Bonilla Foundation Repair

They told me I did not need work done. They were honest and professional. Explained to us what we would see if we needed work done.

Let me preface this review by stating that this is not my first rodeo when it comes to foundation repair. I became pretty knowledgable about the subject when I did a lot of research reading engineer articles and reports, hired a structural engineer, and spoke with 3 or 4 reputable foundation repair companies when I was exploring the repair of the foundation of my garage 2 years ago. Having gone through that repair and another one on a partial area of the house a few years after we bought the home 20 years ago, I have learned when a home really needs foundation repair and when it's just some minor and normal settling. I am familiar with the different methods and how it's done. When I developed a small stair step crack in my brick veneer by a window on the side and rear of my home early this summer I was not that concerned. I decided to monitor it and step up my watering program which seemed to help, the crack didn't get any larger and there was no sign of interior or other structural problems that would indicate a need for foundation repair. The crack was small. I left on a two week vacation in July and watered very well before I left praying it would rain while I was gone. When I returned the situation had drastically changed. The crack was now over a 1/2 inch wide at the window and there was a large gap between the window frame and brick siding. Another stair step crack had developed in the brick further down by another window and this one had caused sheetrock cracks on the interior, one very wide crack very as well as several small ones at window corners. My wood floor planks were separating in one spot same general area. The exterior of the fireplace in the rear of the home was leaning away from house creating a gap between the fireplace and our one year old new Hardi siding. Watering would not fix these problems, unfortunately, definitely had to have foundation repair. So I looked on Angies list and found several recommended foundation companies, did some further research on these companies through the BBB and their own website testimonials and references. Based on that info I narrowed it down to 3, of which Bonilla was one (BBB - A+ rated, accredited with BBB, no complaints on any repair work last 3 years, been in business for a long time as well as very positive ratings on Angies list). Decided to call and get proposals and schedule repair, this was the latter part of July. I was shocked that the earliest appointment I could get was 2 months out (Bonilla) and the others wouldn't be able to get out to give me a proposal until mid to late November! The situation was getting worse every week, the lean of the fireplace, I guess the weight was pulling the brick wall away from the framing of the home and no amount of watering was helping, by November my fireplace may be on the ground along with my back wall! But what could I do , I made the appointments and again prayed for more rain. The day of my first appointment, which was with Bonilla Foundation, Mr. Bonilla arrived (Sept. 20). The company called me the day before to confirm. Mr. Bonilla showed up for our late afternoon appointment on time. He listened as I explained the progression of the problem, took a good look at the areas, and agreed with much of what I thought about the problem and my conclusion that it was getting worse. He took some measurements, drew a diagram of the house, took elevation readings of the entire home, and gave me his recommendation for number of concrete pilings and the proposed cost which was very reasonable- on a per piling cost basis he is very competitive on price - which I have to admit gave me a little pause at first. I always feel you get what you pay for. I went through all my questions and he answered them patiently and thoroughly and believe me since I had a little knowledge there were a lot of them. Subcontractors? - No, Experienced Employees - Yes - many years experience, with company a long time, Foreman on site all times? - Yes, English speaking? - yes, Written warranty and transferable? - yes, Elevation readings monitored on lift of foundation? - yes, Provide diagram with new elevation readings after raised? - yes, only experienced personnel drive the pilings and supervise the lifting? - yes. Overall I found Mr. Bonilla to be very patient and good humored gentleman, very knowledgable, went the extra mile to answer and ease any concerns I had, and appeared he took pride in what he describes as a family business, and the great ratings he has maintained on Angie's list as well as the BBB. He even accommodated me on the scheduling, squeezing me in immediately to his already several months out full repair schedule so I could get the problem taken care of before it caused a lot more costly damage to my home. The day they were scheduled to do the work, Mr. Bonilla arrived on time, his crew was a little late but followed soon after. He introduced me to his foreman, Mariano, who was great. He talked with his crew, gave them instructions and said he would be checking back in. They placed plywood over my grass areas to pile the dirt from the digging so as to minimize harm to my lawn. I oversaw the process that whole day and his crew was very pleasant, very diligent workers and didn't seem to mind me hanging around. Mariano was very good at answering my questions and listening to any concerns I had. I explained where the sewer, water and gas lines were located when they were digging in those areas and the crew took particular care to be careful when digging around these areas. I advise if you don't know where our utility lines are located that you contact your utility company to come out and mark the locations before work begins. Several pilings were being placed in areas very near my A/C unit and Gas Meter, they were very careful when digging and driving the pilings in these areas. One crew member drove the pilings. With pressed pilings they use the weight of the house to drive the pilings down to a level of extreme resistance, and as they go deeper the foundation does lift as the resistance gets greater. This can cause the foundation to raise and lower a bit while driving the pilings, so be aware that this process can cause additional cracks in brick, sheetrock, etc because the structure of the house is repeatedly lifted and then released. I don't' think any company guarantees that damage won't occur when the pilings are driven or the house is lifted. However, I observed that the crew member driving the pilings really seemed experienced, he very carefully watched the house foundation, and the pressure he was applying to the foundation when he drove each cylinder and released the pressure slowly so as to minimize the foundation movement. Mr. Bonilla happened to be on hand after the pilings were all driven and they were ready to raise the foundation. So he supervised the lift. I arrived just after the lift occurred. The cracks in the sheetrock completely closed up, the gaps around the windows and doors closed up, most of the brick cracks completely closed, and the fireplace was returned very near to it's former upright position. All good signs that the foundation had been returned to its previous state. Mr. Bonilla took final elevation readings as promised and provided me with a diagram with the new elevation readings, along with a written lifetime warranty and a transfer form to transfer the warranty to a new owner when we sell. I had to leave town the next day so I wasn't there for the clean up, but when I returned everything had been cleaned up nicely to my satisfaction - the holes were filled and all the areas left clean. The work was completed on schedule. We did get a few extra exterior brick mortar cracks and a few new small sheetrock cracks in the interior from the whole process but feel that was minimal and to be expected. Nothing major and since I have to paint and repair anyway, not a big deal I would recommend Bonilla Foundation for any foundation repair you are considering if you want to go with pressed pilings, you can't beat his price, they do good work, and I do feel he will honor his warranty, if there are any problems in the affected areas in the future. I would consider using them for any foundation repairs I have in the future. Thanks Mr. Bonilla for your patience answering my questions and easing my concerns and for squeezing me into your already full schedule so I could avoid some really costly damage to my newly remodeled exterior.

On the morning of August 9 ,2011, Mr. Bonilla accompanied his crew to my home. He introduced me to the supervisor and told me that the job would take 3 days. The crew worked three long days and completed the job on August 11, 2011. I can't say enough about how impressed I was with their work. They covered the grass with large pieces of plywood to capture the dirt from under the house. They had to move some shrubs and they did their best to keep the roots covered with moist dirt while they were exposed. On the third day, the house was leveled and this involved taking electronic measurements inside to insure that the proper levels were attained. I could feel the house moving during the leveling and , to my amazement, I watched the cracks in the ceiling and the ceramic tile, close up as if by magic :) I still have to get the painters back in to repair the cracks but they are nowhere as obvious as they were before the leveling. I was also happy to see that all the doors that had been sticking were now easily opened and closed. After the workers had completed the leveling, they proceeded to do the cleanup. I knew that they would clean up as best they could but I was still prepared to deal with a mess since I couldn't imagine that they would be able to get all the dirt, shrub edging, etc. back in place. However, I underestimated them. They stayed late to clean up and washed the mud off the walkways, fence, driveway and any other area that was effected. I even saw them sweeping the street. The rocks lining the shrub beds were put back in place. They even raked the grass that was under the plywood. I couldn't be more impressed with this company and highly recommend them.

Mr. Bonilla arrived exactly on time for the estimate. He explained everything that was needed in detail. Everything went very smooth before, during and after completion. All staff were very professional. Always on time, very thorough and efficient. Cleaned up at the end of each day which made it easy to live in the house during the job. Job was done few days earlier than expected.

Mr. Bonilla was nice and courteous when he came over to give an estimate for my foundation repair. He was punctual and took his time to inspect my home. Unfortunately, the home I bought have floors that were "too nice"; therefore, requiring expensive tunneling. I had to go with a more economical solution, but appreciated the time he spent.

Mr Bonilla came out and gave me an estimate and time for work to be completed. He said we could get by with 7 piers for leveling the garage but may have to place 4 more piers if the garage door would not open properly. The day of the job the crew was here on time I left for work and when I got back they were finishing up, the extra piers were not needed and the job was complteted to our satisfaction

Very courteous and no pressure to buy. They came out and did measurements. I had 4 companies look at the problem. Three of them were similiar in the solution, but I felt more comfortable with Bonilla. We scheduled a time within 2 weeks and it took 3 days. Cleanup was excellent.

There were 4 estimates obtained, all consistent, and Bonilla's price was in the mid-range. They did a great job. Everyone was very professional. We had approximately 36 pilings placed around the perimetry with some interior. When they were finished you could hardly tell any work had been done. Only problem was some shrubs were replanted backward so they look funny, but will fill out. They went above and beyond to ensure our problems were fixed. It was a very good experience and I highly recommend them.

Everything went fine with no problem. They are excellent as far as I am concerned and would recommend them to others.

Bonilla's service and performance was excellent from start to finish. Mr. Bonilla came out a week prior to provide an estimate. He was very professional, thorough, and spent quite a bit of time helping me understand the process. Mr. Bonilla and the team arrived promptly on the date scheduled. We had 2 air conditioners and pool equipment on the side of the home that needed repair. They were able to dig a tunnel below the pool equipment and work around the air conditioners without damaging anything. They worked quickly and the job was completed in two days. One peer required cutting out a portion of our pool deck and they did a good job patching the deck when they were done. The job required them to remove several 20 year old bushes from the front of the house. While they cannot guarantee survival of the plants, they still took excellent care to cover the roots and keep them moist. They replanted everything exactly as they were before and so far there is no evidence of them dying. They had quite a bit of dirt from the tunneling which they removed completely prior to leaving the house. They left our home spotless to where you could not tell they had been there. I highly recommend using this company. They did excellent work at 1/2 the price of their competitors who also provided bids.

Mr. Vidal Bonilla came to meet us, look at our problems with changes in the foundation and the impact on our doors and walls, and give us a bid. He was very personable and professional and impressed us with his knowledge. He took measurements across the house. We arranged for his crew to come the next week. They arrived exactly on time and every person we met was courteous and professional, including being very sweet to our 2-year-old grandson. Mr. Bonilla came at the start of the work as well and a crew chief was there the whole time. They did the work in good time and very well. They did final adjustments to the doors, which now work perfectly again, and confirmed that the floors were level. They were very neat and left no signs of their work inside or outside the house. We could not be happier with the work and with the whole experience.

We bought a 42 year old house last year and recently started having some doors stick, small cracks in walls, etc. Found Bonilla on Angie's List and gave them a call. Very professional reception and very punctual showing up. Mr. Bonilla did a full survey and a took all measurements of the house. He found some minor changes from the measurements we had during our original inspection, but told me that it was not enough to require foundation repair - probably just some very minor movement due to recent rains and our yard holding water. He recommended some additional drainage in the backyard and to call in back in a couple years to recheck measurements. I appreciate this honesty and professionalism and will definitely call him back, if needed, in the future.

My experience with Bonilla Foundation was wonderful. Mr. Bonilla himself came to the house and gave me an estimate in October (before we purchased it). Once we closed I had him come out and perform the work on 6 January 2011. His crew arrived on time and completed the project in one day. Mr. Bonilla inspected the work upon completion. The price was very reasonable and the quality/workmanship was extraordinary. Bonilla is the first foundation repair company I've ever dealt with that didn't try to up sell me on additional work (for example, adding concrete pilings when they weren't really necessary). Every communication I had with the company, whether it was with Mr. Bonilla, the receptionist in their office on the phone, emails, or the on-site crew was completely professional and timely. If I ever need foundation repair service in the future I will only use Bonilla Foundation.

Arrived on schedule and completed the job in 1 day. Replaced the rotted beams without complaint or up-charges. No complaints.

Highly recomended service, very clean. Honnest people.

I started to see cracks inside and outside my house, so I called several companies to confirm I had a problem and find out what it would cost. Bonilla Foundation had the most reasonable price compared to the two other companies. I also liked the fact that Mr. Bonilla took his time to explain things, answered any questions we had, and there weren't any sales gimmicks or pressure to get the job done with his company. As far as our experience with the repair work, the crew arrived promptly and immediately began working and took great care in not harming our lawn or landscaping in the front. It took them to two days to complete the job and I am very pleased with the end result. The expansion joint on the outside was back to normal and the major cracks on the inside and outside are hardly noticeable. They did a great job of cleaning up and leaving everything as close to it's original state. I paid exactly what I had been quoted. Great job Mr. Bonilla and crew!!!

I called three foundation repair companies including one that had added piers previously and warranted work. All three arrived on schedule. The one that had done previous work acknowledged that he had done the work, provided the highest bid, despite he fact he claims to warranty his work. He said he needed to check his records on the previous work before scheduleing the work and left. Despite repeated calls the contractor that had done the previous work never returned calls. Second contractor providing lowest price, came on schedule, started the job and then left without completing job. I can only assume he underbid the job and did not want to continue. Calls to him remain unanswered. Bonilla was the third contractor and provided the middle bid. He came, did work in excess of what he had bid but honored his original bid price without question. As far as I am concerned, I would use no one else! Fantastic, honest, efficient!

I felt that they use specialty and I might use them in the future. I was expecting their price to be a little bit lower and they weren't great with communication. The salesperson that gave me the quote was professional and clear but did not make me feel 100% comfortable with the information I was given.

It went great and I would refer this company to anyone.

Very professional contractor I would recommend to anyone needing or evaluating foundation repairs.

They came out with a band of guys and hit the ground running. It took several hours - in and out of the house with guys positioned under the house while someone with a digital level in the house shouted out elevations. It was astounding how very out of level the house was - cracks everywhere!. Bonilla's guys were very professional - no messes, very focused.

Great experience, will recommend to others!!! (see above)

Vidal Bonilla arrived promptly at his appointed time to do an inspection. He was very diligent, mapped the house, did measurements, inspected both inside and out. After showing me the measurements, he explained possible causes and recommended that no work be done at this time. He also suggested ways that I might reduce the slight movement that I am seeing in the house. I appreciated Mr. Bonilla's honesty and would recommend his services to anyone. I certainly know that if I have problems in the future, I will contact this company again.

Great experience. Mr Bonilla came out to do an estimate for leveling-measured floors, recommended the course of action. Fast, prompt, polite. Of the 3 estimates I got, his was the best price and I felt the most comfortable talking to him. We decided only to shim the voids between some of the piers and the support beams that our inspector found when we bought our house. The floor wasn't that unlevel and I didn't want to mess with possible sheetrock cracks. The crew was here on time, cleaned up well. When they got done I could tell by walking on the floors that they had been properly reinforced - didn't feel springy like they did before.

Two brothers operate this company. One came to provide the estimate and our discussion left me very impressed, compared to 3 other companies which came out to estimate. On the repair day, one or the other of the two brothers were here supervising the work. All work was completed in one day, although it was a long 12-hour day. All work was professionally-conducted. This was April. We were pleased with the work. I should say that because this is a detached garage, we decided that we could go with a traditional driven-pile repair and we took the lowest bid. The other 3 estimates, including 2 from well-known large companies, were for driven-pile systems which include some form of linking the piles, such as steel cable or rebar. These estimates were in one case double the price from Bonilla and with the 2 large companies, more than double. Again, given our circumstances, we believe this foundation repair will last. Bonilla provides a lifetime warranty on this repair, so we aren't concerned. We would use Bonilla again.