Questions to Ask a Foundation Repair Company in Shreveport

Nobody expects you to know what a helical pier is. Hiring someone to work on your foundation should feel like hiring any other vendor for the house: you ask clear questions, you write the answers down, and you do not sign until you understand what you are paying for. Keep this list by the phone. It runs in the order you will need it.

When you first call

• “Is there a charge for the evaluation?” Better to know before anyone is in your driveway.
• “What will you look at, and how long will it take?” You want to hear that they measure the floor, not just glance at it.
• “Do I need to be home, and do you need under the house?” If you have a crawl space, clear the way to the access door.

During the evaluation

• “Is the house on a slab or pier and beam?” Everything else follows from this.
• “What do you think is causing it?” Listen for water — gutters, grading, leaks — not just “the house settled.”
• “Can I get the elevation readings?” A floor plan with the measurements on it is worth keeping no matter what you decide.
• “Is this getting worse, or could it be old movement?” Show them your dated photos and pencil marks if you have them.

About the quote

This is the big one. Ask for it in writing, with these four lines kept separate:

1. 1Evaluation findingsWhat was measured and found — elevation readings, crack locations, construction type, likely cause.
2. 2Drainage / moisture correctionGutters, grading, downspouts, or crawlspace moisture work that addresses why the soil is moving.
3. 3Structural repairPiers, shims, or sill and beam replacement — with counts, locations, and depths stated.
4. 4Finish / cosmeticDrywall, brick, trim, and door adjustments after the house moves — priced on its own line.

• “What is not included?” Finish work, landscaping, and plumbing tests are the usual surprises.
• “Is this price fixed, or can it change once work starts?” If it can change, ask what would change it and how you would be told.

To see whether a number is in normal territory, compare it with the foundation repair cost guide or the job-by-job look at what repairs cost.

About piers

• “What kind of piers, and why that kind for my house?”
• “How many, and where? Can you mark them on a sketch?”
• “How do you know when a pier is deep enough?”
• “If one has to go deeper than planned, what happens to the price?”

For reference, published national ranges put steel push piers at $990 to $1,350 per pier — a national figure, not a local price.

About water

• “Is drainage part of your plan? If not, why not?”
• “If you are not doing it, who should?”
• “Will the crawl space need moisture work?” (raised houses)

About the schedule and the house

• “How long will the work take, and which rooms are affected?”
• “Do I need to move furniture, plants, or anything outside?”
• “Who pulls the permit?” Ask your specialist who pulls the permit.
• “How will you check the floor when you are done?”

About the warranty

• “What does it cover — the piers, the lift, the finish work?”
• “For how long, and what would void it?”
• “Does it transfer if I sell the house?”
• “Is it written into the contract?”

A couple of things to handle yourself

Insurance is between you and your carrier. Whether a policy covers foundation work depends on the policy — ask your carrier. And if two companies tell you very different things about the cause, an independent opinion may be worth it — see structural engineer or foundation company.

Write the answers down with the date and the name of the person you spoke to. If you would like a local foundation specialist to come out and answer these for your house, call (318) 515-7853.