Clayzen Consulting

Rob was excellent at providing new my wife and I peace of mind by explaining exactly what was causing our sagging floor joists. He then proposed a number of different solutions to fix the issue and gave us the contact information for someone he thought would be good to help us fix the problem. He was patient and answered all of our questions.

Rob was professional, punctual and detailed. He did a great job at explaining what was happening with the structure of the house. He was able to explain in terms so that anyone could understand.

As part of a kitchen remodel, a portion of a pantry wall was to be removed.  For $265, Mr. Knarr determined the wall was load bearing.  For another $665, he designed a beam solution to use to allow the wall section to be removed. 

When it came time to put the new beam in place, it was discovered that his solution was not buildable.  He had neglected to evaluate the full length of the beam, something a simple density stud finder could easily have determined.  For another $405, he corrected the mistakes in his original design. 

Besides causing a delay in the construction, he twice did not deliver items by the date he committed to.  He is professional in many aspects, but responsiveness is not one of them. 

I had called Clayzen consulting to examine a sun room that was added to our house.  We had been experiencing problems such as cracks and door latches not working  correctly and asked for an inspection to ensure there was nothing major to address, and if possible a solution to our concerns.  Robert Knarr promptly returned my email, explained what service he would provide, it's cost, and we set up a time for him to come out.  He was very prompt and arrived a little earlier than our agreed upon time which was a plus for me.  He seemed very knowledgeable and  thorough.  He was able to explain exactly what was happening to our sun room and I was able to form a plan of action.

Rob did a great job.  Of course, our job ended up being more complex than we or he thought it would be.  We had original plans for the house which showed what should be under the big pillar underground, so Rob first gave us a solution based on that.  Unfortunately, after we dug down we saw that the pillar was not built on the foundation that the architectural plans showed, so Rob had to make a new plan to fix our unique problem.  Rob did a great job making a good, solid design and even recommended and brought in a good construction crew to do the job.   It was extremely helpful to have Rob work directly with the construction crew to describe what he needed them to do so I didn't have to be in the middle. Rob was thorough in creating the plans and following through with the whole job.  Would definitely use him again.

His services were clearly explained and fairly priced.  He was on time, thorough and professional in performing his evaluations.  I would recommend him without reservation to anyone and will use his services again in the future.

fine! I pointed out some issues, he explained why and what  was happening. gave multiple possibilities of treatments. I was worried about a garage wall bowing in due to ground/water pushing against it. waterproofing companies had differing opinions about cause and solutions. I basically wanted to know if foundation was damaged and didn't trust waterproofers; I knowthey wanted to sell me the max fix while trying to scare me into submission. wanted and truly believe I got an unbiased professional opinion from Clayzen. very much appreciated. I did think the price a bit high but knew what I was paying going in.

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Rob was Prompt thorough quick and clear in his recommendations. When I re-wrote my notes later that evening I realized that I may not have understood a few things correctly. I e-mailed my interpretations to Rob and he quickly responded with corrections the next day. His information was extremely useful in getting bids for the work to be done. It's reassuring to know that it will be done properly.

The appointment was easy to set, Rob was on time, knowledgable and professional.   Rob gave an assessment and also recommended possible maintenance actions moving forward.   My husband is also an engineer, and felt that Rob Knarr was a good engineer and felt that his assessments were right on.  I would highly recommend Clayzen for structural review.

I called Rob at Clayzen Consulting to take a look at my basement foundation that has some cracks and bowing. I had called in some foundation repair contractors and wanted to compare what they suggested with the advice of a structural engineer. Rob was prompt and on time. He gave me a very detailed assessment of what my problems were and gave excellent advice. Come to find out my problem was not as bad as I thought it was and what actually needs to be done is a lot less than I had been offered by some of the foundation repair contractors I had spoken with. Rob explained things thoroughly and was patient while i took notes. I would recommend anyone who is having basement issues to call a structural engineer to have it checked out before you get foundation repair bids. Thanks Rob

Rob was very polite, professional and knowledgeable about the structural condition of the property.  The house sits on a steep hill and we were concerned about erosion affecting the structure of the house.  He put us at ease and gave us a "worse case scenario" and what it would take to fix should that happen.  
I would use Rob and his company again, and highly recommend him.

We bought a historic home (circa 1890) that had been rehabbed in 2005.  During the rehab, the contractor took down two (2) outer brick walls so they could install a porch.  The contractor installed a wood flitch beam with wood supports in the basement to support new brick walls and the new door framing.  Over time the wood had started to bow and warp.  During the remediation of the structure, we hired Rob for all phases of his services which included detailed designs for our contractor and a walk through of the construction.  The amount spent covers all costs involved.  What I appreciated about Rob is his up front pricing. You know what you are getting with each phase and he is more than willing to explain what each phase involves. There was no pressure to go to another phase.  For us, we felt it was worth hiring Rob through to the end of construction so we would have a thorough job done and have his reports to show a future buyer.

He was very knowledgeable and helpful, even drawing pictures to illustrate his points.  The only thing I would have liked to see was a written report after and have that included in the original $275 price.

I found a house that I fell in love with, but, I knew there was an issue with the foundation. Problem was, I LOVED the house. It had everything I am looking for -- and more -- at a great price. The house was built on the side of a hill with a fabulous view. While standing in the driveway I noticed there was approximately a 5 inch drop from the driveway to the garage, so I was worried. There were other issues that would needed to be addressed after an inspection, but I have learned from previous experience that foundations, among other things, require a specialist. I searched Angie's List and was fortunate enough to find Robert. He sent me a great email outlining his services, the cost, and what each Phase of his inspection covered. We agreed on Phase I and set an appointment, which he was on time for. He listened when I told him about my concerns, and right away saw what might be causing the driveway to drop. He explained what he suspected in a way that did not talk down to me, but I was able to understand  -- he even drew pictures which were most helpful. We went through other areas of the house, and then, when he saw the foundation wall on the hillside, he provided additional information of what he suspected. Again, he explained in a bit more detail what the possible problem could be, and I knew I was going to walk away from this purchase. I think I knew on some level that the foundation issue was big, but I needed to know specifics and how big it really was. I needed someone to explain in a logical, professional way what the issues were so I could make an informed decision, and that's what Robert did. He was professional and efficient, but also very easy to relate to. Even my real estate agent was impressed. He most likely saved me not only a lot of money, but a lot of headaches and frustration.

I just met with Rob Knarr of Clayzen consulting and I have to say it was the best money I have spent in home improvement in a long time!   We have had two small persistent leaks in our basement for a few years and I had finally had it.  I have had two different waterproof company's out with two very opposite solutions to the problem.  I had read an article about how in the long run getting a structural engineering out to to an inspection may save you thousands of dollars ( I had assume such a inspection would cost thousands not hundreds so I had never thought about it.)   I went to Angie's list and found Clayzen based on reviews.
I emailed Rob and he sent me back a very detailed email of how their services worked and how much each service cost so no surprises.
Rob came out and was very knowledgable.  He gave me ideas of solutions starting with relatively small fixes to try along with what to do if those didn't work.  I chose to have a written report done which I should receive in about a week.  I feel much more confident moving forward with the repairs after receiving Rob's impartial expert opinion.

It is not easy to find a residential structural engineer.  Clayzen was polite, punctual and issued a generalized report.  It was not very helpful.

I had noticed a crack in the foundation of my house, which was built in 1971. I was concerned that it might get worse, or there might be other structural problems I was unaware of that could be serious. Mr. Knarr asked me about my concerns and then asked what changes were made to the house since 1971. He took notes on each change. I showed him the cracks in the foundation, which he said were perfectly normal due to settling. But he cautioned me that they should be sealed to prevent further damage. He did a thorough inspection of both inside and outside, making sure I understood which cracks were "normal." He also told me what to look for, in case the size of the crack changed. I was advised to seal the gaps between the chimney and house, also. We talked at length about the integrity of the wood supports and steel beam in the basement, which were solid. He explained in detail what could have caused the one leak at floor level, which had since been fixed. With a diagram of the foundation and footer, he showed me how the water likely entered, without a "water stop" barrier in place that newer homes now have. I asked about making changes to the floor plan, and he advised me to be certain which walls are load bearing beforehand. Without access to the original blueprints, he said a structural engineer should be consulted prior to demolition work. Before leaving, I asked him for advice for new home builders that I could give my children and was pleased by the top two tips he shared. He assured me that he keeps all of his notes and pictures, so that at any time I could request a written report.

Rob was punctual and was able to work with our schedule.  He was very professional but friendly and we will definitely call him again.

After phoning Clayzen, an inspection of the property was performed the next day.  The inspector recommended a method for strengthening the foundation wall and provided a written assessment of the damages and a recommended fix.  We were able to obtain the support plates that he recommended through another contractor on Angie's list and made the necessary repairs in the next few weeks.

Couldn't have asked for a more professional experience.  Engineer also friendly and tolerant of small children while he was conducting his observations.  As a parent, he was very clear that the condition of our seat wall was dangerous for children and adults, or would become so quickly.  Landscapers and contractors might speculate and have interesting ideas, but having an engineer assess the situation, especially when safety is an issue, takes all the guess work out and is the best way to go.

.Contacted Clazen Consulting to do a foundation evaluation and to help pinpoint problems we were having in our basement.  Robert Knaar was very quick to return my phone call and to set up appointment. He arrived on time and immediately went to work. Rob evaluated our basement walls and cracks both inside and out. Gave us solution options varying in price from top dollar to all the way down to temporary fixes. He was very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful in putting my mind at ease that our house was not sliding off the foundation and down the hill! Rob was very detailed in explaining the issues we were having and quick to ask if we understood what he was saying if we did not, he explained with a hand drawing or reworded in a clearer layman's term. Both my husband and I felt the experience, as a whole was very, very good.  We had a clearer idea of our problems and a piece of mind with the solution.  We paid to have not only Roberts verbal assessment, but also a written assessment with problems and solutions. We chose this route for future proof if / when we sell of what the problems were as well as a diagram of the solution to show along with the papers for the repair work. Overall for an overwhelmed homeowner who, felt nothing could go right involving this house, we were very pleased to have picked the right company (and person) to evaluate our situation. Should we ever have foundations issues in the future, and want an assessment off the problem, prior to having  contractors come out to bid....we would NOT HESITATE to phone Clayzen consulting. From start to finish he pinpointed exactly what the problems were and what our options were to fix them.Thank you Rob for your time!

I have had a couple of estimates for foundation underpinning over the years, but the estimates and scope of work varied widely between the two providers. Rob agreed that piers were the way to go, and was able to provide a recommendation for what part of the foundation required underpinning, and importantly, where piers were unnecessary.
Very professional.  Highly recommended.

Rob Knarr with Clayzen Consulting did the inspection and he was excellent.  I would use them again.

Rob was professional and helpful.  He was on time, professional and pleasant to work with. He inspected the portion of the crawlspace foundation we had questions about.  His answers were clear and helpful.  He was open to lots of questions and easy to work with.