As soon as you notice cracks in your foundation, leaning foundation walls, or signs of settling, your first reaction is to worry. All kinds of questions go through your mind. What’s causing the damage? How much will it cost to repair, and how do you find someone you can trust? Finding the right foundation repair contractor can be a little intimidating, especially since it’s an unregulated industry in the State of Texas. Your hairdresser or barber has more educational licensing requirements than someone who does foundation repair.
There’s no stipulated formal training, no insurance bonding requirements, and no industry standards that have been outlined by the state. So anyone with a shovel, wheelbarrow, and jack can repair foundations. While it may not be a major problem, but it’s something that’s worth considering. There are no rules and standards coming from the government or other regulating agencies. So instead of relying on a certification, score, or outside regulatory body, you will need to rely on your own investigation and impressions to make sure you’re hiring the right person.
Choosing a Foundation Repair Company
Here are some tips on how to choose the right company for foundation repair:
- Check out reviews and ratings — This is one of the best ways to find out how a company has been performing in the market, because you can look at comments from real customers. Testimonials can have a huge impact on a company’s reputation, and having a good rating is a sign that they do good work. You can also look at the Better Business Bureau (BBB), because companies get a letter grade based on the reviews and complaints that were officially submitted. You want to do hire a company with an A+ rating and has been in business for at least ten years.
- Hire a family-owned company — Family-owned businesses are a great alternative to choosing the big box companies, because they tend to focus more on customer service and satisfaction. Their experience often results in much better performance and results, because they can provide more training to their staff. Unlike larger companies that may be hard (or even impossible) to contact, family-owned foundation repair contractors will most likely be easy to get a hold of. Their company turnover won’t be as much of a problem.
- Ask your neighbors — Because foundation repair is such an important project, you want to make sure you hire a company that other people have been happy with. Ask your neighbors if they know anyone they can recommend. There’s a good chance that someone living within 1-2 blocks from you has had their foundation worked on in the past.
Regardless of how you approach it, you want to do some research so you can find a foundation repair contractor that will do the job right.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Foundation Repair Contractor
Here are some questions you should ask before hiring a company for foundation repair:
- How long have you been in business?
- Are you locally based?
- Are you licensed and insured?
- Do you offer a warranty or service agreement, and what are the terms?
- Have you done foundation repairs in my neighborhood, and do you have any references?
- How long have your crews been with you, and how many people do you have per crew?
- Do you subcontract any of the work?
- What type of underpinnings or supports do you use?
- Do you test the plumbing after raising the home?
- Do you fill the voids created after raising the home?
- How do you protect landscaping?
- What’s your cleanup procedure after the job has been completed?
- How long will the job take, and when can you start?
- How much will you raise my home, and when do you stop?
While the industry itself doesn’t have any regulations in Texas, it doesn’t mean there are any rules at all. There are still municipality rules, permitting, and report requirements you may have to deal with. That’s why you should ask contractors the following questions.
- Do you need to pull a permit for foundation repair?
- Is an engineer report required for foundation repair?
You should consider talking to more than one foundation repair contractor, especially if the first one you spoke to doesn’t make you feel confident about their ability to do the job. Getting a second opinion can help you to solidify your choice.
If you’re looking for one of the best places for foundation repair in Corpus Christi, be sure to get in touch with Streem Foundation Repair.