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Why Choose

QUAKEBUSTERS

When you work with us you receive the expertise we have gained from nearly 30 years of experience retrofitting and studying..

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Why you need

RETROFITTING

Retrofitting protects the house from slipping off the foundation (with bolts or anchors) and to the floor framing above. Learn more »

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Who worked with

QUAKEBUSTERS?

Please check our Clients page to see the full list of satisfied customers we worked for since 1983. Check also the testimonial page here.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY?

Bruce J & Rochelle G, Oakland CA

We want to thank you and your entire staff for the excellent service that we received during the job. We appreciate the care that was taken as well as your frequent help in resolving a variety of other problems that came to light during the course of the retrofit. We are happy to be used as a reference.

Noelle S., Oakland CA

I recently had my house retrofitted by Quakebusters and will absolutely use them again if I ever buy another house and need another retrofit. I highly recommend them. From the start, I very much appreciated how well Jerome communicated with us about what needed to be done. He was knowledgeable and clear, in addition to being personable and relaxed, and his manner made me relaxed about the whole process.

When they started the work, Jerome was there to introduce Frankie, the on-site manager, who was equally competent and direct. I liked that he gave me his cell number and told me to call him anytime I needed to. As it turned out, I didn't need to, because they were so professional and thorough in their work. They also went above and beyond, as I ended up having a plumbing leak in the area where they were working, while they were there and I was not. They took the time to figure out where the problem was, went upstairs to turn off the offending appliance, then called my cell to tell me what had happened.

Every one of their employees who entered my house was professional, hard-working, friendly and unobtrusive. They were also very careful to keep the dirt contained and even washed my floor when they were finished! It was truly a pleasure doing business with them.

Michael M., Berkeley CA

Jerome and crew worked hard to get my job done on time and on budget. My crawlspace is about 12-14" in some spots and they methodically went around the entire foundation over a week and took care of everything. Of the nine contractors I've worked with over the past few years they were the easiest to work with and delivered everything they promised. Jerome also took the time to talk about earthquake risk, codes and standards - an excellent education component of their work! I cannot recommend them enough.

On another note, there was a 4.0 earthquake this morning - centered under my driveway! As I ducked and covered with my infant daughter I kept thinking how glad I was to have had QB do our retrofit when we did. The peace of mind is almost as good as knowing the house is ready to take what the Hayward fault throws at it (to a certain extent anyway). Thanks Jerome and thank you QB!

Steven R, El Cerrito

The most important reason for selecting Quake Busters was Jerome. He took the time to explain what he was proposing to do in terms I could understand, and provided back-up articles providing additional details. Equally important, he was prepared to work within my budget and figure out the best solutions with the money I had available. I really felt like I was given the options of what was the minimum I needed to do, what was the maximum I could do, and what fell in between. Jerome was also able to work with the specs prepared by an independent structural engineer, and act as a go-between on any issues that weren't clear. Last, but not least, Jerome was responsive to the many questions I had, and made a return visit and inspection when another company recommended more extensive work.

With the overall budget agreed upon, I was also very pleasantly surprised by the payment schedule with Quake Busters. Given the cost of the project, it was very helpful to be able to extend the payments well past the project completion date, at no additional cost.

The crew was very professional. As I recall, the work was started and completed on time, and the job area was cleaned at the end of each day and all straightened up at the completion.

Steven R, El Cerrito

Grant & Katherine T., Berkeley CA

Thank you! A pleasure.

 

Jonathan K., Lafayette CA

Great to work with.

Christel D., Berkeley CA

We were very satisfied with their professional and technical approach and the time spent explaining details before the work even began. Your staff was courteous and careful!

 

Ellen C., Alameda CA

I loved working with Frankee, David and Domingo and I really appreciated the time that Jerome took to explain things, before they even began Phase 1.

Angela K., Berkeley CA

Friendly, efficient and competent crew.

Our Services

QUAKE BUSTERS is dedicated to assisting property owners protect their family and homes from Earthquake damage.   All of us living in the Bay Area are interested in knowing that the homes that we live in and our families will be safe after a major Earthquake.   We design a Seismic Retrofit specific to your property and your budget.

The steps to getting your home seismically retrofitted

Contact us for free inspection

We are available by phone and email. We work Tuesday through Saturday, to make it easier for working homeowners to have an appointment with out missing work. In some cases, it is possible to perform the inspection with out anyone home, depending on the type of house. Typically the owner of Quake Busters, Jerome Lenoir, does all the structural inspections.

The Estimate

We will provide a detailed and transparent proposal.  Items will be listed clearly with a quantity , a description, and a figure for labor and materials for each item.  This estimate will be emailed within 1-2 days of the inspection, and a hard copy put in the mail.  In addition we provide a Field Inspection Report on your home, outlining existing   Seismic strengths and weaknesses of your building.

The Contract

We will send out two copies of the itemized contract.  Your copy will also contain information about where you will need smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for your final inspection.  You will sign our copy of the contract and return it with a check for 10% of the project.

The Retrofit

Quake Busters will schedule the work for your convenience. Typically a homeowner does not need to be home for us to execute the Seismic Retrofit. Our crews are all long term employees, who can be trusted in the finest of homes. All employees are fully covered by Workers Compensation insurance. We have carried Liability insurance to a total of $2,000,000.00, for many years without a claim.

Final Inspection

When work is completed, we will leave the job site clean, and typically broom swept. We will then contact you concerning when you are available for your final inspection, and schedule that inspection for you. The morning of the inspection, the Building Inspector will give you a narrow (2 hour) window of when he will stop by that day.

Payment

We receive the 10% deposit at contract signing. Typically this check stays in our office, (not the bank) until we have started your job. We can legally get more money after each of the City Inspections, and we can ask for money every day that we bring materials to your home. Instead, we trust our clients, and we do not ask for any additional payments, until we have completed our work. On the last day of the job, we receive a payment of 50% of the balance. The other 50% of the balance is typically spread out for an additional 3-6 months, with no interest charged on those monthly payments