Meet Brandon Hoge | Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Hoge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
The foundation repair industry is an unregulated one, meaning every company in the business is free to set their own standards and procedures regarding evaluations and plan creation, repair methods, warranties, employees, subcontractors, operations and even insurance coverage to protect their customers. While this is a very good thing for companies seeking to operate above board and highly effectively to achieve success in their industry, it leaves room for companies simply looking to make a buck providing less than a great product and service with less protection for unknowing customers. Suffice it to say, that makes it incumbent upon the consumer to educate themselves on what kind of company to look for and do business with in the industry. We recommend consumers look for companies that are insured, bonded and employ their own labor. In addition, consumers should consider whether or not their warranty has a standard to measure against in the event of a warranty claim and whether or not future adjustments are free or if they must be paid for. It is also important to consider whether or not a company providing repair engineers their plans and tests items such as plumbing after the repair. Consumers spend a lot of money on foundation repair and so the repair should be a selling point for the home and not a mystery for potential buyers. Foundation repair is unlike any other contracting business and should be treated differently as a result.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Structured Foundation Repairs of Houston repairs both slab and pier and beam foundations. We offer a high quality product for our installs and are able to offer a true lifetime transferable warranty with our hydraulically driven piers. Our goal is to make your foundation repair a selling point for your home as opposed to a mystery to potential buyers. Therefore, we include engineering with our repairs along with additional documentation to accompany the warranty. We focus on helping real estate professionals as well as the general public. Being that nobody really wants to have to spend money on foundation repair as they might a vehicle for example, we work extremely hard to ensure a satisfactory result and happy customers. We feel that knowledge is power and we strive to help our customers have a clear understanding of the entire process from evaluation to install to post repair. We try our best to make the process as pain free as possible and leave our customers with the feeling that they made the best choice for their repairs. As a start up business beginning in 2014, Structured Houston has grown to become the most highly rated business of its kind in the Houston area. Before opening our business, I had not been in the Houston area for 7 years and even at that time I had only driven through town to catch a cruise out of Galveston. So becoming familiar with the Houston market and the Houston culture was a big challenge in addition to the normal pitfalls of starting a business. I started off by staying in extended stay motels and many of them not so nice. I had to find equipment and personnel to run the office and the operations while marketing the business and running appointments all on my own. None of this was easy given my unfamiliarity with the area, my shoe string budget and the burn rate at which I was operating at the beginning. I was the office manager, operations manager, receptionist, marketing manager, salesman and at times even crew chief. I eventually found personnel by running ads and conducting interviews as well as literally stalking and chasing down industry participants at predawn hours to bend their ears. After filling my employment needs at the time, I managed to free myself up to handle just marketing and sales. I began bribing real estate brokers with breakfast and lunch to give me just a few minutes of time in front of their sales teams. I’d often return back to the office after meeting a group of real estate agents in anticipation of answering phone calls for the referrals I undoubtedly managed to dig up. While my anticipation was met with disappointment at first the referrals eventually began to come in. Now we provide TREC approved continuing education classes for area real estate professionals. Structured Houston is fully staffed with the best employees in the industry and fields thousands of phone calls a year from Houston area residents and businesses seeking help with foundation related issues.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a business owner constantly on the move in Houston and surrounding areas over the years I’ve grown to have a great appreciation for the large number of attractive destinations our city provides. Houstonians are so friendly that any destination around town just might net new friends. Having had visitors from out of town on many occasions has provided opportunities to enjoy several amenities in town and in the surrounding areas. If I had a week to spend having fun with friends in the Houston area I would definitely include and have done so, a night in Kemah to enjoy dinner and rides at the Kemah Boardwalk. That would be followed by a sail from Kemah to Galveston and a couple of days at the San Luis Resort, or the Galvez in Galveston for a few days. On the way back to town we would catch an Astros game and stay at the Marriot Marquis for the evening and enjoy drinks by the famous Texas shaped pool. The week would not be complete without a stroll through Old Town Spring. We would get there early though, so that we could secure our spot in line at Corkscrew Barbeque before some of the best barbeque around town runs out. Otherwise, we’re pretty content with our surroundings at home in The Woodlands most days just going for a jog, or riding our bicycles to our favorite local pizza joint.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife, son and daughter moved to the Houston area over 6 years ago to allow me to pursue my dream of opening a business in the construction industry. While my decision may not have been the most popular at the time, they willingly left their comfort zones to allow me to pursue my dream and the risky endeavor of beginning a start up. They sacrificed along with me to build the most highly rated foundation repair company in Houston. Our business and our great employees would not be in the position we are without them. For them, I am so very thankful.

Website: www.structuredhouston.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StructuredFoundationRepairsHouston
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/structured-foundation-repairs-houston-houston-2