Alpha Structural, Inc.

Quality you CANNOT trust! There’s a reason why you should never hire a structural engineer that works for the same company that does the construction work, and we found out why. We hired Alpha to do a seismic retrofit on our soft-story condo complex. Additional support around the garage was needed to ensure that the above condo structure would be more stable in the event of an earthquake. Alpha’s sales person did a great job convincing us that Alpha provides top quality work with the convenience of a structural engineering team and construction team under one roof (one stop shop). As construction started, we didn’t know any better and put our complete trust in Alpha’s team. The project manager explained why steel beams weren’t equal in height and assured us that everything was going to plan. Once we really started looking at the plans (i.e. reviewing measurements), we identified that beams were not cut to length as specified within the plans, and that nothing else was really following the plans either (most measurements were off by 3 inches to over a foot). When I was present at the worksite on one day, the construction workers asked me if I would OK them not following their plans due to a beam that was cut incorrectly. Because I refused to approve the approach, they had to wait for their team that would come out with the saw to cut the steel beam. When we went to the City Inspector to get a review, Alpha quickly offered to make patch-work modifications necessary to pass City code. The one stop shop wasn’t for our benefit, but really for Alpha’s benefit. When their construction team did not follow plans and Alpha got caught, their structural engineer would submit plan corrections to the City so the work would pass inspection without having to be redone. Quality work is construction work that follows the plans created by the structural engineer. What you get from Alpha is a construction team that eye-balls the design plan and has a structural engineer to clean up their mess when they get caught. Upon final review of the work performed, their sales person acknowledged our concerns about work not being done to plan, but offered his reassurance that "Alpha does quality work". Why pay for plans that aren't going to be followed? Avoid working with this company unless you like paying large sums of money for poor quality work.

When I saw that one of the gigantic steel beams supporting my house appeared to be rusted, extremely corroded, and possibly needing to be replaced, I became concerned. On a friend's referral, I contacted Alpha Structural for a bid. Alpha scheduled a weekend appointed a few days later and Mark, the owner, arrived at my house right on time. He was extremely nice and professional. After inspecting the beam, Mark informed me the rust/corrosion was not as bad as I had feared and that the beam did not need to be repaired or replaced--thus I would not need Alpha's services (though I would need to get the rust cleaned up and the beams painted). Needless to say, this was a huge relief and I am very appreciative of Mark's honest assessment. What a great company! Thank you Alpha.

He was a great guy to work with. He was also very conscientious. I would not hesitate to use him again!

I felt it went well. He was very knowledgeable and helpful. He did the estimate right there and left it with us along with a lot of other information ie. about the company, it's employees and references. Overall it was very helpful but in the end we did go with someone else because of price and just felt the other company was a better fit for us.

The inspection went well, the inspector was very thorough. He arrived on time, looked through the interior, exterior, and basement crawlspace of the home. He gave advice and pointed out concerns as he went along. The inspection took approximately 45 minutes. The home was about 1400 square feet. My only small issue was that the inspector took about 5 days to get me a written report to submit to the seller. This was a bit of a problem, as we had a short escrow period. When the report came it was very detailed and included approximate repair estimates. In the end, it was a valuable service that helped keep us from purchasing a very unfit home.

I called Alpha Structural and explained my situation. The girl on the phone was pleasant and worked with me to choose a date. When the engineer came out he was friendly, professional and informative. The challenge with getting an assessment from anyone who is an expert in something you're not is that you don't know whether they're telling you the truth. Mark explained in detail what was going on with our foundation, pointed out several drainage problems we have, and let us know that our house was structurally sound. In fact, it turns out our home is in pretty good shape for a 50 year old structure. Since our problems turned out to be drainage and not structural, there wasn't any additional help Dave could provide us so he went on his merry way without charging us a thing!

I was in a short Escrow and needed a structural engineer on short notice to review the foundation. Unfortunately Alpha only does this kind of thing two days a week and didn't have anything available for two weeks. Also, I submitted my online inquiry on Thursday and it wasn't until Tuesday when someone got back to me. I was looking forward to hiring this company because of such great reviews, but was disappointed when I could not be accommodated. I suggested to the company that they do these kinds of inspections more than twice per week, or have short notice spots available for others in similar situations to mine.

It went exactly as planned. The project was completed neatly with no interruptions and I was kept informed all the way. BTW, the building inspector for final sign-off praised the quality of the work and cited other projects of Alpha's that he had worked with for outstanding work.

Alpha Structural was professional and dedicated throughout the contact we had with them. They returned calls, were happy to explain the work they intended to do and explaining their job as it happened. The workers were neat and did yoman's work in emptying the garage to their work line and covering the remaining stuff that most garages hold. They thought the work might take five days but they were finished in four. We had no idea how much this job would cost and when we got the estimate it seemed very fair for the amount of work involved and the results that were achieved. i.e. prevent our house from ever so slowly sloping. (And nicely, I don't hear any creaks at night any more)

Charlie provided the initial inspection and quote on the same day that I called, thoroughly explaining all terms and work to be done. Camelia, the office manager, was always friendly and helpful with scheduling and getting forms filled out for my insurance company. The installation crew was very professional and did an excellent job. The only hiccup was that they pulled the permit a little late with the City of Agoura Hills which caused a Stop Work Order to be issued. But Julio met with the inspector and worked it out within a few days. Also, almost 9 months after the work was completed, I noticed a slight crack in the ABS drain pipe from the kitchen sink which must have been damaged during the installation of one section of shear paneling butting up against it. But they came out right away and repaired it, no charge. I am very pleased with the installation and would recommend Alpha Structural without reservation. Dave Graul

Mark arrived right on time and spent easily an hour and a half checking out the entire property. He not only provided great insights regarding the house itself, but the landscape and drainage. I was very happy with the services and would not hesitate to call Alpha again for work/inspections.

The gentleman who came out (the principal/owner) was very nice and took the time and trouble to crawl under the house with me to examine the areas of concern. He was very thorough and professional. When done, he declined to charge me for the visit, and recommended an unaffiliated carpenter whom he thought could do the work I desired. I would definitely use them again, and would recommend them to others.

Both Mark and Dave were very pleasant to deal with and was always responsive to my calls. They handled themselves in a very professional manner.

I was in a really bad situation. An inspector decided to do some poking around my house because of a deck I was working on with out a permit. Stupidly, I allowed the inspector access to the back yard of my cantilevered hillside house, built on caissons (those big concrete pillars - like you see under a freeway over pass) Anyways - the inspector noticed a huge crack in the stucco on the rear exterior wall of my house where some settling of the stucco had taken place, which happened to be in an area were there had been some water errosion undermining the exterior foundation from a prior owners negligence regarding the plumbing. To make this simple - the inspector wrote my house up and told me I would need a 5 foot high retaining wall to run the length of my house some 50 or 60 feet - he told me that I would have to spend between 30,000.oo and 60,000.oo US DOLLARS!!! I just about had a heart attack - there was no way I could afford that, and I wasn't sure he was even right. Someone, I forget who, recommended I call a really good structural engineer, and by chance of luck I hit upon ALPHA STRUCTURAL. ALPHA: meaning first, or one, as in number one, ie "THE BEST" STRUCTURAL: meaning relating to or forming part of a building structure. ie "what is holding the d*** thing up" Their name (Alpha Structural) says it best - Mark Schlaich came out, looked over the foundation, looked at the stucco crack, looked at the undermining of the outer foundation - and told me the inspector had no idea what he was talking about. And that the inspector might possibly not even know what he was talking about. (read MORON.....thanks to G*D) For the cost of an inspection and a formal letter from Mark (about $400-500.oo Dollars) I was able to ward off the inspector. With that letter, on ALPHA STRUCTURAL letter head back up by Mark's credential I was able to avoid having to put up a completely unnecessary retaining wall and save between 29,000 - 59,500.oo US DOLLARS !!! I did have to hire the neighbors gardener to put up a small garden wall of 2 foot height with engineered blocks from home depot - I think I spent 3500-5000 grand on that - just to keep the soil in place and from further erosion. Had Alpha Structural not been honest, had they less integrity they could have easily told me I needed a 50,000 dollar retaining wall and I probably would have believed them! (but being a smart and prudent person I probably would have had a second opinion) This review is long over due but I am now in Escrow on a little California Bungalow and you better believe I am having the foundation looked at by Alpha Structural - and I don't care if they are not the cheapest bid. HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROVEN TO BE TRUST WORTHY - Thanks, Greg and Ana. Amazingly the inspector never came back to even check the work - I guess he had already heard of Alpha Structural.

They gave me a reasonable estimate. They were timely in performing the work. They did a good job. They did an effective job but what I didn’t know is what kind of wood they would use for the timbers. I should have asked at the time but I ended up having to call a pest control company to spray the new beams with the termite fighting substance because the wood is not as hard as what was originally there. There was that little side affect, I wished I had asked them. They probably would have told me that the beams were standard, strong and would perform the function. They should have just given me a heads up about protecting it from termites, I don’t know. I was really satisfied with what they did. The workers were very straightforward, very good. So, that’s my only caution. Maybe that’s just standard in the industry; I just never reinforced foundations before. They were terrific. They were good, it is just that one caution, and I wish I had asked. That’s my fault. I didn’t get other bids but I thought their price was reasonable. They were very responsive. We told them time was critical and they got here very quickly. Their professionalism was good. I don’t recall any problems with them not being punctual.

They were honest compared to some of the other contractors I spoke to. He said that we didn't need the work we were trying to get done. He gave a recommendation that took his own work out of the equation. There was just a small handyman job to be done. He didn't give me an estimate because he felt like I could do it cheaply. He was very honest.

I called to ask about removing the joists and support beams in my upstairs bedroom. They have been sprayed with Copper-Green which is a very foul pesticide approved for exterior use only. After three months, I cannot go in the room. I've had to seal it off. It may be years before the fumes dissipate. I wanted to know if the joists and support beams can be replaced.

I called to make an appointment with Alpha Structrual and found the receptionist to be very cordial and professional. I made an appointment for the following week. I received the name of the inspector who would be coming out to my house in advance as well as a follow-up call to make sure we were all set. Mark came by to do the inspection this morning. He was very nice and professional. We looked at my drainage issue as well as a few cracks in my drywall, as I was worried it might be a sign of a larger structural issue. Mike was very straight-forward with his knowledge and advice, and after testing a few areas with the hose and taking a walk around the property to look at the cracks, came to the conclusion that all my problems were minor and that I didn't need to commission a big project. So in the end, I didn't use their services, but Mike's honesty, organization, and knowledge definitely made a great impression. I am glad I don't have major issues but also know that if I have any structural or drainage issues in the future (hopefully not!) I will call Alpha first and foremost. I would also recommend Alpha to friends who need similar work or a home inspection. You can tell right from the start they are very solid, conscientious, and honest and that is a rarity these days. A+

What seemed to us a monumental task was routine to Alpha Structural. We felt confident from the start. The survey of the work needed, explanation of what was to take place exuded confidence. The permits and inspection times were handled. The workers were on time, friendly and respectful. Dave Schlaich supervised the work. His communication was excellent. We had all of our questions answered. We did suggest to Alpha Structural that offering a package that would have included stucco repair/painting would be interesting so that the entire job is complete. We used Swiss Handyman for the repair and they, too, have been an excellent resource.

Our foundation was sinking in one corner of the house due to the sandy soil in our area. A crack appeared in the stucco and grew larger over several months. Mark of Alpha Structural came and inspected the problem area. He gave us a price which we thought was quite reasonable for the work to be done. Alpha Structural drew a plan and submitted it to our city and obtained the required permit for the job. The crew of two men arrived on the appointed date and time and proceeded to work immediately. The estimated time for completion had been three days, but the men completed the job in two days. We are very satisfied with the outcome.

They were fabulous. They were extremely punctual. They came and did the job. They were quick with the construction. They cleaned up after themselves. They did it beautifully. I was very satisfied. I think the pricing was good.

Mark has been really great with communication and answering questions and coming up with economic solutions for us. I have a feeling we will be using them for the job.

It started well and then we ran into a few problems along the way. Mark came over to give us an estimate. He really knows what he is doing and was able to determine that what we needed was a swale to divert rain water that was flooding garage. Tuesday, May 3 the foreman, Dave and workers arrived. We went through the yard. He told the workers what they needed to do based on a meeting he had with Mark. Everything seemed to be fine, they removed part of the driveway for the swale and prepared the side of the garage. I came home on Wednesday to poured cement but no truck. I asked if they used a truck and was told logistically it did not work with my driveway. I then went to look at my yard and realized something was very wrong. The swale ran from the front of my garage to the back fence and was puddling. To their credit, they immediately admitted that there was an error and were very quick to repair. I spoke to the foreman, over and over again, I said please just make it functional and make sure it looks pretty. I came back that day and found a functional swale and walkway. Unfortunately, the walkway cement was a different color than the swale cement; which is a shame because they connect and it would look better if it was the same color, but since they had to remove and repair the walkway that was out. I also noticed parts where the cement had crumbled. I asked to have someone come out the following week to repair the crumbled bits. The bottom line, they know what they are doing, and I would recommend them with this caveat, as the consumer you need to be sure to verbalize your aesthetic expectations to Mark and Dave.

I was very impressed with them. He gave me a lot of information. He told me that the earth was moving and recommended that I should not spend a lot of money at this point. The job would have cost about $40,000 and he saved me a lot of money. He did not charge me for the service either. I was very happy. He is an uncommon find.

Excellent service from beginning to end. The office staff was friendly, polite and professional. Both my mother and I were very impressed with Charlie Rosenkranz. He came to the property to give us a free estimate. He took his time in answering all of our questions and concerns. He was courteous, competent and professional. The foundation repair and underpinning took two weeks to complete. The work crew was extremely professional, and the cleanliness of the work site was wonderful. We were impressed with the quality of work completed in the inside and outside of the house. We would definitely recommend Alpha to others, and we would definitely use the company again.