Zahl-Ford Inc

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He did everything he said he would do. When he finished up he asked if we wanted a written report and we told him yes, he said it would be approx. $750 for which he said he would bill us. So later that week his secretary or receptionist, not sure of her title, called wanting our credit card info! I'm sorry, that just seemed like a red flag to me, especially after he already told me he would bill me. So I gave it to her reluctantly, and the following week she called and said it was $1200! I was furious, but I paid it and was not happy about it, after he had already told us it would be around $750. $1200 is not around $750! So I will not recommend him to anyone, especially if he cannot get his estimates closer to the dollar amount he is going to charge!

I sleep very soundly when they handle my engineering

The brick veneer on the west end of my house had cracks in the mortar. Research indicated two possible problems: foundation failure or improper drainage. Further research didn't provide info to differentiate between them. I suspected a drainage problem but decided to get a professional opinion. I checked Angie's List and found Zahl-Ford. The reviews and the fact that their office was near my house lead me to call and make an appointment. Bob Zahl arrived on time. I explained the problem and my suspicions. I showed him an open seam between the ceiling and the north wall of the hallway that runs east to west almost the entire length of the house. He said that the open seam was probably from settling of my thirty-year old house. We went outside and I showed him the cracks in the west end of the house. I pointed out that the ground next to the north side of the house was almost always damp because it was always shaded. I told him that the dampness persisted even after extending the downspouts well into the front yard. I showed him where rainwater would lay on the west side of the house. I also showed him where rainwater drained south across the backyard. We walked all the way around the house. When we finished, Bob stated that I did not have a foundation problem. He felt certain that I had a drainage problem. He pointed out that the grading of the ground around my house was not up to code (a six-inch drop ten feet from the house.) He suggested that correctly grading the yard would help but that a drainage system might be necessary to move rainwater away from the north and west sides of the house. He asked if I had any questions. I replied, "No." He asked if I needed a written report. I, again, replied, "No." He said he would send me an invoice and departed. I'm currently searching for someone who can landscape the yard and fix the drainage problem.

The Structural Engineer (Mr Robert Zahl) observed and photographed cracks in the walls of our home, we wanted to see what was causing the cracks and how should we fix it. We received a one page easy to read and understand report with recommendations. In our case he suggested we solve a drainage problem and then monitor the cracks to see when the foundation has re-stabilized at which point we could repair the cosmetic damage, none of the damage was negatively affecting the structural integrity of the home. He stated that in our case expensive piers under the foundation would not be beneficial and in fact may cause more problems. Had we decided to install piers (we already had an estimate given to us) it would have cost a minimum $4,000 and may have caused more long term problems. I highly recommend Zahl-Ford but schedule in advance as they are busy do to the amount of damaged caused by the drought and past earthquakes.

I called Mr. Zahl on 9/27/12 and explained that we had a sudden problem with flooding in our house (living room and garage) but could not locate the cause. Mr. Zahl advised me of their rates and set an appointment for 10/3 at 3pm. He called me on that date, advising me that he was on his way and let me know how long his trip to get here would be. He got to my house five minutes early and we introduced ourselves and started walking the property. Mr. Zahl could tell immediately what the source of our problem was and gave me some suggestions on who to contact to fix the issue. He was very friendly and professional the entire time he was here. When I asked how much I owed him, he told me he'd send me a bill, and as promised, the bill arrived a week or so later with everything itemized for my records. It was great service all the way around. I was very impressed!

I liked his professionalism, his courtesy, promptness in all of his services other than he has not given us an unwritten estimate because of backlog.

Engineer came to the house. We discussed the walls that we would like to remove and whether any additional support would be needed. Engineer went up to the attic and used a flashlight to look around at the structure. He explained how the structure was designed and where the load bearing walls should be. This was speculation because he did not go deeper into the attic to investigate or check for load carrying beams across the opening. He gave an opinion that both walls were probably load bearing. At the end, I did learn more about how my house was built, however, I was still unclear about how to proceed.

Bob was very easy to work with on the phone to schedule our appointment. He showed up promptly and was a professional in the house. I am glad that we called him and had him perform this work. The only thing that was not great was that he charges for travel and I did not know this until I called him after receiving his invoice. His actual time at the house was 50 minutes and we were billed for two hours. When estimating expense with him I would also have him tell you up front how much he will charge in travel time, since he charges for the round trip to his place of business.

Mr. Bob Zahl was the person that I interacted with. I would like to grade him highly on all the categories.