Foundation Engineering Specialists

We needed a thorough and knowledgeable assessment of what needed to be done to the foundation of a home -- and we were starting out very alarmed, after hearing costly and elaborate suggestions from other quarters. Fortunately, we called this firm and reached structural engineer Bill Carter, a seasoned professional who immediately inspired confidence. He scheduled a visit to the home very promptly, and gave us a summary by phone of how he saw the situation, followed by a detailed report. His expertise allowed us to move expeditiously on the home improvement, with confidence that we were fixing the problem AND not spending more than necessary. This was an exceptional experience, and I would highly recommend this organization.

Bill showed up on time, chatted with me a bit then got right to work. When he was done he talked me through his findings and a few days later sent me the written report, which undertandably carried an extra fee. I wanted the written report since I was planning on purchasing the home. I was very please with the n and the peace of mind that the issues were just visual not structural in nature.

Came spent time looking at the problem. Had some suggestions and emailed report later in the month.

We had some issues come up during a remodel, and as new homeowner's. I can't rave enough about Bill and FES - incredible professionalism, knowledge, ability to explain to first time homeowner, and EXCEPTIONALLY honest!! Bill gave us great peace of mind, and armed me with information to be an educated homeowner. I would give an A+ in all categories, and I am nice but very picky customer. Ample appreciation for your time surveying our home!

He was honest, understandable, and gave good advice, He is associated with a foundation company, but readily indicated that further work was not needed.

Great, very thorough.

Mr. Carter provided a satisfactory report, in the agreed time frame and price.  The issue that I have with Mr. Carter's service is his list of recommended vendor referrals provided for foundation and driveway repair.    Interviews and quotes from 3 of the vendors resulted in picking one, KC Pro -Rob Kramer that resulted in negative results (see KC Pro review Feb 2015).   After contacting Mr. Carter he stated it is was the 2nd negative response he had received and he would remove KC Pro from the list, but the damage was done already.

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Everything went well.  He said the crack in the basement floor did not require anything to be done.  Lots of home have cracks in the basement floor.  There was some settling he showed me based on his measurements but he did not believe it required the services of a company of which I had previously gotten an estimate. I was pleased and relieved to learn that the measurements taken didn't necessarily require any foundation work.   In his analysis, he stated that I may get some recovery with seasonal rain.
I do have some minor water leakage in the corner of my basement.  However, I have been aware of this for years.  It has not required any work to be done except I had caulked some cracks.  This has to do with surface conditions he said. I was glad to have him weigh in on that.  I might look at grade sloping, per his suggestion in his analysis.
He was very professional, got right to his work and answered all questions I had.  I felt comfortable with the information that he gave me.

Several months ago, we began noticing changes in our new hardwood floor.  The slats began separating showing spaces between a dozen of them.  We noticed this throughout the entire floor.  Since the floor was replaced last July and finished in December, we were alarmed with the separation.
Then, about a month or so ago, we observed various cracks around the walls of our home.  Lastly, we observed a new wideer crack in the garage floor.  Observing daily changes in the cracks we became alarmed.  Since our home sustained a flood this summer and the drought weather conditions, we were concerned about our homes foundation.
 That said, we didn't have any water coming into the home.  No cracks in the foundation.  No bowing.  No drastic shifts in the level appearance of the home.  Just the cracks and floor separation.
 For peace of mind, we contacted a structural engineer.  We selected FES because of their A+ rating with Angies List and the 5% discount.  (When I made the appointment, I told him I was calling from AngiesList.  Both of us forgot about the $17.50 discount. You have to ask.)
Mr Carter was pleasant on the phone and in person.  He was professional in manner and appearance.
We told him about our flooding experience.  He used his laser to measure the home.  He did not walk around the exterior of the home.  When he completed his inspection, to stated it was his opinion that we needed a couple of pillars.  The flooding from this past summer seeped under the foundation making the ground muddy and caused our home to settle.  He provided contact information for a couple of businesses that he recommended to install pillars.
 We discussed my contacting our insurance to install the pillars since the changes in the homes foundation was the result of the flood and not drought.
 I asked if the low places he noticed caused the wall cracks in the master bedroom.  He said, no and he didn't know what caused those.  I asked if they caused the crack in the garage floor.  He said no.  
 Where he told me the foundation was settling requiring pillars didn't seem to impact the hardwood floor either.
 I was confused.  He tells me I need pillars, yet, he can't tell me what caused the issues that I found most concerning.
 We contacted a 2nd structural engineer who gave us an entirely different answer including detailed explanations.  The cracks in the master bedroom was caused by weight bearing load changes. (i.e. 22 inches of snow and ice)  During our conversation, I recalled the cracks and daily changes began when we had 22 inches of snow on our home.  That also makes sense why we saw daily changes.  The snow and ice was on the roof for a long time.
 Regarding the floor?  The new floor was installed when the home was still quite wet from the flood (not allowed to discuss here, I have another review on that one.)  The wood swelled from the humidity in the home.  When the air dried during the winter, the wood shrank, so now we have gaps.
It really made me think FES either manufactures pillars, has investments in companies that manufacture pillars, or gets a kick back from the companies he recommends for pillar installation.
While I am pleased we don't need pillars, I am concerned and alarmed that this company recommended we did need them.  
Buyer beware.  I know a 2nd opinion is expensive, another $350.  However, it could end up saving you several thousand dollars in unnecessary pillars.

Mr. Carter was prompt, professional, and very helpful.
His recommendation was that we don't need to do anything with our foundation at this point although there is one area in our attached garage to keep an eye on.

I noticed a crack above an interior door. There are two other cracks above doosr that have been present for several years, as well as a crack in the basement wall. I wanted to obtain estimates to repair the crack in the basement wall, but didn't feel the repair needed to include other unneeded work on the foundation. I retained FES to evaluate the foundation before contacting firms to discuss repairs to the basement wall.
Mr. Carter arrived on time, and I described my concerns. He measured the first floor for signs of settlement. The floor is slightly lower on one end, but Mr Carter did not feel piers were necessary. He did recommend improving the drainage around the house, which I knew was problem. A written report was provided by e-mail 2 days later.
Overall I was pleased with the experience. Mr. Carter confirmed what I felt was minor settlement that did not require repairs at this time.

If I could give a rating above an A...I would.  Our house had cracks and the floors were slanting towards the perimeter.  We had several foundation companies come out to evaluate and provide estimates.  These all involved piering at some high dollar amounts.  Bill Carter determined that the main cause of our problem was probably a broken sewer line under the house which was causing the center of the house to heave upwards.  Now the sewer line has been replaced and we are waiting for the center of the house to go back down to where it should be.  It may take a year...but imagine if we had spent all that money to have the piering done and that would not have solved the problem!  I think Mr. Carter saved us thousands of dollars.  We may have to have some piering done down the road...but we will certainly hire him again before we do! 

When we spoke on the phone, Bill explained what he did and how I could utilize his service.  We agreed on a $350.00 fee. On the day of the service, Bill arrived on time and I met him in the driveway. He was polite and started to work as planned. I showed him my concerns on the outside of the house and he explained in detail what was going on with the different issues. He looked over the outside lawn area and talked about possible drainage problems.  After that we went to the basement for further inspection.  He set up his equipment and told us exactly what he was doing in detail.  Answered every question I asked with information I could understand. After taking numerous measurements, he explained to us what they all meant.  I then paid him and he told me I would receive his final report in the afternoon on the same day.  The report came as he had promised.  Bill gave us a discount and we ended up paying $323.00 which was less then discussed. I was happy about the discount but happier about his professionalism. I would not hesitate to use his services again or recommend him to a friend.

When Mr. Carter came to my house (15 minutes late), he was extremely quiet, and went about his work. He appeared professional, but did not talk much unless I initiated the conversation. Several reviews I read here indicated he would explain everything he was doing as he did it. This was not my experience. As he was finishing his work, I began to ask questions because he hadn't told me anything at that point. He said he thought I'd need 8-10 piers, told me he would have a list of recommended contractors that he would include with my report, and said, "You got a check for me?" I paid the man and prayed his report would be more impressive than what I had experienced thus far.
I received the report 3 hours later, which I was happy with since I'd like to move foward with repairs ASAP. But I found the report underwhelming as well. The excel diagram includes only 1/3 of the measurement points I saw him take, leaving me with no clue how unlevel certain points of the house are. It does, however, only include 2 places he recommends putting piers. Great news, right? Well, I'd feel a lot more confident, but in his write-up, he says, "you might get along fairly well with just two piers under the fireplace." Maybe I'm nitpicking, but the reason I hired a professional engineer was for a plan I (and he) had confidence in. This makes it sound like he's shooting in the dark. Additionally, his write-up says, "I?ll send you a list of competent contractors. See what they say." I've already had 5 different contractors out to look and they all had different ideas on how to proceed, plus many of them are talking in sales speak. I specifically hired an engineer to alleviate the confusion!
I replied to his email with the report asking why he thought I needed 8-10 piers yesterday, but only 2 when the report came through and he responded, "YOU CAN GIVE IT A TRY AND SE HOW WELL  IT WORKS. IF YOU NEED MORE, THEY CAN ADD MORE. THE CONTRACTOR SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADVIZE." He went on to apologize for being a drag while at my house and that he just found out he has pnemonia. I do feel bad that he is sick, but I'm a little disappointed that it obviously affected his work and has done nothing to offer a discounted rate, or to send a colleague out for a 2nd opinion.
Again, I hired a structural engineer so that I would have confidence moving forward with an expensive and important project, and I did NOT get that confidence from Mr. Carter.

It went very well. Mr. Carter arrived on time asked me what I had noticed and did a tour of the house inside and out. Mr. Carter then set up his electronic leveler machine and proceeded to measure the levels in every room. He answered all my questions and then some. He was never in a hurry to "just get done". I would definitely say he aims to please. He has a vast knowledge of his business. He gave me recommendations on what I could do and what can be done by other companies, also what to look for in their products and services.  I had other foundation companies come out before Mr. Carter ( approx 4) and everyone had a different story and vastly different prices. Mr. Cater gave me a piece of mind and now I believe I know what to do and I am glad I called him because I now know two of the contractors I had called before I will not deal with. I had another company scheduled to come out on the same day that Mr Carter came out and they were right on with everything he said. By the way they were not from his list of references so I know this wasn't a trick by reference as I call it. Just the knowledge that he gives from his years of experience is worth the price he charges when it comes to the possible amount you can spend repairing your foundation "Thank You, Mr. William C.Carter PE"

I was very pleased with Mr. Carter's work and his recommendations.  I would definately recommend having him inspect your foundation before contacting any foundation repair service.

He did exactly what we requested and I feel I can trust his recommendation which was to do nothing at this point.  Good news for me.

This is the second time Foundation Engineering Specialists have provided me with an assessment on my property. They completed an evaluation of my home shortly after purchase in 2000. On both occaisions Mr. Carter explained what he was doing and what he was looking for as part of the evaluation. He provided a drawing of my home with level variances and was very personable throughout his site visit. The surprising part was the charge for the evaluation...$300. I paid $250 for the same service over 10 years ago and, in this economy, I think that is a very good deal. I would definitely use Foundation Engineering Specialists again (but, hopefully, I won't need to).

Bill arrived promptly the day after I called to make an appointment.  He answered all my questions during the survey.  I received the written report a few days after his visit.  I had a few more questions which he answered promptly.  I was very pleased with the service.

They were very good and I don’t have any complaints.  They knew their business and came out on time.

Everything went fine, except I was surprised at the amount charged. I wish he had disclosed his fee upfront and I wish I had asked him to.

Don was at the site 15 minutes before me and had already done some preliminary observations. Using a combination of visual observation and measuring equipment, Don was able to not only tell me how severely the house had settled, but also discussed the possible ways to resolve the problem. With this information I was much more prepared to make an offer on the house that wouldn't leave me with a potentially $10K surprise! The technical expertise alone was worth more than I paid, but Don was also professional AND congenial. He spent nearly two hours doing his work and explaining his findings and answering my questions. IF I buy the house, he is prepared to help by providing the necessary engineering documents for the contractor for a small additional charge, of course. I was working against a deadline and Don was able to accommodate my schedule. Qualified, professional, personable and affordable. That spells satisfaction.

Don Carter was exceptionally responsive. He was incredibly knowledgeable and patient with all my questions. He sent me a great deal of overall educational material as well as data and information on the particular house I was looking to buy. First we conferred on the phone and through email exchanges, again he was very responsive and informative. Second, he was gracious to make the follow-up visit on short notice and during a time I could be present. He answered all my questions and I learned a great deal about foundations.

He provided me with the exact service I was looking for and I would recommend him to anyone. I am pleased to know that they don't push any other services to be performed other than what they are specified in.