HUNEKE ENGINEERING INC

Tom came to assess my foundation after I noticed drywall changes and nail pops. He was very friendly and knowledgeable. He explained what he was doing and looking for as he went through my home. He told me that I did not need the foundation repairs that were recommended by the foundation company. Tom saved me thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs and made suggestions to improve the quality of my home. I would definitely use this company again before making structural changes in my home.

I highly recommend Huneke Engineering. They are very honest and know what they are doing. They saved me a lot of money when a foundation company tried to bid me something that didn’t even need to be done. ALWAYS get a second opinion! I started noticing cracks around my windows in my living room. The windowsill was visibly not level and when I put a level on it, the bubble was very far to the left. I have a bowed foundation wall directly below my living room which has been stabilized by wall anchors before I moved into my house 9 years ago. Long story short. I needed to replace my foundation sill on the bowed wall. You can feel the sill from the outside and it’s hanging off the wall, so all the floor joists were not sitting at the same level. The first structural engineer that I hired before Huneke didn’t even notice this. The company that installed the wall anchors said that my right side of my house was sinking and they gave me a bid for $7,000 to install 5 foundation piers. I asked them if we should use a laser level to be sure and the guy said he used one on the outside of the house. I was with the guy most of the time and was only away from him for a few minutes. There is no way he used a laser level. You are supposed to use the laser level on the inside of the house anyways in the basement for a better measurement. They also said they felt a slope walking into the master bedroom. Liars! I called around trying to find a structural engineer who would be willing to use a laser level in my basement to confirm if the right side of my house is sinking or not and most of the companies I called said they did not do laser levels. The engineers at Huneke Engineering said they could use a laser level so I hired them. They used the laser level in my basement and showed me that the right side of the house is NOT sinking. It’s in code. They noticed my floor joists were uneven. Some of them only measured 3/4 of an inch between the foundation wall and the floor joist, when they should all be at an inch in a half. They also pointed out that my original sill was hanging off the foundation wall on the outside. You can’t see it because of the siding, but you can feel it and see it with a camera. They recommended I jack up my house and place a new pressure treated 2x4 on top of the foundation wall as the sill replacement. They said it was ok to leave the old one on there. They took plenty of time to explain everything to me as I had a lot of questions, so I really appreciated that. I first got a bid from a company to replace the sill but they wanted to charge me $4,000 and I couldn’t afford it at that time. They did use a laser level in my basement and said the right side of my house is NOT sinking. That is two separate companies who confirmed the right side of my house is NOT sinking, so ALWAYS get a second opinion! I installed the new foundation sill with my brother-in-law and his cousin. It required 3 bottle jacks but we got it done and all of the floor joists sit at the same level. The window in the living room is a little more level. It's not perfect, but it's more level than before. Thanks, Huneke Engineering, for your recommendation to replace the foundation sill and for your honesty!

Paid for their service via mailed check. They never cashed the check and continued to harass me for “non-payment.” They even went as far as to contact my real estate agent and my home’s previous owner and listing agent - spewing unkind words to them and about ME without picking up the phone to just CALL me with their query. Not only did they act out of line by contacting them at all, but they were NASTY and hateful on the actual calls. This was ~30 days after the date of service, not like a 180 late situation. The balance was $200 and they actually threatened to PUT A LEIN ON MY HOME. Scare tactics? For services I already paid for? Unreal. I had to issue a new check and stop the original, which I am certain reached them. Clearly a very unprofessionally run business. What a shame. Do not recommend.

Ryan Holdener provided a thorough and detailed review of our home's foundation. By the end of the inspection, I clearly understood my options and next steps. It was well worth the time and money. Keep up the good work!

I cannot praise the engineer enough. Salesmen from many foundation repair companies quoted us about $10,000 in pier installation, whereas after taking measurements for settling and analyzing cracks found we don't need ANY piers. Also, our polyjacking estimates were all thrown out as a result of the visit, because the garage floor was fine!!! Just needed to use some concrete sealant and could do that ourselves. In short, we saved about $15,000 on work that wasn't even needed. Save yourself the headache, and call this company. Very thorough, practical and will show you with measurements how your foundation is really doing. Don't rely on foundation repair salesmen to tell you!!!

I had some questions about supporting a sagging floor and called Huneke to get some advice and perform a general inspection. It was money well spent and I was happy with the service. Ryan answered all of my questions and was very thorough checking out the rest of the house in the time remaining after addressing the main issue. I would hire again and recommend to others as well.

Review was professional and thorough. Also gave me details on how to go about repairs, what parts were needed, where to find.

Very nice, very professional.

The engineer arrived at time expected to assess the retaining wall and adjacent areas. She was pleasant and professional. We received the report within the time promised.

overcharged by 3 times and then wanted more money to review bids.

Tom was very helpful in helping me understand the problems with my porch and driveway as well as the root causes of our structural settling. He openly discussed a plan of action to remedy the issue and providing me with some contact information for professionals who have completed similar jobs for other clients. The consultation fee was reasonable and well worth the cost.

Professional, helped us determine our needs.

I’m very pleased with the thorough and professional consultation Tom provided. He spent a full hour and a half taking measurements and talking through what he was seeing. Tom made several suggestions to address concerns I had and was able to walk me through potential repairs. Great value for the price.

I was referred to Huneke Engineering by a friend. I worked directly with Tom Huneke and I received very good customer services as well as a wealth of knowledge. He took the time to make sure all of my concerns were addressed in a thorough manner. I couldn't have had a better experience. Thanks again Tom for all of your help and I know where I will go in the future for any of my structural needs!

Tom was very thorough and informative. He walked the whole outside of the house, and took measurements in the basement. He talked in laymen's terms for us and his knowledge is vast. Very personable and informative. We will be hiring him again to help us analyze our bids.

triple the price of other engineers Wanted more money to answer questions. Would not respond to contractors questions and ideas without charging more fees.

Tom came by to evaluate a sagging ceiling and mortar break in our chimney. He was able to determine that the problem is not structural, but a result of water damage from a leak in the roof. He also inspected other parts of our home where we had questions and provided clear diagnoses and recommendations for addressing the problems. Throughout the inspection he was friendly, professional, and explained his observations in a way that was easy to understand.

Overall experience with Huneke was excellent. Inspector was very thorough in his inspection and made sure to keep me in the loop during the whole appointment. He was able to determine the root cause of the problem and recommended a fix. He showed clear knowledge and experience in the field and was open to any and all questions that I had.

Mr. Huneke was friendly, knowledgeable and professional. He spent 1.5 hour in the house and explained everything to me who has very little background in structure. I can tell he is a passionate in what he does. Mr. Huneke also gave me advice for better drainage of the house. I feel very much relieved after he thoroughly inspected the house.

Tom spent good amount of time figuring out loads and other factors that went into removal of the existing walls. He came up with a great solution and explained everything step by step. Luckily we were to do the remodel exactly the way we wanted and everything will be safely supported with Tom's solution. Thanks again. A+

Mr. Huneke showed up as scheduled. Assessed and measured the trouble areas. He explained what is happening and the probable cause. He gave us some suggestions on what we could do to stop further issues. We opted for analysis without a formal written report. The report would have been another cost. We were just looking for an unbiased opinion before we started getting estimates from foundation companies.

Great - Extremely knowledgeable of the truss design and manufacturer. He gave me the expert opinion I was looking for.

Went well. They completed the job as projected.

Tom was professional, knowledgeable, and down-to-earth. He took measurements of our basement, noted the slight drop in the north wall, and checked the seams in the walls. He explained how the houses in the surrounding area were made and the difference between a problem resulting from a construction error vs. the natural give in walls due to external pressure from the surrounding clay. Tom answered all our questions at length, taking time to explain terms to us so that we really understood what to look for and how to deal with any possible problems in the future. After checking our basement, Tom took us outside to inspect the ground around the foundation and made some suggestions that will help us improve the drainage, thereby avoiding water seeping into the foundation. The best part was Tom's manner. He was personable, friendly, and explained everything in language that was easy to understand. He didn't just point out a problem - he told us what caused the problem and then explained how to fix it. Tom also presented us with a range of options regarding our drainage problem starting with the most effective method (and costliest) to a less effective one (but less costly). We were impressed with his knowledge and his ability to explain the problems in easy-to-understand language. We highly recommend Huneke Engineering to anyone in need of a structural engineer.

The experience was positive.