How to Compare Foundation Repair Proposals

At the top of your comparison sheet, write the concern that led to the visit. Then copy each company's stated conclusion in its own words. One proposal may describe observed movement, another may focus on floor elevations, and another may simply list supports to install. If the document never states the problem, ask the company to connect the proposed work to its observations.

List the evidence included with each proposal: site observations, photographs, measurements, drawings, plumbing information, prior reports, or other records. Note who collected it and when. A number or diagram is more useful when the document explains the reference point, locations, units, and limits.

Different conclusions are a reason to compare assumptions, not a reason to average the proposals. Ask each company what would change its recommendation and what question remains unanswered. When the decision depends on an engineering opinion, arrange that evaluation as its own defined assignment.

Mark every proposed repair location on the same simple floor plan. Record the repair method and the number or extent of supports in each area. For a raised foundation, include beams, joists, posts, crawl-space access, and any wood replacement. For a slab, include perimeter and interior locations and how the crew will reach them.

Then list the practical work around the repair. Will the company remove and replace concrete, flooring, cabinets, landscaping, plumbing fixtures, or soil? Who moves furniture? Who protects the house, controls dust, stores excavated soil, restores irrigation, and cleans the site? A proposal can look less expensive because one of these jobs is excluded rather than because the same work costs less.

The Texas Attorney General advises homeowners to get bids in writing, examine exactly what will be done, and specify material details when they matter[1]. For foundation work, the drawing, access plan, materials, and restoration duties make that advice concrete enough to compare.

Create rows for permits, utility locating, engineering, plumbing tests, temporary access, inspections, cleanup, and final documentation. Mark each one company, homeowner, another provider, not included, or not applicable. Do not assume the same answer applies to every city or every job.

Ask who supervises the project and who can approve a change. Ask whether subcontractors will perform any part of the work and which company remains responsible for the schedule and result. Record the expected start, working days, completion point, and what conditions could delay the job.

FEMA's homeowner checklist recommends identifying subcontractors, project supervision, the payment schedule, written warranty, and contract terms before work begins[2]. The checklist is general construction guidance, so apply it to the actual foundation scope rather than assuming every listed item is required on every project.

Write the payment schedule as milestones instead of percentages floating by themselves. Each payment should have a clear event, such as mobilization, completion of a stated portion of work, delivery of final documents, or agreed completion. Identify any financing agreement as a separate document with its own total obligation and terms.

The proposal should explain how unexpected conditions and requested changes are handled. Ask who can authorize added work, how the added scope and price will be documented, and whether work pauses until approval. A verbal change made during a busy workday is difficult to compare with the original agreement later.

The FTC recommends multiple written estimates, warns against full payment up front, and says the written contract should include the work, material and cost promises made during conversations[3]. The Texas Attorney General similarly recommends tying partial payments to completed stages and withholding final payment until the work is complete and inspected by the homeowner[1].

Before signing, make sure the final contract includes or clearly attaches the proposal, drawing, payment schedule, warranty, and every agreed change. Check that names and dates match, all referenced attachments are present, and no blank spaces remain. Keep a complete copy of what you sign at the time you sign it.

• Problem and observations the proposal is based on.
• Repair locations, method, materials, quantities, and access.
• Included testing, engineering, permits, restoration, and cleanup.
• Start, completion, delay, payment, and change-order terms.
• Exclusions, homeowner duties, final documents, and written warranty.

A complete comparison can reveal that two proposals are not offering the same job. Resolve the missing rows first. Choose only after you understand both the technical differences and the written obligations.