How to Prepare for a Foundation Repair Call and Compare Written Proposals

Document What You Have Observed Before Anyone Visits

Your own observations are the starting record, and they are most useful when they are specific and dated. Walk the areas of concern and write down what you see, when you first noticed it, and whether it has changed. Photograph cracks, gaps, sticking doors, sloped floors, or exterior settlement with something in the frame for scale, and note whether patterns worsen after heavy rain or dry spells. Describe conditions only as observations. Saying when a crack first appeared is different from saying what caused it, and a homeowner guess about cause can anchor an evaluation before it begins. Your notes are documentation for your own file, not a report you hand a company as a conclusion.

• When did each symptom first appear, and has it changed since?
• Which cracks, doors, or floors am I describing, and do I have dated photos?
• Have I separated what I observed from what I assume about the cause?

Organize Records That Affect the Evaluation

Collect anything that documents the property's history and conditions: prior inspection reports, drainage or grading changes, plumbing repairs, additions, and any past foundation work with its paperwork. If you know where exterior water goes, note downspout paths and low spots. This matters for a specific reason found in normal repair scoping: some evaluations include a plumbing leak test, so knowing your plumbing repair history helps the evaluator and helps you judge whether that test is relevant. You are not deciding anything with these records. You are making sure the first conversation starts from facts instead of a blank slate, and you are building the file you will need if you later involve an insurer, a lender, or an independent engineer.

• Do I have prior reports, repair records, or renovation documents to share?
• Do I know of past plumbing leaks or repairs near the foundation?
• Where do downspouts and yard drainage discharge during heavy rain?

Confirm Coverage and Book the Evaluation Deliberately

Use each provider's official website to confirm they serve your address before calling. Groundworks' site identifies foundation repair and basement waterproofing services and includes a location finder and a displayed contact number; Ram Jack's site identifies residential and commercial foundation repair with location and contact navigation; Olshan's site identifies foundation repair and an evaluation contact workflow. When you call, ask what the evaluation includes, who performs it, whether you receive a written report, and whether there is any cost or obligation. A useful technique is to request that measurements and observed conditions be recorded in writing regardless of whether you proceed. If a company will only describe findings verbally, that is a fact worth noting in your comparison.

• Does this company list my city or region on its official website?
• What exactly does the evaluation include, and will findings be in writing?
• Is the evaluation free, and am I expected to decide the same day?

Ask Each Company to Propose Against the Same Written Findings

Comparisons are only meaningful when proposals respond to the same facts. After the evaluation, ask for the observed conditions and measurements in writing, then ask every company you contact to base its proposal on those same recorded findings. If two evaluations describe the property differently, that difference is itself information: ask each evaluator to explain what their reading of the conditions means for their proposed scope. You are not judging which diagnosis is correct on your own. You are creating a common reference so that differences in scope, quantities, and price reflect real disagreements about the work rather than differences in how much detail each company chose to write down.

• Will you put the observed conditions and measurements in writing?
• Can you explain how your reading of the findings affects your proposed scope?
• If another evaluation described the property differently, how do you account for that?

Request the Repair System, Quantities, and Termination Details

A complete written proposal should let you understand what is physically being installed. Ask each company to specify the repair system, the quantities and placement, and the installation depth or termination language in writing. Vague scope language such as a generic system name without counts or depths prevents a side-by-side comparison and makes change orders harder to evaluate later. You do not need to judge whether one system is better than another to ask for these details. The goal is a document specific enough that an independent third party, if you involve one, could read it and tell you what is proposed. If a proposal cannot or will not specify quantities and depth or termination, ask why and record the answer.

• What system is proposed, and how many units will be installed?
• What depth or termination criteria does the proposal specify?
• Which areas of the home does the scope cover, and which does it exclude?

Clarify Permits, Inspections, and Independent Engineering

Ask each company, in writing, how permits and inspections are handled for work in your jurisdiction and whether a permit is expected for your project. Jurisdictional requirements vary, so treat a company's answer as its stated process and verify requirements with your local building department. Separately, ask whether the company recommends independent engineering review and whether an engineer-designed scope is common for projects like yours. You can hire an independent engineer without any company's recommendation, and doing so before signing can be worthwhile when proposals differ significantly or a large scope is proposed. The point is not that one answer is right. It is that each proposal should state its process clearly enough to compare.

• How do you handle permits and inspections for work in my jurisdiction?
• Do you recommend independent engineering review for this type of scope?
• Can the proposal be provided in a form an independent engineer could review?

Get Restoration, Elevation Documentation, and Warranty Terms in Writing

Ask what happens to interior finishes, landscaping, and exterior surfaces during the work, and what restoration the price includes. Ask whether elevation readings will be documented before and after, since elevation documentation is how a lifted or stabilized condition is recorded in a verifiable way. Then read the warranty section carefully: ask who issues the warranty, what it covers and excludes, whether service visits are included, how claims are made, and whether the warranty transfers to a future owner. Warranty ownership and transfer terms vary between providers and networks, so do not assume they are identical. Get the warranty document itself before signing, not a summary of it, and note any company that cannot produce the actual terms.

• What interior and landscape restoration is included, and what is excluded?
• Will elevation readings be documented before and after the work?
• Who issues the warranty, and does it transfer to a new owner?

Ask About Change-Order Triggers Before You Sign

Some foundation work can change scope once installation begins, and a proposal that does not address this leaves you negotiating from a hole. Ask each company to state what circumstances typically trigger a change order on projects like yours, how a change is priced, and who must approve it before the additional work proceeds. Record each company's answer and compare them. A company that describes its change-order process concretely is easier to compare against one that only says additional work is possible. This is preparation, not negotiation: the goal is that if conditions change mid-project, both sides already agreed on how that change gets documented and priced.

• What conditions typically trigger a change order on a project like mine?
• How is additional work priced, and who approves it before it starts?
• Will change orders be documented in writing with cost before work continues?

Your proposal comparison checklist

• Company identity and website confirmed for my address, with contact details from the official site
• Evaluation scope, cost, and who performs it confirmed before booking
• Observed conditions and measurements supplied in writing, identical to what each proposal responds to
• Proposed repair system named, with quantities, placement, and installation depth or termination language
• Areas covered and excluded by the scope clearly listed
• Permit and inspection process stated for my jurisdiction, with the local building department verification noted
• Position on independent engineering review stated; engineer contact information offered if available
• Plumbing leak test included or excluded, with the reason recorded
• Elevation documentation before and after work promised in the proposal
• Interior and landscape restoration scope itemized, with exclusions listed
• Warranty document attached: issuer, coverage, exclusions, service terms, and transfer terms
• Change-order triggers, pricing method, and approval process stated in writing
• Total price, payment schedule, and start and completion expectations in writing
• Side-by-side comparison table completed for all proposals before any decision

Provider sources and limitations

These first-party websites support the directory’s provider identities and published contact routes. The preparation questions above are editorial suggestions, not a diagnosis, repair specification, treatment recommendation, or professional review.

• Groundworks official website — checked 2026-09-06
• Olshan Foundation Solutions official website — checked 2026-09-06
• Ram Jack official website — checked 2026-09-06