Foundation & Drainage Inspection (CA) 

INSPECTION SCOPE:

 

Foundation Analysis:

An objective diagnosis of foundation movement and/or cracking and the associated indications observed on other building components such as walls, floors & ceilings.  Tools used for this include floor elevation checks, visual examination and non-destructive probing.  All common causes of foundation movement and/or cracking are examined which include:

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  • weak soils

  • poor fill compaction

  • changes in moisture content

  • lateral sliding/soil creep

  • insufficient footers

  • soil consolidation

  • seismic activity

  • soil compaction

  • impact from adjacent trees

  • soil erosion

  • poor construction

  • concrete spalling  

 

After reviewing all possible causes, of which multiple ones could be contributing, a professional opinion is presented based on years of relevant experience and subject to limitations associated with visual inspections. 

 

Retaining Walls:

Relevant retaining walls are examined for moment and/or cracking in a similar way to the foundation with common contributing factors discussed above.

 

Drainage:

An analysis is performed around the structure relative to possible impacts on the foundation since water is often times at the root cause of foundation issues.

 

Seismic / Earthquake

We perform a review of the current degree of seismic risk mitigation for the foundation system relative to the age of the structure and practices at the time of construction.  Note: the inspection is not a full seismic analysis or a design of the retrofit solutions but rather an overall picture of the current condition and steps that could be taken to further mitigate the risks with resources provided to learn more and take additional steps if desired.

 

Repair Cost Opinion & Resources:

Based on our years of experience specializing in residential foundation & drainage issues, I will provide my opinion on the probable cost ranges to repair but then refer clients to licensed contractors specializing in the area of concern for cost estimates.  For repair items which are costly, it is recommended that quotes be obtained from multiple licensed contractors to compare quotes. 

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Discussion & Reporting:

We discuss the findings onsite at the time of the inspection in a way that can be easily understood by all.  All key findings or groups of findings are documented in the written report with color pictures and a discussion of the findings and the goal is to have the report completed anywhere between 6 hrs to 48 hrs depending on the urgency.

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Qualifications

  • 1,500+ foundation evaluations/inspections performed since 2010

  • Engineer-of-record for 100+ foundation & retaining wall stabilization projects

  • Licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in HI, NV & CO only

    • ​Note: I am not yet licensed as a P.E. in CA and as such, I am not offering any design related services in CA for which the P.E. stamp is intended & required.  My foundation inspections are performed during the home inspection phase of a real estate transaction where a specialist is recommended to further evaluate the condition, if that specialist is required to be a licensed P.E. then I will not be the right fit at this time.

  • 23+ years of overall engineering or inspection experience

 

Pricing​​​​

  • $550:  under 1750 sqft

  • $595: 1,750 sqft to 2000 sqft

  • $650:  2,001 sqft to 2,500 sqft

  • $695:  2,501 sqft to 3,000 sqft

  • Contact us for larger properties

    • Note 1: pre-1930 structure may have an additional charge

    • Note 2: locations beyond the Peninsula may have an additional charge due to travel time

 

Payment Options

   (1) we'll email an invoice via SQUARE which can be paid online

   (2) check (in person or mailed)

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Sample Reports & Education

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