Re: Accessory dwelling unit…read more Houmam assisted me in designing and engineering an ADU (garage conversion). My situation was unique and very complex because of Zoning and building size. Houmam made sure what I wanted to do was possible by calling the City Of Long Beach prior to even charging me for a consult or a proposal. Although, initially, everything seemed straightforward, there were quite a few bumps in the road, and it was frustrating for all parties involved. It took about eight months for final approval because of the complexities but Houmam saw the project approval through to the end and made sure even after approval, that I had all of the info needed. He continues to be available to answer questions and follow up. He was patient and understanding with all of my questions and concerns. I look forward to updating this review with a picture of the completed project once it's done. I recommend HMS without hesitation.

Houmam was super helpful! Called him up and we were immediately able to schedule a time for him to…read morecome out and look at the crack in the garage slab of a potential home I wanted to purchase. His expertise in concrete foundations was clear when he easily explained the root cause for the crack in the slab and what the potential fixes would be. Because of him I was able to get some money back in credit from the sellers. Now I have the money to actually fix the crack.

Well, it's hard to dispute that Jeff is friendly and personable. I can't say that my rating of…read morehim should carry as much weight as others... I only met with him for an hour. But in that hour he reviewed plans, weighed in on how to approach future projects and left me confident in how to handle my projects. He was in communication when he needed to be and showed up on time and with a good attitude. Doing that will get most people safely through most of their life and it seems to be working for him.

Called for a consult after getting two very different quotes for foundation work after buying a new…read morehome. Jeff answered quickly and made time for our residential consult the next day. Arrived on time, was very polite, and very detailed in going over his assessment of our home and even the proposals the other contractors sent us. For significantly less money than the work proposed, he was able to put us on the right track and avoid costly work that wouldn't have addressed our principal concerns. Will definitely be calling Jeff again if we need any future structural work.

We hired Castillo Engineering for our remodeling project. Margarito and Paciano did a great job,…read morefinished the project on time and were always available to answer our questions. We have had a great experience so far. We know they will be supportive through the end of construction and will be there for us when needed.

I had a really good experience with Castillo Engineering. I hired them to do the engineering work…read moreand plans for my ADU in Long Beach. Julie, the project manager moved quickly with the plans. We had some delays by the City but that was expected due to Covid and I live in a Historic District. The plans were approved by the City with very little modifications. I would recommend using Castillo Engineering.

I had some areas of the house that were getting slightly misaligned and called Jeremy to come and…read moreinvestigate the reason to make sure there wasn't a foundation problem. Jeremy and his crew are extremely knowledgeable and thorough in their analysis. Furthermore, he explained to me in great detail with various drawings what was happening to the house, with the final conclusion that there wasn't a significant issue at the moment. His explanations were detailed and easy to understand. I would highly recommend Jeremy if you have any questions about house settling or foundation issues, and would certainly call Jeremy again if I have any further structural concerns.

Jeremy was informative, responsive and customer service oriented. I first called him when I noticed…read morecracks in the stucco on the outside of my house and hairline cracks on the interior drywall. He came over and did some quick measurements and was able to tell us which direction and roughly how much our foundation was settling. He explained that in our area, clay-rich soils expand and contract with the wet/dry seasons and our issue was likely due to poor drainage in our backyard that allowed water to pool and seep under the foundation prompting one side of our house's foundation to settle (sink) incrementally over the years until the tension started to cause the cracking we observed. Based on the amount that our house had settled he said we were right in the gray area between just needing to improve our drainage and monitoring for further settling, or going the more expensive route and having helical supports installed under our foundation to prevent our foundation from settling further. Jeremy was not pushing us in either direction, just presenting us the information and allowing us to make our own decision. After doing a significant amount of research on foundation settling, we looked into getting some quotes and Jeremy provided multiple contractor references. We had four contractors come out and found that they each provide free quotes that included measuring with advanced equipment to determine precisely how much the foundation has settled (only around 1-2") throughout all sides of the house. Their mapping was more detailed, but fairly consistent with what Jeremy had originally told us which provided us some level of comfort that they weren't manipulating the numbers to sell us on needing more piers. There was one contractor whose measurements came in more significant than all the others, but it was not one of the contractors that Jeremy had referenced. Even though we weren't an extreme case, for peace of mind to stop the house from having any further settling, we ended up going with a contractor that Jeremy had referenced who had proposed a middle-ground approach using a limited amount of helical supports and expanding polyurethane foam to support our problem area. We were very happy with their work and it was a solid reference from Jeremy. Jeremy did also offer to help us draw up plans and assist with permitting if we opted to go that route, but due to the smaller size of the job, we chose not to pursue that option. There is a lot to navigate with evaluating foundation issues and deciding what route to take for each individual situation. It is helpful to have a knowledgeable resource like Jeremy who helped get us started and provide some helpful guidance along the way. Thanks Jeremy. *Note - photos are of third party contractor referenced by Jeremy to give Yelpers an idea of what final work ends up looking like.

This company is the absolute best! They took on a job at my house that over two dozen other…read morecontractors had looked at and could not figure out. My garage would flood when it rained heavily. The water was seeping/bubbling up through the concrete floor. Unfortunately,I spent a total of 20K on two other contractors before hiring Alpha. The work done by the first two contractors failed completely. When Damien from Alpha Structural initially came over, I knew I was in good hands right away. He is extremely knowledgeable, experienced, and professional. I would say the same about Brian and Nadir, who were the leads on my job. Brian especially, went above and beyond. Anytime I reached out to him he responded immediately, and was on site whenever I needed him. My garage was a nightmare scenario. I contacted just about every contractor who works on this kind of thing, from LA to San Diego. Not one of them could figure it out. Not one. This went on for 2 years. Alpha Structural took on a very tough job, and did what no other company could. They completely solved my garage flooding problem with a very strategic and comprehensive plan. Do yourself a favor and use this company! Don't waste time with others. Alpha Structural won't let you down.

15 years ago I had done a full remodel and built out the upstairs bathroom to include a jetted tub…read more Recently, after using the tub (LOTS of weight), the entire side of the room began popping and creaking. I knew enough about construction and engineering to seek professional input and reached out to Alpha Structural. They were pretty booked out, however when I explained the gravity of the problem (people in a home office below the tub area), Franchesca worked her magic and got me an appointment in 2 days. Damien showed up promptly at the 9 Am start time. We walked around the property while I explained my concern, and noted several other possible issues. Damien was extremely through, asking numerious questions and providing input and advice along the way. He took the time to explain causes for the different issues and was personable, professional and extremely helpful. Luckly for me, my problems traced back to normal settling, a recent solar panel and roofing job and normal aging. It's no wonder why Alpha has so many 5 star reviews- They absolutitly deserve every one of those. I only wish other businesses were as well run, and with such amazing people like Damien and Franchesca.

The company crew and Alfie did a great job. This was an old craftsman home and the foundation was…read morefalling apart. It's simply old. 100 years old home. Permit and all done within a month Neighbors came by and took all the rocks in the bin. People love rocks

It was a great experience from start to finish with my initial contact to request a review of my…read morefoundation, sharing photos and the in person inspection of my property by Abbas. After he had thoroughly reviewed my property, he gave me a very honest feedback of what he found on my property and what was necessary. I love how honest and non pushy. Great to work with a company with integrity and not take advantage of a situation that could have been favorable to their business. I would recommend Alpha structural to anyone needing foundation review and service.

I worked with Prostruct Engineering on a residential interior wall removal project. I was very…read morepleased with their professionalism and services. The project manager, Nithin and project success associate, Joshua were always in the loop of communication. In the process, Nithin was very responsive to answer questions and make necessary drawing changes according to the requests. The project was done in a timely manner with reasonable cost. Overall I was impressed with their performance, quality, schedule and cost!

We had a unique issue which required immediate attention. ProStruct was the only licensed…read morestructural engineering firm that responded quickly and that was able to perform the services in the timeframe we needed. Irvin and his colleagues took the time to walked us through the steps under difficult communication circumstances. We paid for the services but unfortunately, we were ultimately unable to use their services having to cancel 2 hours before they were going to execute the agreement. They were gracious enough to fully refund our payment. They were very understanding, and we will work with them in the future if the need arises.

My need was to have a consult on whether or not to tear down a small structure but needed to…read moredetermine if it was structurally critical or load bearing. Just a short consult but Aws was very responsive and reasonable cost to come out and provide expert opinion. And he is knowledgeable and personable too! Recommended for projects large or small.

Aws is the only structural engineer I'd hire for my house projects. He's down to earth, very calm…read moreand professional. His quote was also reasonable for the project. It's been a long while since I got an engineered plan from Aws for a small project for my house, the projects has been dragging out for many reasons but he's been so patient to answer all of my questions. I almost feel like I've been bothering him too much with countless questions, but he's always there to quickly solve your problems. I'm really hoping to finish the current project soon and hire him again for the big adu garage project.

We wanted to express our sincere gratitude for the exceptional service Kobe Structural provided…read moreduring our Junior ADU project in Porter Ranch. The project involved a complex structural modification: connecting two rooms on separate floors via a spiral staircase, which required cutting a 5'x5' opening in the second-story floor. Because this opening was directly connected to a Juliet balcony outside from a 9'x 6' sliding glass door, we were concerned about preventing a collapse when cutting the joists. We are deeply impressed by the expertise, time, effort, and dedication that Kobe and his team devoted to this challenge. They opened up ceilings and walls, calculated loads, worked tirelessly to replace the necessary supporting joists and secure the Juliet balcony. Furthermore, they followed through diligently with the LADBS to ensure our plans were approved. Throughout the entire journey, Kobe team was knowledgeable, honest, and attentive. We are extremely thrilled with the results and grateful for their expertise.

For starters this outfit actually answers their phone, which is a good start. I quickly made an…read moreappointment to which they showed up to on time. Super knowledgeable very personable, and doesn't just offer opinions but offers al your options and is right to the point. I liked this outfit so much that I will take their recommendation as to who to hire to do these renovations and modifications.

I was referred to EZ Plans through an architect friend of mine and he steered me in the right…read moredirection. EZ Plans helped guide me through the very detailed process of planning, designing and obtaining permits from the city (LA) for an additional dwelling unit (ADU) in my backyard in Northeast Los Angeles. Michael Song, his architect colleagues and the EZ plans team aided me through every step, and even when the permitting process was difficult, they were very attentive to working out all the issues and making sure that my project was on the right path to coming to fruition. We worked together on this ADU during the pandemic which posed even more challenges, but EZ Plans made the process, like it says in their name, easy. I am just a couple weeks away from breaking ground and I am beyond thrilled to see the vision that EZ Plans and I put on paper come to life. If you want an architectural group who will be committed to your project in an efficient and honest way, while offering their services at a very competitive price, EZ Plans is for you.

EZ Plans is a highly toxic environment. Mark and Raymond Joelson scream and berate clients and…read morestaff alike. There has been a huge shake up there with one of the main partners leaving under very atrocious and shocking circumstances with the other partners We got stuck in the middle because not knowing this individual no longer worked there, we emailed him at his EZ Plans email address. That's when the yelling and threats began from Mark at EZ Plans. After being yelled at and screamed at, we decided the client relationship had been irreparably damaged and that we could no longer work together. We reviewed the contract and deliverables and determined that only 2 of the 5 had been delivered. That means 60% was not delivered. In an effort to part amicably, we asked only for a 50% refund of the money as we will need to spend it with another firm but were told the money was non-refundable. Next they formally terminated the relationship (which we had already done) but kept my 80 year old mother's money. My 80 year old mother has now filed a small claims suit asking for a full refund along with punitive damages.