Criterium-Schimnowski Engineers

Paul arranged a meeting within the first week of contact. We went up in to the attic and reviewed the engineered truss system. He analyzed the system and provided us analysis. This was useful prior to selecting a remodeler.

Engineer was prompt and very professional. Answered all of my questions (as well as a ton of questions from my realtor) with patients and complete professionalism.

I paid Angie?s List on 6/12/2015 for a special on an evaluation of my house by a structural engineer, Paul Schimnowski of Criterium, in the event. I contacted him not so long after, but summers being what they sometimes are, I didn?t ask for his services until late August or early September, when he was prompt to perform the Visual Structural Inspection, which involved going over my house from top to bottom, inside and out. The house has two stories, substantial attic, basement. After the inspection, Paul talked with me about what he had found, and on September 11 he submitted a very detailed report including photos of various features (some in need of repair) that he was reporting on. I learned a lot about my house?which was 100 this year?that I hadn?t known before, notwithstanding that I have lived in it for 47 years. He also called things to my attention that I had been aware of at one time but forgotten about. I found Paul easy to work with and totally dependable, and the inspection and report were well worth what I paid for them and more.

Paul was very punctual and professional. He got back to me right away and was able to come out in three days. His report is very thorough and he even answered a couple of questions I had a few weeks later. His evaluation of the foundation and the estimates for repair saved me a lot of money!

I had a diagonal crack on my basement wall and was concerned about the conditions of the structure. I was concerned also about the soil conditions (clay) and drainage. He was very punctual on the day of the appointment. We walked the property outside - he took several pictures and made few recommendations to improve drainage. Then we walked inside, starting from the basement where the crack was, he made a detailed inspection of the structural elements around the basement, all the walls, etc... He took several pictures.... At the end he sat with me and explained his findings, assuring me the structure is in good conditions and that the crack in the basement was NOT a structural one but due to a typical material shrinkage and/or normal differential settlement of the house foundation. His report was very comprehensive, including pictures, but I've noticed some additional recommendations that was not very clear to me, leading to some doubts and emails back and forth. Paul was kind enough to offer me a 2nd visit to clarify and explain in more details his findings and recommendations, walking outside the property again and reviewing the report to make it very clearer.

Last winter we contacted Paul regarding questions we had for a kitchen remodel we are performing. Paul visited our house, answered a huge variety of questions, and wrote us up a report detailing his suggestions. He also performed a follow up visit and has promptly responded to all of our follow up questions, even 6 months later! Examples of some of the things he's helped us with include: - Professional identification of load bearing and non-load bearing interior walls. - Approval regarding adding additional weight to a truss supported ceiling. - Review of our skylight plans. - Estimate for truss deflection under heavy snow load. - Inspection of additional structural members throughout our house. Paul's services have been indispensable for our project. If you have any kind of structural questions or are performing any potential structural modifications to your home, I can't recommend him enough. It's easily some of the best money I've spent on our remodel project so far.

He was very thorough and explained to us what he was seeing. He provided us with a very professional report which helped us make a decision as to purchase the property or not. Overall very pleased and would definitely use his services again.

They were able to come out on a short notice, which I greatly appreciated. They were very professional and provide a complete written report. He was at my house for about 30 min. I was charged $400! They have a coupon right now for a complete house inspection for $425. I guess I should have paid the extra $25 to inspect the entire house.

Paul called me back the same day I left him a message inquiring about his service. We played phone tag for a day or so but connected eventually in person. We were in a situation where we needed the inspection done fairly quickly because a potential buyer was being led to believe by the home inspector that there were potential foundation/structural issues with the home. So, we wanted to hire a structural engineer to clear up the concern fairly quickly. Paul is a licensed PE which is what we were looking for. Thankfully, Paul leaves room in his schedule for more time sensitive situations like this so he was able to schedule the inspection within a few days which was a great relief. We walked through our entire home with him and pointed out potential items that may appear to be questionable on the surface. In addition, he inspected all other areas he felt were necessary to formulate an opinion both inside and outside the home. He was able to tell us that day that we did not have foundation or structural issues and recommended a few items to repair that would fully alleviate any visual misunderstandings. We got a detailed report of his findings the very next day complete with many pictures that completely eliminated any future questions regarding the home that could arise. We had some follow up questions and asked Paul to include a little more detail in the report related to a few items that we had been most concerned about. He revised the report very quickly and sent it back again the next day. Being able to resolve this so quickly was priceless. I was very grateful I found Paul on Angie's List and hired him due to the excellent reviews I read. They are all true and he exceeded my expectations. Paul also does home inspections and I would hire him to do that as well on a future home purchase. Look no further for a PE or home inspector.

Paul came to our 1942 California Rambler. We were particularly interested in an assessment of the roof as we have a tile roof and there was some sag. Paul spent a considerable amount of time looking at the structure of our house and attached garage. He was very thorough and took a number of pictures. He answered questions along the way and then spent some time after discussing our structure. He also offered an assessment of how it was compared to some new construction and other structures he has assessed. He looked at a bid we had received for repairing our roof and offered his opinion on that, also. Paul did not limit his review to the roof but answered other questions we had, such as which walls were load bearing. Paul then prepared a report, including pictures, for our use.

Paul showed up on time. Did a visual structural inspection of my house that took a little more than an hour. About 4-5 days later he then provided a full 5 page report.

They came out and did a fine job. We were satisfied with the report they gave us. He did a good job and took time to explain things to us.

Paul and his assistant Shanti arrived right on time and were very professional. I explained I had structural cracks in my basement walls and some water damage which I felt were the result of an overgrown tree. I also stated that the snow melt and rainwater were not draining away from my home but were standing in puddles around my foundation, and the sidewalks leading up to my home were in upheaval due to the tree. Shanti took photographs while she and Paul walked the perimeter of my home, all floors of the house and all of the rooms. The whole procedure took less than an hour. Paul took my email when he was done and said he would have a report sent out by the end of the week. He also said he has worked with homeowner/associations before and graciously offered to answer any questions or further explain anything my association needed help with. After reviewing report I have to further praise his professionalism. I did not follow him around on his walk and did not know at the time that he was looking at/ photographing the entire house, I assumed he would only look at my concerns. I am pleased to know the house as a whole was thoroughly inspected. It should be noted that when I was looking for a landscaper/ excavator to come out to evaluate my property, it was Paul's name that came up as a recommendation. He is recommended and respected not only by the members of Angie's List but the other companies that have used him as a resource for their own work. I would highly recommend him to others needing this type of work performed.

Paul did a great job combining a house inspection and structural engineer observations for pre-buy of a house built on a bluff/cliff. He provided very expert details and pictures, was prompt and professional. Would definitely recommend and use again.

I left a telephone message with Paul late in the afternoon. He called back the next morning and set up an appointment for the following day. He and his assistant Shanti looked over the basement, inside and out and reviewed their findings with me. Because I was in the process of finalizing a purchase agreement, Paul agreed to send his report via email later that same day. The rapid respond and turnaround time were surprising to me and very helpful. I'd highly recommend this service.

Reviewed house for structural issues due to cracks. After review, he sat down with me to discuss his findings and explain to me what was causing my cracks. I appreciated that. I received a written report with pictures a few days later, on the day he said I would receive it. He also promptly answered a couple of follow-up questions I had.

Paul examined the project and wrote up a report with a few recommendations for improvements. It was good for both my personal reassurance as well as ensuring a smooth inspection. I had called several structural engineering firms, but most are interested only in commercial projects. Criterium-Schimnowski Engineers seems to be one of only a few available for this kind of project. I'm doing the remodel myself (without a contractor), so I just wanted an engineer's evaluation, not the entire contractor package. Cost was pretty reasonable. I would have called them sooner if only I would have found them earlier.

I contacted Paul regarding concerns I had with my basement that included a floor to ceiling crack in an interior foundation wall and a sloping concrete pad. After one week I had not received a response from my initial voice-mail, so I called a second time (which is why I gave a B for responsiveness). Paul responded promptly to the 2nd message and we set up an appointment for the following week. Paul arrived on time and fully prepared for the inspection. We walked through both levels of the home, and he asked questions and listened to my concerns as we went from room to room. Paul then went through the entire home again, taking pictures and noting measurements. After finishing the inside evaluation, he proceeded to the exterior. At the end of the appointment, he conveyed his overall impressions to us, and indicated that we would be receiving his report in a few days. Paul's turnaround on the detailed report was very fast. He included the photos he took to capture both issues he found as well as items I had listed as concerns. Each item was addressed, including items he found that neither my husband nor I had identified, but that we'll need to address as part of maintaining the integrity and value of our home. I followed up with Paul after reading the report, as I had a few additional questions. He responded very quickly, and provided me with the guidance and answers I needed. My husband and I are extremely pleased with the service Paul provided, and his professionalism throughout. We feel that the value we received by his inspection goes far beyond merely being able to pursue the right solution for the issues in our basement; we're now armed with information that will help us follow up with other needed maintenance, and we'll be far less likely to be over-sold by contractors on work we don't need. If you are potentially going to have contract work done on your home, I HIGHLY recommend hiring a structural engineer first. In the long run, doing so can save you time and money, and give you peace of mind!

I had trouble getting any company to come out on short notice, but Paul was available. I needed a structural report to give to the city for joining new joists to the existing rotten material. Paul not only provided that full report with photos and a detailed action plan to repair this serious problem, but I was also able to follow up with him in regards to several clarifying questions during the repair process itself. Following his process resulted in a very sound restoration that will last a life time.

The entire experience with Paul was great. He showed up on time for the inspection despite driving through a snow storm. He was also very thorough during the inspection checking the floor and what was directly above the posts upstairs. The report he emailed to me will be extremely helpful. It is very detailed and it even told us what type of material we needed to buy to replace the posts with. The reports also had lots of pictures to help show where and what work needed to be done. If you need any type of structural evaluation done, Paul at Criterium is the guy to call!

The 8 year old home we presently purchase had issues with an uneven sloping basement floor and multiple cracks. We wanted assurance that the structure was sound before the Builder's warrantee expired. |We trust their evaluations and would use them again.

Very helpful and patient with any and all questions.

Paul Schimnowski is the owner of this company in our area. Called to discuss the possibility of his evaluating certain issues at our home. Did not connect the 1st time or two by phone, but he was very responsive to the messages left and quickly returned the calls. Decided to schedule the appt. because he is a licensed structural engineer in the state. On the appt. date he arrived a few minutes early. The issues I asked him to evaluate were as follows: a) Mild sinkage of the concrete aprons in front of double-garage doors. b) Rot and deterioration of four columns in front of house. c) Evaluate interior load-bearing and support structures of the house from inside the upstairs attic. d) Condition of driveway and if caulking repair is viable. e) Adequacy of insulation in attic areas. f) Chimney evaluation and possibility for any repair. We did NOT ask him to go up on the roof. An excellent new roof had been put on in October of 2012 so we felt there was no need for that. Paul looked at each area as noted above. Spent time going through the attics and observed a number of things there that were helpful to us. Noted that the eaves should be clear of any insulation for proper attic ventilation. He determined that the basic support structure of the home was good and that the issue of mild concrete apron sinkage and pillars or columns deterioration could be dealt with from the front of the house as well as the driveway repair. He also suggested what should be checked regarding the chimney and how it could be repaired. We were very pleased with every aspect of this visit and evaluation. Following the appt. time I had a few questions that I emailed about and he was also very prompt in responding to those. In summary, I would highly recommend Paul Schimnowski, PE, of Criterium-Schimnowski Engineers for any home evaluation. I believe any homeowner would be highly pleased with him.

We are in the process of selling our home and questions arose regarding our porch during the buyer's inspection. We needed an inspection/opinion provided as quickly as possible. Paul was able to schedule an appointment very fast. He arrived on time (early, actually)! He conducted his inspection and provided a verbal report to us, the buyers and both real estate agents. Paul did a great job answering all of our questions. He followed up with a written report, including pictures. The report was thorough and has been an invaluable tool in helping us sell our home.

We own a 100 year old foursquare in south Minneapolis, which we love, but is in dire need of repair. Our architect requested we get the opinion of a structural engineer to look at the feasibility of our proposed plan, which included the addition of dormers to our third story. Not knowing what to expect our first SE came in at $4800.00, a bit of sticker shock. So we decided to search online which is where we found Paul and Criterium-Schimnowski Engineers. Paul returned our inquiry within hours and was at our house within a week. He came out looked at our plans and did a thorough inspection. He then worked with our architect to answer his questions as well as giving us a ten-page report on his findings including his certified stamp of approval all for and amazingly reasonable price. If you are looking for a terrific structural engineer with out paying an arm and a leg, Paul and Criterium-Schimnowski Engineers are for you.