What an awful mess  One suggestion that has proven helpful to me in sorting out certain disagreements in the past. Go ahead and sit down and write an account of what happened. Record your memory of conversations, the days / hours he worked, etc. Keep notes brief and clear. Even the posts here are evidence of your intentions to create a safe entrance that added value and beauty to your home. You may have other notes, e-mails, etc. that refer to your project and your intention in hiring a "pro". The point of this exercise is to leave your options open. You may decide to do nothing, learn from the experience, and, as my Dad used to say, "overwhelm the problem with money". But, should you decide to pursue a fair resolution, having things in writing  even after the fact  will help. Next, make a decision about legal advice. The funny thing here is that you would again be accepting assistance from a pro. Twice in recent years I've needed a lawyer's opinion. My upbringing schooled me to avoid litigation like an unseemly plague, so the need was only pursued with great reluctance. In the first instance, one involving a need to sort out an issue with a government agency, I lucked into a lawyer who was willing to "coach" me in what to research, letters to write, and keeping a careful record. I paid her absolutely nothing. That matter took about 12 months to resolve. Courts, litigation, almost always take much longer. If I were you, I think I'd be feeling like I'd been robbed. We hire a pro to do professional work. It's an assumption, but I don't know if it holds as a legal standard. I can tell you that in gathering quotes from three companies that do paving work for a project at my home, not one of them suggested anything less than a 8" to 12" inch base. The area we wanted paved had been a gravel bed (previous owners) and my spouse wanted to know if that material could be reused somehow. Looking back, I suppose that was an open opportunity for abuse, which none of the contracters we spoke to was willing to take. As one of the contracter's put it, "Even if this gravel were usable, I want to do the job right from base to finish  We'll clean it out, start from scratch, and get the grade corrected in the process." Since then, I've read quite a bit here at the LD forum, so I've heard chapter and verse a few times on installing paths and patios. With very rare exceptions, and even those are debated, the base is the thing. Without it, the beauty, function, and durability of the finished surface is compromised. As you stated  for your entry you wanted things done right. That should have included the standard base for a well-built and beautiful entrance pathway. Hope things work out well and soon  Wellspring

Love your entry!! A while ago I remember someone entering a post with brick and travertine mixed on an outside patio entertainment area and front entry.The poster had flagstone on steps with bullnosed brick edging the steps. They had found great colors that flowed together It was very pretty and the textures worked well. If you do a search on outside entertainment areas maybe you will find it. That said, I agree with squirrel that the stone on the columns wouldn't be the right fit. I would stick with the wood columns, and if a change is desired maybe change the look with simple detailing. Love the retaining wall! Where is it in proximity to the front of your house?

Yardvaark - You are absolutely correct. I had originally gone through that process with every intention of rebuilding the steps as they were (depending on the contractor, that meant brick + concrete, or brick + stone since the original steps were not 100% reproducible). I decided on a brick contractor due to his ability to source matching bricks, and also his incredibly fair price. It hasn't been until recently that I've re-opened the can of worms of whether or not I really want the front to be rebuilt to match the original, rather than using this opportunity to make some changes. Another reason for not committing to a design before a contractor is because, for me, budget will always be a factor in whether or not a design element is worth it. I don't know how much a design detail will affect the overall cost until I talk with the contractor, and that often affects whether or not it becomes part of the final plan. In the case of the brick contractor, the difference between having a contractor willing to work with angled buttresses vs. not was $15,000 vs. $5,500. Since I don't plan on living in this house forever, I'm more concerned about ROI in the long run vs. having something built to perfectly fit my personal preferences. I respect that everyone has a different threshold for different design decisions, and I love getting to see the results of that!

A follow up question... I put the Azek trim board, as you suggested, but ultimately the wife misses the tiles. I was originally planning on putting some tiles like this over the azek, but the tiles are 18mm deep and with the Azek on already, I only have 7mm of space left. If I remove the azek, I have 25mm, which is enough, but then I'm putting tiles directly on that Vycor that is covering the concrete. It seems like my choices are: Find some really thin tile Find a thinner piece of Azek (the current is 3/4, I see there are some 1/2 out there Remove the Azek entirely and adhere the tiles directly to the Vycor. No idea if that would work or not Something else I'm not thinking of. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!