Foundation reviews across the US

I am writing to express my extreme dissatisfaction and disappointment in work recently done in my home. I believe I was overcharged for the work done. Initially, the principal indicated he worked for Soil and Structural Consulting (SSC), NOT Structural Repair and Renovations (SRR). As I will explain below, I only learned that I had hired SRR when the principal told me to make out my check to SRR at the end of the work. I was never provided a contract or an invoice. I was charged me $2000 for drawings and $4800 for the actual repair and all pricing was given to me verbally—no contract was provided.
The initial scope of the work sounded substantial however the scope was never fully explained to my satisfaction. In fact, as I understood the repair, I thought it would be difficult to execute and would result in significant damage to the basement drywall ceilings. However, when we actually pulled the floor open, we found the real source of the problem--the joists did not even fully extend to the load-bearing wall. The solution would not require the extensive work in the basement as originally prescribed rather, it would be a much simpler repair. We determined that we only needed to scab 2x10 members to the existing joists. Since I had previously exposed the subfloor in this area (I had already removed the hardwood flooring), it was a very simple procedure to repair this issue. Therefore, the scope of the original work quoted was significantly reduced, and the pricing should have been reduced accordingly.
In addition to the pricing, there were several other issues with the performance of SRR. I was at home and assisted SRR's workers at all times they were in my home. The "crew" was supposed to show up at my house at 8am on Monday morning, February 27, 2017. However only one person actually came and he did not show up until noon. He spent roughly 3 hours working and then had to leave to buy 3 more 2x10s. The second day he showed up around 9am and brought with him a helper--who is actually a painter and not an employee of SSR. I do not believe he was paid and it appeared that he had no prior experience with structural and/or foundation repair. The helper left at noon and the original crew member was left on his own. I bought him lunch and he and I worked until roughly 2pm. When electrical wires needed to be moved, I actually did the electrical work. He worked for roughly one full day and had his helper (who is a painter) worked with him for roughly half a day. Both of these workers barely spoke English and I had to converse with them in Spanish. When he left he indicated he was finished with the job, but they left the floor completely open to the joists and did not replace the subfloor. Clearly, $4800 for about 12 hours of work, done with my assistance, is price gouging.
The scope of the work was completely extraneous and unnecessary and resulted in me being grossly overcharged. In addition, as described above, the way in which the service was provided, including unqualified workers, was extremely disappointing.
The company that provided the drawings and who I believed would do the actual work is Soil and Structure Consulting. However, they are not the same company who did the actual repair work. They have created a separate company for that work - now for obvious reasons. It looks like originally the company was started as "Drainage and Erosion Solutions LLC". It looks like that company had to close due to numerous complaints filed against it (as per the Better Business Bureau). And now they have opened a new company "Structural Repair and Renovations". This company already has one formal complaint registered with the BBB. I wonder how many complaints were resolved outside of BBB, meaning that the public would never know about them?
Buyer beware.

We had our entire backyard regraded. We love the finished product and use our backyard often! There were definitely some hiccups along the way and timing that was way off mostly due to all the rain we’ve had over the summer, however love the finished backyard.

I can not recommend Structural Repair & Renovations, SS&R (nor their sister company given it has the same principles - Soil & Structure Consulting, Inc., and their partnered Landscape Architect - Ed Ball Landscape Architecture). Post contract signing, there were numerous issues with project communication and planning leading to an overall negative experience which could have been easily avoided. SS&R did attempt to close the project by refunding a percentage of the final amount due, which was accepted, but another contractor will need to be engaged to complete the project. In the end, we will have what we wanted - a wonderful outdoor escape - but regret not selecting the contractor we had first planned to go with - Hemax Construction.

Even though one of SS&R's principles stated they would be the PM for the project, the PM role was absent and not executed on. There was no day-to-day management along with taking ownership and responsibility for the work and dealing with any issues in a timely manner. Problems ranged from...

- There was not a written project plan with estimated dates, even though it was requested numerous time
- Little to no communication about phases of the project
- Onsite presence was minimal at best, which lead to numerous issues:
- Material shortages
- Labor issues and not knowing when workers would be onsite
- Incorrect materials being delivered and installed
- Inability to deliver on certain requirements
- Inability to work through issues (had to pull in other contractors directly to complete certain requirements of the project, patio and re-construction work)
- Did not deliver on verbal commitments
- Deck and hardscaping work was completed by two distinct groups, that did not communicate

A positive was that the onsite team did do their best to work through issues and worked hard through the hot and wet summer.

We developed serious drainage issues when a large house was built on a hill overlooking our home. What had been a grassy drainage ditch was suddenly a flowing torrent after heavy rains. Ken Frain and his crew built a drainage ditch using river rock. The ditch has done a great job of keeping the water flow contained during heavy rain. A definite plus is ended up being a great addition to our landscaping.

If you're a new customer, I can't recommend this company. Twice scheduled an initial appointment and they were a no-show both times. I took it as a pretty big red flag that this company is not well organized and doesn't treat all customers equal. Ken and Dave are the names of the reps who did not keep their appointments. Neither called to say they couldn't make it, and neither contacted us to apologize. All of my communication was through an assistant who was apologetic, but she's just stuck in the middle. In contrast, the owner for one of their competitors showed up within 2 days of my initial outreach and did a 90 minutes walk-through of my property.

This company installed a bridge for our neighborhood and did a ridiculously poor job. Not only did it take forever, but the bridge was presumably prefabbed off site and they didn't realize that they couldn't physically move it down the trails to install it. From what I understand, they had to somehow convince the neighboring properties to allow them to drag the monstrosity across their property to the install location.

They also jacked up the concrete ramps on both sides so that there's an uneven transition off of the bridge and onto the path, and they made one side of the bridge so steep that there's no way that it's ADA compliant even though they claim that it is.

Just seek out a different contractor, these guys aren't worth your time & money

Pat was responsive and helpful throughout the entire process. He took the time to answer our questions and was very communicative about our options. He went above and beyond in not only inspecting our basement area, but also the rest of our house, giving us pointers and tips along the way. During the work, his team was fast, efficient and professional. If we have any other projects in the future, we are definitely going to be reaching out to Pat and team

My garage was "leaning" away and Structural Repair and Renovations was a one stop shop. The foundation repair, the brick work/repair, the wall crack repair was all fabulous. They also took care of all the coordination for the county permits. They were great!

I reached out to them in mid March for an estimate on a structural beam in my home. Pat came out to take photos and measurements to provide the estimate with engendered plans. Two weeks went by without an estimate, I called asking and they sent me a Contract to sign along with a deposit ($1,550.00) that was paid on 4/7/22. It would be 3 weeks before someone would come out to tear out my drywall to measure so that they could provide the estimate with the plans. This was after numerous calls. Pat informed me to expect the estimate within a few days. Then I get a bill to pay the remaining balance ($1,550.00). I proceeded to email them asking why I should pay in full for an estimate I was yet to receive, they apologized for the mistake. A few days later I was told someone else would need to come back to measure to complete the estimate. Then I was told directly on Wednesday the 11th of May to expect estimate on Friday the 13th. No estimate. It’s now Monday morning so I called their office yet again only to be passed on to a project manager that proceeded to tell me the reason I haven’t received an estimate was because someone needs to come out to measure and tear out my drywall. It’s been 7 weeks since I paid a deposit ($1,550.00) and all I have to show for it is two large holes in my ceiling. Pat doesn’t return my calls or texts. Ken the owner hasn’t returned my call or texts. This company in my experience has shown me nothing but incompetence and a complete disregard for their paying customer. I strongly suggest you look elsewhere. - Joe Nicolau

A potentially “bad” crack was found on an outside wall during a Saturday home inspection. The home inspector, Jarrett Ziegler, recommended we reach out to Ken Fraine for a second opinion. I left a voicemail for Ken and although he was traveling, he called from the airport to discuss the situation and told me his assistant would call me Monday morning. Sure enough, John called Monday and Ken was at the property at 10:45 Monday morning. I received a report and estimate for repairs that day. My clients are thrilled that the property is safe and in need of minor repairs. Thank you, Ken.

We had a fantastic experience with Structural Repair & Renovation. From assessing our project needs to recommending viable solutions and communicating throughout the process, they were reliable and easy to work with. We are very happy with the finished product.

A free estimate saved us over $10K and weeks of headaches.

We had water in the lower level of our home, and had no idea where it was coming from. The first company we called sent out a project manager who was certain the water was coming up through the foundation and quoted us for interior french drains and a sump pump. This seemed plausible given the age and location of our house.

I called Structural Repair & Renovations to get a second opinion, and was surprised when Pat found standing water in and on our HVAC unit. He was certain that was our culprit. Sure enough, we managed to get an HVAC crew in a day later and they found a leaking water pipe.

It’s been two days since Pat assessed our situation, and now there is no situation. You better believe I’ll call them first next time!

I am a Property Management Professional who has worked with Structural Repair & Renovations over the course of a few years on many projects, specifically related to storm drain repairs. They are quick, efficient, and do high quality and long lasting work for a decent price. I highly recommend trusting them with your next job.

My wife and I had Structural Repair and Renovations design and install a solution for pooling water next to our home. Pat actively listened to our concerns and input. Together, we came up with a creative and effective combination of a French drain, perforated pipe drainage system, and an aesthetically pleasing overlay which both solved our water drainage problem and created a pleasing and functional surface.
The work was professionally and promptly performed.
We are very pleased with the end result!

We had an amazing experience working with Structural Repair & Renovations on building our patio! From the start, we received beautiful recommendations within our budget on ways to design this space. They performed excellent work, were extremely professional, and kept us informed throughout the process. We love our new patio and highly recommend Structural Repair & Renovations!

Excellent service- professional, fair and very thorough. We had roof truss work done by another contractor that we didn’t feel was done right; we contacted Structural Repair & Renovations to take a look and they were able to fix the work right away. We especially appreciated Andy’s thoroughness, follow up and the scheduling coordination with Lena.

Structural repair and renovations built my deck. They built it from scratch and followed the process thoroughly including structural design, sharing a drawing with me and sending a couple of options, making adjustments to my liking, then taking county's approval etc. They used good quality material and the quality of their workmanship was top notch. The project was started on time as promised, did the work efficiently and completed the job and cleaned the premises spotless. The owners of the company are structural engineers. They are very knowledgeable and easy to communicate. I've a complete peace of mind with the work that they have done. I would definitely call them for my next project. Highly recommended if you are looking for a high quality job and put your next project in the hands of trustworthy people.

We live on a hill, and our foundation was slowing subsiding resulting in cracks in our basement walls and floor. Structural Repair & Renovations did an outstanding job with the repairs and left our yard in better condition than when they began work. Our first inquiry to them resulted in a civil engineer coming to our property for a site visit to assess the overall problem and recommend a basic solution. They then provided a reasonable and fair bid for the work, and once we signed a contract, another engineer came over to do a more comprehensive study and gather the necessary information to prepare a detailed plan. After city approval they began work, and we were very impressed with the care they took to minimize the impact to our house and yard. The crew was highly professional, diligent, and happy to explain what they were doing during the entire process. After the work was completed they did a thorough restoration of the affected areas and thoroughly cleaned our driveway and walkways. We would not hesitate to use Structural Repair & Renovations for any subsequent work,

We hired structural repair and renovations to replace some footings on an addition to our house. We selected them from five contractors based on the price (middle of the pack) and the warranty on the work (best of the bunch). They started by drawing up detailed plans that included some additional suggestions for shoring up the structure that would be compliant with modern code requirements. Once we authorized the work they started promptly. The work crews were polite and communicative. My primary contact with the company was Pat, who was also communicative and answered all my questions or put me in touch with the engineers who could. The workers found some old termite damage necessitating additional repairs and the quote to fix it was very reasonable. All in all the work appears solid and this was about an easy experience as major repairs to a home can be. Thank you!

Hy-tech foundation repair is the best foundation repair company in Houston, TX. Cullen and the team were incredibly prompt, respectful and helpful throughout our job. I would highly recommend.

We had an excellent experience with high-tech foundation repair. The entire team was professional, quick, and extremely efficient throughout the entire project. What stood out the most was their honesty and transparency, even though they delivered bad news, they were truthful, straightforward, and took the time to explain everything clearly. That level of integrity is hard to find and greatly appreciated. The crew worked hard, communicate communicated well, and made a stressful situation much easier for our family. We highly recommend high-tech to anyone needing foundation work done! Thank you Jessica, Noe, and Juan for everything! You guys make an incredible team!