Evergreen Seismic

Matt and the Evergreen Seismic team were communicative, honest, and collaborative throughout our retrofit. When I reached out initially, he helped me learn about the retrofit process, and even encouraged me to consider doing it myself. I really appreciated that — it'd be so easy for a professional in his position to scare a client into getting the work done, but he did the opposite. He also gave us a competitive quote, and offered to match any other we got elsewhere. I ultimately decided to hire him, and was glad I did. He and his team got the work done in a timely and orderly fashion. Our foundation turned out to be a little unusual, which took more time than anticipated, but he walked us through what they were doing to accommodate the difference, and did not ask for an additional fee for the extra time spent. They handled all the city permitting and mailed us the paperwork to keep on file.

Top notch. Honest and reliable crew.

Matt and team did a great job on my project. We/they projected that there could be additional work required beyond the earthquake retrofitting based upon preliminary inspections of this fixer-upper. The retrofitting they completed as per the plan. When we found additional structural repairs were necessary, Matt proactively communicated the issue(s) and had a plan to remedy. I really appreciated his communication and proactive approach to solving the problems. Highly recommend Evergreen and Matt!

Matt and his crew were outstanding. Professional and extremely competent at their craft. I couldn't be happier with the choice we made. I'd highly recommend them for any earthquake retrofit needs.

Matt and his crew did a great job for us

Exceptional service from Evergreen Seismic. I met Matt at an info session on seismic retrofitting hosted by the city of Seattle. It took me a year or so to reach out to him. I was impressed form the start. Matt was more than willing to coach me on doing the project myself, if I wanted to take it on. But in given the complexity of our project, I preferred to hire Matt and his crew. They did a great job, and even did some prep that I was supposed to do but couldn't because of a recent back injury. Very straightforward, informative, and considerate service. I'd hire Matt again without hesitation

This retrofit only took four days, which was great. They were well researched on how to do it right and it looks excellent now that it's completed. They matched the price of the other quote I received in order for me to pick them which was very cool. They were kind and professional. They cleaned up after each day and befriended the dog, which was a nice bonus.

Matt with Evergreen Seismic was a pleasure to work with and exceeded expectations from the beginning. He worked with us to develop a plan to stay in budget while being flexible with timing and coordination of work performed. His work was thorough and exceeded minimum standards to ensure the job was done right. He also took the time to answer questions before, during, and after the job and was open and honest about all aspects, even offering up resources to research and follow-up with his recommendations. Matt was also willing to listen and consider alternate ideas and got back to us in a timely manner. Matt is one of the best in the business for performing seismic retrofit work. This was reinforced when a competing bidder asked who we went with for our retrofit work and, when I said Evergreen, he said “good, Matt knows his stuff and is the only other company out there I would recommend”. 5 stars, thanks for the great work Evergreen!

Just finished up my retrofit with Matt from Evergreen Seismic. 100% the best experience i've ever had with hiring someone to do work on my house. Extremely knowledgable, considerate, friendly, and he worked non-stop and got the job done faster than expected. He even fixed some rot for me while he was at it! I initially called him because his review were fantastic and I understand why. 10/10 just call Matt and I guarantee you'll be happy you did!

The job went really well. Matt is very knowledgeable, conscientious, and a pleasure to work with. My job was atypical and presented some unusual challenges that were handled well. Matt does most of the work himself so there is no question that it is being done correctly with no corners cut. He also patiently answered all of my many questions. At the final inspection, the city inspector said "This house is not coming down." Beyond that, Matt's bid was the lowest of three. All in all, a very good value.

Matt was real pleasure to work with; he provided a lot of information as part of the initial visit. We got quotes from multiple companies, and he had a really competitive bid - but his communication was really what won us over.

the job went very well. I didn't really have to think about it. Matt showed up when agreed and finished when he told me he would. He was very agreeable and professional.

Great! The earthquake retrofit was top notch decided to call them back for another job replacing a post and beam. Recommend.

Matt has done retrofitting work on my house and it was a great experiences. I am very satisfied with the process and the results. He's a man of his words. He always show up by scheduled time. If there's anything like bad traffic Matt would text me ahead of time. He has the desire for high quality of his work. I could tell by noticing how carefully he protected the working area like carpet, windows and anything surrounding. Retrofitting is engineering and science. Many of those metal parts of various sizes and shapes I have no idea what they're for and how they should be correctly installed. When I asked Matt would go to depth and explain to the greatest details how they work. I feel like a half expert after the work is done. lol... Matt really listened to my questions and concerns. When I pointed to him the insulation didn't look like what it was like before the work was done he came back, fixed it and confirmed with me if it was good. Sure it was. When I pointed to him there's location in the crawl space which maybe can use an extra bracket ( I actually wasn't sure if it's needed as I'm just a half-expert :-) ) he said "why not" and installed not one, but two brackets! I was quite impressed by how serious he's about customer satisfaction. Lastly for the quality of the work, his price is good. I mean really good compared with the other quotes that I got. Matt does most of the work by himself (which is a good thing) and doesn't have all sorts of overheads associated with hiring people and managing a team. I think that allows him to offer the competitive price. Overall I believe I made the right choice by have Evergreen Seismic doing the work. My life as a homeowner would be much easier if all the contractors that I have used are like Matt. :-)

My spouse and I recently purchased a 1929 house in the Seattle area. Not having grown up on the West Coast, I was particularly concerned about how our new house would fare in an earthquake. I knew a retrofit was a must. Before looking for a company to work with, I did a lot (I mean A LOT) of research on what goes into a retrofit in general. (Howard Cook’s youtube videos, uploaded under Bay Area Seismic Retrofit, are an excellent resource.) After learning about the process, I did a deep dive into Seattle area retrofit companies. Based on my research, there were three companies that I decided to contact. We met first with Matt Robinson of Evergreen Seismic and, after our consultation, we decided that there was no need to meet with anyone else. Matt was clearly knowledgeable about his craft—he easily and understandably explained the retrofit process for a house like ours and answered all of our (many) questions. We were even more impressed by how relatable and sincere Matt was. He was such a pleasure to talk with, and we could tell he meant it when he said that his goal is, if the big one hits (god forbid), all of the houses he has worked on will stand strong. After we met with him but before the retrofit started, Matt remained in good contact with us. I had some additional questions specific to our home’s structure. Matt took the time to email me comprehensive responses and followed up by phone to make sure I understood and was comfortable. We continued to be impressed with Matt as he completed the retrofit. To our great surprise and disappointment, just as Matt was scheduled to begin his work, we discovered some major issues with our new house. Because of this, we had to ask Matt to delay his work for a few weeks. While we felt horrible about this hiccup, Matt could not have been more gracious about it. He was truly wonderful to us in a moment of crisis, and we are so grateful. As for his work, it was impeccable. He worked on both the exterior and interior of our home. For both, he left the surfaces looking at least as good as they did before he started. He also was extraordinarily clean and conscientious of our space as he worked. In short, we could not recommend Evergreen Seismic more highly.

My experience with Evergreen Seismic, specifically the owner Matt, was exceptional across the board. It is rare to find a contractor that is excellent at every step in a job process, but Evergreen is one of those rare finds. Excellent communication, quality of work, professionalism, integrity and value were all part of the package.

For those considering a seismic retrofit, I highly recommend Matt Robinson’s firm, Evergreen Seismic. Matt and Evergreen Seismic specialize in seismic retrofits. Accordingly, Matt’s initial assessment of work to be performed was well-informed by substantial experience, sound understanding of relevant codes and the permitting process, and accurate anticipation of what would likely be required by the structural engineer given our circumstances and requirements. While explaining and developing his proposed Scope of Work and bid, Matt responded quickly to questions and concerns; and his flexible approach enabled him to focus on meeting technical requirements while also addressing our specific requests and desires. The resulting fixed price bid, which Matt rigorously adheres to, was appropriately focused and thorough, as well as highly competitive. Matt clearly takes pride in his work and as he does most of the work, our retrofit benefitted substantially from his continuous presence at the work site. In addition to being guided by permit documents designed by a reputable structural engineering firm, Matt’s work is performed with competence, efficiency and a sound understanding of what building inspectors will eventually approve. It is further characterized by obvious care and skill in dealing with wood siding as well as a focus on minimizing disturbances and maintaining a safe and clean work site. To summarize or reiterate, I fully expect Evergreen Seismic to carry out any seismic retrofit project on the basis of a knowledgeable and competitively priced bid; with an approach that is a professional, conscientious and quality-conscious; and in a manner that is punctual, responsive and friendly.

Matt was a pleasure to to deal with from the outset. All work was completed as promised and Matt was very responsive throughout the process . I received four bids and his pricing was very competitive. I always like to deal with business owners who also do the actual work, as outcomes tends to be superior in my experience. I would recommend Matt and Evergreen without hesitation.

I am really happy with the seismic retrofit that Evergreen Seismic recently did on my house. Matt is very professional, trustworthy and was quick to respond to any questions I had. The work was done very efficiently and for a fair price. I would definitely recommend Evergreen Seismic to anyone looking to have their house retrofitted.

I recommend working with Matt. He knows his business and can walk you through the engineering, permitting and what will be required. And then, he does the work himself. Honest, competent, and hard working. And my yard and patio were clean when he was done. He's committed to helping people prepare for earthquakes and is highly recommended.

We recently had Evergreen Seismic retrofit our 1922 home. I would rate the job 10 stars if I could. Their price was competitive, they were always responsive when we needed to communicate, and they even finished the project ahead of schedule. They were punctual, professional, and patient. We had many questions during the process, and Matt explained each step so that we were comfortable as the work progressed. Matt worked closely with a structural engineer to determine the best solutions for the home’s seismic vulnerabilities. A combination of hardware (to bolt the mud sills to the foundation) and shear walls (for strengthening the existing structure) were utilized. From start to finish, Matt & Caleb did meticulous work. They were exceptionally careful when removing and then replacing the existing lath & plaster, and exterior shingles. The finished dry-wall work was just as perfect as the rest of the project. We would highly recommend Evergreen Seismic if you are considering a seismic retrofit. We cannot imagine you could find a better company for your project.

Evergreen Seismic just completed our seismic retrofit last week. Throughout the process Matt and his helper Caleb were communicative, friendly, and great to work with. It’s not ideal having people in your house banging away all day for a week but this is inevitable with a retrofit and Evergreen made it as painless as possible. They cleaned up every day and made sure we had access to things like the washer/dryer for the evening. I got bids from three outfits for the work and Matt’s was in the middle (they were all pretty close however) but I felt like he was the most on top of the specific conditions of our house and caught a couple things that the other companies missed. He knows the permit process inside and out. He also went the extra mile on a couple of items, which I really appreciated. Evergreen uses a subcontractor to install earthquake shutoff valves for the gas meter and the sub was equally great to work with. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend these guys to friends and family.

Matt was a consummate professional throughout this project. From the start, Matt demonstrated a great deal of knowledge and also came in with the lowest bid. Matt was able to schedule our retrofit fairly quickly, and did a great job executing with a minimum of disturbance during the project. If you're looking for a seismic retrofit in the Seattle area, I highly recommend Evergreen Seismic.

Matt was an absolute pleasure to work with. In the course of renovating our old home, we had a lot of contractors on site but Matt was far and away the best. He is communicative, punctual, respectful, and kind! He did great work for exactly the price he quoted. When we had inevitable mix-ups along the way due to all the different kinds of work being done simultaneously, Matt was gracious and understanding. The quality of his work is evident, and he clearly takes pride in it. I can highly recommend Matt and Evergreen Seismic for future projects.

Evergreen Seismic did a great job for us from start to finish. Because we were combining earthquake retrofitting with residing and window replacement, it took us a while to make decisions and look at all the options. We really appreciated Matt's patience with us and careful attention to detail to come up with the best engineering solution. Then, he was able to schedule it right away (fortunately, during some nice weather in June). The work proceeded quickly and he got rid of all the demo materials right away so that we could comfortably live at home even while all the work was taking place. We are excited to have gotten this done BEFORE residing. Thanks, Matt! I would recommend you to anyone.