"Our family and referred clients have worked with Terry Keast for almost 20 years, with projects totaling in the millions of dollars. Terry is one of the only people in the world with whom I have done a handshake deal. He is that kind of person - honest and a salt of the earth. I give two thumbs way up to Terry Keast for drainage, foundation, and retaining wall work." 
~ Leonard A.

"Thank you for your work. You exceeded my expectations. You obviously understand your business and came up with a good solution for us. You were clear about the bid, the add-ons we agreed to during the work and the invoice to close it out. You did a very professional job and cleaned up nicely after the work. I will certainly refer you to others needing expert drainage consulting."
~ Bill R.

"I want to commend you for the outstanding work done to correct the drainage problems. You were clear in describing the scope of the project: what it entailed, how long it would take, and what results could be expected. When I had questions, you explained your answers. You delivered competence and efficiency: I don’t think a homeowner could ask for more than that! Thank you!"
~ Wendy W.

"I’ve known Terry Keast for more than 10 years, first, as a contractor who bid on and built some of my jobs and now also, as a personal acquaintance. Terry has worked on complicated, difficult, and challenging jobs. His work has always been professional, timely, competent, and complete. Terry would always be a top choice as a recommendation to clients. I think that the major consideration of Terry’s work is that his client’s trust him."
~ Joe B.

"Terry Keast has done several large jobs for us over the past 30 years, including a new deck around a pool over a steep hillside, pavers around the house and driveway, a major repair, and a large drainage system after a mudslide. Each job required special skills and emergency work during heavy rains. Each job was done well, on time, and with great professionalism and flexibility by Terry. He was very supportive, pleasant, and effective in resolving unexpected glitches. Follow up was done quickly and efficiently."
~ Peter

"My wife and I highly recommend Terry for any drainage-foundation problems, large or small. We had a major leakage problem with rainwater draining through the walls of our garage (house partly built in a hill) and Terry took care of this complex problem in a professional and competent manner. No more leakage in spite of recent heavy rainstorms. He also replaced an old culvert in our driveway which was heavily corroded. He was very pleasant, courteous, and clean during the project. Terry is great to work with and hands-on overseeing the project on a daily basis."
~ Robert and Joan V.

"I wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for you and your valued assistance over the past years. You bring a common sense and practical approach to the construction issues we have faced and your honesty and integrity match your competence-all at the highest level. I want to acknowledge that I have often had to call you with severe time restraints and my requests have reflected the pressure that we often work under in litigation. You have always come through with for me with a cheerful disposition and no excuses. Thank you- it remains a great pleasure to work with you."
~ Albert E.C.


Construction Advisory Services


• Project Supervision/Construction Management
If you think that you could use somebody to act as a liaison between the contractor and yourself so that you are not misunderstood and you don't get hurt, then I could help.

I can help protect you against liens, faulty work and contractors who cut corners. We will oversee the project, the work, the money, and the desires of the homeowner. Many homeowners know very little about the contractor doing their work other than having seen some references. Some homeowners enter a contract with a contractor whose references are staged. Their references are based on the work teams they have used but the contractor may have changed crews so that their A team is no longer with them. I will do my best to make sure  that you get what you are paying for.

• Structural Inspections
When you are buying a building it's important for you to know about the structural integrity of not only the building but more importantly its foundation. Realtors use the term “good bones”, however you need to prove to yourself that that term is accurate.

• Drainage Inspections
Water, whether as a solid, liquid, or a gas can be the number one enemy of a structure. Analyzing the source of the problem and the proper mitigation measures are the key to protecting your building from water.


• Owner/Contractor Negotiations
This is all about knowing the laws that control what contractors can or cannot do and it is also industry standards. I have the knowledge needed to help protect you from your contractor… if that becomes necessary.

• Building Permits
I know my way around the building departments and in many cases I know the building department employees personally and this can help to expedite the permit process. My knowledge of the laws can help to save you from unnecessary bureaucratic nonsense.

• Navigate Government Bureaucracy
As above, knowing the rules and how to get over, around and through the building departments will help the process.

• Defects Analysis
I started in the construction business at age 14 and never did anything else. My analytical nature gives me the experience to analyze what was done, when it was done, and why it was done. The knowledge of what, when, and why can help to you to achieve your goal in this category.

• Construction Arbitration
This is all about the experience that I have had in this business and the expert testimonies I have received since 1975. I enjoy the repartee that comes from dealing with attorneys and arbitrators and this often gives me the upper hand in testifying in cases.

• Dispute Resolution
Again, it is all about my experience. Please see above.

• Forensic Investigation
Forensic Investigation is generally about litigation. One side (a homeowner or building owner) will tell one story while the other side has a different story. The contractor will say something else. Then they will sue each other. The attorneys will bring me in to find out what actually happened. I will investigate everything and tell them where things stand. I can answer questions like:

What went wrong?
How did this happen?
When was this place built?
Who built it?
Was it built in the winter or the summer?
What did the carpentry work look like?
What was the contractor's expertise in wood or in concrete?
Were they ignorant about geology?
Are those water stains from when they built it or are they new?

These are the kinds of questions that I can answer. I know how homes and buildings are put together and I can tell by looking at the framing whether a guy knew what he was doing. I can also tell by looking at the foundation and the framing the year that the house was built. "Wow, how'd you know that?" is the typical response to what I tell them. My answer could be: "The size of the wood is an inch and five eights, so I know when it was built." They have changed the way they mill lumber and the way that they grade it over the years so I can tell by going under a house and looking around. There are so many things to discover under a house. My years of experience and knowledge give me the ability to analyze what was done and why it was done. I can look at the layout and tell where the old house or addition was, if there had been a deck there or why it is leaking. I'll really take the house apart and by the time I'm done, they will know more about the house than they ever wanted or needed to know.

It is best if the homeowner calls me first and an attorney is not involved. But many times, attorneys call me after the homeowner has brought them in. This kicks things up to another level because I then must deal with the attorney. But it does not really matter to me. My job is to find out the truth and the fastest way to resolve the situation. Basically, forensic investigation is detective work that is designed to analyze conditions and get at the truth. I love doing it!

• Expert Testimony
Expert testimony goes along with the forensic investigation of a failure. Generally, an attorney or a homeowner will call me in to investigate something that went wrong. I'm asked to do a forensic investigation to evaluate what happened and then report back to the attorney or the homeowner. If I find that the contractor has failed or cheated or cut a corner, then the homeowner's side will put me on the witness list and I will testify against the contractor because I know the rules and I know the industry standards. If I find that the homeowner's guy is wrong or he is lying to them, I won't be asked to testify and I'll just send them a bill for my time.

Some "Xpurt Witnesses" will testify to anything that the attorney wants. I only testify to the truth. When you are telling the truth, they can't beat you up on the stand. My approach in every case is to fall back on my fifty-four years of experience and always give a simple, truthful, common sense answer to everything that they ask me.

The other side will usually spend ten minutes asking me, "Do you have a degree in engineering? Do you have a degree in archaeology? Do you have a degree in this? Do you have a degree in that?" Finally, my side will jump up and object by saying, "He has fifty-four years of experience Judge and he has testified in many cases." The judge will typically respond, "Fifty-four years? Yeah, he's an expert!"