White Castle Construction did a retrofit for my home in 2008--well planned, detailed with a 3' x 3' architectural plan for the work. Because of recent movement on the San Andreas and Garlock Faults, we are again signing up for earthquake insurance through Californiia Earthquake Authority and State Farm. White Castle is now filling out a CEA Retrofit Verification form for us to reduce our deductible from 15% to 5%--tremendous savings. read more

Michael made the entire process so easy to understand. He's not the salesman type at all, he was eager to let me know that I wouldn't even need to do the job at all! What a Mensch! read more

Extremely unprofessional. I e-mailed them about the Earthquake Brace + Bolt program, asking if the process could be handled strictly using the grant money and not paying anything out of pocket. How does the owner respond? "So keeping you and family alive is not important if you can't get it for free?" I rarely write negative Yelp reviews but I need to let potential customers know to steer clear of anyone who is so rude to a complete stranger. If he replies negatively to this review, it will probably only demonstrate my point. I can see from the other reviews that I'm not alone. What a disgrace to the profession. read more

I couldn't be any happier with the work Michael and his team did to my home. They allieviated the nightmare it was to retrofit my foundation and raise my home. They gave a competitative price and had knowledgeable employees from Russell to Tio. I felt like I was in great hands. They handled the inspection, it passed inspection. I highly recommend White Castle for any foundation work. read more

We called and made a appointment for a Foundation inspection on a house we were in escrow for on a Friday. The owner assured us that they are always on time, never late. Monday comes around and at 20 past the time of their inspection, we give them a call to see where they are. Turns out there was a miscommunication with their guys, and one guy is finishing a job, so we had to wait a little over a hour for the guys to show up. The guy who came was nice and spent about 20 minutes under the house taking pictures. We got the report that night that had 3 different things that they recommended being addressed. He put it all as a final price, which included some termite repair (we already had a termite specialist come out, who had his own quote.) I asked if they could break down the cost of the repairs, so that we could argue with the seller to help cover the costs of repairs. (Literally I asked if you could just tell me how much fixing the 3 things you mentioned were, it would have taken all of 30 seconds to breakdown how you came up with your total.) and the owner wrote me back a few minutes later and basically said "no." He said he won't come out and only do some of the work, therefore it isn't worth his time to break the charges down since he will only come back if we hire them for all of it. I responded and told him I paid for a inspection, which I paid $350 for, and a breakdown of the costs for repair, not a estimate for him to do the work... I Never heard back from him after that point, so we had to submit our repair requests without the necessary cost breakdowns. I thought it as odd for them to be so dismissive, especially after being a hour late to the inspection, so I looked up his Yelp. Low and behold he has terrible reviews, and frankly I'm kind of glad it happened this way. It cost me $350 to save myself from paying someone $4500 for what most people are saying is shoddy half assed work. read more

STAY AWAY!An arrogant salesman came to our home during inspection. We "bought" his convincing routine. He said it was easy "fix" & it would be $4000. We went to the seller & he gave us the $4k. Easy. As soon as we closed, we sent White Castle a check & had them start work. A young guy showed up, crawled under the house & left. Soon got a call from secretary asking where to return our check. (?) They couldn't do the work, after all, for $4k, so they were dropping the contract. Upon further questioning, I asked how much it would be.... The answer was $40,000!?! Did I mention we had JUST closed? :( Would have been VERY helpful if they'd actually CHECKED more closely BEFORE they gave me a quote! They showed up (owner) after I erupted & offered to paste some concrete on the SURFACE so the bolt would "hold" (and it would LOOK, to inspector, like it was done correctly.) When I refused & wanted it done right, they said to talk to their lawyer. She's a conniving, angry, horrible woman. DONT GET INVOLVED WITH THEM!! If you do, have a WITNESS for all conversations & watch them CLOSELY. read more

I think it is funny that folks on here expect to coddled by man who runs a company but makes sure HE is the man you are talking to make the deal, you can trust this man to stand by his word and to ensure his team does the best work possible. If you need someone to p*ssy foot around with you Michael is not the right guy, the 1 stars are right. If you care about quality, a GUARANTEED price not "just an estimate" that sky rockets for a fill-in-the-blank reason you should call to schedule an appointment. He didn't show up with cookies or flowers but he was on time, answered all my questions and his guys did great work. I will be working with Michael again and referring him to the people I care about read more

Way cheaper than the competition and for a more complete job very tidy. Very happy with the work done.

Fear tactics and blatant lies -- to an absolutely astounding degree. White Castle looked at a foundation for me in Larchmont Village and said it was completely shot -- they needed to prop up the house and spend a month completely rebuilding a new foundation. Cost: over $50,000. Then I brought in Foundation Works -- a large, reputable foundation company in LA. All of the work needed to correct the foundation was going to cost $4,000. See the other reviews...White Castle are complete crooks. They assume you won't know the difference since you won't go under the house yourself and you'll be terrified that your house is going to kill you in your sleep. There are countless reviews just like this one. I don't know them personally, but I believe this company should be shut down and I hope that this review helps lead to that end. read more

Four years after providing an excellent retrofitting and foundation repair service, Mike and his crew responded to my rather panicked call to make sure there was no water damage to my foundation, and were as kind and patient as always. Some reviewers don't seem to respond to Mike's personality, but don't let that put you off. His sense of humor may or may not appeal to you, but his work is first rate and he won't waste your (or his) time. read more

Absolutely perfect! Start to finish! On time, available by phone, work appears to be impeccable. Cleaned up everything. I couldnt be more pleased with their brace and bolt job. I am so happy I found them after all the other contractors I called and was ready to give up. I highly recommend White Castle Construction. read more

Jerrold I. Michael Goldberg and his crew did the earthquake retrofit and foundation repairs required by brace bolt, on our home. Everything was done in a professional manner. On time and on budget. The crew honored our Covid concerns and when working outside the crawl space wore make at all times. The required inspections went smoothly. We couldn't be happier with the experience. read more

SEXIST - CONDESCENDING - USES SCARE TACTICS I had a terrible experience with this company. I dealt directly with the owner of the company, Michael Goldberg, who for 3 hours talked to me like I was a child; and a stupid one at that. He had a rude and condescending tone from the beginning of the inspection and softened up towards the last hour when he went full throttle into his sales pitch and diagram charade. By the way, during his sales pitch he asked questions and then waited for me to answer them like he was a teacher. He literally waited, with raised eyebrows. Psycho. I wanted to throw the guy out of the house! He was nosy beyond belief, made me feel extremely uncomfortable, and used scare tactics to try to sell his product. Comparing other companies to actors snorting cocaine and showing me pictures of the 94' earthquake. At one point he used the phrase, "and then the cops have trouble finding the body." He then went on to tell me about how his company makes 4 million a year and how he drives a Mercedes convertible as his "work car" and has an Aston Martin as well. Oh, and in case you cared, his wife is a size 8, his niece is marrying a wealthy man and Bill Gates is attending the wedding, and if you don't get your foundation repairs done with his company, you'll be lucky if you make it out of the house alive if there's any trouble. "Oh and by the way, how much money do you make? Do you have a loan? How much are you paying for the house? Well, it's public knowledge so, you might as well tell me." He was a total pig!! He has the balls to charge $250 for a one page mediocre report with no pictures and only takes checks! Then he used my toilet, and left the seat up as a final touch. TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!! I can handle jerks, but this guy was beyond my limit. I'd rather do my foundation work myself, than give this guy any of my money. read more

He claimed to be a structural engineer and came out to do a $400 inspection. After getting a strong salesman-y vibe from Michael (the owner), I looked more into him. Turns out, he is not a structural engineer nor was he ever one. When called out on it, he said he is a structural engineer but he's just not licensed. Well, that is a joke of a distinction and is also illegal. Happy ending: I cancelled my check. read more

At the first meeting he was just annoying and trying to tell us how rich he was and who he knew. Probably should've been a clue to run, but we were rushed and stupid. After the "work" was done he then tried to overcharge us and screamed at my wife when she asked about it the extra charges. Update: we noticed cracks in our walls and board separation on our floors only a year after the work was done. I went and looked under the house and found that though they had claimed they had strapped the cracks. they hadn't done anything. I called two other companies out to look at the work. They both laughed and guessed who did the work without any prompting from me. Instead of fixing the cracks White Castle had just covered them up. Fortunately, the new company I hired did the work properly, but the amount of extra cost and damage was ridiculous. Pondering suing the White Castle at least in small claims court.... read more

Michael Goldberg is absolutely one of the BEST in the business. We just bought a house, and needed simple foundation repairs and serious retrofitting. Our house is at the top of the hill, so if and when the big one hits, we wanted to be prepared. Michael came over and gave us a very detailed presentation. It might seem salesy to some people to see before and after photos of houses, but we live in California. The risks are real, as is his recognition for outstanding work by FEMA. Michael created a plan for our retrofitting that not only meets today's standards, but will also meet stricter standards starting in 2019. He came in with a very fair price, worked with our schedule and got the job done. We had a perfect experience, passed inspection, and now feel truly confident that the foundation of our house will survive both quakes and time. Thank you, Michael. My fiancé and I are so happy we found you guys! read more

I have worked with White Castle a few times now and I have to say they are the best around, they are straightforward and offer multiple solutions to problems so you . Things I did like: -The guy knows what he's talking about once he actually looks at the inspection reports. His employee was also prepared. -Was honest about what needed to get done vs what was "extra" and not necessarily a safety concern. -Fair pricing Things I didn't like: -Owner answered every phone call while he was with us which made it take longer. (some people like this because they are at least not ignored when they're calling) read more

I am a Realtor in Hermosa Beach CA. I have referred White Castle Construction to several clients including my son's 1920's home for earthquake bolting and bracing. We have been very satisfied and they guarantee their work. Some of these other reviews are so negative I actually wonder if they are for real. This is for real. I have given them to have several satisfied clients. read more

White Castle Seismic Retrofit has been retrofitting my soft story apartment buildings since 1998 in Los Angeles and West Hollywood using shear wall, and bolting reinforcements. With new mandatory retrofit requirements I contacted Mike to do three of the West Los Angels properties with new columns, footings and overhead beams. One building retrofit was extremely difficult. The firm hung in, did not change its price, and was diligent to avoid as much inconvenience as possible for the tenants. Bull, Russ and the crew are excellent in their ability to keep things moving, deal with the City, and provide a good product, at a competitive price. You don't have to babysit these guys. They know what they're doing. read more

Guy is a ham and unpleasant but that's not my main gripe. The biggest problem with his work is that he cuts corners. Where other people perform long-term fixes, he does the bare minimum to get by. In addition, everything is just troublesome with him. If you're willing to work twice as hard to get your contractor to do what he's supposed to to, go ahead. If you just want to sleep well at night, get somebody else. read more

WE have a rental property that is 1400 square feet that needs a retrofit. We called White Castle. Teo the inspector came to the property on time and showed photos of the work to be done. The owner Michael could not come as he had an emergency. He came a few days later. He went through a script of how other retrofit companies work and told us the company we had the first quote from had lost their license. This script was VERY LONG! He proceeded to add up the work in front of us and give us a quote for $20K. This number seemed random. The Quote we had previously was for $9.2000. We checked the license of the other contractors and they were in good standing. We called them to ask what was going on. They knew it was Michael from white Castle and said that this was his M.O. He waisted an Sunday morning but thankfully not our money. Update : We have two more quotes both under $9000.00 read more

Had structural retrofitting of my foundation and after having a remodel, the structural engineer laughed at what a horrible job had been done on my house. Used wrong materials and now have to get new foundation again. Awful and costly. read more

This company supposedly specializes in earthquake bolting and bracing. I wanted this type of retrofitting for my house in the Hollywood Hills, so I called White Castle. The owner is a jerk. He wasted my time, then sent workmen who left without doing anything. When I asked why, the owner said "Not enough work for us to do." That was it. read more

White Castle Construction is the best company for retrofit of any scale. Their work is professional and top-knotch! Michael is knowledgeable, honest and reliable. The contract price is the total price, no overcharges. That may sound simple, but it is very rare. I would highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a contractor who is excellent, beginning to end. read more

Terrible experience with White Castle Construction. The owner Michael Goldbeg was rude on the phone and irresponsible. He said he would call you back but never did. Hard to reach as well. Moreover, he tried to ripple off by telling me if i want to A service, i must do the B service first, only because I want to pass up the B service that he tried to sell me. Not a honest man and trustable company. Everybody should stay away from them. read more

One of the reviews has the owner as a condescending! Hit it right on the nail! Being a busy person and self employed I decided to have a couple of contractors come 30 minutes a part (White Castle being one). Employee shows up (great guy btw) tells me the owner will show up in a bit. Mean while I'm talking to another contractor. Owner shows up doesn't introduces him and says "oh you double booked us" with an attitude and walks away with out telling me any details. Business must be really good for them that they don't need my business! I'm glad i saw the owners true colors before signing up! I do not recommend this company. read more

When others say it can't be done (replacing the failed brick foundation on my landmark 3-story house), White Castle does it. When others have told me it costs an arm and a leg, White Castle charges just an arm. No BS, no change orders, just confidence in the work they do. They have had the same crew for decades. The owner, Michael Goldberg, really seems to love what he does, which in my case is letting my family sleep better at night. They have replaced foundations on two houses for me, and have also told me when to leave things alone (my mother was very nearly scammed by a shady foundation guy who recommended tons of unnecessary work and was overcharging for the work that needed doing). Tidy job-site, conscientious workers, great experience with these guys. read more

I cannot recommend White Castle, even though I choose White Castle to bolt and repair our foundation 10 years ago. The owner was a little odd, but I believed the work to be sound. I mean, what do I know really... I haven't crawled under the house. Recently we had cracking and needed an inspection. I just could not get the owner to send someone out or to call me back. He was so incredibly rude and evasive on the phone... at one point picking up my call and saying "i'll call you back" and hanging up on me... I hadn't even told him who I was?! Anyway, we've since hired another foundation company to repair some damage caused by tree roots. They are fantastic. read more

An inspector came out in April to check my foundation for the purposes of purchasing earthquake insurance. He couldn't fill out the insurance company's form, but he took it to his boss who would. I received a call saying I didn't pay the $100 inspection fee (which I was never asked to pay), along with details about some work they thought I should have done. I agreed to the work, so they promised to mail me a contract, which I would return with my $100. Weeks passed and nothing showed up in the mail. An earthquake happened during that time, which was the excuse I was given when I called to followup - big apartment complexes needed work, so they couldn't address my house. I conceded that I'm not as profitable as these big jobs, but I'd still like to have the work done and the form completed. That was late April and it's now October and I'm still waiting on my form. If they can't deal with the little guys, I'm happy to shop elsewhere. read more

I had my foundation repaired by Whitecastle Construction in February. I couldn't be more satisfied with an experience with a contractor. Yes, Michael spent A LOT of time explaining to me what the situation was under my house- with PHOTOS! He is very animated and passionate about what he does, and he will take the time to explain every detail of what is wrong and how they will fix it-be prepared to listen to his schpiel, it will be well worth it. For example, the 14 ft. under my front door that was completely missing it's foundation- never mentioned by the folks at Alpha Structural, who have been under my house twice to give me quotes in the past 5 years. I have owned my home for almost 9 years, and this is the first time that I did not feel ripped off by a contractor. I had all of the information I needed to make an informed decision, was given a more than fair payment plan, and the work was done by the most professional, knowledgable crew I have ever had working on my home. They built a new house under my house! We actually missed them after they were gone. If you want an honest assessment, and impeccable work done on your foundation Whitecastle Construction is the way to go. read more

We had 2 companies inspect our foundation prior to close of escrow and ended up choosing to go with White Castle for the job. I've read the reviews here before so I was prepared for "Mr. Michael Gold berg" and I get how he could be mistaken as a jerk. He talks fast, he make deals fast, and he takes off, he is very dry. But the fact that the owner himself came to inspect our house was impressive. The other company sent one of their workers. Foundation work was very impressive, their team worked efficient and fast, and discovered a few more damages and fixed them, our main issue which was a leaning floor was fixed within 2 days. Inspection was done few days later, and Michael came on inspection day. I am very happy with the result and very happy that we chose to go with Michael. Thanks Michael! read more

I too was surprised to see poor reviews of Whitecastle...and I'm GLAD I didn't see them until after the work was done because otherwise I may not have worked with them, which would have been a mistake on my part. They are FANTASTIC! Yes, Mike can be gruff on the phone, but he is very busy and keeps it short is all. If that offends you, call your Mom to chat not your contractor! In person he has always been on time, professional, and very knowledgeable. He is the only contractor I met with (out of 3) who took the time to fully explain his product, even showing us examples of the bolting to be used as part of his estimate process. He sent his guy under the house while he explained the work, then his guy came up with photos and more information about how OUR specific home would be handled, and any areas needing extra attention. Finally, he offers a guarantee which he stands behind that NO OTHER contractor will give you: once you sign the contract, the price WILL NOT go up! If they start work and discover obstacles in the course of the work, they will deal with those things at THEIR OWN expense. We had multiple issues that came up, and they replaced more wood beams under our home than originally estimated. An area under the home needed to be excavated a little to provide access to it for the work, so his guy couldn't get back in that one corner for the estimate. Once work started and they excavated, they found rotted wood which they replaced free of charge per our contractual agreement. Bottom line: call your friends if you want to chat on the phone and CALL WHITECASTLE CONSTRUCTION for your home bolting needs! read more

I recently had my foundation repaired and bolted by White Castle after hiring them for a pre-purchase inspection this summer. I appreciated that the owner, Michael Goldberg, personally appeared at the inspection and explained every detail. He was very informative and answered all my questions. When I decided to get the work done months later, his crew arrived on time, they were all nice, completed the work in 2 days, and the city inspector approved the work the following week. read more

I was cleaning out some files today and found an old estimate from this company and it reminded me of the horrible experience we had with with Michael Goldberg. It made me so mad I had to write a review! This guy was very smooth talking. We gave him hours of our time and he promised us the best work and service. He gave us a $6250 quote and a $700 deposit, we put up his sign, and he left. We waited about three weeks, no calls, no service, no workmen. So we called him many times and he gave us a super runaround. He finally said they would not be able to do the job because his company was "going out of business." I checked his website and made a call several months later, just to verify, and not true. Years later I see here he is still in business. My guess is he totally under-priced the estimate and later didn't have the guts to back out. Jerk. I would discourage anyone from giving this company a chance. Michael is a liar! read more

This was a pretty smooth transaction all around. By the time I got home the inspector had already diagnosed the issue and once we agreed on moving forward, the project took only 3 days and days later I had a permit from the City of LA for the retrofit. I'm happy I chose these guys. Sorry to hear a few people didn't have such a positive outcome. No complaints here. read more

Very happy with the work that Mike and his team did on earthquake retrofitting. The quote and explanation were fair and clear. There were no hidden surprises on the bill. The work was done on time. City inspection went smoothly. What more could you ask for? read more

I've had a fairly good experience with this group. We had some serious and obvious foundation work to get done, so there was little question about the extent and cost of the work (we got several estimates). The owner Mike has a little show he goes through to convince you they're the best company for the job. Some will find it informative, others just annoying. A key for us is that they let you pay off the work over time, with no interest. The work was done professionally (with the caveat that none of us really know what's going on under our houses), and a supervisor who spoke clear english was available to explain things. After the job, when we spotted a potential concern they came back to inspect and do further work at no charge. The work is still relatively new, so we'll see if they continue to stand behind it after the installment checks are all cashed. read more

We had our foundation repaired and bolted by White Castle, and we had nothing but the most positive experience with Michael Goldberg, the owner of the company, as well as the workers he employs. The work quality, professionalism, courteous service and low pricing were superior features offered. We highly recommend the company to those looking to retrofit their homes. Michael will spend as much time as needed to answer all your questions and address all your concerns with a level of expertise that is unsurpassed. read more

Wonderful experience. The owner knows his stuff. I've used the company multiple times. Dealing with contractors is always a little nerve racking but this company is the BEST in the business. Clean and on time. Prompt city inspection and permitting. Really an excellent experience. I'm really so glad I used them. read more

I accepted an offer for my property and the buyer was in the process of completing their "Due Diligence". They contacted White Castle Construction to inspect my property. Next thing I know, I was informed by my agent that White Castle Construction found $45,000 worth of repairs to my foundation. White Castle's assessment report made the potential buyers feel that the property's foundation is in real bad condition and the potential buyers were very concerned. I contacted Alpha Structural in Eagle Rock, CA. to obtain a second opinion and a bid. I gave them the assessment report of White Castle minus the estimate info. Douglas Aldarete of Alpha Structural came out and assessed my property. Douglas then explained that my property was structurally sound however, there were two parts of the house that were tampered by perhaps by the prior owners. He submitted a bid addressing all the concerns that White Castle Construction has alluded to in their assessment report and charged me $18,000. Enough said! read more