How can you trust a foundation expert?

Question

I think I may have a foundation problem. If I pay for a regular inspection, the inspector will just say "Have a foundation specialist check it out." If I get a specialist, how likely are they to give me an honest answer? I mean, if they say everything is fine, they don't get any work. Even if I have 3 specialists look at it, I still feel they'd all say it needs work. Any ideas on ways to find out FOR SURE if there is a problem?

Craig Tripp · Answer

I understand my industry can be full of crooks, but the question is the same for:

How can you trust a doctor?

How can you trust a mechanic?

How do you trust a realtor/broker/banker/investor......?

Do your research: ask friends, family, colleagues, neighbors... check with the BBB and all the other great review and online social places to find out about companies in the area.   The quality companies (if you have any in your area) will rise to top.

If I’m not profesional, accurate, and honest in every inspection I conduct then I will one day run out of homes to repair...word will get out in the community.  However, if I am above reproach in the homes I inspect (and the value of the work does match and exceed the cost) then I’ve always got your neighbors home to repair.  Your neighbors, friends, family... are much more valuable then you (no offense), and I’ll never have that opportunity to meet them unless I do what is right for you as the homeowner and for your home.

Jason Coyle · Answer

Agree with the other answers. Hire a licensed structural engineer and he will provide a detailed drawing showing all the elevations for the house. The findings cant be disputed, and any legit foundation company could use it for their pier plan. Cost for engineering report ranges from 3 to 500. Great accompanying document for the property as well.

Wayne Brooks · Answer

Get an engineer type inspection, one who doesn’t do the contracting work....as opposed to a foundation contractor.

Jaiden Olsen · Answer

@Cameron Davis I'm a licensed structural engineer and we do stuff like this all the time. Typical we charge betwen $500-$600 for a professional recommendation, formal letter, sealed and signed. Often these inspections can be performed using video chat. If you are interested in anything like that, give me a call, my co-worker is licensed in Texas, so we can send you a stamped letter if you would like as well.

Aaron McGinnis · Answer

Hire a stamped engineer who doesn't do any hands on work to do the evaluation and, if needed, make recommendations for repairs.

Rebecca Knox · Answer

If it were me, I would send that report to Dave at GSI or Bud Radtke---they will quote you a fair price and go from there once you see those numbers.

Cameron Davis · Answer

@Rebecca Knox @Marcus Auerbach

I hired Charles Weber to look at the property I was thinking of selling. He says that there is a single crack along each wall, but it doesn't need to be fixed... as long as the exterior is maintained. Gutters need to be cleaned, slope needs to be corrected. But he also said this crack would disqualify a lender from granting a loan... that I would need to brace 3 walls if I wanted to sell with financing from a traditional lender.

Marcus Auerbach · Answer

@Cameron Davis usually you are looking at a horizontal crack spanning the entire width of the wall as a result of the outside pressure. If it goes unchecked the crack will widen, the wall will continue to buckle to the inside until, a few years later it fails and collapses to the inside.

Rule of thumb is when you can stick a coin in the crack you have a problem. A more scientic way is to measure the deflection of the wall - how much is it bowing. Usually up to 3/4 inch you can just brace it, if it's more it pays to have an engineer look at it, before you excavate.

To estimate cost of bracing you can get a ballpark number by multiplying the linear feet of wall by $100 - so a 60ft wall will cost about $6000. Plus the cost of removing plumbing, working around windows, blocking joists etc.

I see basements on a regular basis with overkill fixes, i.e. one wall had a problem and instead of bracing one, they braced all four just to be safe. The reputable firms wont do that, they get a lot of referral business from agents and investors, because they don't oversell.

Rebecca Knox · Answer

@Cameron Davis

These are trusted basement/foundation contractors used regularly by the investor masses. My top picks are Dave Graf or Bud but Karidis wow'd me on a job they did for a friend of ours and they do have an engineer on staff.

Company Name

Name

Gsi Foundations

Dave Graf

Haase & Sons Construction

Josh Haase

Karidis Radtke Design Llc

Kirk Radtke

Karidis Radtke Design Llc

Willie Karidis

Radtke Contractors

Bud Radtke

Mitch Ferraro · Answer

Hey @Cameron Davis! I'm a local Milwaukee investor and totally understand what you are going through. We often have basement issues here in Wisconsin. With the warm summers and cold winters it just does havoc on basements. We typically have to brace and add interior drain tile to fix most basement problems and rarely have to excavate on the outside. If you'd like, shoot me a PM and I can give you some good recommendations for an engineer and basement specialist that we use who are located in Milwaukee.

Just an FYI as well, a lot of these guys are crazy busy right now and it may take a few attempts to get a hold of them.

How can you trust a foundation expert?

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