I bought a new, old home and wanted the foundation and floors evaluated…read more Fast response time. They provided a quote ($600) in no time, offered to send out a sample report and asked for the address of the house. When I probed them with what the evaluation involved (such as mapping floor levelness) and whether they were independent without financial ties to contractors, I learned they don't map floor levelness. They didn't answer the bulk of my questions, and they ended stating they don't have the bandwidth to take on my project.

I hired SF Bay Engineering for seismic retrofit plans under the Earthquake Brace and Bolt program…read more I was told architectural drawings were required before they could proceed, so I hired and paid an architect to prepare them. After multiple back and forth and with SF Bay Engineering admitting they aren't familiar with the requirements, they terminated the contract. They refunded their engineering fee, but the architectural cost remained my responsibility. I brought the matter to small claims court, and the court ruled that because I retained the plans, reimbursement was not warranted. I recommend future clients clarify in writing how architectural costs will be handled if SF Bay Engineering terminates the contract. Happy to provide additional details upon request

The team at Zenith Engineers really are fantastic. I have worked with them many times through my…read morebuilder contractor client, and Zenith are producing regular engineering solutions for retrofits in the cities of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Santa Monica. Soft-story retrofits can be complicated and complex, especially with the various councils' soft-story ordinances, yet Zenith create *great* results on a regular basis. I was originally working with Jason Leon who is the Business Development Manager at Zenith Engineers Inc. Jason is professional, courteous and very helpful. He knows what he is doing and his plans and solutions are very clear. These days I work directly with Juliette Chandler, the Engineering Estimator at Zenith Engineers Inc. Juliette is fantastic - she works very quickly with the turnaround of engineering solutions, and this makes my job a lot smoother with soft-story retrofits. Happy to recommend Zenith - five stars.

I want to express our gratitude for Zenith Engineers Inc. prompt, professional, and outstanding…read moreservice throughout our remodeling project. From the very beginning, we were impressed with Senthil, Ryan and other members of Zenith team's level of professionalism, prompt response, architectural knowledge and effective communication.This level of service was seamless through our entire engagement with Zenith Engineers Inc., from obtaining the building permit to successfully passing all necessary inspections by the SF Building Department. No one questions their architectural work because they are so good at what they do. We had some initial concerns after reading negative reviews, but as the project progressed, it became clear that those comments were based on personal grievances, rather than valid concerns. The team at Zenith Engineers Inc. has a high level of professional ethics and integrity. Zenith's management team had explained to us early on in the project, the strict adherence to code and compliance was paramount throughout the project. If Zenith compromises to satisfy unsatisfied clients, the building will end up being non-compliant and more importantly unsafe. We truly appreciate Zenith's commitment to quality and integrity, even if it means earning a few negative reviews along the way, which seem rather unfair to them as they are simply doing their job. I am extremely satisfied with the professional and excellent work the team at Zenith Engineers Inc. provided us and will hire them in a heartbeat for all our future structural and/or seismic engineering needs. Thank you Senthil, Ryan and the Zenith engineering team for your professionalism and support. It was our best decision to work with you and experience such high standard of professionalism, work ethic, and integrity.

We were dealing with moisture issues in our crawlspace every rainy season, with water periodically…read moreseeping up through the floors and walls. We had a few folks out to assess the problem and Steve from Foundation Repair of CA was much clearer in communicating what the issue was than any of the others. He also offered us different options, giving us a straightforward assessment of the benefits and drawbacks of the different options. In the end, we went with drainage, encapsulation, and sump pump installation. Ernesto and his team (David, Juan, and Kelvin) came out for the installation and we were so impressed with the efficiency and quality of their work. Overall we're really happy we went with these guys, and are feeling so relieved that we don't have to worry about heavy rains anymore!

Foundation Repair of CA (FRC) is the most disreputable, dishonest company I've ever encountered. I…read morehired them because I didn't want to hire the lowest bidder for a change, and I regret it. I wouldn't sign the contract when told I'd have to do my own masonry repair until sales agent Jesse Marquez showed me FRC corporate material that indicated the brick facade would be removed with a masonry saw, in an approximate 2x2' square. That was false and deceptive advertising. This is what they did to my house. No masonry saw was used, only impact drills, which act as small jackhammers. FRC significantly damaged the entire brick facade, adjacent areas showed extensive cracking, entire areas had the brick facade knocked completely off the house, and the wall foundation was separated from the brick wall entirely. I told the work crew, headed by Luis, to stop using impact wrenches on the bricks immediately, then told them TWICE. Not only did they not stop, despite direct STOP work orders, they then took all of the bricks they'd destroyed, which legally is theft, called conveyance. Jesse Marquez explained that the bricks were so old they'd shattered. Luis returned the bricks after Jesse Marquez called, ignoring my several phone calls and texts. Jesse texted that the bricks were so old they'd shattered. Luis returned them, none were shattered, all were broken by the impact drills. Luis confirmed, texting that the bricks were "broken". They took the bricks to hide the damage. The day FRC received my Contractor's State Licensing Board complaint, FRC messaged that someone would come to assess the damage for repairs, and FRC would repair the masonry they'd destroyed. They first sent Robert Pagan, who acknowledged both that there were no masonry saw marks, and that the damage was excessive. According to FRC, Jesse stated Robert hadn't said this. It wasn't until I pointed out he'd said it while standing in front of a Ring camera did that lie die. FRC then sent Troy Knight, who acknowledged the same, and stated he was there to help, and would see that the masonry was repaired and more. I have several texts, voicemails and emails from FRC stating they will complete the job. They never did. FRC employee Mike Crites was sent to perform the repairs. He returned the following week with the wrong sized bricks in the wrong color, and proceeded to do more damage. This is the work that they did. FRC employee Mike Crites initially stated that he had retired as a mason, he later revised that statement, saying he'd only worked with pavers and concrete. The work performed was so substandard, FRC sent Jovincio, who was the only honest person in my entire dealings with FRC. Jovencio said he wasn't a mason, but had "some training". Jovencio replaced the work done by Mike Crites. This is Mike's effort, and Jovincio's replacement work. The work performed is clearly substandard and unacceptable. FRC acknowledged the workers sent lacked the skills, training and necessary certifications to perform masonry repairs. When I requested that FRC send a mason, and included photos of the work, FRC responded that they'd done me a favor; the workers sent were a courtesy. The very clause they'd ignored (and invalidated) by removing the bricks was cited. That they would do no more, leaving me with the bill for their damage. This is what they left. I obtained a second quote to repair the deficient masonry 'work' FRC workers had done - without a REQUIRED permit, with no mortar pins, odd-sized and broken bricks mortared in randomly, mortar lines that range from non-existent to more than an inch. Crites' also removed the brick facade foundation in several sections, replacing it with sloppy concrete. This is a code-violating 'repair' that is neither plumb nor square. The legitimate mason company from whom I obtained a repair quote updated the quote, which has nearly doubled BECAUSE of the 'repairs' performed by the unqualified FRC employees. FRC called this doing me a favor, saying the inept crew was sent as a 'courtesy'. This is not doing me a favor, this is not a courtesy, this is at best fraud. After signing the contract (under false pretenses), Jesse insisted I needed an additional pier ($3,155) because piers can no longer be placed under a window. A pier was placed under the window. Two other piers were not placed according to the county approved structural engineering ($1,850) diagram. Half the piers were installed in the wrong places, apparently according to Luis' whims. Yesterday Groundworks gave an estimate on properly placing those piers. That's how I learned that the improperly placed piers had lifted a joist completely off its foundation supports. This, too, will require additional expense to correct, before it damages my house - literally to the roof. I should have stuck with Groundworks. This is your cautionary tale - no one who values integrity, ESPECIALLY senior women, shouldn't hire FRC.

I had a great experience working with this team on my ADU project. From the beginning, they were…read moreprofessional, knowledgeable, responsive, and very helpful throughout the entire process. They prepared the architectural drawings and calculations for my project and helped make sure everything was properly prepared for submission to the City. They were also very patient in addressing the City's comments and making the necessary revisions. I really appreciated their attention to detail, communication, and willingness to help whenever I had questions or concerns. They made what could have been a very stressful process much easier and more manageable. I'm very happy with their work and the service they provided. I highly recommend this team to anyone looking for professional and reliable architectural services. Thank you again for all your hard work and support!

So I'm seeing cracks on my ceiling and they are starting to worry me…read more I checked Yelp and Nextdoor for some structural engineer recommendations. When I contacted them to get more information they responded timely. Made an appointment with them about a week and a half later. Arash came to the house and looked everywhere garage, outside, all the rooms. And thankfully he said there is no foundation concern. Took him I want to say about 40min to look everywhere. They are not cheap. My eyes almost popped out of my socket when I heard about their rate. But I want someone with experience to look at the house. Anyways, there is a little hiccup with the invoice but they reached back to me quickly to resolve it. The inspection cost is separate to the report fee. Just fyi. Nice people, happy to have found them.

Working with Irvin at Prostruct Engineering was a breath of fresh air. After purchasing a new home…read moreand enduring my first winter, I was incredibly nervous to find significant water in my crawl space and cracks along the raised foundation. I initially signed a contract with Prostruct, but after Irvin reviewed my photos, he demonstrated a level of integrity that is rare to find. Instead of taking the job, he honestly informed me that my specific issues fell outside their scope. He took the time to explain what I was seeing, referred me to a geotechnical engineer who could actually solve the problem, and issued me a full refund. I greatly appreciated his transparency and professional guidance. I highly recommend Prostruct Engineering to anyone looking for an honest assessment--they clearly prioritize the customer's needs over their own bottom line.

I've worked with ProStruct Engineering on a couple of my projects for full plan sets, and I…read morecouldn't be happier with the experience. Their team is very professional, responsive, and easy to work with. The plans were well-prepared and detailed, and the city approved them with minimal corrections, which really speaks about their quality and attention to detail. One of the projects was on a hillside property, where the foundation requirements were quite intense, but their team handled it seamlessly with well-thought-out and detailed designs. See pics. They always delivered on time and maintained excellent communication throughout the process, keeping me informed at every step. I highly recommend ProStruct Engineering to anyone looking for reliable and efficient structural design services! A special mention to Lokesh, who I worked with directly -- he was very responsive, understood my needs clearly, and made sure everything was addressed on time.

The foundation of my father's home in Concord was sinking, and we hired Foundation Solutions to…read moreremediate the issue. From start to finish, our experience was outstanding. This is an exceptionally well-managed company, and every step of the process was handled professionally and efficiently. We obtained three bids, and Foundation Solutions was by far the easiest and most competent company to work with. They were willing to work with us on their proposal, and throughout the entire project they demonstrated honesty, integrity, and a commitment to doing things the right way. They use Ram Jack which was minimally invasive. They truly run their organization like a well-oiled machine. Our project manager, Brett Everling, was excellent. He kept us informed every step of the way, from the project planning to the city permits and construction schedule. Communication was outstanding, and everything proceeded exactly as promised (and even a little ahead of schedule). For a project of this size and complexity, it's remarkable that everything went so smoothly. The Foundation Solutions crew was punctual, hardworking, and incredibly diligent. They hand-dug the excavation areas, which was no small task, and they treated the property with care. The amount of concrete that needed to be removed was kept to a minimum, and the concrete repairs afterward were done nicely. We did have one issue with the sprinkler system after it was reassembled, but Foundation Solutions responded quickly and resolved it without hesitation. That level of customer service reinforced that we had chosen the right company.

We just did a mid size project with them last month. We had them underpin one side of the house and…read morereplace a good amount of posts and repair some cracks in our foundation. Brett came out to do an assessment on our entire foundation and his finding was consistent with our own inspection report. Their recommendation is also on par and we find that Brett is quite knowledgeable about the scope of work. He is also very patient, responsive and respectful throughout the estimating project while we took a long time to decide, a lot of follow ip questions and requests. Not once that I felt rushed, pushed or disrespected. The team kept me informed on the timeline of permit, project starting time, inspection and completion, everything was transparent. They passed inspection without problemsx Our foreman is Humberto who was polite, dependable and kept me well informed on the work they performed the day of, when they finished work and provided needed before and after pictures. I also find their pricing is reasonable compared to other companies that we interviewed with the experience that far exceeds their piers. Overall I had a good experience with the crew. They are polite and really didn't interfere with our life that much while they work. I would recommend them for all foundation repair needs. Be careful because lots of foundation companies will scam you, just because you will not be able to see what they did underneath your crawl space. The last foundation company came out to fix our house they made a bunch of noise for 2 weeks, said they are done and then we hired an independent inspector and confirmed they did nothing. Spend the money on a good company. This one is probably the best one ( we interviewed 6 companies)

Peiman and Laleh have been a phenomenal help. They are patient, kind, knowledgeable, and willing to…read morego the extra mile, when extra questions or issues arose with our contractor. We wouldn't be more thrilled to recommend them. Peiman's team's professionalism and skill make them a rare find for home remodeling projects in the Bay Area.

I contacted more than 20 structural engineers in attempting to even get someone to take my call,…read morelet alone to make my choice of whom to work with for seismic calculations for my home remodel project. Mr. Peiman Ghaffari of S&P Structural Engineers clearly stood out above the rest. He was the fastest to respond; the best communicator -- patient, clear, and easy to work with; and was the one who completed my project with integrity, high technical competency, and professionalism, exactly on time. I have to say I count myself fortunate for finding and choosing Mr. Ghaffari / S&P for my work and I would hope to hire him again if ever a new need arises.

I have worked with Reza and his team on multiple projects. They always make sure to provide best…read moreoptions for each project and ready to go the extra mile to accomplish the goals.

I had a wonderful experience with Babak and his team. He is…read morevery professional and always replied to my email within a business day. The design I requested was completed earlier than they anticipated and at a very reasonable price. I couldn't ask for more! I'm sure I'll use their services again in the future in case I'm planning any addition or modification to my house.

Brian, Holly, and Gerardo are the best…read more When I contacted them initially two years ago, within the first 10 minutes of talking they'd recognized that our house was not a simple brace & bolt project given its soft story and referred me to a structural engineer (who himself was excellent) for review/evaluation. I begin with this because that structural engineer mentioned he'd had Brian do his own retrofitting and highly recommended him, which was the only endorsement I needed. The scope of the work was soft story retrofit (incl. excavation at the front of the garage to install a Hardy frame, adding in shear walls with bolts, shear wall with URFP ties all along the house's perimeter) as well as adding in anchors (e.g., hand dug piers, rebar, concrete) in the front and back of the house to prevent the house from further sinking. We initially applied for and got into the ESS program, which Brian/Holly guided us through (pulling permits, getting photos, contacting our engineer for letters/responses on ESS program follow-ups). As in the first time and every subsequent time, they were swift and helpful in responding. ESS, if you don't know (like I didn't), goes through FEMA and requires FEMA review and approval of your plans at each step of the way, but the whole program came to a standstill in 2025-26. We had no updates despite us and Brian/Holly repeatedly following up. We gave up on ESS in April and decided to move ahead with the retrofit. Brian was able to work us into his schedule and work began early May and work was completed in just a little over two weeks, a full week faster than I expected. The whole time Brian/Holly kept us apprised of the status, schedule, and inspections; and forwarded us all documentation and pictures as they came up. The crew was efficient and detailed and did thorough clean ups of the worksite after each day. We felt in control and informed the whole time and are confident in the result; I'd hire them again in a heartbeat.

We had a very positive experience with Golden State Seismic and Structural for our earthquake…read moreretrofit. Their bid was in line with the other bids we received, and we ultimately chose them because of their years of experience doing this type of work and their excellent reviews. Throughout the process, Brian and Holly were prompt and helpful whenever we had questions. They also handled the paperwork for an EBB grant that covered part of the cost, as well as the forms needed for our earthquake insurance reduction, which made the process much easier for us. Jordan and his crew were all polite, hardworking, and respectful of our home, and they did a great job cleaning up after the work was completed. I'm not really qualified to evaluate the technical aspects of the retrofit itself, but the work passed inspection, which gave us confidence that it was done properly. Overall, we're very happy with the experience and would definitely recommend them to anyone considering an earthquake retrofit.

Highly recommend BEAR Engineering!…read more I reached out to 5 other companies, and a lot of them seemed sketchy, to be frank, and did not inspire confidence in hiring them to do a foundation inspection- this was absolutely not the case with BEAR. I scheduled a Foundation & Drainage Inspection online and within 2 days my inspector, Mo You, was onsite. They were knowledgeable, thorough, and took the time to talk me through the process before, during, and after the inspection. The report was extremely thorough and exactly what I had hoped for. They also are up front about pricing and give guidance for next steps.

We hired Mo from Bear to measure floor sloping and inspect a foundation of a house we'd just…read morebought. The report was extremely detailed and was very helpful in deciding what to do with a contractor. Highly recommend Bear for the high quality of their work as well as the ease in working with them. Throughout the whole process they were very communicative as well as prompt and easy to schedule.