Foundations First

unknown

Things didn't go well with Foundations First. We just purchased a fixer-upper and needed to find a contractor who can do a big job. While Paul (the owner) gets very good reviews on Angie's List, he does have some communication issues. After agreeing to provide a pre-purchase estimate resulted in no further response, I decided to give him a second chance post-purchase (the listing agent even recommended him). Paul suggested a time to come by and look at the property and sounded very favorable. Unfortunately, he did not show up, leaving 3 of us standing at the property for a bit more than an hour waiting on him. He did not answer his phone or text messages and, as of this writing, has not called to apologize. Based on the reviews, I'm sure he does good work when he shows. However, for a major job with lots of moving parts, I would say this experience did not suggest Foundations First as the place to go for peace of mind.

Paul provided a clear work program for each job and identified payment for specific phases of work completed. His company obtained the permits for the work and provided representatives to meet with the inspectors at the job site. The work crew kept their area clean and safe and were cooperative with other crews working on the house. The work crew was always polite, easy to talk with, and answered any questions we had. If something unexpected came up, Paul and his crew met with us at the house to review the situation and discuss our options. Paul's crew moved quickly and professionally to complete the job and passed the permit inspections with minimal difficulty. For any future work, we wouldn't hesitate to contact Paul for a quote.

unknown

For $13,500, Paul and his crew replaced 45? of foundation; performed a complete seismic retrofit; and installed a 40' french drain. The contract costs also included stamped engineer?s drawings, as well as pulling and paying for the necessary permits. And finally, Paul assumed responsibility (in writing) for any damage to existing pipes, plumbing or electrical, as well as gas or other utility lines. The details of the work, taken directly from his contract, were as follows: FOUNDATION Installed eight 4?x8? beams, supported by post and pier construction, to capture the weight of the structure. Excavated a trench 45? long, 15? wide, and to a depth of 18? below grade Installed a pressure-treated mud sill, using galvanized J bolts, set 4? on center Placed forms to create a new 8? stem wall, using #4 rebar, with two in the stem and two in the footing Poured 2500-PSI concrete using a concrete pump SEISMIC RETROFIT Installed 12?x5/8? threaded steel rod, 4? on center, throughout Drilled bolt holes using a rotohammer Set bolts with 3 ¼? x 3 ¼ ? plate washers, using 3600-PSI epoxy Installed 8?x8? plywood shear walls on all four corners of the house Shear nailed according to standard engineering practice Opened two vent holes per stud bay Bolted all piers to pier bases with Simpson straps, and attached all piers to beams using Simpson T-straps DRAINAGE Installed a sub-surface French drainage system, approximately 40? in length, using: A 4? (diameter) perforated pipe, filter fabric, and ¾? drain rock to redirect water, and prevent subversion of the foundation A 3? solid, rigid pipe tied to the downspouts to capture run-off I want to mention (again) that the entire project was permitted, then inspected and passed by the City at each appropriate point in the process. I hope the scope of the work described, combined with the cost, demonstrate that one need not necessarily break the bank in order to make an old home safe and secure.