Falcone Crawl Space & Structural Repair

The company arrived on time and was knowledgeable of what was found in the crawl space. His recommendations seem to be in line with the problems that I suspected were present, although some problems that we have visible symptoms of on the main floor are not identified. The inspection was, however, complete and I heard the inspector testing the moisture content of the flooring.

Crawl space was inspected and recommendations made. That was what I needed.

They did not perform any of the services stated above. They showed up without an appointment. They were in our crawl space less than 15 minutes. After that 15 minutes stated that we had a rotting beam that needed to be replaced as soon as possible. Stated that we would have to hire a structural engineer to write up a scope of work for them to do the repair. I asked about all of the other things promised including the printed custom report and was told we would get it soon. Less than 5 minutes after he left we received and email addressed to a different customer stating that we had a rotting beam and included a list of structural engineering firms they work with. After following up and asking for the written report and whether or not the other work that was part of the package was performed I received no response or call. Disputed this with Angie's List and was reimbursed the $59.00. Total scam. Also

Everything went great! They did an excellent job.

Great! Now I can focus my concerns on other problems.

We had already had received several costly estimates from other companies ranging from $3,000 to over $9,000 for semi to full encapsulation. The service representative from Falcone after inspecting our crawl space informed us that our vapor barrier that we had was fine and that the moisture level readings was due to an HVAC problem.

From scheduling to the assessment, everything was top notch.

Falcone took advantage of our situation, and when I brought this to their attention they did not want to rectify the situation. We had our house under contract to be sold and had to have these repairs done to complete the sale. We had 3 companies bid on the job and the new buyers recommended we use Falcone. Their salesman quoted us 3 days worth of labor, plus material and dehumidifier- $5400.00. We were told by the salesman that Falcone was not very busy and he would negotiate the price if it would help get the business. We explained that since the house was under contract we would send the quote to the buyers for final approval. Once we got approval from the buyers we contacted Falcone and gave approval to start and asked that our salesman contact us. When our salesman did not contact us within a day we called back to the office and explained that we were promised some negotiations on the quote before the job was to start. The office said they contacted the salesman and took $160 off the quote. When Falcone arrived at our house to measure for lumber, we were asked what type of lumber they were suppose to use (treated/untreated) and if they were to replace the plastic ground cover? I told them they had to contact the salesman for those answers. They told me that the salesman had been fired due to too many mistakes being made on his part. The guys measured the joists and left for the day. The 2nd day they returned and completed the work in approximately 6 hours. We then had an electrician come out and wire a receptacle for the dehumidifier. Falcone scheduled the electrician but we had to pay him for his services. The bill for the repairs was as follows; Sister 8 joists - $2400 (actual time and material 4 hours, $200) Seal vents - $700 (actual time and material 1 hour, $25) Dehumidifier - $2200 (salesman quoted cost of $900 and would negotiate) Schedule electrician - $150 (we had to pay electrician, this was for a phone call from Falcone to schedule) We had 2 men on the job When I called Falcone to question the amounts charged for the work done and time spent at my house I was told the time to question the quote would have been before the work started. I explained that I couldn't have known the amount of time they would be at my house before they actually arrived at my house and performed the work. The salesman quoted us 3 days labor and actual time was 6 hours. I also asked (after seeing what was done to seal the existing vents) why would you not replace the vents for a cost savings of about $500 instead of modifying the existing vents which I was charged $700. Again, the answer was the time to question the quote would have been before the work started. When I questioned the $150 phone call to schedule the electrician, I was told that was the charged amount and it would not be changed. When I explained that I felt the company had taken advantage of our situation and I felt the pricing should be changed to reflect the actual time and material costs, I was told (again), the time to question the quote would have been before the work started. The best scenario I can think of to describe how I feel about this situation is this - if you took your car to the repair shop because you had a flat tire and the mechanic fixed your flat tire for $200 but could have sold you a new tire for $100. You trust the mechanic will look at the tire, figure the best way to make the repair, then give you the choice of replace for $100 (recommend) or repair for $200 (not recommended). This is how the service industry is supposed to work. Not everyone is an expert in car repair, home repair, etc. We hire professionals in the area of repair we need and we should be able to trust them to help us make the best repair decision. I do not feel Falcone practices this philosophy.

Neil Dixon from Falcone came and supposedly inspected my crawl space and after about 10 -15 minutes he knocked on the door with his findings. I had a major flood under my house and water was pouring in from the foundation walls. I asked to see pictures and Neil supplied only 1 hard to see photo of a white pipe standing upright out of a mess of water everywhere. I asked where exactly was the water coming from, and he replied everywhere. He said it would require French drains all along the perimeter of my foundation along with several sump pumps and a complete new barrier system. Total project $6,700 about, I have since deleted the quote. After getting that quote with no photos attached supporting Neil's finding, I have had 2 other crawl space companies come in and do evaluations on my crawl space and both of their recommendations make it clear that Neil had very little idea what he was talking about and may have only entered into my crawl space.

I was pleased with his professionalism but at this time have not committed to the work because of personal problems. At my children's insistence, I will schedule an estimate with another company before making my decision.

Neil came right at the appointment time (what services business does this?). He was straightforward, quick, and thorough. He found no moisture issues: everything read normal on his moisture meter and he found no significant mold anywhere. So Terminix was full of crap. Falcone, going against their financial interests, gave me a free, honest assessment of my crawl space. I will always appreciate this and consider them for if/when I have real crawl space/moisture/mold issues (which I hope is never).

A+ for Falcone. A termite company had recommended encapsulating my crawl space and adding a dehumidifier at a cost of roughly $5000. Falcone took moisture readings and examined the crawl space for any signs of moisture problems and found readings within normal limits and no signs of any moisture problems - so recommended no work to "remedy" any moisture "problem." Falcone noticed a potential problem with a girder, which we discussed. It may not need to be addressed, but he gave me an estimate for shoring it up with better piers. He was straightforward, not trying to sell me on anything, and I appreciated his candid advice. He was also punctual and completely professional.

This company is top-notch in my book. They were prompt in scheduling the initial visit, and were knowledgeable and patient with my husband & me when explaining what needed to be repaired. They were excellent in keeping us informed every step of the way. The job started exactly on the day specified and took five days to complete, exactly what we had been told. Fred and his crew were always courteous, professional and hard-working. They cleaned up the site when finished, and were respectful of our property and time. We highly recommend Falcone to anyone who finds themselves in need of crawl space & structural repairs. We would certainly use them again.

B [*** Link removed ***]

The two contractors were very nice and informative about the work that needed to be done. How ever before they could do the work they needed a plumber to come out and move some piping around. We did not know of one. We asked them for a referral and was told they would get the office to call us with the number of a plumber they use. That call did not happen. We did get a call back about hiring them to do the work. I explained that they were suppose to call us with a plumbers number. We were told that they had to first get with the guys that came out to find out what they needed and would call us back. They called back about a week later asking us if we were ready to let them do the work. I again said the plumber has to do his part first before we can proceed according to the contractors you sent. At that point she said ok I am going to call a plumber now and give him your number. Their plumber called and made appointment to come the following Monday. He was a no show and a no call. At this point we became totally frustrated We received another call from the Crawl Space Office. following up. We told them the plumber never showed up then we were told that they would get another plumbers name and number and get back to us. We never received the call and they have not called us any more. The work yet remains undone. The reason my husband and I have not made the effort to find one on our own is because we have not had any success on our own that is why I joined Angies List. Seems to be a lack of communication their at the office between staff and contractors. They have great friendly spirits just the follow through kind of sucks.

They did a good job and they were punctual. The office was also punctual by returning all calls and setting up appointments. They answered all questions, kept us informed, and cleaned up the area when they were done. I would hire them again and recommend them to anyone.

Mike Fregosi was very thorough and professional. He even wrote up a report stating what repairs needed to be done and sent it to us the very next day. There was no charge for his time and report. We really appreciated his honesty and candor. Would not hesitate to hire them again.

When we noticed cracks in our drywall, we contacted Falcone. We had a visit quickly, followed up by what was required to rectify the settling of our house. The appointment was made to fit our schedule and the crew arrived. I have to say, these guys are great. They are hard working and spent time adjusting and readjusting to make sure our home was again level. If you have a problem like ours, we would highly recommend getting it done right by calling the professional team at Falcone.

I first contacted Falcone to look at leaning piers and was quoted a few thousand dollars to replace them. Workers arrived on scheduled day and began demolition and digging in crawl space. Next day the boss showed up and removed all their tools and told me I needed an engineer. House was left unsupported in meantime. I got an engineer to come out and access the situation and test the soil in which he found the cause and made recommendations. I forwarded this information to Falcone who came back with a quote of nearly 18,000 and told me this would be the worse case scenario. They scheduled the work and started excavating two large holes in my yard and under the home. Crew is friendly. While excavating was taking place the siding on my home was damaged. I was told this would be taken care of. I even provided them with the siding. The job they did replacing it is marked up and buckled. An underground power line needed to be moved and I was told I would be reimbursed for the cost. $200.00. I was not reimbursed. After the holes were dug they laid forms for the new concrete and filled them. The mixer has left piles of cement in the yard that was not cleaned up. Two large holes remain under my home. Places were water can pool during heavy rains and cause moisture damage if not worse. The vapor barrier I had has been ruined and not replaced. After they did the construction the yard was left a mess. Bricks everywhere. Broken tree stumps protruding from the ground. After several passes of trying to clean this stuff up I finally thought I could cut the grass. No, That would end up breaking my lawnmower and as a brick hidden under straw caught the blade and sheared the mounting bolts and tore the assembly that holds it. The trees themselves that were knocked down, I said they could leave and I would cut them up. They destroyed several sections of fencing I had and actually discarded the lumber from it. I was given a 35 dollar credit for this. The ground is very uneven and still has large bare areas that were not reseeded. The amount of delays and no temporary supports engaged has caused some walls to crack or separate from the ceiling. The entryway to the crawlspace now has two cracks in the bricks around it as the must have banged into it with tools. I tried to address these issues with them via Email and received no response. They then called wanting the balance of bill paid. When I refused to pay until issues were addressed I was met with threats of late fees. A worker then called me and did not want to address the issues instead offered to not have late fees imposed if I would forget about it. I feel less safe in my home now then before Falcone Crawlspace worked on my home. I will never use or recommend them to anyone. It will cost me thousands of dollars to repair things they have damaged or did not put back in order after they reassured they would while the job was ongoing.

Before they could put down the new vapor barrier, they had to remove stuff, including some wedged-in lumber in contact with the ground, which did not need to be under the house, and they were nice enough to push some fiberglass insulation back into place. They had to shovel a lot of dirt to make the floor level before installing the vapor barrier. Both Mike McCabe and Daniel Miller were professional, friendly, and hard-working. Daniel detected a faint gas smell near the center of the crawlspace and suggested that we get someone to check it out. We did, and the gas technician discovered a loose gas line fitting. Thanks to Daniel for catching this while it was a small problem. It could have become a dangerous problem. Mike pulled out a stack of spare roof shingles and a wooden door that were piled under the floor and put them back when they finished neatly stacked off the vapor barrier on bricks and treated lumber. We were very happy with the crew and the final product. They did what we hired them to do, and, in addition, they corrected several small issues under the floor. I might add that they gave us a price on Thursday, and they did the work on the next Monday and Tuesday, so the response time was exceptional.

This is the most important information to consider when choosing their services ~ They will continue working to make it right, to keep the promises that were made. The owner, Fred Falcone, came to our home on a Saturday morning to fully understand why efforts to mitigate our water issues had not been successful. Mike McCabe and his assistants worked tirelessly, frequently long days with minimal breaks. We believe both Fred and Mike wanted to solve our water issues as much as we did. INTEGRITY is a wonderful quality to have in a contractor.

Falcone came out, looked at the scope of the job and had an estimate to us by the end of the day. The crew came out at the scheduled time and tackled the work aggressively. They did an outstanding job of getting our crawlspace completely cleaned out and installed the vapor barrier. Over-engineered is what I call their approach. That barrier isn't going anywhere. It's outstanding. They installed the new insulation quickly and were on their way. Very nice bunch of people from the office personnel to the guys that put in the work at our house. I highly recommend Falcone for this work.

The installer was very nice, informed me that did not need to replace the number of vents that I purchased and their office would assist in getting a refund for the vent that was not used. I talked to a lady at the office but she never got back to me. One of the vents also got loose and I had to put it back myself.

Overall the job went very well. I would use again but I would probably ask more questions to ensure I understand my options better. Pros - Work was done timely - Everyone was very professional Cons: - Drove in my front yard and left tire tracks - Cleaned out remainder of concrete in front yard so had a pile of small rocks - Specialist that worked on my house was no longer with company a couple weeks later

Work went well. All within time proposed and estimated.