An elevation survey shows the foundation’s slab or floor elevations taken from various locations throughout the structure. An elevation survey is a snapshot of what the foundation elevations are the day of the inspection. The foundation survey will help determine if the foundation has had movement that warrants repair or further evaluation from a professional engineer. Your professional inspector will provide you with a diagram of the foundation with all of the elevation readings taken on the day of the inspection.
It would be important to order an elevation survey if:
- You are buying a home in an area with unstable soil (which is most of North Texas.)
- You see drywall cracking, binding doors, sloping floors or foundation cracks.
- The home has had past structural repairs.
- You are buying a home and want to have maximum information regarding structural condition.
OR
You want to have a "benchmark" to document for monitoring for future movement. This is always good to have. Your inspector may say everything is okay the day of the inspection, but one or two years from now, if you believe the foundation is starting to show signs of movement, you would now have a benchmark to compare it to instead of some foundation company just trying to sell you work you do not need.
1Why should I hire you to perform the foundation elevation survey and not an engineer?
All of our professional inspectors have been trained to perform foundation elevation surveys by a professional engineer. Our inspectors understand how building structures and foundations work together and will provide you with a professional opinion to whether you need to have further evaluation by a professional engineer or if you just need to go straight to a foundation repair company.
Having a foundation survey performed at the same time as the home inspection can save you hundreds of dollars. Our fee to perform the elevation survey is ($99) compared to the average fee of $500 to have an engineer come out and perform the same survey.
Having a foundation survey performed at the same time as the home inspection can save you hundreds of dollars. Our fee to perform the elevation survey is ($99) compared to the average fee of $500 to have an engineer come out and perform the same survey.
2Are your inspectors engineers?
NO, our inspectors are not licensed engineers and that will be clearly stated in your inspection report. However, our professional inspectors are licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission and are trained to render performance opinions on the foundation. We offer foundation elevation surveys to help you better understand the levelness of your foundation, which arms you with additional information so you can make an educated and informed decision during the home buying process.
Contact A-Action with any questions about Foundation Elevation Surveys at (972) 572-4500