Foundation repair work is a specialized field that requires extensive engineering expertise–there are few firms to begin with, and even fewer that stay in business for many years. Walnut Creek’s Engineered Soil Repairs has been in the foundation repair business since 1992. It’s a one-stop shop for foundation work–all project plans and engineering are done in-house, and the firm manages all necessary permits and inspections, so clients deal with one firm instead of two or three.

Engineered Soil Repairs’ employees are experienced foundation workers who have been with the company for years. Each work crew is headed by a foreman, who manages the site, and a superintendent, who visits each site daily. The firm’s registered engineers are always available for questions or problems that arise during the course of work.

Because Engineered Soil Repairs has in-house, registered engineers, clients can be assured their foundation work will be done correctly. The first step in a client engagement is an assessment by one of the firm’s engineers. This survey, which typically takes about 90 minutes, consists of determining the extent and cause of the client’s problem.

For example, a survey for a foundation problem is a complete assessment of the house to determine the unevenness of its floors and an inspection of its crawl space to determine the type and condition of the existing foundation. It’s a complete survey that results in a detailed written proposal and lump-sum cost of the work required. Once clients accept the proposal, engineers will develop the plans and prepare all the necessary submissions for relevant city and county agencies. Once permits are issued, the work is scheduled.

“Because we’ve been around since 1992, we’re well-known by industry professionals,” says co-owner Bill Gibson. “We get a lot of referral work from other professionals in the field. Most of our work comes from word-of-mouth reputation. People know our work, and everywhere a client turns, they hear we’re the company to hire.”

Verifying licenses and insurance is an important first step in evaluating a potential foundation contractor, but it’s not enough. For example, a firm can hold an “A” engineering contractor’s license without having any registered engineers on staff. “You’re better off hiring a firm with registered engineers,” advises Bill Gibson, co-owner of Engineered Soil Repairs, Inc. in Walnut Creek. “Foundation repairs are complicated and should be handled by licensed engineers, not just an estimator who’s familiar with construction.”

Damaged foundations can often be repaired by reinforcing them with beams or underpinning them with piers. But sometimes, damage is such that the foundation must be replaced. Only an engineer can reliably make the assessment of exactly what must be done.

Mr. Gibson also notes that very few customers actually call references before hiring a contractor. Checking references is a vital step, he says. Beyond that, he advises asking other professional engineers for their opinions about various firms. Often, professional references may be reluctant to state anything negative about a firm, but you can usually tell by their tone of voice whether the recommendation is an enthusiastic one. Rather than asking an opinion about a particular firm, ask what firms they refer clients to. “That’s an excellent way to find the top two or three foundation repair firms in the area,” says Mr. Gibson.

Obtaining multiple bids is also a way to evaluate the quality of firms. Bids not only give you pricing information, but if one firm submits a bid that’s significantly different in price or scope of work, then something may be wrong. “You should always get a couple of bids,” says Mr. Gibson. “A good firm will be comfortable with where its prices stand in relation to the rest of the industry. A client should be comfortable when they make their choice.”

Onsite safety and security are also important. Check the firm’s policies on covering holes and replacing fences at the end of a day’s work. Also ask how long its employees have been with a firm. Firms with many new hires and a large turnover rate may be introducing untrustworthy people into your home.

While foundation work may involve complex engineering expertise, choosing a foundation contractor doesn’t have to. Key elements to look for are on-staff engineers who conduct the design and planning (not just construction estimators), verifiable licenses and insurance, references and solicited professional opinions about the firms, and the existence of multiple bids.

Q: Can I live in my house during repairs?

A: In almost all cases, yes. It may get a little noisy at times, but all the work is done from the exterior. Even the work under the house is accessed from outside. If we dig any holes, we cover them, and we put any fences back up at the end of the day. The house remains attached to the foundation and is always stable during construction, and the re-leveling process usually only takes half a day. During re-leveling, we use hydraulic or gear jacks to move the house, but it’s only about an eighth of an inch at a time.

Q: How soon can you start work?

A: Since we usually run eight or ten crews, our backlogs aren’t large. We can usually get to a job within two weeks of signing a contract. This is in contrast to small firms that run only one or two crews. There, the backlog can be several months.

Q: Is a permit required for foundation work?

A: Yes, but we can take care of that for you. We do all the engineering, plans, permits, and coordinate all the inspections and testing. The homeowner doesn’t have to be involved.

Q: Are you licensed?

A: Yes, we have general contractor’s “A” and “B” licenses, an engineering “A” license and a HAZMAT license in both California and Nevada.

Q: What insurance do you carry?

A: We have $2 million in general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance and $2 million in errors and omissions insurance that covers the registered engineers who do our design work. Liability insurance doesn’t cover design work, so that last one is very important.

Q: Do you do seismic retrofitting?

A: Yes, and you can even get an assessment from a registered engineer. Most retrofitting firms are only contractors.

Q: Do you do landslide repairs?

A: Yes. We have at least three grading crews working in the summer. We own all our own equipment, so it’s always available. Sometimes landslides are complicated and require a specialist civil engineer to do borings and determine the makeup of the soil and depth of the slide plane. Once we complete that soil investigation, we can prepare our plans and cost estimates.

Q: Do you correct drainage problems?

A: Yes. It’s not a simple question of getting water out of a crawl space. We’ll send an engineer to do an assessment of the site—not just an exterior inspection but a complete assessment of the crawl space to determine the source of the problem and the extent of any damage—so we can apply the correct, cost-effective fix.