Engineered Foundation Solutions

The job went really well! Due to all the rain this year my house experienced some settlement, back right corner. Bob came out, showed me the problem and explained the solution. We finally decided on a date, which was my issue, not theirs. Their general manager Brian McCreery and crew arrived on time ready to work. Brian was onsite THE ENTIRE TIME, explained every step, was extremely patient and answered every question. Every morning he would meet with me and explain the days work. It went exactly as he described, no surprises. At the end of each day he would explain what they did and what they were to do the next day. They were always on time, actually 10-15 early, worked so hard, and always managed to be ahead of schedule. Honestly, it was so cold I don't know how they were able to work at all but they worked all day, never stopped or complained. I was so nervous about the settlement issue in general but Brian took time to explain things and alleviate my fears. The company does a great job but for me, having Brian onsite made all the difference. I hired EFS 5 years ago for a porch issue and haven't had an issue with it. It is the reason I turned to them again for this issue. Thanks EFS and a special thanks to Brian for a great job and superior work ethic.

Excellent consultation - I really can't say enough about their professionalism and patience. They performed a quick evaluation of my house foundation due to the ground settling around our concrete block, a small hole next to the foundation, and many cracks in the mortar appearing this winter in the concrete block. Robert used a laser to make sure there was not a huge shift in the foundation, examined the ground that has settled and what I feared was a sinkhole. EXPLAINED why I don't currently have a problem and what to look for as the weather changed. Gave me options to consider around how to repair the hole that has appeared and next steps depending on what I found. In the end...I don't know what better feedback to give other than who else would you trust to do work on your home than someone who patiently explained why you shouldn't pay them gobs of money and a checklist of things to look for that would signal something is starting to happen for me to call them back to re-evaluate. If I ever need foundation repair work, I made sure to save their business card!

Awful, I came away feeling insulted & did not even receive a legitimate estimate. I purchased an old house that has some settling on the outside corner of a small addition( 10x11) that I want to get corrected before I remodel this room. I called 45 minutes before my appointment to tell them I was stuck in (liberty bridge)detour traffic & would be 10-15 minutes late. I had a friend there waiting across the road so that someone was there when Fred arrived. My friend arrived on time, but Fred was already there. I was exactly 12 minutes late. Fred supposedly let himself into my gated yard & took it upon himself to do a soil probe of which I did not see. He told me & my friend he did this, but did not do it in front of us. When I arrived, Fred was cordial, but extremely condescending & demanding. He had his mind made up on the price of $7500 to start. He asked me at least 4 times in the 1st 7 minutes if I had $7500. Fred was adamant about $7500 being the just starting price, he said it would likely be more. I asked him inside to actually look at my crawlspace 1st. He would not even enter the house to even view my crawIspace! When I asked him to come inside & view my crawlspace before jumping to a conclusion, he said again "Do you have $7500 or not? because if you don't have $7500 there is no point, go get yourself a handyman & find someone else to fix it!" I replied "That is what I called this company for, I am trying to get an estimate, that is why you are here!". Fred replied there was no point in wasting his time looking at my crawlspace time if I did not have $7500 to start. This dialogue really shocked me. I've never known anyone to demand to know how much money you have in order to give an estimate. I thought our time was done, I checked my watch, it was about 7 minutes in. Fred then went on a rant about how well they pay their employees stating that their employees get $100/per day & that I would need 4 people per day on the job. And he felt I couldn't afford their company. He asked me if I made $100/day!!! He kept saying his employees made $100/day as if it were impress or scare me. Fred continued demanding an answer: "Can you afford to pay 4 people at the rate of $100/day?" My friend & I looked at each other in disbelief, I did not respond, I just smiled because Fred was hanging himself. Fred tried to push for that answer, then Fred interrupted his own self & started going on about other things too, concerning how he does his jobs. When I stopped Fred's bragging rant to inquire about helical piles, he actually tried to tell me that the cost of 1 small helical pile was $3500, and that this price does not include any labor, that this is the price just for the pile itself!!! At this point I did not even know how to react, my friend & I just looked at each other, we both knew what the other was thinking: Get Fred off of the property immediately, he was not going to look at the crawlspace or give a real estimate of the work that needed done. Also, Fred was flat out lying about how much things cost, including the materials. We quickly started trying to move Fred towards his company truck & wrap things up. We thought it was done, just short of 15 minutes now. The lady on the phone told me to prepare for up to 2 hours... Fred got into his truck, & my friend & I figured we'd get on with the work we had for planned for the day. Then Fred came back from his company truck, continued his rant and justification & throwing prices verbally, ridiculous quotes, and just a whole lot of uneducated crap that was not necessary, & then Fred offered me his business card!!! A few days later I got a friendly letter in the mail asking me to keep them in mind for the future. $100/day isn't even prevailing wage for the type of work Fred described. $100/day is barely a decent wage even for an unskilled laborer. I'd not go bragging about paying my employees that rate. Fred doesn't know anything about engineering. Not one thing, but he will tell you he does. Fred made a LOT of assumptions. Fred assumed I was either uneducated & poor, or both. Fred assumed that I had no idea what things actually cost. The way Fred spoke to me, & his approach was unacceptable. The best way I can describe it is: Fred was like Archie Bunker, only worse. I was surprised he did not call me "little lady". Fred doesn't know my educational background, nor the type of work I do for a living. Fred doesn't know what my friend does for a living, nor why he was there. Maybe Fred should have asked those questions instead of demanding to know if I had $7500 without even looking at my crawlspace. But mostly, Fred should have just shut up. All of the dialogue was insulting, ALL of it. Fred's message & assumptions were clear to both of us, without even needing to speak a word between us. We just wanted to get him off of the property & fast. Fred made it a cake walk for the next person, scheduled 2 hours later. ALWAYS do your research. Always get multiple estimates. When it comes to ANY foundation work, it pays to have a professional engineer tell you what needs to be done & gives you options for what can be done ahead of time, before your estimates begin. Pay for that out of your own pocket before you get ANY estimates, it will save you much more than that. Originally I called this company to hire an engineer, but I was quoted a price of $800, which is about twice the price of the others in the area just for that consultation, so I went elsewhere for that. I did however agree to the "free estimate". I never received an actual written estimate. Fred refused to look at my crawlspace despite the fact that this was the only reason Fred was present.

First, the bad: they didn't communicate well, and I was confused as to when we were actually doing the repair until the day before it was scheduled. Then, due to some inclement weather, they asked to reschedule to the following week. Once we got that figured out, the guys that showed up seemed like they didn't actually know what they were supposed to do. They didn't have a copy of our signed contract or the on-site estimate, so relied on me to tell them what to do and how much they had told me it would cost. The good: Once they got to work, everything went great. They did excellent work in a very timely fashion, and the cost was within reason. If I ever need foundation work again, I will call them. However, just accept the fact that you will have to steer the scheduling piece and be ready to direct them once they arrive.

Bob Smith of EFS provided a design and cost estimate that we could live with. A skilled and experienced crew did the work in two days and, despite the need for additional work, kept the job within the original budget. Overall, the best contractor experience we have ever had!

The represenative that reviewed the problem is an engineer. He was prompt, professional, and personable. His partner is also an engineer. The workers were curteous, friendly and efficient. The project involved grinding the exsisting paint of the concrete block. The area was surrounded with plastic, an exhaust fan vented to the outside and the workers wore protective clothing and masks. Very impressisvse and efficient. We interviewed 2 other vendors. Neither had engineers on staff. Each offered different solutions. We are pleased with the work and believed the problem has been remedied.

We were concerned about cracks in the cinder blocks of our foundation so we called Engineered Foundations for an assessment and and and estimate for any corrective work that would need to be done. The person who scheduled our assessment was professional and sent a follow-up confirmation letter with information about the company. When Bob came to our house he was extremely professional and thorough. He explained what he was doing and why at each step of the assessment. He used equipment to take measurements to see how much settling or shifting of the foundation walls had occurred, and shared the results with us. His assessment showed that there wasn't any settling or shifting of the foundation walls, but he was able to tell us why the cracks had shown up, and was reassuring that they were not cause for concern at this time. He showed us how to monitor them, and described how we would know if they were becoming a problem what would warrant attention in the future. He said that he would have notes on his visit, and if we had any questions to give him a call and he'd be happy to answer them. We were extremely impressed with the time Bob spent on our assessment, especially given that there was no work that needs to be done. I wouldn't hesitate to call him if we needed foundation work done in the future.

We contacted Engineered Foundation Solutions to discuss stabilization options for our deteriorating garage and patio. After reviewing photos remotely, Bob came out to look at the situation and offer his expertise. His assessment was thorough and very clear, and he continued to communicate with us over the next several weeks as we weighed various approaches to the problem. In the end, we agreed that the structure will need to come down entirely, which put the project out of the scope of this company. All of Bob's advice was therefore provided to us without charge. Bob is reliable, thoughtful, and professional -- exactly the sort of contractor I would trust to make critical decisions about the integrity of my home. I recommend him highly to any home or business owner seeking structural or foundation work.

Bob (the owner) came out and took a look at the sag. after taking some measurements, he determined that the floor did not need raising but suggested a few jacks. He said that since the house was so old and the structure of the house now had that memory, if we raised it, A LOT more problems would occur and that it wasn't worth it since the house was stable.

At this point in time, I am going to hold of getting work done with the hope that the heaving has stopped. If or when I need work done, I will call Engineered Foundation Solutions first.

Although I decided that the estimated cost of the fix ($36000) far exceeded what I can spend on the garage, I have only extremely positive impressions of Fred and Engineered Foundation Solutions. Friendly but professional, and outstanding (relative to other providers for home repairs) in terms of being prompt about returning calls and showing up when scheduled. Fred was scheduled for noon, and he showed up at noon sharp. I was also appreciative for how Fred clearly and carefully through the various fixes that would be required for my garage, explaining each components' contribution to the overall cost. Finally, I was particularly appreciative that he ultimately advised me that tearing down the garage and building a new one would probably be more cost-effective than paying Engineered Foundation Solutions to fix the current structure. Honest, friendly, prompt, and professional--hard to beat that combination. Highly recommended!

Bob, Jeff, Amy in the office, and the crew were wonderful. I was considering having this house torn down but after discussing the structural issues and solutions with Bob decided to go ahead with a whole house renovation. In addition to the weakened structure, they found bowed walls which I will be having them address at a later date. The job consisted of installing 11 new support beams in the basement. Jeff and the crew were prompt, hard working ,friendly and cleaned up very well. I had contacted three different contractors for bids-they all came and assessed the job but I never saw or heard from any of them again--that is when I turned to Angie's List and found Engineered Foundation Solutions. Their knowledge and professionalism was clear --it was a very good experience. Thank you all at EFS! . .

We had some problems with a crack on our basement wall and a terrible banging sound from the basement in the winter. We were afraid there may be something wrong with the foundation. Mr. Smith came to out to our home to evaluate the situation and we were completely satisfied with his service. He listened to out explanation of the problem, took measurements, and did an in depth analysis. We were reassured by his professionalism, and actually found out that the culprit is our deck and not the foundation. If I could give him an A+, I would. He arrived when he said he would and was competent and very personable. I would definitely use him again in the future.

Mike, the engineer, explained the work in easy to understand terms. Workmen showed up on time, were polite, hard-working and cleaned up afterwards.

He did great work, spent considerable time going over the foundation. He told us that we did not need any work (even though we would've had a credit towards having something done). We appreciated his honesty and would definitely hire him for future work or recommend him to a friend.

First - everyone at EFS is a pleasure to work with. Their responsiveness via phone and email is amazing - even after regular business hours. Second - EFS employes nice people - the kind of people you trust working in/on and around your home. Our project: First - 3 of the 4 walls were either bowing or leaning in. To correct this problem 21 strategically places Reinforcers were placed around our basement walls. This is the latest technology in supporting and securing a foundation from further damage. These straps are affixed to the wall and secured with metal plates at the ceiling joists. They are very thin and we can water seal our basement and then insulate and drywall right over with out any issue. With a 50 year transferable warranty we are very pleased with the work. This phase was completed in one day. The team left our basement cleaner than when we 'turned it over to them' for work. Second - since we wanted to replace what was torn out (a finished basement) to make the space meet current building code we chose to install an egress window. This will allow sufficient access should an emergency arise in our basement. Bob and his team worked tirelessly with our local Borough to have our plans approved. Instead of bringing in heaving machinery EFS chose to dig the hole by hand, cut into our foundation wall, install the window and leave us with a beautiful finished product. This window is so simple our 6yo daughter can open and get out if needed. Price - yes this was a very expensive project. First we were paying for the best basement technology (The reinforcers). Second we were paying for the window install. Bob was able to help/work with the price which made it more manageable. Lastly I'd like to share - we received a hand written thank you from Bob (owner of the company). That says a lot about his committment to his work and his customers. I'm hoping we won't need any more foundation work - but if we do - this is the only company we'd call.

The folks from Engineered Foundation Solutions were friendly and professional from the start. The work was quick and was high quality. The beams even look kind of nice!

I had some concerns that house is shifting due to door opening issues and small cracks around doors etc. I contacted them over their website, which was promptly followed up. We made an appointment within a week and Robert Smith, the founder and president and his father arrived exactly on time. They throughly measured the house and found that no immediate action is required . They explained what could be done in the future and gave an estimate cost. They provided advice on monitoring. They did not charge for the inspection because no repairs were necessary. This is one of the few truly professional and honest companies I have dealt with. They were friendly and to the point, and knew what they were doing. They are engineers, not salesmen. They did not try to scare me into making some repairs but simply gave their professional opinion, which I fully trust. Very knowledge, realistic, professional. If I need repairs in the future on this or any other house, this is the company I will do the work with.

The appointment went very well. Bob inspected the areas of concern in my basement, took measurements, discussed the problems with me and came up with a proposal to fix the problems. Bob was extremely professional and knowledgeable, and he came up with a practical solution to several areas of concern at a reasonable price. I have some other repairs to do to my home, so I am postponing this work for a while, but, based on my experience with them, I would definitely recommend this company.

From the initial contact to set up the first visit all the way through to final installation and work completion, it was a very smooth and pleasant transaction. We first met Fred as he came to our house for a foundation inspection. He was very thorough in his inspection, taking measurements all along the way. He kept me informed all throughout the process as to what he was finding, explaining what measurements he was taking and why. Informed me of what they meant in regards to acceptable tolerances, also discussing possible causes and potential future issues. Once the problem was determined Fred discussed our potential solutions for our problem, to both stop the issue that was occurring, and to correct it. Based on Fred's recommendations, coupled with his findings, and my own research, we decided on the best solution for our situation. We proceeded to get a contract written up and signed for EFS to do the necessary work for us. Once the contract was in force, EFS was very proactive and informative in setting up the time for the work to be completed. Every contact with them was professional and courteous. Prior to the actual work being done they sent out Jeff, an engineer, to inspect the work site, take some of his own measurements, and to prepare for the precise installation that needed to be done. Jeff actually did a walkthrough of the job necessary, taking video of the area of repair, talking through it, so that he could then review it with the work crew that would be coming to do the actual work. I loved how thorough they were in preparation for the work to be done, it showed great attention to detail and the desire to do the work correctly the first time. When the scheduled day of the work came, the crew was on time. They were very pleasant and were completely prepared for the work that they had to do. The went to work immediately and were very efficient. As the work was in progress both Fred and Jeff eventually showed up on site and remained through the completion of the project. Once completed they reviewed with me what was done, explaining how the steel support system worked. They took initial base measurements after installation so that we could keep track of the process of correction as it occurred. They also explained that they would follow up and be back out to check on the installation and confirm the progress of improvement by the installed system. All in all, I think EFS is a great company. Every step of the way was smooth and easy. All of the people I met were professional and friendly. The work was fantastic. Oh, and they were very clean, they cleaned up the job site before they left, actually leaving it cleaner than before they had arrived. I'm very happy with them and would highly recommend them to anybody needing to have foundation work done.

Fred arrived on time and was extremely professional and knowledgable. He evaluated the crack in the basement floor and determined that no action was needed at this time. He was very honest and was more concerned about a solution rather than a sale. I highly recommend their services.

It went very well. The owner, Robert Smith, performed the assessment. He communicated with me throughout the assessment to make sure I understood what he was doing. In the end, he told me that we did not have a problem with our foundation and likely never would. However, he did tell me what to watch for regarding exterior surface cracks in the face bricks. He was very professional.

The staff was knowledgeable and professional, they provided a no frills sales experience, and they did a good job without leaving a mess. In fact, they videotaped the basement prior to starting work so that they could return everything to its proper place.

Everyone with whom I dealt was professional and friendly, but the deal wasn't quite what I had been expecting. Specifically, I was wanting a professional engineer to assess my home's foundation, but the gentleman who came out was only a drainage and waterproofing expert who gave me an estimate for installing an interior drain. He missed our first appointment, too, but the company was very apologetic and followed up nicely. Ultimately, the deal just didn't fit my needs at that time.

Everything went very well. They arrived on time, completed the work as promised, and did a good job without leaving a mess.