Tiderunner Engineering & Design PC

Was Awful. Measurment's were off. Plans were incomplete. After he measured the rooms, we had to remeasure the rooms ourselves and send them to him. I then had to go to his house to pick up the plans. I submitted the plans at which time I was told that I needed to get then done again by a professional. Held up the construction by several weeks. Save your money. Do not use Lou.

They were very informative. He did what he had to do and checked everything off the list.

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I couldn't have expected a better service, and that's after using several engineers in the tri-state for past work. This engineer also goes above and beyond. He is meticulous, honest and very responsive. He was truly a pleasure to deal with. I will absolutely be using him again, and I wholeheartedly recommend him.

Owner, Louis, arrived on time.  Walked through our house to survey the current condition.  Easy going conversation as we asked questions and Louis answered to our satisfaction.  Questions were regarding sagging floor and how to jack up, support and repair/replace floor joists and rotted flooring that had been cut to accommodate improperly installed plumbers box after a major leak which happened many years before we purchased the house.

Louis also made recommendations for safe removal of a short section of load bearing wall planned for future renovation and how to add support beam.  Finally, he evaluated the condition of a basement cinderblock wall that is being pushed in by an old cement patio slab poured around a tree that of course has grown larger over many years.

We were happy to know that our house, even with all its issues, was in better shape that we imagined.  Basically well built, good bones. 

Our only disappointment was that Louis didn't write any of these recommendations down for us to refer to later. For $400 we think this should have been included.  We don't know if it was an oversight or if it would have been provided if we had thought to ask.  Didn't think of it until later because we were caught up in conversation and other questions.  All in all a positive experience.

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Lou did a great job. He came up with several useful recommendations and then drew up the plans for me and estimated the construction costs.

I called for an appointment to complete paperwork for Nassau county. S/p Sandy. But no one ever returned my call.

Excellent.  Very detailed and professional.

We are still in the process of the work. I am satisfied and I will continue to use them.

Very personal and professional Lou is not your "typical" engineer. He is very knowledgeable and informative on the latest standards for elevating homes on the south shore. From helical piles, to monolithic foundations with flood vents Lou has been working with us directly on all our mitigation options while providing us with the perfect structural plans for our home. 
- Very Satisfied Homeowner

The plans still need to be approved.He answered all questions and will make any changes if needed.He did not take long to have everything ready.Did what I wanted but the price was more than I expected.

Lou was very thorough and explained in sufficient detail the current condition of the house and what would need to be done in order to accomplish the renovations that we would do if we purchased the house.

First, Lou responded promptly to my email which was a plus for me since I was rather concerned about the structural issues I was experiencing. He arrived on the date and at the time proposed and was very professional and personable during our initial introduction. Secondly, he went straight to the problem areas and gave very detailed explanations of what was going on and what needed to be done to remedy the issues.  He did thorough inspections of the basement, 1st and 2nd floors.  Lou didn't seem rushed and his detailed explanations helped ease my mind as the idea of structural damage was a bit daunting for me.  He also provided me with a letter per his investigation and a sketch of the work proposed.  Lastly, the "damage" was hardly as bad as I thought it was.  I can confidently recommend Lou's services to anyone as he was very thorough and knowledgable. 
Once I get the recommended work done, I will update my review.

They are very responsive and professional.  I had to put the project on hold but we will be continuing working with them soon.  The designs are fine so far, we are not holding the project off at their fault.

The process went smoothly and efficiently.  There was constant communication during the design process, where requested changes were incorporated into the final design.  I dealt directly with Tiderunner's owner, Lou Schwartz, who was personable and professional (an a great designer).  He was able to fit a master bedroom, 3 other bedrooms, and 2 full baths into a space of about 900 square feet.

This guy was fantastic,professional,knowledgeable,He spent 2and a half hours going over every inch of the home I was looking to purchase. This is the second time I've used him.He checked out a house for me back in April.This guy (Chris) loves his job and it shows. I received a detailed report within two days.
 

Lou was able to come to my house the day I scheduled the appointment. He arrived, took all necessary measurements, and stayed to answer all my questions. Lou delivered the plans, as scheduled. If I ever need to use his services again, I will be sure to give him a call. 

The work went very well. Lou is very knowledgeable, professional and easy to work with. He inspected my house thoroughly and explained my concerns in great details. He went beyond and explained some of the common non-structural issues on an old house. He also suggested on the proper ways to fix them.

On re-examining the rusted areas, we concluded that some of the identified areas of rust were NOT due to salt water entering the house. More importantly, I was led to believe that the advice would be accompanied by plans. For the expense, I received a letter stating that we discussed flood proofing the entrance using a dam and that the home could accommodate a third floor if the village were to allow it which is unlikely. I emailed Tiderunner to request the accompanying plans and was told that plans could not be provided because I am not the owner of the house.  I did receive additional, although limited details about damming the entrance. Whether or not the service provided was adequate, my expectations were not met because there was a lack of up front communication on the part of Tiderunner Engineering about what would be provided for the fee I paid.

I was impressed with them. They were very professional and very knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend them.

He returned calls and e-mail promptly and was a pleasure to work with. The man has a vast amount of knowledge