How a foundation support project actually runs
From the first photograph to the installation record, with the decision points marked out.
The order matters
Most foundation projects go wrong at the start, not at the end. If the diagnosis is wrong, excellent installation of the wrong repair still leaves you with the original problem plus a bill. So the sequence below spends its effort at the front.
You describe what changed
What you noticed, where on the property, and when. Photographs that show the detail and the surrounding context together are far more useful than close-ups alone. If you have already measured anything, send that too.
We measure
Floor elevation readings across the affected area. Crack widths at both ends, with direction. Footing condition where it can be reached. Grading, downspouts, sump discharge and window wells. The measurements go on paper, not into someone's memory.
We work out the mechanism
Is something going down, or is something being pushed sideways? Is it structural or is it flatwork on its own sub-base? Is it moving now, or did it move years ago and stop? Different answers lead to entirely different work.
We explain the findings
What the numbers show and what is most likely causing them, in plain language. This includes the outcomes that do not involve us: correct the drainage, fix the framing, monitor for a season, or do nothing.
If support is warranted, we scope it
Support locations, design load per point, the torque criterion, shaft and bracket configuration, access route, what gets excavated, and exactly what gets restored afterwards. In writing, with the exclusions stated plainly.
Installation
Utility locates first. Each pier is advanced until the installation torque indicates the design capacity has been reached — depth is an outcome of that, not a number decided in advance.
Documentation
Location, final depth and final installation torque for every pier, plus the as-built plan. Keep it with your property records; it is the first thing a future buyer's inspector will ask for.
Where the decision points are
You have three real decisions: whether to monitor or act, which method addresses the mechanism, and whether to attempt a lift. Everything else is detail. A contractor who collapses all three into one signature is moving too fast.
On lifting. Stabilisation is the reliable goal. Lift is an attempt whose outcome depends on the structure's rigidity, how long it has been down, finishes and plumbing. Treat any guaranteed lift figure with caution, and agree a realistic target in advance.
What we ask of you
- An honest timeline — when it started, not when it became annoying
- Access to the affected area, including crawl spaces and the exterior perimeter
- Any paperwork from previous repairs, even if it seems unrelated
- Identification of irrigation, invisible fencing, landscape lighting and anything else buried in the work zone
Common questions
How long does an assessment take?
Usually one to two hours for a typical home, longer where the structure is large or the symptoms are spread out. Most of that time is measurement rather than conversation.
Will you give me the measurements even if I don't hire you?
Yes. The readings are about your property, so they belong with your property records regardless of who does any work.
What if you find nothing structural?
Then that is the finding, and we will explain what we think is actually causing the symptom — drainage, framing, shrinkage, humidity — and who is better placed to handle it.
Do you work with structural engineers?
We work to an engineer's specification when one is involved, and we will say when we think you should engage one independently. An engineer who does not sell repairs gives you an opinion with no stake in the outcome.
Tell us what your structure is doing.
Share the symptoms, the location on the property and the type of structure. We will tell you what we would look at next — and whether piers are even the right conversation.