Criterium-Twin Cities Engineers

This company is amazing. I would highly recommend them for anyone seeking to evaluate their own home or to look into future home purchases. I have a 100 year old home with several challenging drainage areas, that are hard to address. I really appreciate the way they thought through the problem holisitically and helped me to come up with a a reasonable plan. They also helped me to avoid some advice by a Basement Repair firm that would have not been helpful.

We very much appreciated the services of Criterium-Schimnowski Engineers. Their engineer was knowledgeable, listened to our concerns and put us at ease. We had noticed an uneven floor in a basement bedroom and a small crack in the exterior cinderblock as well as some deterioration in cinderblocks at soil level at the rear of our house. We had 4 foundation repair companies give us free estimates: American Waterworks, Innovative Basement Authority, SafeBasements of Minnesota, Inc and DBS Residential Solutions, Inc. All recommended push pier installation but different numbers ranging from 4 to 10 piers with a lift procedure. This is not an inexpensive procedure. All said they had engineers at their companies who would review the plan and be sure it was appropriate but we felt there was a conflict of interest in favor of the company's assessment. We had our home insurance field adjuster come out and he felt that there were no serious problems that would require piers. We decided to hire an independent structural engineer to give us an unbiased opinion. We chose Criterium-Schimnowski based on online reviews; looked on the Better Business Bureau but found none. Additionally, the fact that this firm has several engineers on staff gave us more confidence than companies with just a single engineer because there is more wisdom with many heads than one. The engineer determined that our foundation was structurally sound and no piers were needed. He recommended the deteriorating masonry be repaired, foundation landscape grading be done and that masonry gaps consistent with settling be sealed and closed. With his assessment, we have peace of mind and will save considerable money, not needing pier installation, and will use those savings instead to have the masonry and landscape grading done. Thank you, Criterium-Schimnowki, for helping us sort through the free foundation repair company estimates to learn what repairs were truly needed.

Thank you for your help on our roof issue! It's worth the money for this great service.

I had my failing wood basement wall structural integrity verified and they recommended and reviewed quote and the final completion of the work. They were extremely professional and curious, and I would highly recommend their services.

If you are worried about the structural integrity of your house, Criterium-Schimnowski is the company you need to hire! I have an old house and was not able to sleep at night because I was worried about how the floors sloped terribly and if it was a huge issue or not. I cannot say enough good things about this company - on time, VERY thorough, professional. listened to my concerns, quick turnaround on the evaluation report. Integrity. Patience. They gave me a plan and explained things to me without a lot of technical jargon. My worries are now at rest!

My project went great! I was considering the purchase of a very old duplex from a family member but had some concerns about the structural integrity of the foundation walls and some floor joists. Kenton took his time going through all the areas of concern, getting pretty dirty in the process as the basement had not seen a broom in some time! He documented everything, taking pictures, and I left him to it for a few hours. After he had taken his time we had a discussion about what was happening and what was likely to happen. He was able to reassure me that nothing was on the verge of failure. He did note a few areas where action was needed soon and gave me a very detailed game plan for dealing with these areas. I received a written report a little over a week after his visit which laid out what should be done with pictures. I am very happy with the work and I'm sure that I will be referring back to the inspection report for some time after I close on the purchase.

Kenton visited our house to assess a suspected foundation problem. He was professional and thorough, and promptly provided a report as well as a list of suggested contractors. Communication was excellent, and we received the information needed to quickly move forward with identifying and hiring a contractor. We would not hesitate to hire again if needed. Great company.

Kenton Spading was excellent. Attention to detail and straight business throughout. Would have been 5 stars throughout but that we are still waiting for a list of contractors to complete the work identified. Great folks.

Criterium Schimnowski Engineers is my go to company. I am a Realtor and have had many situations that require a structural engineer. They are ALWAYS professional and provide an unbiased evaluation and thorough report. I wouldn't use anyone else, in fact. They have saved deals for me and my clients while being extremely ethical. I strongly recommend them!

Excellent. I had a professional engineer who was on time, and listened to my concerns. He performed a very thorough inspection of my home. He then walked me through with what he found, and answered all my questions. Two business days later I have my written report with recommendations to keep my home in good condition. Very positive experience. I feel very reassured about the condition of my home.

The project was top notch. Not only did they show up on time, but they finished the project early . Excellent customer service and extremely fast and efficient with the report I needed to get the loan I needed.

Paul and his company were great to work with! I hired them to provide opinions on multiple structural changes to our house (removing/moving interior walls, removing attic trusses, and replacing a window/single swing door with a sliding door). Every step of the experience was smooth and efficient, from scheduling the appointment, having the inspection, receiving answers to my questions, and obtaining the final report. You can tell Paul generally cares about his clients and wants to help them find solutions to their problems. I will definitely hire them again in the future for any structural needs. Thanks!

Steve was very thorough and gave us some good ideas on what we could do to rebuild, fix and or keep our foundation in good shape for the future.

Late review - my apologies. I really liked the thorough inspection and engineering assessment of my home. My 1880s home was beginning to show more signs of age, and I was concerned about it is integrity. Paul inspected it and provided a very useful report.

willing to go out of town

Efficient and timely response.

Very good experience.

Great service. I would hire them again without question.

simple and quick footing review

Paul was excellent.

Prompt, professional and honest. Willing to listen and then made suggestions when possible. I would highly recommend him!!

Provided an excellent evaluation and turnaround time for plans was as promised.

I hired them to assess the potential for a structural issue at our home. I reviewed all the pertinent history of the specifics within a particular room, he questioned me and we also reviewed the potential exterior issues. He reviewed his conclusions and explained everything in detail. Both my wife and I were very pleased with his final report which repeated everything he had explained to us. Money well spent!

Very quick and professional

An excellent evaluation of mild concrete apron sinkage in front of garage doors, deteriorating columns in front of house, driveway cracking, attic structure and insulation, and suggestions regarding chimney. Quick to respond to phone & email. I give Paul a 5-Star high recommendation.