SEISMIC SAFETY
About us
LICENSE # 662926. SPECIALTIES We always have and always will give you MORE than we promise. We have been making Southern homes safer from earthquake perils since 1954 through foundation repair, house bolting, floor leveling, site drainage, and a multitude of related problem issues. HISTORY My grandfather was a foundation contractor. I began going to work with him, my dad, and my uncles during school vacations starting in 1936. After leaving the service in 1954 I started my own foundation contracting company. One of my first projects was to bolt the home of a retired Caltech professor. We have been performing the same for a majority of the associates including much of the USGS staff at Caltech including the buildings that serve as their headquakers.
Business highlights
71 years of experience
Services we offer
EARTHQUAKE RETROFIT, FLOOR LEVEL ADJUSTMENTS, FOUNDATION ANCHORAGE & BOLTING., FOUNDATION PROBLEM SOLUTION, HOUSE BOLTING, SITE DRAINAGE
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.967 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 97% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 3% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 0% |
Showing 1-25 of 67 reviews
Karyn G.
May 2021
It took a while — mainly because of COVID — but they were super professional and handled all the details. They made one billing mistake, but they corrected it. They aren’t the cheapest option, but they are VERY familiar with working with EBB and crossed all the T’s and dotted the I’s and it went very smoothly. If you are using EBB, I recommend them!
Mary C.
Apr 2016
Seismic Safety provided additional earthquake bolting to my 1400 sq ft 1950 house to bring it up to code. They were very professional and responsive. Bella coordinates everything from the office and is great. The work was done as scheduled and finished earlier than first estimated. It did take a while to get on the schedule, though -- they are that busy. Seismic Safety also took care of necessary permitting, and the work passed inspection. For the level of professionalism exhibited, the price seemed reasonable, too.
Jessica V.
Mar 2016
Everyone was nice, responsive and professional, from Bella, the Assistant, to Walter, our inspector, to the crew who did the work. Bella and Walter always answered our questions in a timely manner and we never felt bad for asking, which is not the case with all providers. The crew was very punctual, asked questions, addressed our concerns. I appreciate that they showed me the plate's footprint in the basement and didn't start drilling wherever before being sure we were fine with them in the staircase.
Very smooth process!
Very smooth process!
Kathleen T.
Jul 2015
unknown
Margaret K.
Apr 2015
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Sheila E.
Jan 2015
unknown
Tom A.
Nov 2014
So, this review is not about the quality of their work. It is to advise all who may use Seismic Safety to get EVERY detail in writing. You should not take Ed or any of the others word when you speak with them that they will do what they say.
Through November 1 2014, I have received no refund or supporting documents approved by the buyer regarding the scope and cost of this work.
Buyer Beware.
Through November 1 2014, I have received no refund or supporting documents approved by the buyer regarding the scope and cost of this work.
Buyer Beware.
Response from SEISMIC SAFETY
"(Member Name Removed) demanded cash. We have been legally advised not to do cash. As we advised him, there remains at our front desk, since September 22, 2014 a check for the full adjusted amount presumably due (Member Name Removed) along with work documents approved be sent by our contractual owner of the property. We were contracted via signed contract with the current owner to preform earthquake retrofit on the home recently purchased from (Member Name Removed). 1. The new owner requested work to be paid through escrow. 2. After completion and city approval of the work. We received two checks from (Member Name Removed) one of which exceeded the contractual amount. 3. Upon questioning the amount the new buyer stated (Member Name Removed) had just wanted to make sure there was enough money to cover everything should the costs go over the contractual agreement and authorized we send (Member Name Removed) the overage. 4. We advised that the payments should only be per contract and we could not accept unearned overages. At our suggestion our customer authorized we send (Member Name Removed) the overage to the address (Member Name Removed) provided. 5. Some time passed and (Member Name Removed) called to complain that he not had received the overage, not unusual for today’s postal services. As time passed and in response to (Member Name Removed) angry calls we informed that we would stop payment and see if check had been processed. 6. Shortly thereafter, (Member Name Removed) called to say that the original check had found him. We suggested he not try to deposit it as we had paid for a stop payment. He said his bank had already accepted it and all is well. 7. (Member Name Removed) called again this time more boastful and angrier than ever that we pay the full amount in cash plus the bank fees for the stopped check. 8. It is very difficult to accommodate a man who calls, e-mails threateningly and hangs up on our staff members and the owner of our company. Without offering valid phone, address, or e-mail avenues of communication."
Michael H.
Sep 2014
I have worried about not having my foundation bolted for a while, but it still took me time to bite the bullet and get it all done. David came to give me an initial quote/inspection and I was very impressed with how candid and knowledgeable he was. I decided I would use them even if a bit higher than others, but honestly their quote to me was also competitive. The crew finished work in about 3 days and left the basement even cleaner than before! Things looked great and the work passed inspection on the first try. I had a great experience with these guys.
William A.
Jun 2014
unknown
Mimiy C.
Jun 2014
Seismic was great! They were referred to us by our home inspector. The inspector came out, did a very thorough inspection, and gave us the report the same day. highly recommend!
Michael G.
Oct 2013
They arrived on time each day and completed the work in less than a week. All in all, they were very pleasant people to work with.
John F.
Jul 2013
The job was supervised by Ken Compton, he did a excellent job.
Our job was completed on time and within our budget
The workers were professional and did a great job
Passed city inspections with no problems would highly recommend
without hesitation overall excellent experience. Thank You
Our job was completed on time and within our budget
The workers were professional and did a great job
Passed city inspections with no problems would highly recommend
without hesitation overall excellent experience. Thank You
BEN K.
May 2013
It went very well - as they got into the job they identified other items to be fixed or improved and generally they handled these without adding onto the original quote. The new sister wall in the back of the house and the garage was well-made and significantly improves the structural stability of the house. They showed up when they said they would and got a lot done in each day they were there. They even retrofitted a wooden door next to the garage so it would close properly after the sister wall was poured and now it works better than it did before. The only minor snags were a miscommunication about when the hauling company would pick up the debris that left a pile of rubble in our yard for a week longer than necessary and a nasty lien letter we received from the subcontracted concrete company who apparently sent it to us the day the concrete was delivered rather than waiting for Seismic Safety to pay the bill first. But Seismic Safety handled both issues quickly and completely and overall the job was very well done.
Kimberly R.
Mar 2013
My fiance dealt with them while the did the work, but he was always well informed by everyone he met with. Dave was the initial inspector and I was happy that he was able to navigate under our crawl space (something our general inspector was not able to do). His report was thorough and honest. The office called soon after to check back with us and find out if we would like to schedule any of the suggested work to be done. We then had them come back two months later and start the work. Within a few hours a nice crew came and completed all the work and made sure the job was cleaned up and we were informed of any issues we should consider also doing on our own. I ended up taking the final payment in person because we originally thought we could pay with Discover, but that was wrong. It wasn't too big a deal because the front office manager was really sweet and made sure I had all my receipts and paperwork. They did a follow up letter and then sent us a nice card (from Ed Sylvis himself). We are fully satisfied with their work and if we decide to tackle the retrofit then we will definitely call on them for advice and referral to a structural engineer to get us an estimate.done.
Barbara C.
Jan 2013
This was the best experience we have had working with contractors, hands-down. The communication from the office and the work crew was excellent throughout. The work proceeded as planned, completing earlier than expected.
Joseph M.
Dec 2012
We had work performed by Seismic Safety around 8 years ago. We had a cripple wall reinforced and the remainder of the house bolted to the foundation. The work was done promptly and for a fair price. The reason for this review is that recently I was researching permits for a pre-existing addition to our home and discovered that the foundation permit inspection had never been finalized and the permit had expired. The county had inspected the property but the inspectors notes were incomplete and the job was never signed off. I called the Seismic Safety and explained the problem. They promptly got to work on the issue and contacted the county. They worked through the problem, came out and took pictures of the work they had performed, met with the county and resolved the issue. I was very pleased with the customer service when we had the work performed and even more so eight years later when this problem arose. I recommend them highly.
Emily B.
Sep 2012
They performed our pre-purchase foundation inspection on a house from early 1900s, which revealed that the front and rear cripple walls were constructed of piled up cement pieces (presumably because they were below ground level). Seismic Safety informed us that, while it appeared structurally fine and could be left as is if we wanted, there would be no way to bolt to it safely for earthquake retrofit. After discussing options, they suggested just pouring sister walls inside the crawlspace, up against the existing cripple walls, so they could bolt to the new sister walls. This came out great, the new walls appear solid and strong! And this was far cheaper than jacking up the house and demoing the existing walls.
HENRY L.
Jul 2012
The previous owners of my house had carved out an area in my crawl space to use as a basement. The soil is not properly retained and is falling out or cracking. I have use this company 10 years ago for some earthquake retrofitting and was very happy with their service, so I call them again. David Johnson came by and, as before, he is very honest and helpful with his accessment. He never try to sell you anything you don't need. In fact, he told me I really do not need the work since my foundation is not affected. However, I don't like the way the basement look and am concerned that if an earthquake hit, the soil may not hold up. So I decided to do it any way. The crew was on time and work hard. They clean up their work afterwards. They finished the work in 3 days. They are really the professionals in this area. The wall looks great and the basement looks so much cleaner and usuable now. I am very happy with their work.
MARK T.
Jun 2012
It was easy to set an appointment. The engineer was prompt and knowledgeable. It turned out that our house did not need additional reinforcement. Wow! The expert said we did not need structural work even though it could have been done by their company. Honest guys!
Drew M.
Jun 2012
Project was textbook. Bid was competitive, and crew was courteous and efficient. They started work on the day we took possession of the home, and finished 4 days later. Permit process was quick, and the work was signed off on first inspection. Communication with their office was friendly and professional. I would use them again without hesitation.
Teresa H.
Jun 2012
They executed the work exactly as promised! They had permit to work in hand before they began work, were on time (:a rare thing these days of "window times":), took 1.5 days, as promised, to do the retrofit and minor repairs, and lined up the city inspector to check the work performed as soon as possible. The minor repairs that were outside of the scope of the retrofit were: a compromised floor joist - plumber notched out floor joist to install new tub, I knew about this) some very minor deterioration of original concrete around porch, but they took care of them at no extra charge. There is a minimum charge for inspection, but it is absorbed into the cost of the retrofit. That was it! I wish all contractors had their work ethic.
Patrick M.
Jan 2012
Prompt quotation by god technician, prompt work, stuck to quote, well satisfied with work.
Daniel B.
Nov 2011
I called Seismic Saftey because my General Contractor said that we needed to have the house bolted down. The contranctor wanted to charge near $7,000.00 for the job.
I was very pleased with the service I received by Seismic Safety; both over the phone and in person. They were very honest and infact initially told us that our house probably did not need to be inspected at all. They determined this because by the year the house was built and the area of the house.
For piece of mind, I had Seismic Safety come over anyway to inspect the bolts. After 10 minutes of crawling under the house. They quickly determined that the hosue was sufficiently Anchor bolted. They provided a followup report 2 days later stating that no work needed to be done and the hosue was indeed sufficiently bolted. Seismic Safety saved me $7000.00 dollars!
Prior to the inspection, I asked Seismic Safety if they could give a quote anyway to bolt the house incase we needed it. Their quote was less than half of the contractor.
Finally, Seismic Safety followed up a couple of times to make sure that we were satisfied and if we needed anything else.
I was very happy with the service.
A+
I was very pleased with the service I received by Seismic Safety; both over the phone and in person. They were very honest and infact initially told us that our house probably did not need to be inspected at all. They determined this because by the year the house was built and the area of the house.
For piece of mind, I had Seismic Safety come over anyway to inspect the bolts. After 10 minutes of crawling under the house. They quickly determined that the hosue was sufficiently Anchor bolted. They provided a followup report 2 days later stating that no work needed to be done and the hosue was indeed sufficiently bolted. Seismic Safety saved me $7000.00 dollars!
Prior to the inspection, I asked Seismic Safety if they could give a quote anyway to bolt the house incase we needed it. Their quote was less than half of the contractor.
Finally, Seismic Safety followed up a couple of times to make sure that we were satisfied and if we needed anything else.
I was very happy with the service.
A+
Jessica C.
Sep 2011
I was referred to Seismic Safety by our amazing home inspection guy Greg Noyes. Ken Compton from SS came to the first house we were in escrow on, did an amazing inspection there, and then, when that house fell through, came to inspect the second one we bid on. Again, he was totally thorough and very, very good. We ultimately bought that house and Ken and his team just finished doing some foundation work for us. All I can say is PERFECT service all the way through. You know when you're talking to someone and you just think "this person knows more about this subject than possibly anyone else in the world?" That is how you feel talking to Ken. But he's no know-it-all, just quietly knowledgeable, helpful, and informative about his field of expertise. To the nth degree. The company as a whole is superlative in terms of communication, follow-up, and overall service. The work done is outstanding. When we discovered an extra issue with our house that only came up after we tore carpet out Ken came the same day to take another look -- even though his job was technically done -- and immediately put our minds at ease by telling us exactly how we could remedy it for very little additional money. I love this guy and I love Seismic Safety. I don't know that I would even bother getting bids from anyone else. They are the best.
Dave C.
Aug 2011
This is the second time I've worked with Seismic Safety and I can not recommend them highly enough. The whole process was painless and the work was done quickly and professionally, exactly to specifications. It was a relatively small job, so a crew was available to do the work about a week before the scheduled start date.
Licensing
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FAQ
SEISMIC SAFETY is currently rated 4.9 overall out of 5.
SEISMIC SAFETY accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
No, SEISMIC SAFETY does not offer free project estimates.
No, SEISMIC SAFETY does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, SEISMIC SAFETY does not offer a senior discount.
No, SEISMIC SAFETY does not offer emergency services.
No, SEISMIC SAFETY does not offer warranties.