My next door neighbor Don had his concrete slab-on-ground foundation repaired three years ago. He paid close to $7,000 and the job came with a lifetime warranty.
Don wasn’t satisfied with the results of the first job. His foundation was moving more than he thought it should and not as level so he called them back out. The company did another half day’s work adjusting the shims between the slab and the piers.
Don called them a third time. After all, he had a lifetime warranty. This time, the company was out of business. Some of the same management was there, but operating under a different name and not the one on Don’s warranty. That company is out of business and Don is screwed. I guess that’s how some of the shady smaller companies get out from under their warranty obligations.
In Texas we have a thing called the Texas Foundation Warranty Trust. If your foundation repair contractor participates in the program you get a transferable lifetime warranty to pass on to the buyers of your house. If the repair isn’t done right the first time they have to come back at no extra cost and make it good. Most importantly it covers the repair if the original contractor goes out of business. Most of the major players in Texas are a part of the warranty program.
If you live in Texas and need foundation repair add the Texas Foundation Warranty Trust availability into your decision making. Sometimes it’s good to run with the big dogs. Just ask Don.
Level Check foundation repair was paid over $20K to tunnel and put piers iin a property I own. The house continued to move. The contractor and Level Check, which is sitll in business with the main office in Houston, Texas, will not respond to my calls. I cannot live in or sell the house because it is in such bac shape. I had a structural engineer report on the problem. It is his opinion that Level Check failed to put sufficient piers in the middle of the house. I have had an estimate of $32K by another company, but I have a lifetime warranty from Level Check. What can I do?
It may be time to get a lawyer. To help build your case, I would document each time you call the contractor and note the response. Call every day for a week.
You have the engineering report that states the need for and lack of piers in the middle of your slab. Be sure and get a copy of that report if you don’t have one already.
The Foundation Performance Association http://www.foundationperformance.org/members_attorneys.cfm
is a trade group based in Houston, has member law firms that have experience in situations like yours. Click on the link above, give one of them a call and ask for advice. There may also be a mediation process they can point you to.
If one of your local TV stations has a consumer advocate reporter that does “On Your Side” type stories, give them a call. It’s possible that the threat of a public spanking might shame the contractor into doing the right thing.