Foundation Repair of CA (FRC) is the most disreputable, dishonest company I've ever encountered. I…read morehired them because I didn't want to hire the lowest bidder for a change, and I regret it.
I wouldn't sign the contract when told I'd have to do my own masonry repair until sales agent Jesse Marquez showed me FRC corporate material that indicated the brick facade would be removed with a masonry saw, in an approximate 2x2' square. That was false and deceptive advertising. This is what they did to my house. No masonry saw was used, only impact drills, which act as small jackhammers. FRC significantly damaged the entire brick facade, adjacent areas showed extensive cracking, entire areas had the brick facade knocked completely off the house, and the wall foundation was separated from the brick wall entirely.
I told the work crew, headed by Luis, to stop using impact wrenches on the bricks immediately, then told them TWICE. Not only did they not stop, despite direct STOP work orders, they then took all of the bricks they'd destroyed, which legally is theft, called conveyance. Jesse Marquez explained that the bricks were so old they'd shattered. Luis returned the bricks after Jesse Marquez called, ignoring my several phone calls and texts. Jesse texted that the bricks were so old they'd shattered. Luis returned them, none were shattered, all were broken by the impact drills. Luis confirmed, texting that the bricks were "broken". They took the bricks to hide the damage.
The day FRC received my Contractor's State Licensing Board complaint, FRC messaged that someone would come to assess the damage for repairs, and FRC would repair the masonry they'd destroyed. They first sent Robert Pagan, who acknowledged both that there were no masonry saw marks, and that the damage was excessive. According to FRC, Jesse stated Robert hadn't said this. It wasn't until I pointed out he'd said it while standing in front of a Ring camera did that lie die. FRC then sent Troy Knight, who acknowledged the same, and stated he was there to help, and would see that the masonry was repaired and more. I have several texts, voicemails and emails from FRC stating they will complete the job. They never did.
FRC employee Mike Crites was sent to perform the repairs. He returned the following week with the wrong sized bricks in the wrong color, and proceeded to do more damage. This is the work that they did. FRC employee Mike Crites initially stated that he had retired as a mason, he later revised that statement, saying he'd only worked with pavers and concrete. The work performed was so substandard, FRC sent Jovincio, who was the only honest person in my entire dealings with FRC. Jovencio said he wasn't a mason, but had "some training". Jovencio replaced the work done by Mike Crites. This is Mike's effort, and Jovincio's replacement work. The work performed is clearly substandard and unacceptable. FRC acknowledged the workers sent lacked the skills, training and necessary certifications to perform masonry repairs.
When I requested that FRC send a mason, and included photos of the work, FRC responded that they'd done me a favor; the workers sent were a courtesy. The very clause they'd ignored (and invalidated) by removing the bricks was cited. That they would do no more, leaving me with the bill for their damage.
This is what they left. I obtained a second quote to repair the deficient masonry 'work' FRC workers had done - without a REQUIRED permit, with no mortar pins, odd-sized and broken bricks mortared in randomly, mortar lines that range from non-existent to more than an inch. Crites' also removed the brick facade foundation in several sections, replacing it with sloppy concrete. This is a code-violating 'repair' that is neither plumb nor square. The legitimate mason company from whom I obtained a repair quote updated the quote, which has nearly doubled BECAUSE of the 'repairs' performed by the unqualified FRC employees.
FRC called this doing me a favor, saying the inept crew was sent as a 'courtesy'. This is not doing me a favor, this is not a courtesy, this is at best fraud.
After signing the contract (under false pretenses), Jesse insisted I needed an additional pier ($3,155) because piers can no longer be placed under a window. A pier was placed under the window. Two other piers were not placed according to the county approved structural engineering ($1,850) diagram. Half the piers were installed in the wrong places, apparently according to Luis' whims.
Yesterday Groundworks gave an estimate on properly placing those piers. That's how I learned that the improperly placed piers had lifted a joist completely off its foundation supports. This, too, will require additional expense to correct, before it damages my house - literally to the roof.
I should have stuck with Groundworks. This is your cautionary tale - no one who values integrity, ESPECIALLY senior women, shouldn't hire FRC.
