Foundation Inspection Report
If you think your concrete slab foundation might need some work but want an unbiased opinion you should contact an independent registered professional engineer. Their specialty should be in civil or structural engineering. (Your average electrical or aeronautics engineer probably didn’t take many classes in soil mechanics or the load bearing capacity of X type of concrete. But I’m just guessing here.) Your engineer should also have plenty of experience in residential or light commercial slab on grade foundations. They should not have any financial ties to foundation repair contractors, builders or insurers. If they recommend certain contractors it should be based on professional opinion and not commission money.
You’ll find engineers listed in your yellow pages. Look for them on trade association websites. I have a couple links to help you get started here: and also on the links page. Fees vary depending on where you live but expect to pay several hundred dollars.
I had my foundation inspected last month. I’m posting a copy of the report so that you can get an idea of the type of information you should receive from an engineer with the qualifications mentioned above. You’ll need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Keep in mind that this inspection is for a specific house in North Central Texas but the same types of problems plague most slab on grade foundations built on expansive shrink-swell clay soils. Here is the report, warts and all. Boy, there are plenty of warts. Engineer’s Concrete Slab Foundation Inspection Report
If you know anyone who is thinking about a foundation inspection or repair, go ahead and send them a link to this page. Thanks.
The link to the report is not working….I going thru this process right now. I would like to get a sample report so I can get a feel for what to ask the PE I will be calling. Please e-mail to jctignor@yahoo.com. Thanks in advance. Joe
Wow, several HUNDRED dollars for an engineering report?
I know foundation repair is expensive, but if you have obvious issues like we do (cracks in walls, front door won’t close well) then it seems like getting referrels and doing due diligence to find an honest foundation repair company is better than shelling out that much money.
Just my opinion.
I do structural basement inspections in NE OH. I am a PE and find your site interesting. I developed my own form, but would love to improve upon it if you could send me the sample. Thanks.
That is so true, foundation repairs can be so expensive and it is very important to have someone do a thorough inspection on the issues. My husband and I recently had our foundation repaired due to clay soil expansion in the Oklahoma area. Apparently it is common in parts of Oklahoma (Guymon and Woodward). We found a very reputable and honest, well-known company in the area by the name of Childers Brothers Foundation Repair. Gaylon Childers and his company have been around for over 40 years helping owners with foundation problems and are very knowledgeable when it comes to stabilizing clay soil. They can save you a lot of money in future repairs. You can visit their site at http://www.ChildersBrothers.com. If you are building a new home, I would highly recommend you have your builder call Childers Brothers Soil Stabilization.
Here’s a cheap (in my case free) way to get a thorough, professional report. Contact your local college/university for an expert in foundations or soils. Check out departments in construction science, geology, structural engineering, architecture. etc.
I live in an area known for highly expansive clay soils. I searched the local university website for an expert in construction engineering – found several! I contacted one, hoping he would be able to give me a referral to a good former student who might be starting a consulting business and need clients to get started (on the cheap). Turns out, this guy was teaching a graduate course called “Foundations on Expansive Soils” and needed a case study for his class of masters students. In return, they’d give us a full report for free. We had 14 graduate students come and spend about 2 hours at our home. He said few people allow their homes for study because it is disruptive and takes longer than a typical engineer. My husband and I were thrilled with their work – they even used a computer program to provide a graphic of our home’s foundation isues. It saved us at least $1000 for an inspection with that level of detail.
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Can you provide more information on this?
I retained a professional engineer in Corpus Christi, Texas. I got a structural report with elevations, foundation repair recommendations and drainage repair recommendations for $250.00. The report was thorough. I gave the foundation recommendation to a foundation contractor and he installed the piers. It was the best $250.00 I ever spent.