on time, responsive, professional, and the work quality was great. Looking forward to working with them on future projects. Highly recommended!

Blue Collar Scholars did outstanding work creating a new brick back patio for us. Their work was top quality with great attention to detail.

I needed a complete yard renovation after purchasing a home in NW DC. We had water coming into the basement, just plain ugly landscaping and a failing patio/driveway area.Blue Collar Scholars came in and fixed everything up beautifully! I avoided an expensive “waterproofing” job that all these other contractors were pushing on me and now have a beautiful back yard I can actually use during the shut down.I also want to point out that their team was super easy to work with. The office was very responsive and the crew was super nice, spoke English and was so hard working. Thanks again BCS!

Communication was outstanding and they did an excellent job!

Blue Collar Scholar has been helping our management company since their inception and they have only gotten better over the years. Great owner in Sam Foreline. Would definitely recommend.

Blue collar scholars did a great job laying a new lawn in our front and back garden. Professional, punctual and high quality work for a fair price. We are also very happy with their lawn-mowing service

I waited in line to have my whole backyard renovated and I couldn’t be happier. Thanks to Elmer and his stone team as well as Austin the scheduling manager we got everything looking so beautiful in my backyard. A tip of advice would be to go with full color thermal flagstone! It is so pretty!

I had blue collar scholars come to my property to build a retaining wall and to fix a patio that had been damaged by water runoff. Sam came over and looked at the project and gave me some ideas, we discussed options and costs. Their estimates were in line with others I had received, and I scheduled the work. They came and did the work, even as the scope of the project changed. The were professional, did the job to the level I would have done if I could, and surprised me. Case in point there was part of the project that changed, which I was disappointed with. However I asked to make some additional changes to bring it closer in line to the original project and they made those without increasing the charge, as they wanted to make it right. I appreciated the job they did and have begun scoping out the next project for them to do. Thank you Blue Collar Scholars team.

Ok, so I kept seeing them in my neighborhood over and over again with their bright blue shirts and decided to give them a call. Before they came to the estimate I went ahead and searched them up and saw their amazing reviews. Still, I wanted to be sure I was getting the best deal so I got a couple other estimates. Blue Collar Scholars gave me an estimate right away as I waited weeks for other estimates so I just went ahead with them. I am so happy I did!!! The whole team is super awesome to work with. Austin, the scheduling manager, was very clear when my work was going to get done. When it was finally scheduled and their crew came, all the workers were super friendly and easy to work with. They took out all this old concrete and they constructed a new stone patio with a beautiful sitting wall. They also fix the drainage problem that was causing a erosion problems next to my house that the other companies failed to point out. If I could give them 10 out of 5 stars I would!

We have used Blue Collar Scholars for a bunch of yard improvements from installing a french drain to removing tree stumps to landscaping the whole yard to installing a new fence. They are super professional, on time, and hard workers. When something goes wrong, they immediately come back and fix. They are responsive and call/text to check-in. We will continue to hire them.

Don’t bother u less you like to be repeatedly waste your time and be blown off.I had a confirmed appointment scheduled weeks ahead of time in August. About a week before, I was contacted it needed to be cancelled and rescheduled. The rescheduled site meeting went fine. I was told the team was going to come back and look at the site again about 5 days later and then come up with a proposal. I never heard whether they came back. None of my texts received the courtesy of a reply. I emailed Blue Collar Scholars multiple times since then and have only received a couple of replies by someone named Jamie, who replied that someone would get back to me. Weeks and weeks later, I haven’t heard a peep.I can’t comment on the quality of work they do, but if it represents anything like the lack of professionalism I have experienced, I imagine there are many better options out there!

The teams that worked on excavating our old patio, building a new one and installing a swale were amazing. The work was done quickly and looks amazing. We are very happy. Tim was great about hearing our needs and building something that looks nice and is Eco-concious. We have recommended them to a fair number of our friends and will be using them in the future again.

This company was on point for my project. Their prices were reasonable. Their work was very professional--as close to perfect as youll get. But above all, they were kind-natured, took pleasure in their work, and were thoughtful in all of their communications. They made the so-so idea I had for my front yard into something better. Thanks.

My parents house flooded during one of the last rainstorms and I had to help them find a contractor to help out. I called the number of them but they all seemed a little ridiculous. Blue-collar scholars came out and gave me a couple of different options and tried to help me save money instead of throwing too much money into the problem. We now have a dry basement using French drains and grading around the house and my parents are so happy!

I was having this work done while living overseas. Despite the challenges this presented, the entire team was extremely helpful in every facet of this project. I was expecting a headache or two throughout this process but I was put at ease from the first call. Their customer service and quality of work are top notch. I must have had 3 different changes to the plants I wanted. Each of which was met with simply a no problem. The finished product is exactly as we discussed and I really couldnt be happier with the turnout. Im not normally one for writing reviews but when someone knocks it out of the park.... a little recognition is the least I can do. Thank you everyone .......the oscars get the hell off the stage music is rolling so its time to go

Blue Collar Scholars was able to diagnose our drainage problem in our yard, propose a solution at reasonable cost, and was able to perform the work in a timely manner. I highly recommend them and will certainly call them if I need help in the future.

I had a fantastic experience with Blue Collar Scholars Landscaping Etc. They came, provided a fair and reasonable estimate, and I signed the contract on the spot. The owner provides prompt and thorough follow-ups of the work that the company completes to ensure quality and satisfaction. Their employees are conscientious and respectful. One time, it was raining on the day they were scheduled to come trim the lawn and I spoke to the owner to tell them that it was okay not to come due to the rain and they waited until the storm passed and came anyway that evening! Customer service cannot get any better than that. I plan to use their services again this season. I looked so long for a company that I could trust and rely on for my landscaping needs and I found it in Blue Collar Scholars. I highly recommend them. Give them a try. You will not regret it!

This organization is just amazing. Their stone masons, their drainage team and their landscape design team just really knocked it out of the park. Sam and Tim are extremely polite and their whole office team was able to correspond with me through the entire project. I never leave reviews but felt compelled to write one!

Their attention to detail is just amazing. Workmanship, friendliness and quality was what I got. To get specific, they built an amazing patio in my back yard, fixed a HUGE drainage problem on the right side of my home and take care of all my landscaping needs. Thanks so much and I’m referring you onto the NW Palisades list serve!

This company is awesome. Their service and the excellence of their work is just outstanding. They completely redid the backyard of my house with new stonework, drainage and new grass and my whole family could not be happier.

I had a terrible problem where water was getting into my basement. I had three other contractors come in and they weren’t really sure what to do and they gave me ridiculous quotes. I called blue collar scholars, talked to Eddie, and set up an appointment three days later. Sam and Tim came out and quickly showed me my drainage problem. We ended up saving so much money. Instead of waterproofing the basement, we created a river gravel swell and re-graded the backyard sure that no water would come close to the house. I am so thankful!

I had some drainage work to be done and they could not have been better and more professional. Responsive, great work and friendly.

I have been very pleased with Blue Collar Scholars for just about 2 years now. Never had a problem with their work and reliability. I have even grown some great relationships with their employees and even their CEO who checks up regularly! They are a great local business who puts their clients first.

If all of these reviews are real, Im surprised that I seem to be the only person that had such a negative experience with this company. I hired them to regrade my backyard. After the initial deposit, it was essentially impossible to get a hold of them to complete the work. I emailed and called several times and even posted on FB. Maybe they were too busy to get back to me but this was over several months. Eventually I had to file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Things did improve more recently though. I did get a hold of someone and they refunded my deposit. I then marked the complaint w/BBB as resolved but I would never want to do business with this company again, especially since there are so many good landscaping companies in the area.

I had an awesome experience with their whole team. We had really bad drainage problems especially in the back basement area and they came out and saw everything. They graded the whole area away from the home and installed French drains. My basement has been dry ever cents. Thank you so much!

We just purchased a new home next to downtown Bethesda and wanted to completely renovate our yard. There was an old patio that we hated and a failing retaining wall. Not to mention that we had a very soggy area right next to the corner of our backyard where the inspector said there might be water damage. Sam and Tim came out and not only did we have a good time, but they showed me the solutions to everything and help me completely redesigned my backyard. They actually solved the drainage problem too! We now have a new paver patio. We have a new stone retaining wall and our grass looks better than ever. I highly recommend and they now have a new fan!

They have done work for my family a few times in the past. Very easy to work with, they did quality work.

We built a large patio and did a great retaining wall. Really helped out with drainage work. The best!

Extremely responsive, and EXTREMELY resourceful identifying the problem and explaining things in a non-condescending tone. Thank you so much!

Knowledgeable. Did not up-sell the scope of the project. Immediately responsive to questions/concerns. Exemplary professionalism.

Super happy with their work! Professional, responsive and their workmanship is just unbelievable. Will recommend them!

Wow! These guys were awesome. They answered my phone right away, provided an estimate that day and then scheduled the big yard clean up I needed before my big Saturday Party with no problems whatsoever. I am so happy I met Sam and his wonderful team.Since that day last Spring, I have had them come over to redo my flagstone patio in the back, fix an old retaining wall (Im in the Pallisades, NW where all of our neighborhood walls are beginning to sag) and do my yard clean up in the Fall.Their work is always perfect, Sam, the owner is very responsive and answers all my questions directly and their prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend!

This company has been doing yardwork for my family for years. I cannot recommend a more friendly, caring staff there is concerned about my needs and treats my garden with care. I have recommended them to quite a few friends and family.

My family has been using Blue Collar Scholars for 7 years now. We have always used their maintenance crews to take care of our yard in potomac and about three years in we started using their other services. We had a HUGE drainage problem in the back of our house. Sam and Alex came in and completely graded the back of our home, installed a couple of window wells and installed a few box drains. This drainage system has worked like a charm for the last couple of years. Super happy with their work and responsiveness! Thanks BCS!!!

These guys are amazing! I was able to get a quote from Sam the same day and scheduled the service right away! They uncovered my moms lost backyard!!

Wow! I had Sam and Blue Collar Scholars come out to do some hardscaping for my parent’s property in Potomac. How quickly they installed the paver driveway, retaining wall and a flagstone walkway in the back was just absolutely amazing. Not only this, but the quality of work just looks fantastic, their attention to detail, the edging and the grade is just perfect for water drainage. I waited about 7 months to post this and the job still looks amazing! Thank you Blue Collar Scholars and my friend Sherry for recommending them!

Sam Forline and the Blue Collar Scholars have done multiple jobs for our mother. She is elderly and on her own and lives far from us (my brother and me). Sadly, previous contractors have taken advantage of her by overcharging and under-delivering on projects for her. BCS has done just the opposite: terrific work, reliable service, fair prices and excellent follow-up. What Sam says his workers will do they do and more.Highly recommended!Paul and Marc

Sam Forline and Blue Collar Scholars did a fantastic job on my parent’s landscape. They completely re-constructed a failing retaining wall, a built a really nice Fence and finally solved our drainage problems in our backyard. I am super happy with their work and their customer service! Thank you BCS!

Holy moly! I decided to give this company a shot at my property in Potomac after reading some of their yelp reviews and now..... I have so much to write! From the moment I called, yes (the owner himself answered), to the time they showed up to give an estimate (on time, and still the owner, to the time their crew (fully professional and well dressed in their uniform) came to clean up our 2 acre estate, everything went so smoothly. The owner himself is a stand up gentleman and their finished product is nothing Ive ever seen before. They neatly did all the edging, all the leaves were cleaned up (even out of the window wells), they found poorly graded spots that were causing water to run to the house and implemented a solution, the way they pruned my Crepe Mrytle and other trees/shrubs were spot on and.... they even fixed my Flagstone patio and 5 foot brick retaining wall in the back! At the end of the day, I am so happy with Blue Collar Scholars and the work they have done. I have referred Sam to all the neighbors on the street (they now work for the neighbors to my right and across the street) and I highly, highly recommend.

Awesome guy to work with nice work fast and very reliable

The owner is extremely rude and disrespectful. He didn’t consider what I had in mind and was very controlling. I don’t recommend doing business with this company.

Work is exceptional.

They built a patio