The area under my bathroom was sinking and there was a decent size crack in my slab in the bedroom next to the bathroom. Douglas himself came out to look at it and do a quote. He was pretty knowledgeable and told me the same thing as the first company did & suggested the same exact repair for much cheaper. The house is generally sinking towards the rear, but a full foundation repair wasn't really feasible(financially and due to the fact that the property is a duplex and I just had a tenant move into the rear unit). So I settled with the option of putting in a couple piers in the sinking area and filling in the cracked area with concrete that both Douglas and the other company recommended. I have to put trust that this is a reasonable fix for the time-being. I may need a more comprehensive fix later down the road. As far as the job goes, it went relatively smoothly. Unfortunately when they started jacking up the house, it didn't raise up where they were jacking at, but rather a few feet over, which affected the other unit(door wouldn't open), so they lowered it back down a bit to a level lower than hoped. Not really their fault, nor that big of a deal(in my opinion), and there are 3 piers there to hold it in place to prevent further sinking. On a side note, the original quote called for 2 piers, but they added a 3rd for free to try to get a better jacking point when they encountered the issue(though that didn't really improve the situation). Overall, Douglas suggested a reasonable fix(given the circumstances) of the immediate issue and they have prevented it from potentially getting worse. Just one thing that seems kind of off - Douglas said I have a post-tension foundation, but I don't really think that's the case. read more

House was showing signs of being out of level (door frame and dry wall). After reading these positive reviews, I called Douglass Foundation Repair and scheduled a visit. The person who showed up was professional and honest (RG). He explained that while the house was slightly out of level, all of the piers and beams were in good shape. He gave me an estimate to re-level, but there was no pressure to do the work. In fact, he suggested that it could really be done anytime now or years from now. Really liked my experience. I would trust these guys. read more

I am the owner of a duplex in E. Austin, that needed to be leveled. Originally, I contacted Centex Foundation and signed a contract. A week prior to the start date I was contacted by their manager and told that they made a mistake in the estimate and could not honor the contract without adding another $4K. I decided to call Douglas Foundation, sign a contract with them and I was glad I did. They came when they said they would, they were easily reachable when contacted, and went out of their way to make sure my tenant on the A-side was able to move back in before the weekend which meant pouring concrete in the rain. Anytime they needed to come to the property Rick Gilchrist, OM, contacted me, asking if it would be okay, ex. tape permit for city final inspection. Overall experience has been good, I am happy with their work. Unfortunately, my tenant form A-side Rick P. (see below) decided to give this company a poor review, on the basis that they would not give him their insurance information. I should add, my tenant was fully aware that foundation work needed to be done when he signed lease, and that he himself, in his own profession, dealing with contractors and work on a house, would know that there would be dust and loud noise. On Sept. 10th, the day my tenant was moving out, for the remainder of the work and actual lift, for 5 days to Homestead Suites, (which I have paid for) I got a text that his "wife's nerves are stretched" and he didn't think it could be okay for them to be in the house while the men where putting piers outside, not to mention the noise and pictures falling. But nothing broke and no pictures or figurines on the B-side fell. Rick Gilchrist, OM, assured him it was fine as did the owner Douglas Plausche. They also offered for the men to stop working, but Rick P said "to continue the work and not stop and that his wife over reacted, due to an inncident the day before." He then decided to pursue the company, without my knowledge until Oct. 10, 2012, when Douglas Foundation called me and let me know. So if you are super sensitive to dust, noise, vibration, some movement while the men are working outside, move out day one. But if you want to see the repair of your foundation by professionals, stay. read more

Everyone at Douglas Foundation was amazingly helpful and responsive! We are out-of-state owners and were selling a rental property and needed foundation work completed before the transaction could close. Rick, Thomas and Lisa were all super professional and helpful. They answered all our questions and were quick to respond to emails and calls. They completed the work when and how they said they would and provided all the info we needed to get the deal done. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing foundation work. They are as good as it gets!!! read more

Douglas foundation leveled my pier and beam in Taylor. Everything from the estimate to the execution was fantastic. The estimator, Thomas, was professional and listened to my concerns and needs. The team was efficient and courteous and actually quite impressive to watch. They did a great job of cleaning up the site after leveling. The only criticism is that they did not re-secure the skirting on the back of the house. I did not communicate this request to Thomas (made an assumption) so I accept partial blame for that. All in all, a great experience and I would recommend and use them on other jobs. read more

Called Douglas out because of good review on Yelp. This guy is very knowlegable, dependable, and HONEST. I needed no work and he took the time to show my maintenance man how to fix our problem!!!! Thanks Yelp and thanks Douglas. If you need foundation repair, this guy is TRUSTWORTHY. read more

I called Douglas at the end of October 2010 to request an estimate to level my pier and beam home in San Marcos. I had gotten an earlier bid from him in December of 2009 but could not get the money together to do the job. He was very gracious about coming out and doing another estimate because the condition of the house had gotten much worse (I had been able to see daylight in my 3rd bedroom coming through where the roof meets the wall and my hallway was like walking in a weird fun house at the Fair--the flooring was so uneven). He came out and crawled all the way under the house and checked it over very thoroughly and gave me a very affordable option that would get my home back in good shape again. Well, I believe my home is in better shape now after Douglas' crew levelled it than when it was built!! The house had shown to be almost 5" off from the front to the back and it had 3 different types/sizes of pier & beam work underneath. His crew showed up the first day on time and got right to work. They are really very knowledgeable and competent in each of their jobs. They kept me informed and helped me know what to expect at every step of the job. They paid attention to the really small details that let me know as a homeowner that they respected and cared about the quality of work they did. They did an AMAZING job! The whole house now is levelled to within approximately .7" and the cracks that had been everywhere -- they are all sealed back up. Now there is NO daylight showing in my 3rd bedroom and the hallway is straight & even. Sure, I will have to repair, tape & float and seal & paint where the cracks were but it's like having a brand new house. I would highly recommend them!!!! read more

I liked Douglas Foundation. The experience was great and the construction crew did a good job. I was scared because of having an old home that the roof would cave in after hearing the sounds of the home being lifted. But they insured me there wasnt going to be a problem and there wasnt. The price was pretty high, but the work was good. The foreman was really patient and taught me a lot about my house I wasn't aware of. Overal a good experience. read more

To be honest, I first called Superior on a recommendation from the company we are going to have build our garage. I wasn't very impressed when I left a message and didn't receive a call back. I was even less impressed once I called THEM back and the gal who answered asked me what I wanted done. Umm, foundation repair? It actually worked out for the best though, because as I read through more information and visited the different company websites, I saw that Superior only does one type of repair. They say it makes them better because they aren't spread out between different types of piers, etc, but I think anyone knows that all ground and all buildings are not created equal and what works for one situation may not work well for another. So, onto Douglas.. I chose Douglas based on the reviews I read and the fact that he did not try to hard sell the customer on something they didn't need. I also called based on some research I did that suggested foam-jacking might be a method to consider - when I googled foam-jacking and Austin, I got Douglas back. Doug, the owner, showed up at the time I expected him. He was very easy to talk to and did a great job explaining my options and gave me his professional opinion which - believe it or not - did not include me contracting with him to do the job right now. He suggested that I hire an engineer first or find someone in the area more experienced with our soil here. He advised me that he could sell me a pier installation that may or may not work but that I would be paying for his effort and not necessarily results. His honest, straight-forward disposition really sealed the deal for me. I would feel very comfortable hiring Douglas Foundation and will do so if that is what the engineer recommends. read more

It was our first time having to deal with foundation issues. Working with Douglas foundation was a great experience. They're costs are very honest and reasonable. They were knowledgeable and informed me of all aspects of the work being done. I would recommend using Douglas Foundation. Lisa and the rest of the team were great! Thank you Douglas foundation. read more

I've used them twice so far and each time it has been an excellent experience. On my pier and beam home they identified issues with the spacers on my piers and resolved them at a very reasonable price in a very short time table. On my newer foundation home they came by and did an evaluation at no cost providing me a wealth of information on proper maintenance and management of my foundation and what to look for in the future before deciding on pursuing further work. I will gladly use them for all my foundation needs. read more

They did a great job repairing my foundation ... in and out quickly and the crew was exceptional. I'm giving a mediocre review because I was unhappy that they were not willing to work with me on getting the warranty after our remodeling project and plumbing fixes took over a year to complete. I hoped that if they confirmed that the foundation had not shifted from the time they did the job a year earlier and we passed the static test, they would stand behind their work and provide us the warranty. Instead, they said that they can do that, but I would have to "buy back" the warranty for a percentage of the total cost of the original job (i.e, $thousands). I also realize that contractually they are within their rights not to issue the warranty since we exceeded the 3-month time period, but from a customer perspective I was hoping that they would show the willingness to work with me in the case that the foundation was still in the same condition as when they completed the work. It doesn't seem too much to ask for. read more

Douglas is just a wealth of foundation knowledge and happy to educate a homeowner about the pros and cons of foundation repair. Although we chose not to have work done on our foundation, he assured us that our little cottage is structurally sound. His insights gave us confidence and made us feel safe that our house will stand, if a skosh off plumb, for the rest of our lives! Thank you Douglas! We recommend Douglas Foundation Repair to anyone looking for a great company and knowledgeable owner, willing to share his expertise! KK and Sal read more

A plumbing emergency caused by my house shifting in this drought prompted me to call Douglas Foundation. They promptly came out, gave my problem priority and leveled the home. Their plumbing contractor, G & M Plumbing, was on site when the house was brought up and immediately took over the plumbing issues. Every employee I dealt with at Douglas was professional, proficient, polite, and incredibly empathetic to my problems. The foreman on my job, John, was an absolute doll and I'd recommend cloning that man! He left the premises actually nicer than his crew found it. Several months later, I purchased an investment property near my home and they came out and repaired the foundation for that house as well. This company sets the bar for how to treat customers. I can't think of one issue that came up on either job that wasn't resolved quickly and to everyone's satisfaction. read more

Douglas came to look at my home. He was honest and gave me solid advice on what needed to be done at my home. I've already recommended him to someone else! read more

We called DFR for mud jacking needs to fill a large void under our driveway. First off, Thomas came out to do an inspection within a day of my call, which beat the two weeks it took for a rival company. The first company bid over 3K, and Douglas did the same work for less than 2K. This was most important to me as our budget is tight and noone likes to pump $ directly into the ground...but unless I wanted to my vehicle to fall into the ground, it had to be done. In fact, it had to be done before my roofers showed up to replace my roof with their heavy vehicles. They were able to fit me in their hectic schedule in a week's time. Thomas was very communicative throughout the whole process. Also very important to me is knowing that while a business needs to make money to survive, this company wasn't out to take advantage of us and the market, which only has 2 companies doing this work that i know of. He answered all my questions and even helped work out payments for possible scenarios should the worst case happen. The 3-man crew worked hard for several hours to finish my project same day, and they were all very professional. The foreman was willing to answer questions while the work was being done also. Douglas FR is even trying to help us after the work is completed. This speaks highly of a company that cares for the customers they get. For an industry no one hopes to have to call for repairs to their home, if and when you do, Douglas is definitely the way to go! read more

I chose Douglas Foundation for my foundation repair after getting quotes from 3 companies in and around the Austin area. I researched the reviews of all 3 on FB, Yelp, and the BBB. They offered not only the best price but also the best warranty - A lifetime warranty with a transfer option if I ever sell my property. They were very professional, were in and out in 3 days after installing 13 smart piers. They replaced all previous landscaping where they found it and you could barely tell that they were even there. Two thumbs up - highly recommend. read more

I bought a new home and it had some foundation issues. I had several companies come out. These guys have me the best advice all around. Other issues needed to be addressed in order for the foundation work to be ideal. So they pointed out what else needed to be done. Then they said give them a call and that would olé sure the best outcome. All the other foundation folks were ready to hit the work right away with largely varying plans and expenses. I think these guys have your best interest in mind. I will have them back out to finish the job once all the other issues are completed and the ground has time to dry out.... So the work done then will be the most stable. Very impressed with their knowledge and their willingness to do the right thing. read more

Called about getting an estimate and the customer service over the phone was great! Once they came out to inspect the house all my questions were answered and I was very pleased with the over all experience! read more

Douglas come out and inspected our pier and beam foundation, was on time and quickly gave us a quote. Super nice guy, would 10/10 recommend him. read more

We had the worst rains last week. Major flooding. Worst in Austin ever apparently. Well, water was rushing under my pier and beam home. When I looked under the house, I was concerned about spacing of piers etc. The house was built in 1949, so it just didn't look great under there. (I won't go into the specifics) Anyway, to be safe, I thought I'd have someone come out and look at it. Thomas from Douglas Foundation was just here and took a look and said that things were actually OK. He said they could do some stuff, but it really wasn't necessary. I couldn't believe it to be honest. I couldn't believe how honest and cool he was. He knew his stuff and he simply did not want to take me for a ride. I even tried to tip him, as he probably saved me thousands of dollars, but he wouldn't take the tip. I can't recommend these guys highly enough. read more

We had a door that was sticking badly all of a sudden and noticed some new cracks in the corners where walls met, so we made an appointment with Douglas. Thomas came out and was waiting at our house when we arrived at the appointment time. He was super ridiculously nice. He listen to our concerns and then crawled under the house. He explained that everything, structurally, looked great and that the small amount of movement we may have experience was likely due to moisture affecting certain piers more than others. In the end, he recommended that we get a new door and shave it down to fit, rather than messing with perfectly good piers. Essentially, we should cope, and not overreact. He gave us some perspective about living in old houses and said to fear not, that things looked good. Oh yeah, and there was NO CHARGE for the visit. If you read my other reviews, you'll see the awful luck I tend to have with contractors. Getting someone competent is a relief. Thanks, Thomas! read more

My husband and I are buying our first home, and needed to get the foundation looked at since the house is from 1956. We made an appointment with Douglas Foundation for a free assessment, with no issues getting in before our option period expired (key). The owner himself came out to do the job. I am impressed anytime the owner of a successful company still gets his hands dirty -- it shows that person is still interested in their own company and the work it performs, and it shows a genuine interest in the work itself. So already I was happy. After looking at the foundation, Douglas chatted with us a while and gave us the straight skinny on the foundation, explaining that it needed some tidying down there, but it was otherwise by and large good. He told us about the weak spots, about some DIY that had been done on it in the past, and about some plumbing and venting issues that we should get checked out. And also that there was evidence of rats down there that we should take care of. There was some small amount of work on the foundation he said they could do, but he also explained to us how we could do it ourselves without any issue, and that it wasn't a rush to take care of. He then told us about our specific foundation's construction style (including that it was not pier and beam, even though everyone had told us it was, including the general inspector, listing etc). We talked about water flow and how to keep the good aspects of that flow while improving weaknesses that could cause issues down the line. I could go on and on. Suffice to say he clearly knows his field well, and cares about quality. If we ever need more foundation work done, I'm definitely going with this company. read more

The owner, Douglas Plauche, visited our 1946 pier and beam home in Central Austin to evaluate the condition of the foundation. After moving in one year ago, we noticed new cracks, some door sticking, and a sloping floor. Despite some age-related minor issues, Douglas gave us the advice of "do not do anything". Now, he could have easily recommended a few fixes for about $6,000, just like another company did, but he did not. I am truly appreciative of his honesty. He also gave a few suggestions for dealing with cracks in the drywall and finally recommended checking the foundations again in a couple of years. Should we ever need foundation work in the future, we will surely do business with Douglas Foundation Repair! read more

We wanted to have our foundation checked before we passed our house on to our daughter. Douglas Foundation was recommended by a neighbor. From Lisa, who I have only dealt with on the phone and e-mails, to the person who gave us the quote and to the crews who performed the work, I was thoroughly impressed! Everything promised or spelled out contractually was performed according to schedule. We could not be happier that we chose Douglas Foundation Repair! read more

Douglas came out and inspected my house and gave me an estimate for leveling my foundation. Compared to the other estimates I had received, Douglas was the best fit for my budget. The work crew arrived on time and did a fabulous job. They had to remove some pavers and plants in the front of the house before they could dig. They laid tarps down on the lawn next to where they had to dig and placed the dirt they removed onto the tarps. After the foundation had been leveled, they confirmed with me that the house was level and began replacing dirt in all the holes. They also replaced the pavers and plants in front of the house. Throughout the entire job they communicated with me what they were doing as the job progressed. After the job was completed and they had cleaned up after themselves, the foreman asked me to inspect the area to see if it was to my satisfaction. The entire experience with Douglas Foundation, from estimate to job completion, was handled courteously and professionally. I definitely recommend Douglas and his crew. read more

When I first bought my house, one company told me I needed 3k worth of work. I called Douglas for a second opinion and they determined it didn't need any work. Thomas came out the other day to check in again and not only were they honest about still not needing work, he explained what I need to do to keep it stable in detail. He also told me what to keep an eye out for in the future if an issue was arising. I highly recommend! read more

Douglas came out to check out concerning cracks on the outside of my home. He gave me a thorough and knowledgeable explanation on how the foundation behaves---I learned a great deal in a short period of time about 'foundation walking', hydration, and dynamics of foundation stability. His advice was an honest recommendation for what needed to be done for my home. I learned that my home is not yet unstable to the point of being foundation failure, but that there were small things I could do to control hydration (install gutters, prevent erosion) that would prevent possible foundation issues in the future. I would highly recommend him for anyone who really wants an honest, objective answer on the real condition of the foundation of their home, whether or not you will end up needing work done. Honest is the number-one thing you look for when you are having such a significant, value-influencing repair done on your home. Thanks again! read more

Douglas was extremely helpful in explaining all the different options for foundation repairs. I have a Frankenstein house with multiple additions, multiple foundation styles, and poor soil underneath it all, which makes it a hard property to work on. Douglas was very reassuring - unlike some of the other companies we had come out. He was always willing to take time out to reply to any questions by email or phone, and explained things logically instead of trying to scare us into getting work done. In the end, another company offered an unbeatable deal (I think they got stuck with an idle crew due to an emergency cancellation, and we benefited from that), but Douglas was incredibly gracious about us accepting the other offer and even followed up later to make sure the repairs worked out. He was so friendly and honest throughout the entire process. I highly recommend him! read more

I hired Douglas after he came out to my house to give me a bid. I bought an old craftsman bungalow in Old West Austin. The house was built in 1925 and the "pier and beam" foundation was in need of some MAJOR LOVE. Douglas arrived, crawled under my house, checked out my foundation and gave me two bids - a bid for "top of the line" concrete piers and a bid for your standard "block and base" foundation. Douglas explained both bids in detail, the pros/cons and allowed me to mull it over with my wife. Having received several other bids, Douglas was squarely in the ball park so I hired him. Throughout the process, Douglas was ON THE JOB SITE working right alongside his foreman and workers. This gave me EVERY confidence that he was going to see to it that the job was done right the first time. During the building process, Douglas afforded me every accommodation any concerned home owner would want. He completed my foundation in a timely manner and was more than fair with me as we worked through the payment process. I would, without hesitation, recommend Douglas for any residential foundation job. read more

This company is different after you sign a contract. Then the change orders start and after spending 3 times! The original estimate our foundation is finally done. Site is still dirty and final punch list never completed. Also damage they caused to other parts of the house are still not fixed . They won't return our calls, either. read more

I had lots of cracks in the ceiling and on walls that had been fixed but were cracking again, and I realized the only way to completely fix this problem was with a foundation repair. Many of my neighbors were also having this problem. Douglas Foundation Repair was $2,000 less than the company my neighbor contracted with (with same floor plan) and they were so professional and easy to work with. It's a messy process but they did a great job putting everything back together at the end of the project. They really came through for me when I put my house on the market this year. They came by to inspect the foundation (at no charge!), everything is still perfect, and the warranty is transferable. I'd definitely recommend Douglas. Oh, and Lisa is so friendly and responsive. They are a great team! read more

I recently called Douglas Foundation due to my house shifting and the floors slightly buckling. The next day at the appointed time, Thomas called to let me know he was 5 minutes away, which I've never encountered with any sort of service person. He had to go under my house twice to inspect the problem and told me everything looked good, I just needed more ventilation. He did not try to sell me anything I didn't need and when I asked what I owed him for his visit, he said not to worry about it. I'm glad I didn't need any repairs, but if I had needed them, I'd be glad to give Douglas and Thomas my business. read more

We recently bought a house that needed foundation work. One issue we had was conflicting reports from two foundation companies. So we got the name of Kastel Consulting to just do the engineering report and not the follow-up repairs. When we finally determined that we did need work done, Douglas Foundation was referred to us. We were very happy with them. They are extremely professional, showed up on time for the consult, promptly sent the quote and the contract. They finished the work exactly when they said they would and cleaned up afterward. We will definitely use them again if we need more foundation work. read more

I spoke with Linda from Douglas Foundation repair, who was quick to go over a home inspection report for a home purchase, and she was great. Based on the property, we were referred to a drainage company and a structural engineer. She was super informative and helpful even though we weren't going to give them any business. Definitely shows their honesty and customer service! read more

We had our foundation done by Douglas foundation repair in late December of 2012 and were very impressed. The estimate they gave us was exactly what we ended up paying. The team of workers were very professional and completely cleaned up all of the debris after the foundation was done. It really looked like they had not even been there. They answered all of my questions and made sure I was completely informed during the whole process. I highly recommend Douglas foundation. read more

After having one foundation company in town tell me I needed to redo my entire foundation for $10000 and that I could do no work to the house because the foundation was so bad, I asked the inspector of my new home what he thought was the most important repair I needed to do. The foundation wasn't even part of it. I then called Douglas Foundation and they came out promptly and told me the truth. There is nothing wrong with my foundation, it might need a little work in a few years. I was shocked! I asked Thomas, the representative from Douglas over and over if he was sure and he was. Douglas foundation is honest and I trust them if I ever need any work. Use them if you ever need foundation work. They are honest and that saved me $10,000!! read more

Home repair is always a huge stresser, so when our windows started cracking and big cracks started showing up in the walls, I was not looking forward to having to deal with strangers coming in the house, dealing with my dogs freaking out, etc. etc. Well, Douglas Foundation made the process about as stress-free as it could be. The quote was reasonable, the work crew was incredibly courteous and crazy good (I never knew a human could dig so fast!), and the site supervisor was clearly dedicated to making sure everything went right. I watched the cracks close up before my eyes, which was kind of amazing. And as other reviewers have mentioned, they're not only knowledgeable but passionate about working on foundations. They answered all my questions, gave me tips on good foundation maintenance, and we even got a thank you card for our business. Hopefully I never need foundation work done again, but if I do, these are the folks I'll be calling. read more

Great experience. Very professional. Good advice. Found a small problem and recommended persons to help solve the issue. Not a foundation problem, possibly a tree near the house. I highly recommend Douglas Foundation, especially Thomas Appelbaum who came to our home. read more

I recently purchased a 100+ year old home in Smithville, Tx. The house had been neglected for many years and the pier and beam foundation was in need of a professional repair. What I liked initially about this company was that they didn't charge a fee to inspect the foundation. That told me their prices were competitive and were confident in their work. Additionally, there was good communication prior to and during the job. The crew was on time and they completed the work when they said it would be (when does that ever happen?). The area was tidy during and after, and the foundation repair is solid! The entire team knew what they were doing from start to finish. Thank you Douglas, Rick, and team!!! read more