How to Compare Foundation Repair Companies

Start by asking each company to address the same house, the same concerns, and the same available records. Give each one the prior reports, repair history, photographs, and dates you are willing to share. Ask what kind of visit is being offered: a repair estimate, a general performance opinion, measurements, an engineering evaluation, or some combination.

Two companies can reach different proposals because they observed different things, used different measurements, assumed different access, or sell different repair systems. Write down the assignment before comparing the answer. Otherwise a brief sales estimate may appear to compete with a detailed evaluation even though the two documents were made for different purposes.

Use one comparison sheet for every company. Keep separate columns for facts about the business, the person who visited, observations, proposed work, exclusions, schedule, payment terms, and warranty. Leave a blank when information was not provided. A blank is useful because it shows what still needs to be asked.

Record the exact legal or business name shown on the proposal, the physical or mailing address, the phone number, and the person authorized to answer contract questions. Compare those details across the proposal, contract, warranty, invoice, website, and insurance document. Similar names and brand names can belong to different legal entities.

For an entity that appears in the Texas Comptroller system, search the name or state file number and save the result with the date you checked it. The Comptroller explains that its Franchise Tax Account Status reports an entity's right to transact business in Texas and reflects the state's records at the time of the search[1]. That result confirms a narrow business-status fact. It does not grade workmanship, show insurance, or promise that a future warranty claim will be paid.

If the company uses a different name on its signs or website, ask how that name relates to the entity signing the contract. The important result is not a pile of business records. It is a clear answer to who accepts payment, who performs or supervises the work, and who promises to return if there is a problem.

Words such as licensed, certified, bonded, insured, engineered, or approved need a second question: by whom, for what work, and under whose name? Different trades and professional services have different rules. Ask for the credential number and issuing organization when a company makes a credential claim, then check it with that organization.

Ask for current proof of insurance that identifies the insured business. Read the named insured and policy dates rather than accepting a logo or a sentence on a website. If a subcontractor will perform important parts of the job, ask which business employs or contracts with that crew and what documentation applies to it.

The FTC advises homeowners to ask for proof of insurance, verify applicable licenses with the state or county, obtain recommendations, and compare multiple written estimates[2]. The word applicable matters. Do not turn a credential for one person, trade, or service into a blanket claim about every part of the project.

Ask for recent references involving a similar foundation type and a reasonably similar scope. A slab perimeter repair and an interior pier-and-beam project create different access, cleanup, and communication problems. When a reference agrees to speak, ask the same short questions each time.

• Was the written scope clear before work began?
• Did the crew arrive and finish close to the agreed schedule?
• Were changes explained and approved before extra work was performed?
• How were landscaping, floors, plumbing access, and cleanup handled?
• Did the final documents match the work that was completed?
• Has the company responded to any question or warranty request since the job?

The Texas Attorney General recommends obtaining more than one written bid, looking closely at what each bid includes, and speaking with customer references[3]. A reference is still one person's experience, not proof of what will happen at your house. Use it to test communication and follow-through, then return to the written proposal for your project.

The sales process is part of the evidence. A company should be able to leave written information, explain what is unknown, and give you time to compare. Pressure to sign immediately, a demand for full payment before work, cash-only instructions, blank spaces, or a proposal that changes when you ask for a copy are reasons to slow down.

A very low proposal is not automatically wrong, and a high proposal is not automatically thorough. Ask what work, materials, access, testing, engineering, cleanup, and follow-up are included. A price difference becomes understandable only when the scopes are placed side by side.

No single check proves a company is the right choice. Look for agreement among verifiable identity, a clearly defined visit, a detailed proposal, reasonable answers, relevant references, and written promises that match the final contract.