Alameda Structural, Inc. does one type of contracting exclusively–foundations and related structural repair and seismic retrofitting. “This is all we do,” confirms owner George Walton, who has been working in the foundation industry since 1984. “We’re here to replace your foundation, not remodel your bathroom.”

Professionalism is important to Alameda Structural, and it starts with its team, who average 12 years’ experience with the company. New team members start at the entry level and learn every aspect of the company’s operations, eventually working their way up to becoming project managers. Alameda Structural doesn’t rely on less-expensive day laborers–a rare thing in the current economy, says Mr. Walton. This ensures everyone on the team knows the job and can work fast, efficiently and safely.

Maintaining schedules is also a key factor to Alameda Structural’s reputation. “We’re there every day,” says Mr. Walton. “The rain doesn’t stop us–we put up tarps. When it’s not raining, we’re outside; when it’s raining, we’re under the house.” The company’s drive to keep to its schedules ensures work doesn’t drag out, which can cost clients more money.

In addition to its timeliness, Alameda Structural works diligently to deliver within budget, says Mr. Walton. “It’s rare for us to receive more money than what we bid. It’s one thing if a customer asks us to do additional work, but if we encounter problems, we don’t add to the bill. We dig a lot, and it’s somewhat of a guessing game in regards to what kind of soil we encounter. We’ve had boulders and basalt-type rock, and sometimes we’ve had to use dynamite, but we rarely ask for more money in those situations.” And for jobs of less than $50,000, no bills go out until all work is completed.

Organization, planning, and methodical work are the final elements in Alameda Structural’s strategy for success, says Mr. Walton. Its crews proceed through jobs step-by-step, ensuring each task is performed correctly and cleaning sites at the end of each day.

“Our reputation is important to us,” says Mr. Walton. “We have 32 pages of referrals–more than 1,400 past and present clients. When a potential customer calls any one of them, they get the same response: ‘Don’t use anyone else.'” Alameda Structural also provides clients with a list of jobs in progress. “They can go right to a jobsite, knock on the door and ask, ‘What do you think of the contractor?’ And they’ll get the same response every time. We’re not hit or miss. Every job is a success story.”

A home’s foundation is crucial to its longevity, so when planning a repair, hire an established contractor whose primary focus is foundation work. To the untrained eye, foundation work may look like unskilled labor—a lot of digging and moving earth. But it’s actually a specialized field, requiring significant experience and expertise to perform correctly. Quite literally, the entire value of a home rests on its foundation, and it’s not work you want done by just anyone.

Most people might find it hard to evaluate a foundation contractor. Most of the work is hidden out of sight, and even if it’s visible, few have the expertise to evaluate its quality. But there are easily discovered and evaluated factors that are reliable indicators of whether a contractor is likely to do quality work.

“The first thing to look for in a contractor is whether they’re on time for a bid,” advises George Walton, owner of Alameda Structural, Inc. “It’s like a job interview. If you don’t show up on time, you probably won’t get the job. It’s the same with contractors. If they’re late for a bid, they’re probably going to be late in completing the job.”

While foundation work and seismic retrofitting require expertise, they don’t necessarily require engineering experience. In fact, says Mr. Walton, most residential foundation jobs generally don’t require engineered plans, like two-story buildings on relatively flat ground and retaining walls of less than 30 inches. A contracting firm doesn’t need to have engineers on staff, but it should have long-term relationships with several consulting engineers for jobs that require engineering work. Using an independent engineer instead of a contractor’s employee provides a disinterested professional opinion upon which a homeowner can rely.

Mr. Walton also stresses the importance of referrals, advising homeowners to ask for the last 10 jobs a contractor has completed—not just the last 10 successful ones. Call them and ask if the contractor showed up every day. Did they keep the jobsite clean and safe? Were they polite and considerate to the neighbors? These are all indirect ways to assess workmanship and gauge how prideful the company and its employees are of their work.

The final thing to look for, says Mr. Walton, is organization. Does the contractor write down the necessary details as they’re revealed? Is his paperwork organized? Does he use checklists? These are indicators that the contractor will be able to deliver the job on time and within budget.

Finally, Mr. Walton advises against hiring any contractor who asks for money up front. “That’s a red flag,” he says. “If the first thing they want is 10 to 20 percent upfront, you should consider taking your business elsewhere. They’re taking money to pay for past mistakes.” A reputable contractor only invoices for work that’s been completed or materials that have been purchased.

Q: Do you keep a clean worksite?

A: Yes. At any given time, we have about four jobs in progress. We invite our potential customers to visit all these sites and see exactly how clean we work.

Q: What hours do you work?

A: We work from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. We can, however, adjust the schedule if it’s more convenient for a client.

Q: Can I live in my house while it’s being worked on?

A: Yes. Most of the houses we work on are occupied. We cover any holes or trenches with plywood for safety.

Q: Do you have to move a house to do foundation work?

A: Sometimes the scope of a job will call for us to move a house’s location, but for general foundation work or seismic retrofitting, it’s not necessary. We take the weight off the old foundation while work is in progress, but we don’t actually lift or move the house.

Q: Do you have insurance?

A: Yes, we carry $2 million in liability insurance. When we need to subcontract to a shoring company, we use one with earthquake insurance. And all our employees are covered by workers’ compensation.

Q: Do you do seismic retrofitting?

A: Yes, we do quite a bit, and we consider ourselves retrofit experts. There are 20 or 30 engineers who use us as their top referral.

Q: Do you have engineers on staff?

A: Not on staff, but we consistently rely on four or five engineers who work with us when needed—a soils engineer, a civil engineer and a couple of structural engineers. Because of our long-term relationships, they come when we call, and there’s no downtime waiting for an engineer’s assessment.

Q: Do you do inspections for real estate transactions? What do those entail?

A: Yes. We look for any problems or issues with the foundation and assess the life left in it, but this can entail a lot of things. First, we look at the site conditions. Is the house in a slide zone, like the Berkeley hills? We examine the age of the house and determine if it’s level. We look for settlement, drainage and seismic issues. Older foundations are often in a state of deterioration. The concrete gets softer and may not have been built deep enough, so it’s in danger in case of an earthquake. We take all of these factors into account and provide an assessment on the foundation’s condition so buyers can make an informed decision.