Miller

how do I pick a good geotech , no one will recommend one, and they cost big bucks, they want $800 just to come out and see if i need a soil boring when I know I do, i am on a landfill and my house is dropping and cracked walls, & 8,000
to do a soil boring test and it will cost me $ 800 for the hole diggers to dig the hole for the soil to be tested, and don't know how many holes , because it is a landfill one side of the house may be different than the other and house needs more than one side done, maybe even the back side, I am on a slab foundation. then i will have to pick a contracter to do all the work. they want big bucks to come out for a estimate. how do i pick a contracter after I get a soil sample. I heard they will bid on the job. how do I go about getting bids?
I am just a seventy year old woman trying to save my house. Thank, Joyce

SecretSquirrel

Joyce,

It would be helpful if you could tell us where you're located in order to recommend someone convenient to your whereabouts.

It almost sounds as if you could use a consulting engineer that would coordinate all these services for you and be your advocate. Look in the Yellow Pages for 'Engineers-Professional-Consulting' and see if anyone is available in your location. While looking in there, you might also find a local GeoScience Engineering firm as well. You could make some phone calls, explaining your needs, and perhaps they could offer the proper guidance.

I know $800 sounds expensive but these specialty services dictate a higher fee because of the technical training and equipment required to perform the various 'specialty' tasks. Also, have you checked with your homeowners insurance to see if you're covered for this issue? If so they would be able to assist you in some way towards resolving the problem.

Miller

Sorry, I am confused, I could not send on that thread, it would not let me send, so i got on another name. I did not hire anyone yet, i meant I am going to. I live in" La Mirada, ca" Thanks for replying, Joyce Miller

Miller

I have been calling around and I was told all the good geotech are working for large co. an wont do houses, I would be lucky to find a good one that would not do shotting work, have to get references. no one will sticktheir necks out and recommend one. If anyone on here knows if some around orange county or Los Angeles that are good could you please let me know. I am at my wits end. I can't get a contracter without one doing a soil boring and reports , plans. Thanks, Miller

dmaceld

How old is your house? Was it common knowledge your house, and I presume your neighbors' houses, were built on a land fill?

I'm not so sure you don't need a lawyer more than a geotechnical engineer to go after the builder/developer. If they knew they were building on an old landfill then they were obligated to make certain the foundation was sound. It sounds like you were sold a defective product.

Joycegl

It was built in 1960 and the builders went out of business years ago, this is a unincorperated aera of orange co.
a city worker I talked to years ago that was driving around in a truck watching the curbs to see how much they were droping told me it was a landfill, and that they put in the wrong foundation for a landfill. the county approved it so I figured it was nothing. I was to young and trusting in the co,
Found out they dont build nothing but parks on landfiil anymore, but up the hill they put up 800 thousand dollar houses on land that was oil wells for years. in 99. nothing we can do, most of the houses have trouble here .
I talk to a geotech that is going to come out free to look, Iam trying to find him in the Better bus bru , its "Albus- keefe and associates, Inc." Anaheim
I found the Law firm they have. It was not that old of a landfill, I was told by other that it was in operation in the fiftys, Joyce