When you invite a professional to your home, you should expect him or her to collect a large amount of information and data. They will then discuss your areas of concern and perform an evaluation both inside and outside your house to get a full picture of the underlying issues that concern your foundation issues. Generally, heres what to expect from your foundation inspection.
Time and Cost
A normal inspection should take about 1.5 hours to 2 hours to complete. This includes an in-depth interview, floor elevation survey, visual observations inside and outside among other tasks. Depending on who is conducting the inspection, your total cost should be in the range of $0 - $600. Most foundation contractors offer free inspections for property owners. Obviously there is the potential for bias in their reports because they want to contract with the property owner. However, foundation contractors are the ones with the greatest experience in dealing with foundation problems. Another option is to contract with an independent structural engineer for a professional opinion and written report. An engineering evaluation and report usually costs around $600.
Steps Involved
Normally, the inspecting technician will do a thorough interview. This allows him or her to ask important questions and determine the best inspection criteria. If you havent been asked these questions, your contractor / technician / engineer is probably not doing their due diligence. The inspector will then be interested in understanding your floors elevation and extent of damage. The visual observation is where the contractor or engineer thoroughly inspects the interior and exterior parts of the structure to identify any signs separations, cracks or damage.
A test on walls and doors for plumbness follows as the level of doors, cabinets and walls is carefully analyzed. Afterwards, the contractor or engineer will conduct a forensic study to identify if there are signs of foundation movement. Some foundation issues are related to poor grading or standing water near the foundation.
Last But Not Least
Finally, the inspection contractor or engineer will verbally explain his findings to you and discuss important recommendations as well. A diagram or engineering report will be presented outlining the scope of services, conclusions, recommendations among other important details. A CAD format detailed floor elevation map may be provided as well. This report should be signed and sealed by the inspector and consultancy firm youve hired.
What More Should I Expect?
Of course, you should expect a great deal of professionalism. Well trained specialists have a clear code of conduct which they adhere to in totality during the inspection. Dont accept anything that falls short of this quality bar.
Final Word
A solid foundation is the key to the structural integrity of a home or commercial building. That is why a foundation inspection is perhaps the most important aspect of a home inspection. And provided you know what to expect theres no need to panic or rush to make a foundation repair decision.
