About
Four Generations of Foundation and Chimney Repair in Marietta
Anglin's Foundation & Chimney Repair is a fourth-generation, family-owned repair company based in Marietta, Georgia. We have been doing this work since 1930: foundations, chimneys, and the masonry that goes with them, for homeowners and businesses all over Metro Atlanta. What follows runs in order, from the beginning to the shop as it stands today.
Some of the footage we have of this work is old enough now to be part of the story itself. The equipment has changed and the trucks have changed. What the crew is actually doing in it has not.
1930: O. L. Anglin and Sons
The business started in 1930 as O. L. Anglin and Sons, founded by Olin L. Anglin with one ambition. He wanted to do the highest-quality work on masonry footings, foundations, brick, block, stone, concrete, retaining-wall reinforcement, and full foundation and wall stabilization. In the 1930s, all of it had to be done by hand.
1960: John Anglin takes the company forward
John Anglin took over the growth of the company in 1960, and it has grown steadily ever since. Four generations in, we have weathered a lot: the ups and downs of the economy, the styles and fads that come and go, and the arrival of new technology in the foundation-repair trade. Through all of it we have stayed committed to the same mission Olin started with. We provide a permanent, engineered solution to a structural problem, at the very best price.
“Been there, seen that, done that.”
Years ago, John Anglin told a story on our old blog that still says everything about how we see this work. After his mother passed, a pastor tried to comfort him with a single blunt sentence: “Been there, seen that, done that.” At the time it landed cold. But over the years John came to understand it. The man was telling him, in his own way, that he had lived through the same loss and made it out the other side.
John saw the same thing in the homes we work on. People all over Metro Atlanta call us upset. Their foundation is settling, their chimney is leaning away from the house, their steps and stoop are sinking, their block wall is giving way. They are frustrated, and worried about what it is going to cost. And nearly every time, we have been there, seen that, and done that, thousands of times over. The difference is that we get to add one line the pastor could not: we've fixed that.
Old houses are worth saving
John once wrote about a neglected old house he spotted on a trip up the coast of Maine, the kind of place most people drive right past. Old houses, he said, are too precious to let go to waste. That is still how we feel about every home we are called out to. Given an early warning, there is almost always a solution. A home rarely has to be torn down and replaced. Far more often, it can be restored to safety and soundness.
How we work
We treat every repair as if we were working on our own home. The fourth generation of the family is a masonry craftsman who is on the jobsite with the crew, talking with you directly instead of handing the job off to subcontractors. That kind of trust is hard to find in a contractor these days, and it is a big part of what sets us apart. We want the chance to restore your most important asset the right way.
What we specialize in
We take on the structural problems that most contractors tell you cannot be fixed. We can realign brick veneer walls that are pulling away from a house without tearing them down. And knowing the difference between a foundation problem and a veneer problem takes an expert eye, the kind that even skilled home inspectors and engineers can miss. If your trouble turns out to be a veneer problem and not a foundation problem, that one distinction can save you thousands. When a repair calls for it, we have the resources to consult with some of the top structural engineers in Atlanta, so the fix is the right one and not just the easy one.
What sets us apart
- We fix the cause, not the symptom. Four generations of this work has taught us the difference between patching a crack and stopping the movement that caused it. We would rather do the second one, even when it is more work.
- Structure and masonry, one crew. Most foundation companies stabilize the structure and leave you to hire a separate mason to fix the brick they cracked getting to it. We are masons too, so one crew handles both, and the finish matches.
- We are not a franchise. We are a family business, not a sales operation. Our name is on every job, and it has been for close to a hundred years.
- Our price protection guarantee. If a qualified contractor quotes you a lower price within 30 days, we will match it and take another 10% off. We are not after your money. We are after a lifetime solution that protects your home and your family.
- Backed in writing, and transferable. Qualifying repairs carry a transferable limited warranty, so the fix protects your home's value if you ever decide to sell. What it covers depends on the repair, and the terms for your job are set out in your proposal.
The work we do
We are Metro Atlanta's dedicated leaning chimney specialist, and we handle structural repair anywhere a home has shifted: settling foundations, bowing basement walls, sagging floors over a crawl space, garage center columns and the sagging lintels over double-door garages, bay windows, sinking steps and porches, deck posts, and retaining walls. We also do the cosmetic masonry that goes with it, from cracked mortar joints to block, stone, stucco, and concrete. One thing we do not do is leak repair or waterproofing, so if that is what you need, we will gladly point you toward someone who does.
The crew today
Ninety-six years on, the work is still done by a crew you will actually meet. The same people who come out to look at your house are the ones who do the repair.
The shop in Marietta
The company has never been sold and has never been franchised. It is still run out of Marietta, which is where Olin started it.
Still on the wall
Olin and June hang on the wall in that office, which is the shortest way to say what four generations actually means here. The people who started it are still in the room.
Your home is likely the biggest investment you will ever make, and we do not take that lightly. Call us at 770-422-2924 and talk to a team member about what is going on at your property.