Three kinds of foundation inspection
| Who | What you get | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| A foundation contractor | A walk-through, usually elevation readings, and a repair proposal with a price | The person measuring is also the person selling |
| A licensed home inspector | A visual report with an opinion on foundation performance | TREC says an inspector is not required to provide engineering; the engineering board adds that a visual TREC inspection is not engineering |
| A licensed professional engineer you hire | A written evaluation, sometimes with repair design, from someone who doesn’t sell the repair | Cost, and making sure they’re independent of the contractor |
What happens at a contractor’s inspection
Expect the contractor to walk the outside first: cracks in brick and mortar, gaps at windows and garage doors, drainage, trees and downspouts. Inside, they look at doors, drywall cracks and floors. Then they usually take elevation readings with a manometer or a laser, a series of height measurements across the floor that become a contour map.
This is also how they price the job, so you’re getting a sales visit and a diagnosis at once. That’s normal. It’s why a second opinion matters for anything large.
Texas inspectors treat the following as signs of distress: doors that bind or don't latch, sloping floors and walls separating from ceilings or floors. The warning signs page lists the lookalikes.
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How elevation readings are judged
A contour map is only as good as its reading:
- ASCE’s Texas Section says a floor elevation survey is useful but should not be the only basis for judging deflection and tilt.
- The Foundation Performance Association recommends measuring deflection over 20 feet, because short spans can be skewed by construction irregularities.
- It says excessive distress in the house above tends to begin when deflection exceeds a limit between L/240 to L/480 of the span.
San Antonio’s older houses add a twist. A house built out of level when it was new reads the same as one that has moved since, so look for a baseline: an earlier survey, a sales record or an old repair file. The FPA recommends buyers get a baseline elevation survey, so future movement can be measured against it.
The levels of an engineer’s evaluation
ASCE’s Texas Section describes investigation levels. Level A is a report of first impressions. Level B adds a relative elevation survey. Level C adds soil, plumbing and material testing. A routine request often ends at Level B; testing is for ground that’s suspect or a house that keeps moving.
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San Antonio brings an engineer in anyway
If the plan involves piers or other repair, the City of San Antonio requires it to be designed by or under the guidance of a licensed professional engineer. The engineer of record signs an Assumption as Engineer of Record letter and later submits the inspection letter. ASCE’s Texas Section defines the engineer of record as the one who provides sealed remediation documents, with approval authority over any changes.
So there are two ways to get one: the contractor arranges an engineer, or you hire your own first. The engineer guide weighs them. Published prices for an independent evaluation range from $300–$1,000 (Angi) to $500–$3,000 (HomeGuide).
Inspections when you buy or sell
Texas sellers answer a disclosure form that asks about Foundation/Slab(s), and the buyer’s inspector must report on how the foundation is performing. A baseline survey and any repair paperwork, including San Antonio’s engineer letter, are the documents a buyer asks for. The selling guide has the details.
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Get ready for the visit
- Photos of every crack, dated, with a coin for scale.
- A list of sticking doors and windows, and when they stick.
- The year built, and slab or pier and beam if you know.
- Any earlier repair: plan, permit, engineer letter, warranty.
- Where water goes when it rains: downspouts, grading, low spots.