Murray Engineers

I was hesitant to call Murray Engineers because of a couple of the 1-​star reviews here on Unilocal,but my realtor said they are the «cadillac» (in a very good way) of engineering firms and I wanted the best (why skimp when it comes to the structural integrity of your home?!).
I called late in the afternoon. No engineer was available to talk with me so the receptionist said that someone would call me back. Before 9am the next morning I got a call from Mark Baumann. I could tell right away I was in good hands. He was sharp, analytical, and very efficient. He asked the questions that got right to the heart of the matter and then asked if I had any photos. Other folks I spoke to wanted to come over (and start the expensive billing process!) before I felt they had a firm grasp on my issue. I emailed Mark some pictures later that day and he responded within 30 minutes. We emailed back and forth a few times and he was outstanding at answering *all* of my questions.
Because I already had one geotechnical engineer come out to my house and I was looking for a second opinion, and because of the nature of my issue (mountain house waterproofing issue), he referred me instead to waterproofing consultants and waterproofing installers. When I flat-​out asked if he would be able to recommend anything beyond the standard geotech waterproofing and drainage recommendations, he was amazingly honest and said no, while also emailing me all of the common gotchas to be aware of when installing/​fixing waterproofing on walls.
I was blown away by his honesty and his helpfulness before I had even signed up to be a client or sent a dime their way! And then, to boot, he put me in touch with the perfect people I needed to talk to (waterproofing experts).
It’s a bummer that some of the other Unilocalers got bit by hidden fees. Mark was immediately upfront with me about his fees, including an estimate for the entire process (travel, site visit, and report write-​up).
If I ever need additional geotech services, I know exactly who I’m calling. I am so grateful that I connected with Mark and Murray Engineers.

I would not recommend this company at all. They are not forthcoming on their fees and try to sell you on services you don’t need. I had received a phone call asking if I needed additional services. I said let me check with my contractor/​architect; I didn’t need anything further, and so declined their offer for services. Then a few weeks later, I had a question for them, and the response was «I thought you didn’t need our services?» in a kind of hurt way. Really odd. Then, a few months later, out of the blue I get an email invoice for work that I didn’t request. I was really ticked off that they did some work without telling me and then tried to charge me for it. Luckily, when I confronted them, they backed down. I’ve heard of this kind of behavior happening with other clients, so I know it wasn’t just a fluke.

Murray Engineers are extremely good at what they do. They work everywhere on the Peninsula. They were timely in their visits, very professional and responsive and complete in their work. They handled several milestones on short notice. Kris Korth is especially strong in client relations and field work. The only reason I gave them 4 vs 5 stars is that costs can add up very very quickly without a client’s pre-​approval or awarenes. You can meet with Murray at the beginning of the project and request that they estimate costs and establish ‘ground rules’ for how their services will be used. This can be difficult to handle if you are a small client working on a modest project or if Murray is being engaged on your behalf by a contractor.

Exceptional services offered by Murray Engineers, I need analysis on subsurface conditions on my property. They came in and got the job done right, I would highly recommend these guys to anybody looking for geotechnical investigation. It has was such a pleasure working with Andrew and the whole Murray Engineers Staff!

Murray engineers are the best in the area. They’re very professional and have done an excellent job every time I referred a client to them. I’ve known Andy for over 10 years and trust him and his staff with any geotechnical needs that comes up in the future.