Repair My Foundation-A homeowner’s look at the options

I sat down with the Greater Dallas Area Verizon Yellow pages and counted concrete foundation repair contractor listings. I threw out listings for satellite offices or what appeared to be different numbers for the same or a sister company. Very unscientific to be sure, but I still ended up with 96 foundation repair contractors in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area alone. Yikes! How do you pick one?

First, it would not be a bad idea to hire a structural engineer to inspect your concrete foundation. For a few hundred dollars you can get a professional opinion of the need for repair if any and a plan with recommended methods of foundation repair for your individual situation. For more information on choosing an engineer, see my post “Consider a Structural Engineer.”

The Foundation Performance Association website has a listing of geotechnical, structural, forensic, and civil engineers, inspectors, consultants, foundation repair contractors and related businesses.

(FPA) is a non-profit corporation in Texas.

Danny Lippford runs a home improvement website and appears on the CBS Morning Show has this to say about picking a contractor:

No Contract Labor- Make sure the people performing the repairs work for the company.

Financial Commitment- Does the contractor own or rent his equipment?

Supervisors on Site- Is the company large enough to provide full time supervision, or will the crew be dropped off at your home to do the work?

References- Make sure references are not hand picked.

Warranties- Warranties are only as good as the company that offers them. A reputable company who has been in business for at least 25 years should be your best bet.

Insurance- Ask for current insurance certificates.