A Documented Customer Account Last updated:

Homeowner account

Our experience with AJA Landscaping Services

We hired AJA Landscaping Services LLC of Utah in May 2026 for a residential landscaping installation at our home in Draper. This page documents what happened, with source material for every factual claim. We are publishing it so other homeowners can make an informed decision before doing business with this company.

Concrete damage on our property caused during the AJA Landscaping Services project.
Concrete damage caused by AJA Landscaping Services crew during the project, denied by the owner when raised. Detailed in section 3.

At a glance

  1. Wrong tree caliper delivered. Contract specified 2" caliper trees. Tags on delivered trees said 1 3/4". Owner told us "the nursery doesn't sell by caliper." The nursery does.
  2. Wrong plants delivered, never corrected. Several plants did not match contract species. Owner promised to replace and did not.
  3. Property damage during work, then denied. Crew damaged concrete on our property. Owner denied responsibility. We have it on security camera footage.
  4. Owner blamed another contractor for the damage. We have the deflection on video.
  5. "Trees don't need to be staked," the nursery disagreed. Owner agreed to stake only after a speakerphone call to the nursery contradicted him.
  6. Notice of Commencement filed where it has no legal force. Under Utah Code Title 38, Chapter 1b, an NOC applies only to government construction projects. AJA filed one against our private residential property anyway, on the day we raised concerns, and used it as the basis for a mechanic's lien threat against our home.
  7. Notice of commencement still active after full payment. We paid in full. The lien-preserving filing against our property is still listed as active on the Utah State Construction Registry.
  8. $600 added to the final invoice. Above the contracted price. Corrected on site after we caught it.
  9. An aggressive final walkthrough. The owner and two crew members positioned themselves around my wife (a 5'7" homeowner alone on her property). An independent third-party contractor on site stayed because he did not feel it was safe to leave her with them.
  10. Refused to resolve when called directly. When I called Ashton to try to resolve the situation calmly, he hung up after I asked whether he was threatening my family. He later said all future communication should go through his attorney. No attorney has contacted us.

Who this is about

Business
AJA Landscaping Services LLC
Owner
Ashton Apgood
Primary address
61 E 4800 S, Murray, UT 84107
Address on invoice
2650 East Arbor Lane, Suite 17584, Holladay, UT 84117
Phones
(801) 879-2737, (385) 474-4206
Email
ajalandscapingservices@gmail.com
Website
ajalandscaping.com

Contact information above is from AJA Landscaping Services' own public marketing materials, our invoice, and the Utah State Construction Registry filing. Posted here to make verification easy for other homeowners.

Why we made this page

We have already left reviews of AJA Landscaping Services on Google, the Better Business Bureau, and Yelp. Those reviews are short by design. This page is the long version, with the documentation behind each claim, so other Utah homeowners can decide for themselves whether to do business with this company.

We have a written contract and invoice (#78 dated May 11, 2026), the Utah State Construction Registry filing record, photographs of as-delivered materials, photographs and video from residential security cameras, and a third-party contractor witness who was present on our property during the final walkthrough. Where we state something as fact below, the type of evidence supporting it is labeled inline on each card.

The project

In May 2026, we contracted AJA Landscaping Services LLC to perform a residential landscaping installation at our home in Draper, Utah. The contracted price was $15,450.00. The project was scheduled to run from May 4, 2026 through May 11, 2026.

The scope of work, per the signed contract:

  • Trees: 7 Columnar Swedish Aspen (Populus tremula 'Erecta'), at 2" caliper, plus 1 Miss Kim Lilac in tree form (Syringa patula 'Miss Kim') at #10 size.
  • Shrubs: 15 Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Fire Light').
  • Perennials and groundcover: 13 Fall Aster, 13 'Ruby Star' Coneflower, 14 'Rozanne' Geranium, 10 'East Friesland' Meadow Sage.
  • Hardscape and beds: 170 linear feet of commercial-grade metal edging with steel stakes, 12 cubic yards of EnviroColor premium mulch over commercial-grade woven weed barrier fabric and landscape staples.
  • Lawn and rockwork: lawn regrading, sod installation, and adjustment/resetting of an existing rock retaining wall.
  • Plant care: proper planting technique, soil preparation, and initial watering. The contract is silent on the question of post-installation tree staking, guy-wiring, or wind stabilization.

(Caliper is the diameter of a tree's trunk, measured six inches above the ground. It is the standard sizing for nursery stock and the basis for price.)

AJA's promise vs. our experience

Below are statements that AJA Landscaping Services publishes on their own website (ajalandscaping.com), paired with what we actually documented during our project. Their words on the left. Our experience on the right.

AJA's promise

“Plants hand-picked for your design and sourced from trusted local Utah nurseries.”

What we got

Trees specified in our contract at 2" caliper arrived tagged 1 3/4". Multiple plant species delivered did not match the contract. The owner stated he would replace them; he did not.

AJA's promise

“Designed, built, and finished by one accountable, in-house team.”

What we got

When AJA's crew damaged concrete on our property and we showed the owner security camera footage, the owner blamed a separate contractor present on the property for a different job. We have the deflection recorded on video.

AJA's promise

“For homeowners who want it done right the first time.”

What we got

Concrete damage during work, then denied. Wrong tree caliper. Wrong plants delivered and never replaced. An on-site dispute about whether trees needed staking that was only resolved when the nursery contradicted the owner on a speakerphone call.

AJA's promise

“Design + build handled start to finish.”

What we got

A final walkthrough during which the owner and two crew members positioned themselves physically around my wife. Repeated threats to file a mechanic's lien against our home as leverage. A Notice of Commencement filed on the final day, after we raised concerns, that remains active despite full payment.

Quoted statements from AJA Landscaping Services were retrieved from their website on May 13, 2026.

Documented issues

Source: signed contract + photos of delivered tree tags

1. Wrong tree caliper delivered

The signed contract specified 7 Columnar Swedish Aspens at 2" caliper. The tags affixed to the trees that arrived on our property listed a caliper of 1 3/4". When we pointed this out, the owner Ashton Apgood responded that the nursery does not sell trees by caliper, only by height.

We verified directly with the nursery that they do sell stock by caliper and tag accordingly. When pressed on the size discrepancy, the owner stated that 1 3/4" and 2" are "basically the same thing" and that there was "no difference in cost." Nurseries price trees by caliper. The cost difference between 1 3/4" and 2" caliper stock is not zero.

Source: signed contract + first-person observation on site

2. Wrong plants delivered, never corrected

Several of the plants delivered did not match the species named in the signed contract. We brought the discrepancy to the owner's attention on site. He stated he would obtain the correct plants. He did not. The incorrect plants remain installed.

Source: residential security camera footage + on-site photographs

3. Concrete damage during work, then denied

During the project, members of the AJA Landscaping Services crew damaged concrete on our property. When we raised this with the owner, he denied that his crew was responsible. We have the act of damage recorded on residential security camera footage from the property. When he was shown the footage, the owner responded that the damage was "just the nature of a job site."

Photograph of the concrete damage on our property caused during the AJA Landscaping Services project.
Photo of the concrete damage on our property.
Security camera footage of the act of damage being caused.
Additional security camera footage of damage being caused.
Source: video recorded on our property

4. Owner blamed another contractor for the damage

After the security footage established that the damage was caused by his own crew, the owner shifted to blaming a different contractor who was on the property that day on a separate job. The exchange was captured on video.

Owner of AJA Landscaping Services on our property, attributing concrete damage to another contractor present on a separate job.
Source: phone call placed in our presence on site

5. "Trees don't need to be staked," the nursery disagreed

The signed contract was silent on tree staking. The owner asserted that the newly planted trees did not need staking. We pushed back, citing standard practice for new trees of that size. To settle the disagreement, he placed a call to the nursery on speakerphone in front of us. The nursery employee told him directly, on that call, that newly planted trees of this caliper do need to be staked to grow straight. He agreed to stake the trees only after the nursery contradicted him.

Source: Utah Code Title 38 Chapter 1b + public SCR filing record

6. Notice of Commencement filed where it has no legal force

Utah's Notice of Commencement (NOC) statute is found at Utah Code Title 38, Chapter 1b, Section 201. The chapter is titled "Government Construction Projects." Part 2 within that chapter is titled "Notices Relating to Government Projects." Section 201 is titled "Notice of commencement for a government project." The statute states the filing requirement applies "at a government project site."

For private residential projects, the Notice of Commencement does not apply. The State Construction Registry's own contractor guide states it plainly: "Notice of Commencement is only required for Government jobs. All other jobs no longer require a Notice of Commencement." Lien-rights preservation on a residential project is handled by a different filing (a Preliminary Notice) under a different chapter (Title 38, Chapter 1a).

Our project was a private residential one in Draper, Utah. AJA Landscaping Services filed a Notice of Commencement against our property anyway, on May 11, 2026, the same day we raised concerns about workmanship and property damage, and the same day they presented the final invoice. The project began May 4, 2026. They did not file during the seven days the project was underway. They filed after concerns were voiced.

In the same conversation, the owner began threatening on site to file a mechanic's lien against our home if we did not pay immediately. As a Notice of Commencement on a private residential project, the filing has no legal force as defined by Chapter 1b. The threat that rested on it was unenforceable. We did not know this at the time. Other homeowners reading this should. The filing record itself is shown in the next card (issue 7) below.

Screenshot of the Utah State Construction Registry's own published filing rules. The 'Who should file' section identifies the filer as the Contractor or Owner, the 'For' field lists Government Project or Projects Started before August 1, 2011, and the 'When' clause specifies a 15-day deadline at a GOVERNMENT project site. The Government Project line is highlighted.
The Utah State Construction Registry's own filing rules page. The "For" line specifies that the Notice of Commencement requirement is for government project sites. The 15-day filing deadline likewise applies only to government projects.
Source: public Utah State Construction Registry record

7. Notice of commencement still active after full payment

Invoice #78 was issued by AJA Landscaping Services on May 11, 2026 and marked paid in full on the same day. As of the time this page was published, the Notice of Commencement filed against our property remains listed as active on the Utah State Construction Registry.

Once a contractor has been paid in full, they are expected to release the filing. The continued active status of the filing means that AJA Landscaping Services' theoretical lien position against our property has not been released even though they were paid in full.

Screenshot of the Utah State Construction Registry showing the Notice of Commencement remains in active status after the invoice was paid in full.
Utah State Construction Registry record showing the Notice of Commencement remains active after invoice #78 was paid in full on May 11, 2026.
Source: signed contract vs. presented final invoice

8. $600 added to the final invoice

At the time final payment was requested, the invoice presented was about $600 higher than the corresponding portion of the agreed contract price. We reviewed the contract against the invoice with the owner on site. After several minutes of back-and-forth, he adjusted the invoice back down to the contracted amount. We have no way of knowing whether other customers caught the same kind of discrepancy in time.

9. The final walkthrough

This is the part of the experience we feel the strongest need to document, because it involved a pattern of conduct that no homeowner, and especially no woman alone with a contractor crew, should accept as normal.

The final walkthrough on a residential landscaping project is the homeowner's opportunity to review the completed work against the signed contract before final payment is released. It is industry standard. AJA Landscaping Services had agreed to a walkthrough in advance.

I (the husband) was not present on the property when the walkthrough began. My wife was alone with the owner, Ashton Apgood, and two members of his crew. My wife is 5'7" tall. The owner and his two crew members are grown men.

Per my wife's first-person account, supported by an independent third-party contractor who was on the property that day on a separate job:

  • Before the walkthrough was finished, the owner stopped the review, became visibly angry, and demanded full final payment on the spot.
  • During the disagreement, the owner and both crew members positioned themselves physically around her, closing the space.
  • The owner threatened, multiple times during the exchange, to walk off the job and to file a mechanic's lien against our home as leverage to force immediate payment.
  • The third-party contractor on our property that day, who had been hired by us for a separate concrete job, did not feel comfortable leaving my wife alone with the AJA crew and stayed past the end of his own work for that reason.

In her own words:

“The moment I started pointing out concerns with the work and damage to our property, Ashton's entire demeanor changed. What started as a normal final walkthrough quickly became confrontational and uncomfortable.”

- Nicole, on the start of the dispute

“As a woman standing there alone while my husband was at work, I felt extremely intimidated. Ashton was yelling that I was ‘nit picking’ while wildly throwing his hands in the air, and multiple members of the crew were gathered closely around me during the discussion. I felt cornered, overwhelmed, and very uncomfortable.”

- Nicole, on being surrounded by the crew
Photograph from our property during the final walkthrough showing the AJA Landscaping Services owner and two crew members positioned around the homeowner during the dispute.
Photograph taken during the final walkthrough dispute on our property.

“I was not refusing to pay or trying to create conflict. I simply wanted the opportunity to finish the walkthrough and discuss legitimate concerns about the workmanship and damage. Instead of addressing those concerns professionally, the situation escalated and I walked away feeling shaken, disrespected, and honestly unsafe being there alone.”

- Nicole, on walking away from the walkthrough

Opinion (clearly labeled): We perceived this conduct as deliberate intimidation of a smaller, isolated person to force payment before legitimate quality and damage issues could be discussed. We do not believe a customer of any size should be put in the physical position my wife was put in on her own property.

10. After the walkthrough: my attempt to resolve it directly

This section is in my (the husband's) voice. After my wife called me describing what had happened, my first action was to try to resolve the situation directly with Ashton Apgood, the owner of AJA Landscaping Services. What follows is a first-person account of those calls.

“After my wife called me in tears describing how disrespected and intimidated she felt during the final walkthrough, I was extremely upset and immediately asked for Ashton Apgood's phone number so I could try to resolve the situation directly.”

- Cody, on first hearing what happened

“I called him multiple times and initially received no answer. After several calls, I texted him identifying myself and explaining that I wanted to discuss what had happened at our home. I continued attempting to reach him, and he eventually answered the phone. During our first conversation, he appeared defensive and frustrated. The call abruptly ended after he claimed his phone was about to die.”

- Cody, on first reaching Ashton

“I texted him afterward asking him to please call me back once his phone was charged. About fifteen minutes later, he called me again. During that second conversation, I attempted to calmly discuss the property damage and the concerns we had with the project. I explained that portions of the damage had been captured on video and asked whether there was anything he could do to help resolve the situation professionally before further action became necessary.”

- Cody, on the second phone conversation

“When I explained that unresolved property damage and contractor misconduct may need to be reported to the appropriate authorities if a resolution could not be reached, Ashton sounded angry on the phone. During the exchange, I interpreted his comments and tone as threatening in nature. I specifically asked him whether he was threatening me or my family in any way. Immediately after that question, he abruptly hung up the phone.”

- Cody, on Ashton's reaction to mentioning authorities

“The following day, I attempted to contact him one final time to see whether he was willing to discuss the matter calmly and professionally. During that conversation, Ashton stated that all future communication should go through his attorney and claimed that his attorney would be contacting me shortly. As of now, I have not yet been contacted by any attorney representing him.”

- Cody, on the final call

Source documents

Below is invoice #78 issued by AJA Landscaping Services, dated and marked paid May 11, 2026. Personal identifying information (last name, street address, personal phone) has been redacted at the source. All other contents (line items, plant species, quantities, contract pricing, the discount adjustment, and the "PAID" watermark) are unchanged from the original AJA Landscaping Services document.

A redacted PDF of the full invoice is available for download.

Invoice #78 page 1 of 4 from AJA Landscaping Services. Recipient block (last name and street redacted) and plant material line items: 13 Fall Aster, 13 Coneflower 'Ruby Star', 14 Geranium 'Rozanne', 10 Meadow Sage 'East Friesland', 15 Panicle Hydrangea 'Fire Light', 7 Columnar Swedish Aspen at 2 inch RC Bag, 1 Miss Kim Lilac. Item total $10,200, due this invoice $5,100. PAID watermark visible.
Invoice #78, page 1 of 4. Recipient block and plant material line items, including 7 Columnar Swedish Aspens specified at 2" RC Bag (caliper).
Invoice #78 page 2 of 4 from AJA Landscaping Services. Metal edging ($2,650 / $1,325 due), Mulch and Fabric Installation ($2,600 / $1,300 due), Lawn Repair and Rock Retaining Wall Adjustment ($0 / $0, included as scheduling incentive). PAID watermark visible.
Invoice #78, page 2 of 4. Metal edging, mulch and fabric, lawn repair and rock retaining wall scope.
Invoice #78 page 3 of 4 from AJA Landscaping Services. Subtotal $7,725.00, Discount minus $2,150.00, Total $5,575.00, Paid minus $5,575.00, Invoice balance $0.00, Account balance $0.00. PAID watermark visible.
Invoice #78, page 3 of 4. Totals and zero balance confirmation.
Invoice #78 page 4 of 4 from AJA Landscaping Services. Payment schedule: Paid 50% Deposit to Reserve Schedule $7,475.00, This Invoice 50% Final Payment Upon Completion $5,575.00. PAID watermark visible.
Invoice #78, page 4 of 4. Payment schedule: $7,475 deposit plus $5,575 final.

What we have done since

  • Filed a 1-star review on AJA Landscaping Services' Google Business Profile, documenting the experience.
  • Filed a 1-star review on Yelp.
  • Filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of Utah.
  • Built this page so the long-form, source-cited version of our account is publicly available to other homeowners considering this company.

The Utah Division of Consumer Protection accepts contractor complaints at dcp.utah.gov/complaints.html. We encourage anyone with a similar experience to file there as well.

Notice

Due to the escalating nature of the interactions, the homeowners revoked permission for AJA Landscaping Services LLC to return to the property and requested that all future communication occur in writing.

If you are hiring a landscaper in Utah

From our experience, regardless of which company you choose:

  • Document the property condition before work begins. Date-stamped photos of every surface, fence, irrigation line, and tree the crew might affect.
  • Get every specification in writing. Tree caliper, plant species (Latin names), tree staking specifically called out as included or not, irrigation specifications, materials specs. Vague contract language protects the contractor, not you.
  • Confirm a Notice of Commencement is filed at the start of work, not held back as leverage. The Utah State Construction Registry is searchable. Ask your contractor for the filing number in week one.
  • Do not be alone on the property during the final walkthrough or any payment discussion if you have any concerns about the contractor's conduct.
  • Run security cameras through the duration of the job. They are inexpensive and they are the difference between "your word against theirs" and a documented record.
  • Know your dispute options: the Better Business Bureau, the Utah Division of Consumer Protection (dcp.utah.gov), Utah small claims court (current cap: $15,000), and the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing for any licensed contractor.
  • After paying in full, confirm any Notice of Commencement filed against your property has been released. A contractor who refuses or fails to release the filing after payment is preserving a lien position they no longer have legitimate grounds for.

How to verify these claims

You do not need to take our word for anything stated on this page. Every fact we describe is sourced from public records, AJA Landscaping Services' own published materials, or evidence linked above. Here is where to verify each:

  • Utah State Construction Registry. Search for the Notice of Commencement entry to confirm filing date and current status: secure.utah.gov/scr
  • AJA Landscaping Services' Google Business Profile. Read all customer reviews on Google: View on Google Maps
  • AJA Landscaping Services on the Better Business Bureau. Official BBB profile and complaint record: bbb.org listing
  • AJA Landscaping Services on Yelp. Customer reviews on Yelp: yelp.com page
  • AJA Landscaping Services on Facebook. Their own posts and customer comments: facebook.com/ajalandscapingservices
  • AJA Landscaping Services on Instagram: instagram.com/aja_landscaping_
  • AJA Landscaping Services' own website. To read their stated promises and marketing claims in context: ajalandscaping.com
  • Utah Division of Consumer Protection. To file your own complaint or search existing ones: dcp.utah.gov

If any reader believes anything on this page is factually incorrect, we welcome documentation that contradicts it. See the response invitation below.

Update log

This page is maintained as a living record. If AJA Landscaping Services or any attorney representing them provides a response, it will be added below in full with the date received. If we discover a factual error on this page, we will correct it and note the correction here.

  • May 13, 2026: Page published. Documented issues, evidence, receipts, timeline, and first-person accounts. Permission for AJA Landscaping Services to return to the property was revoked and a request for written-only communication was issued.

AJA Landscaping Services is invited to respond

If AJA Landscaping Services LLC, or its owner Ashton Apgood, wishes to provide a response to anything stated on this page, we will publish that response in full and unedited on this page. We will clearly identify what is theirs and what is ours.

If they can produce documentation that contradicts anything stated here as fact, we will correct the page. We have nothing to gain from inaccuracy and we will publicly note any correction we make.