Your foundation is fundamental to your building structure; it is the structure responsible for ensuring that your building does not collapse all of a sudden. Therefore, you cannot afford to handle anything that has to do with the foundation, with levity. If you have reasons to get your foundation inspected, contact a professional inspector to help check it out.
A foundation inspector is an expert who has been trained to be able to check out the foundation of a building to check for;
- The integrity of the foundation
- The root of any foundation problem and proffer solution
- The damage and the best solution to it
A foundation inspector is essential to your peace of mind as a homeowner. It makes it easy for a potential buyer to make a fast decision concerning buying a building. The inspector’s reports are also helpful anytime the owner wants to request building permits to add a structure or remodel a building.
This blog is presented by the experts at Better Foundation Repair OKC. If you require house foundation repair Oklahoma City, we’re the team to call!
When Should I Call for the Service of a Foundation Inspector?
Some people think it is only when you see a crack in the wall, a sinking floor or a leaking basement that you should call a foundation inspector. While it is necessary to reach an inspector for the above reasons, they are not the only reason you need to call an inspector. You should contact an inspector for the following reason;
● Whenever you feel that there may be damage on your foundation, some signs of foundation damage are; sagging floors where one part is higher than the other, cracks on the walls or floors, water in the basements, etc.
● Whenever you want to buy a new building (for home or office), it is not a good idea to buy off a building because it looks beautiful and everything appears to be in place. It is advisable to make it a priority that before you make the eventual purchase that you get a professional inspector to help you check how good the foundation is or not.
● Before you renovate or fix your home, you should get the help of a professional inspector to help you check for any damages to your foundation. It is wrong for you to renovate without considering the foundation. The foundation upon which the building sits is one of the vital parts of your building, therefore making it a priority while renovating is suitable for your peace of mind.
● When the state law stipulates that you have to do it, if you live in a state where you have to get a foundation inspection, that’s a good thing. However, don’t just do it because the laws say so, find a professional inspector to help you check your building out and give you an unbiased report on the condition of your home.
How Much Does it Cost to Have Someone Look at Your Foundation Repair?
The cost of having a foundation inspector check out your foundation can be steep and may be mild, depending on certain factors. For instance, if your building is situated in a big city, the cost of a foundation inspector would be higher. A residential building would be much cheaper than a corporate building, mainly because living homes are typically smaller than office buildings. The following are other factors that can determine how much your foundation inspection would cost you;
● The type of foundation; a slab, pier or crawl space
● Size of building
● Professional competence
The bottom line is, you can pay as low as $350 or as high as $3,000. Prices for residential homes could be between $400 – $1,000 depending on the residence’s side, the residence’s location, or the type of foundation that was done. Whereas big corporate buildings often pay more to get a foundation expert. It could cost at least about $1000, or it could be as high as #3000- $4,000
What Should I Expect from a Foundation Inspection?
The whole essence of a foundation inspection is for the expert to ascertain that your home or building is safely habitable. The inspector can help you identify damages that may threaten the structural integrity of the building. He can even detect how seasonal changes are affecting your foundation and even proffer solutions to the problem.
According to Young Alfred, a foundation inspection is carried out in three stages;
● Stage 1: Pre- Inspection
● Stage 2: Inspection
● Stage 3: Post-Inspection
The first stage is more like an interview process. This is where the inspector gets to find out more information from the homeowner concerning the building. The inspector allows the homeowner to talk about the cracks, holes, uneven floors and all kinds of damages they have seen inside their home, outside or with the neighbours.
The second stage is where the inspection begins on your house foundation repair. The ideal place that most inspectors start from is performing the floor elevation. After this, the inspector continues with doing a thorough sweep of the entire structure, both interior and exterior. An inspector would typically check for uneven surfaces, cracks, windows and door problems. In this stage also, the inspector needs to find out the causes of all of the issues he had noticed while checking the building.
The third stage begins with the inspector notifying the homeowners of his findings. He could make recommendations for the homeowners and discuss the best way to go about it. After this, the inspector needs to make a formal report concerning all observations made. This report has to be signed and sealed by a licensed professional.
How Do I Know the Foundation Inspector to Call
A home inspector is quite different from a foundation inspector. While a home inspector will be checking around for signs of cracks and damages, a foundation inspector is not only checking for damages; he studies for the causes of the damages. He can tell the consequences of not swinging into immediate action and the solution to the damages seen. In other words, for a foundation inspection, the ideal professional to call is a licensed structural engineer. Their bills may be on the high side. However, you are better with an expert foundation inspector. Not only that, you need to check for work experience, and if the professional is also a repair expert, that is a plus for you.
In Conclusion
It is important to get a foundation inspector to check out your building because, in the first place, an inspector can expose all the areas where there might be issues with your foundation. This can prevent a lot of things from happening; it will prevent you from more significant damage to your foundation, and it will also help you save the cost of having to repair structural damage. Moreso, a bad foundation can collapse at any time, but when an inspector has checked it out and proffer a solution to the damages, you have been saved from the cost of having a wrecked building. If you intend to buy a house, the foundation inspector can save you from wasting your money on a bad investment, especially if the foundational problem of the home will cost a lot more.
/https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/6196574e147041ac4f2f4fd4/0x0.jpg)