I am a structural engineer with over 30 years in the industry. I specialize in all types of residential and commercial structural engineering. I have extensive experience wood construction and in evaluating and modifying existing buildings. I am very familiar with the kinds of issues and problems that occur in residential buildings and the most effective and inexpensive fixes. Call me to discuss your problem.
"Outstanding and very prompt. Very quick to respond to the request."
Gary W on April 2023
I am a structural engineer with over 30 years in the industry. I specialize in all types of residential and commercial structural engineering. I have extensive experience wood construction and in evaluating and modifying existing buildings. I am very familiar with the kinds of issues and problems that occur in residential buildings and the most effective and inexpensive fixes. Call me to discuss your problem.
"Outstanding and very prompt. Very quick to respond to the request."
Gary W on April 2023
Robert Cowles PE is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests, and make their concerns the basis of our business.
"Robert was very easy to communicate with and was quick to respond. He was timely with returning the report necessary as well."
ASHLEY V on February 2025
Robert Cowles PE is committed to excellence in every aspect of our business. We uphold a standard of integrity bound by fairness, honesty, and personal responsibility. Our distinction is the quality of service we bring to our customers. Accurate knowledge of our trade combined with ability is what makes us true professionals. Above all, we are watchful of our customers' interests, and make their concerns the basis of our business.
"Robert was very easy to communicate with and was quick to respond. He was timely with returning the report necessary as well."
ASHLEY V on February 2025
Quality Outdoor Services specializes in hardscape and landscape installation. We pride ourselves on a personal contractor to customer relationship to ensure every customer has a clear understanding of the product they're receiving. We use the most up-to-date hardscape installation techniques to make certain your job will look great for years to come. Additional Services We Provide: Spring/Fall Clean-ups, Mulching, Finish Grading, Sodding, Yard Installation, Drainage Correction, Gravel and Asphalt Milling Driveway Installation, Plant Packages/Landscape Refurbishment, Retaining Walls, Brick Pavers.
"Outstanding! Competitive pricing. Prompt response. On time to do the project. Accurate ETA for completion. Respectful of existing lawn. Professional. I will be a repeat customer! Love their work."
Stephanie S on July 2025
Quality Outdoor Services specializes in hardscape and landscape installation. We pride ourselves on a personal contractor to customer relationship to ensure every customer has a clear understanding of the product they're receiving. We use the most up-to-date hardscape installation techniques to make certain your job will look great for years to come. Additional Services We Provide: Spring/Fall Clean-ups, Mulching, Finish Grading, Sodding, Yard Installation, Drainage Correction, Gravel and Asphalt Milling Driveway Installation, Plant Packages/Landscape Refurbishment, Retaining Walls, Brick Pavers.
"Outstanding! Competitive pricing. Prompt response. On time to do the project. Accurate ETA for completion. Respectful of existing lawn. Professional. I will be a repeat customer! Love their work."
Stephanie S on July 2025
Omega Construction of Michigan LLC With over 72 years of experience serving the Ann Arbor and surrounding areas, Omega Construction of Michigan, LLC is your solution for all your roofing, construction, siding, waterproofing, remodeling, masonry and chimney needs. Omega takes great pride in our extreme professionalism, timeliness and superior customer service on every job. We make sure to develop a lasting relationship so that the next time service is needed there will be no question on who to call. Your satisfaction guaranteed! Give us a call today, we are happy to help you with your project and look forward to talking to you.
"Critical: Professionalism, Value I called Omega to check out smoke transfer between flues. Al quoted flue top dampers at $900 each and cleanings at $300 each. He said he would need to schedule a day to do the work. Thinking this must be an extensive project, I bought it. Ten days later I finally was called to say they would come that afternoon to do it. After the cleaning they glued dampers to the tops of the flues and were done in about 45 minutes. Al defended his $750/hour labor rate and double cleaning rate, saying it was due to his "high overhead" costs that I didn't understand. I still don't understand. Omega Construction is aptly named, they are the last one you should think of calling. They apparently only maintain their good BBB rating because the BBB doesn't consider "pricing issues" or "buyer's remorse" in their calculations. BBB is basically another way to advertise."
Ryan D on December 2020
Omega Construction of Michigan LLC With over 72 years of experience serving the Ann Arbor and surrounding areas, Omega Construction of Michigan, LLC is your solution for all your roofing, construction, siding, waterproofing, remodeling, masonry and chimney needs. Omega takes great pride in our extreme professionalism, timeliness and superior customer service on every job. We make sure to develop a lasting relationship so that the next time service is needed there will be no question on who to call. Your satisfaction guaranteed! Give us a call today, we are happy to help you with your project and look forward to talking to you.
"Critical: Professionalism, Value I called Omega to check out smoke transfer between flues. Al quoted flue top dampers at $900 each and cleanings at $300 each. He said he would need to schedule a day to do the work. Thinking this must be an extensive project, I bought it. Ten days later I finally was called to say they would come that afternoon to do it. After the cleaning they glued dampers to the tops of the flues and were done in about 45 minutes. Al defended his $750/hour labor rate and double cleaning rate, saying it was due to his "high overhead" costs that I didn't understand. I still don't understand. Omega Construction is aptly named, they are the last one you should think of calling. They apparently only maintain their good BBB rating because the BBB doesn't consider "pricing issues" or "buyer's remorse" in their calculations. BBB is basically another way to advertise."
Ryan D on December 2020
At Great Lakes Gardening LLC, we believe in great design, dependable implementation, and delivering excellent service to our clients. Our team understands that landscapes should be unique and customizable because everyone is different. Since opening in 2015, we've been on a journey to make gardens and landscapes better as a whole. And we will never stop improving. Our gardens are designed to be long-lasting and evolve with time, which is why we've developed tools to help track individual progress, big or small.
"We had a fantastic experience with Great Lakes Gardening. Drew, the owner, was great to work with — friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly cares a lot about the quality of his work. He took the time to understand what we wanted and made some really helpful suggestions along the way. They built a retaining wall for us and did a full refresh of our garden beds. The wall is solid and looks great — really well done. The plants they brought in were top quality and everything was placed with a lot of care and attention to detail. The whole crew was professional and respectful of our property. You can tell this is a business that takes pride in doing things the right way. We’ve already gotten a bunch of compliments from neighbors, and we’re thrilled with how it all turned out. Highly recommend!"
Nicole S on May 2025
At Great Lakes Gardening LLC, we believe in great design, dependable implementation, and delivering excellent service to our clients. Our team understands that landscapes should be unique and customizable because everyone is different. Since opening in 2015, we've been on a journey to make gardens and landscapes better as a whole. And we will never stop improving. Our gardens are designed to be long-lasting and evolve with time, which is why we've developed tools to help track individual progress, big or small.
"We had a fantastic experience with Great Lakes Gardening. Drew, the owner, was great to work with — friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly cares a lot about the quality of his work. He took the time to understand what we wanted and made some really helpful suggestions along the way. They built a retaining wall for us and did a full refresh of our garden beds. The wall is solid and looks great — really well done. The plants they brought in were top quality and everything was placed with a lot of care and attention to detail. The whole crew was professional and respectful of our property. You can tell this is a business that takes pride in doing things the right way. We’ve already gotten a bunch of compliments from neighbors, and we’re thrilled with how it all turned out. Highly recommend!"
Nicole S on May 2025
Super Service Award 2021 - 2016!! Landscape designs using ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs to create artistic, unique combinations to beautify the home and outdoor living spaces. Specializing in year round color, container planting, seasonal accents, and event staging. Award winning design. Featured in The Style of The Detroit News, and Detroit Home. Member of The Herb Society of America, Southern Michigan Unit, Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary, MNLA
"Jackie is very talented in designing wonderful landscaping that offers year-round color and beauty; promotes honey bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds with a perfect blend of perennials and annuals; and works closely with us to make sure we are included in all of the design planning. We have worked with her for many years and couldn't be happier with our landscaping! She is top notch!"
Lisa B on October 2023
Super Service Award 2021 - 2016!! Landscape designs using ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials, and herbs to create artistic, unique combinations to beautify the home and outdoor living spaces. Specializing in year round color, container planting, seasonal accents, and event staging. Award winning design. Featured in The Style of The Detroit News, and Detroit Home. Member of The Herb Society of America, Southern Michigan Unit, Cranbrook House & Gardens Auxiliary, MNLA
"Jackie is very talented in designing wonderful landscaping that offers year-round color and beauty; promotes honey bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds with a perfect blend of perennials and annuals; and works closely with us to make sure we are included in all of the design planning. We have worked with her for many years and couldn't be happier with our landscaping! She is top notch!"
Lisa B on October 2023
Masonry brick/stone repair We guarantee your satisfaction and we won’t leave until the job is done right. We pride ourselves on the quality work we provide, while delivering great customer service! Check out our services offered and call or click to schedule a free estimate today.
"Excellent job and cleanup. Reasonable price."
Bob C on October 2024
Masonry brick/stone repair We guarantee your satisfaction and we won’t leave until the job is done right. We pride ourselves on the quality work we provide, while delivering great customer service! Check out our services offered and call or click to schedule a free estimate today.
"Excellent job and cleanup. Reasonable price."
Bob C on October 2024
Thank you for your interest in our services! Through dedication to our customers and our commitment to quality, we feel that we can offer you the best service in the construction industry. Every home or business has things that need to be done. At Marsh Contracting we help take the pressure off you, by offering a wide range of services from small repairs to large remodeling projects, Marsh Contracting is the contractor for you. We are licensed, insured and provide free estimates
"Marsh contracting came in and took our 50+ year old bathroom and made it into a great, functional space. I wish I could explain the awfulness of the "before" situation they were facing. Tile and plaster 3 inches thick; square, heavy bathtub that need to be removed; galvanized steel pipes with years of corrosion blocking water flow. They had great suggestions for improvements and helped us stay within our budget while still taking care of the things that needed to be done. They were prompt and worked quickly; the only hiccup was on our side with a delivery issue, and they were able to work around it and keep the project rolling. Bob and his team were upfront with us on everything, and I felt that I had a clear idea of how the project was moving along, next steps, and the timeline for completion. Communication was never an issue, whether via email, phone, or text. And my super picky Father in Law has even complemented the great tile work!"
JoAnn L on January 2019
Thank you for your interest in our services! Through dedication to our customers and our commitment to quality, we feel that we can offer you the best service in the construction industry. Every home or business has things that need to be done. At Marsh Contracting we help take the pressure off you, by offering a wide range of services from small repairs to large remodeling projects, Marsh Contracting is the contractor for you. We are licensed, insured and provide free estimates
"Marsh contracting came in and took our 50+ year old bathroom and made it into a great, functional space. I wish I could explain the awfulness of the "before" situation they were facing. Tile and plaster 3 inches thick; square, heavy bathtub that need to be removed; galvanized steel pipes with years of corrosion blocking water flow. They had great suggestions for improvements and helped us stay within our budget while still taking care of the things that needed to be done. They were prompt and worked quickly; the only hiccup was on our side with a delivery issue, and they were able to work around it and keep the project rolling. Bob and his team were upfront with us on everything, and I felt that I had a clear idea of how the project was moving along, next steps, and the timeline for completion. Communication was never an issue, whether via email, phone, or text. And my super picky Father in Law has even complemented the great tile work!"
JoAnn L on January 2019
Family owned business, approx 25 employees, offer subcontracting, billing net 30, accepts all major credit cards
Family owned business, approx 25 employees, offer subcontracting, billing net 30, accepts all major credit cards
You should replace floor joists as soon as you see clear signs of structural trouble—sagging floors, wide wall cracks, uneven door frames, wet or rotting wood, persistent squeaks, or windows that no longer latch. Tilted or sinking supports in the crawl space are another red flag. If you notice any of these signs, call a pro right away to keep your home’s structure safe.
If the joists are exposed from below, a pro can swap them out without touching the finished floor above. In an unfinished basement or crawl space, you’ll often see the joists and can easily reach them. When insulation, subflooring, or finished flooring blocks access, the crew must remove these materials before repairs can begin.
Sistering allows a pro to reinforce a cracked or undersized joist without tearing up the entire floor. The contractor slowly raises the frame, then fastens a new joist snugly against the damaged one to share the load. When done correctly, sistering restores full structural strength and keeps the floor level without the cost of a complete replacement.
Floor joists installed correctly in a stable environment can last for 100 years or more, often outlasting the house itself. However, termite damage, moisture, leaks, and other problems can significantly reduce a floor's lifespan. For instance, if the floor is exposed to consistent moisture, you'll likely need to replace the joists every 20 to 30 years.
Homeowners' insurance covers floor joist damage resulting from sudden and accidental events, such as fire, windstorm, or water damage from a burst pipe. It will not cover repairs resulting from gradual deterioration, poor maintenance, or termite infestations. Review your insurance policy and consult your provider to verify the conditions that guarantee full coverage. Doing so ensures you are fully aware of your responsibilities and can plan your repair work with complete confidence.
Floor joists are essential structural components that provide a stable foundation for your home. They directly transfer the weight of floors, furniture, and occupants to the foundation, ensuring stability and a safe living environment. Without these robust beams, the structure would face compromised load distribution, leading to potential safety hazards and costly repairs. Proper installation and maintenance are crucial for long-term durability and safety.