Guide

Choosing a foundation repair company

This site puts you in touch with a company. It does not vouch for it, and the notice at the foot of every page says the checking is yours to do. Here is how to do it in Texas, where the state gives you less help than you might expect.

There is no state foundation repair licence

Texas does not license foundation repair companies. The trade is absent from the list of occupations regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and a 2013 bill to regulate foundation repair contractors, House Bill 613, failed in the House.

So a company that advertises itself as state licensed for foundation repair is claiming something that does not exist. What can be checked sits at the city, with the insurer and with the engineering board.

Four checks that take an afternoon

City registration: The City of New Braunfels states on its residential permit checklists that all contractors must be registered with the city. Ask the company whether it is, and confirm with the permit desk on (830) 221-4041, option 1.
Insurance: Ask for certificates of general liability and workers' compensation cover, sent to you by the insurer or its agent. A certificate shows the policy dates and the insured name, which should match the name on your contract.
The engineer: If an engineer designed or will sign off the repair, get the name and licence number and look them up on the state PE roster.
The permit: Confirm that the company will apply for the city permit under its own name. A request that you pull an owner's permit for work the company will do is a warning sign. See permits.

Questions about the warranty

A warranty is only as good as its wording and the business behind it. Read the document, not the brochure.

What exactly is covered: the piers that were installed, or movement anywhere in the house?
What does the company do under it: readjust the piers, or more? Is there a service charge?
How long does it run, and from what date?
Can it pass to the next owner? Within what time, and at what fee?
What voids it: a plumbing leak left unrepaired, drainage not maintained, another company touching the piers?
Who honours it if the company closes or is sold? Is it backed by an insurer or only by the company itself?

What a sound contract contains

Scope: Number, type and location of supports, shown on a drawing of the house.
Depth terms: The depth included and the charge for going beyond it.
Responsibilities: Who obtains the permit, who pays the engineer, who arranges plumbing tests.
Exclusions: Finishes, landscaping, flatwork and pipe repairs, stated plainly.
Payment: Amounts tied to stages of the work, with the final payment due after the job is complete.
Names: The legal name and street address of the business, matching its insurance and its city registration.

Signs to slow down

A diagnosis given without measuring the floor. A price that is only good if you sign during the visit. Pressure to decide before you have seen the warranty. Reluctance to name the engineer. A demand for most of the money up front.

Ask how long the company has traded under its present name and for the addresses of jobs it finished several years ago. Read what past customers have written about it, with attention to how it handled warranty calls. Then get a second proposal. Foundation work is rarely so urgent that a week of checking does harm.

When you are ready

Pages can narrow it down. A level and a floor plan settle it.

Whichever side of the escarpment your house stands on, the answer comes from numbers taken on the spot. The firm that makes the visit then sets down on paper what it measured and what a repair would run to.

Sudden shifting, the smell of gas, or a wall that seems about to come down is a different matter: clear the house first, then dial 911 or your gas provider.

Have your New Braunfels house measured

Ring the number and describe the crack, door or floor that worries you. Whoever answers works for a foundation repair firm near New Braunfels, a separate and independent business, and can book a day to inspect.

Call (830) 879-9995

Your call may be recorded. The referral disclosure explains who is paid.