Structural Dynamics Inc

Dishonest and poor workmanship. Hired to remove and replace deteriorated framing. Contract was signed to be billed on a time and material basis. Hours billed was to include only travel time from their base in Sycamore to my property (20-30 min), pick-up of project materials, and work performed. I purchased all required project materials, per provided list. I was assured that all of my calls and questions would be answered before, during, and after work is completed, however owner, Theodore C., has been refusing contact since I signed the contract. Work took them 5 weeks, yet they worked only 14 days during that period, putting work on hold multiple times to start work for other customers. I complained multiple times about the crew not working, instead spending ~30 min every hour smoking in their truck or north side of house. A large section of wall, 10-15 feet in length, was left open for an extended period of time (roughly a week). This left my crawlspace exposed to the elements (this was during a period of frequent rain), as well as animals. Despite my crawlspace being encapsulated, I am still working to combat the moisture present from their negligence. The completed work is unsatisfactory, as it is out of level with large open gaps (you can see light comming thru), and I cannot be sure if it is even safe. SD representative, Denny S., was supposed to have filed a permit with the City of Elgin (signed by me same day as I signed contract) and had stated that he had the permit on hand at the start of work. He provided date of final inspection and I waited all day for the inspector to arrive—they never did. After that, I called the city multiple times regarding the permit for the now completed work, however they had no record of a permit application being approved, or even filed. Crew was present on my property for an average of 5-6 hours a day; I reported end times to SD rep every day via text message. Total hours present on property equaled 80.25 hours. SD is billing for 108.25 HR + some trips to Lowe’s, and is not willing, nor able to explain difference in hours worked or the added shopping charges (I had purchased all materials). At first, the invoice billed for dates when no work was performed, an “adjusted” invoice showed the same hours worked, only changing dates. I requested an explanation of the charges multiple times, however SD reps refused to provide an answer. The only explanation I was able to receive from SD’s secretary after I expressed that I do not understand how there can be such a difference between the billed hours and the hours actually worked, given that I had recorded start/end times, was that “customers are usually not present while they are working” (based on this statement, I assume I am not the first to be overcharged). After SD failed to provide explanation of charges and refused to adjust invoice, payment was submitted for 96 HR (less deposit) = 80.25 HR + 14 HR travel (14 days) + 1.75 HR for materials pick up (store pick up prepaid by me). This leaves an overcharge of 12.25 hours + Lowe’s charges that aren’t related to work performed on my property (I purchased and paid for all materials from Menards). The crew was also disrespectful to me and my property. One worker referred to my house as “three pigs home,” referring to myself, my daughter, and our dog. They also took things from my garage without permission. I have cameras in my garage, as well as the front and back of my house, and was present for much of the work, allowing me to experience their behavior. I submitted a complaint to the BBB on 09/19/21, however they closed the complaint after they failed to receive a response from SD. Shortly after, SD reps contacted me stating that I need to pay an additional $350 for them to finalize the permit with the city (~3 weeks after jobs end), and have since received an updated balance statement charging interest for the still unexplained charges.

I had contacted Ted to set up an inspection after noticing an interior door that was not closing properly and feared it was a sign of a structural issue. Ted called back promptly and asked questions regarding the door and house in general and ultimately decided that we did not need the inspection. His willingness to answer questions and talk things through first -- rather than just scheduling a billable appointment -- is greatly appreciated and Ted would be my first call for any future needs.

Very professional and helpful! I received conflicting info. from contractors if one of our walls was load barring, and it was nice to have the piece of mind from a structural engineer to give us an actual answer! If your in doubt whether or not your wall is load barring or not, don't take the risk - call a structural engineer!

This company is owned by Ted Carlson who is a structural engineer. After speaking with Ted over the phone, I decided to have them replace all 4 columns in my basement as all were rusting but only 2 had vertical cracks. The workers that showed up were finished in a few hours even though they had to break up the concrete to remove the old columns, install and weld the new columns in place and then redo the concrete on the floor. They did a fantastic job and even the city inspecter was impressed! I totally recommend this company!

Excellent. The price was very fair. The guys were detailed, professional and punctual. The job was done in less than a week. They cleaned up every day they were done working and when you are busting up concrete it is a messy job. I felt comfortable leaving them in my home to do the work when I was not there. I would call them again if the need ever arises.

Owner (Ted) came out and rechecked the space, comparing to previous analysis/measurements. Deducted that - while he would've supported the basement differently when building it - no action was needed at this time. Provided some peace of mind.

They came out and ran a number of tests on every level of the house. It turned out the house was sound and the issues were caused from the house settling and the way the support beams were run in the attic. They said we could shore up the center pillars in the crawl space by than 1/2" or less but that it wasn't necessary. It was good to know the house was sound and that we did not have any structural damage.

The job went very well. The crew was very efficient, clean and fun to work with. Structural dynamics worked well with the village and provided the village the drawings needed for the permit.

By forwarding to him a copy of the home inspection report that contained high quality photos, he was able to determine that the proper remedy was to remove and replace the wall. I had not really expected that to be the case, although i knew it was a possibility. I greatly appreciate the gratis time of Mr. Carlson and I would definitely pay for his services to inspect any future home i may consider.

I called Ted to ask if he provided structural inspection services. My husband and I are building a new home, and we had gotten some information "leaked" to us about some possible water table issues (sorry about the pun). We wanted to know from an expert if what was being done to keep the water out was at least good, solid practice. He called me back within the hour, listened to the details, and gave me an overview/ translation of what the builder was doing. In the end, he said he didn't think we'd need him to come out, but told me a few things to ask about and to look for. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and not condescending. He spoke in clear language without making me feel as if he was dumbing it down. Thanks! If I'm ever in need of a structural engineer (and no offense, but I hope I don't NEED one), Ted will be on my short list of folks to contact.

A laser level was set up and measurements were taken around the room with defects. Results indicated that there were no structural issues with the building. The cracks in the floor and ceiling were more cosmetic. As a result of the inspection, we are proceeding to gather quotes on repairs.

We are very please with the service. The workers were friendly. They were prompt and always on time. They stayed busy all the time.

He was very thorough. We presented him with three options for repair that we had received from three different contractors and he was able to tell us which one was by far and away our best choice. We are so glad that we sought the advice of Structural Dynamics before making a decision on a large structural repair.

Went very well. Tenant complained of a loud BANG followed by finding 12 ceramic tiles (6longx2wide) in the kitchen tented up and unattached from subfloor. Ted took measurements in the basement with laser equipment. He determined the foundation is sound, but the 2x8 joints supporting to the floor above had sagged to much over time. Described 3 different ways this could be fixed, including one method that was a *lot* less expensive than the other two methods, and that we were able to do very quickly.

Promptly returned call, showed up when promised. Provided info requested

The project was performed to my expectations and cost.

Mr. Carlson was very professional, He thoroughly inspected the area and he is very good with his line of profession. will definitely recommend his services.

We used Structural Dynamics, Inc.. We are very happy with them. I would give them an 'A' plus. They were very professional. They understood the problem and were able to solve it. I like them. I am very happy with what they did. Honestly, I don't know about the pricing as I didn't shop around as they fit my needs and so I went with them. The quality of the work was very, very good. The professionalism was very much an 'A'.

They were $500 a piece. Very professional. The structural engineer did a very thorough job documenting the condition of my foundation. Took lot of photographs provided a professional report. With the kind of documentation and opinion he provided he really helped me sell the home and overcome some issues I had.

We had Wayne out again to look at the house and to see if things have moved since last time. They have, but Wayne again took a carefully considered and measured approach. Our split level is just apparently flexing a bit, but no big repairs needed as of yet. Everyone else (and I mean I've seen everyone else over the past two years) wanted to throw in as many piers as they could as soon as possible, which could actually make things worse. I feel like we've gotten terrific counsel from Wayne. As a bonus, Wayne gave me a little advice on the roof and some flooring problems too. Cannot say enough good things about the service we've gotten so far. Highly recommended.

Ted asked for the inspection report so that he can review the issues prior to coming on site. I really liked this because he did his homework. He came on site and took measurements with his laser to determine how much settling there was. He indicated to us that there was not much to worry about which can gave me a huge peace of mind. Most important, he answered questions even after he was paid and took time to explain things. This to me showed his integrity.

I had structural problems with my foundation and needed a structural engineer to determine what needed to be done. I called Structural Dynamics and talked to Ted Carlson who was very nice on the phone and said that his engineer in the field, Wayne Leonardi (not sure of spelling) would call me. Wayne did call me maybe three days later and asked me some questions. He said that he would e-mail me with his information and then set up an appointment. I never heard from him again Update: March 17, 2014 - once my review was posted I did hear from Mr. Leonardi who told me that he did not forget me just that he had been busy on other calls and was not yet in my area. He still never gave me a time frame when he would be in my area. I relayed to him that three other companies found the time to meet with me and that I needed to keep this process going as I did not want this problem and the solution lasting into the summer. He did ask me to consider meeting with him, but again offered no clear time frame of when that might be. I refused indicating that I had signed a contract with another vendor and was satisfied.

He confirmed that the soil was compacting, resulting in the crawl space sinking below the foundation of the original house. He was very responsive to all of our questions, was very polite and professional and put us at ease that repairs could be made to secure the house and that we had a few months to get the work done.

We were very happy with his services and would highly recommend him.

Overall the project went as desired though the full "start to finish" timeline took several months. We primarily worked through Wayne Leonardi (Project Manager) with some contact with Ted Carlson (Structural Engineer and Owner). Wayne was very thorough in the diagnostic process but it took a long time to get the actual repair recommendations and then another few months until the project took place. The repair project itself went very well and the crew was great. They showed up as expected and worked very hard to get things right. I have already recommended SDI to others and would have them work again. I just don't wish this kind of problem on anybody.