7 Tricks for Hiring the Best Foundation Repair Company (Who to Call)

There are many things you can afford to get wrong in life; the choice of a foundation repair company is not one of them. You shouldn’t forget that the safety of you and your family relies on healthy foundations. So, the decision shouldn’t be taken lightly. In this article, we present to you seven tricks for hiring the best foundation repair company. For more resources, you can contact our Chattanooga foundation repair company.

The internet is full of information and options about making your choice. While this can be a good thing, you can be easily overwhelmed by the volume of information available to you. However, it is important you take enough time to learn about the foundation repair process and what makes a good foundation repair company.

Learn the foundation repair basics

By understanding the fundamentals, you will be able to assess whether a contractor can fix your problems. Your repair might need a specialized contractor, for instance, if you know that the problem impacting your foundation is water-based, then you can hire someone who has experience in dealing with such problems. Additionally, you are less likely to be ripped off because bad contractors will not be able to take advantage of your lack of knowledge. 

With a reasonable knowledge of the basics, it will be easy for you to assess whether the contractor can solve the foundation problem. For example, knowing whether your foundation issue is water-based will influence your decision of hiring a specialized contractor with experience in handling such problems. Also, your chance of being ripped off by bad contractors is reduced because they won’t be able to take advantage of your lack of knowledge.

Establish a budget before setting out

When a budget is not established before setting out on your foundation repair, you stand the chance of spending far more than necessary. Remember, “expensive” doesn’t necessarily mean “quality”. Therefore, knowing how much you are working with will guide you in hiring a foundation repair contractor within your budget and help you avoid the ones with outrageous charges.

To work out your budget, take time to understand the average cost of fixing the foundation issues that are similar to yours. According to Home Guide, the average cost to repair foundation problems is $4,511 with most homeowners spending between $2,318 to $6,750. The severity of the damage is one of the many factors that will influence the cost of repair. 

So, you want to keep that in mind when setting your budget. You have to have realistic expectations when it comes to your budget.

With your budget set, you can then compare what different foundation repair contractors are charging.

Confirm their license

The last thing you want to do is hire an unqualified foundation repair company. Hiring a contractor that does not have a license could leave your foundation worse than it was before. Therefore, make sure that you confirm with the company that they have the required license to fix your foundation.

There are certain qualifications that foundation repair contractors have to attain before they can be given a license. While the requirements will vary from state to state, the contractor will have to go through a period of training, gather enough experience, and pass their examinations before being rewarded with a license.

Never overlook this tip because it is the best way to ensure that your foundation repair project is about to be left in safe hands.

Insurance verification

One of the most important things you want to verify is the insurance of the contractor you wish to hire. If the contractor lacks the proper insurance, then you could be held liable for any accident or damage that happens during the repair process.

Part of what a foundation repair company should have is a general liability and worker’s compensation insurance. This will ensure the protection of the employees, injury, damage to property, and even the business.

Working with a company with no necessary documents to confirm their insurance is never worth it.

Check out their reputation

Never commit to a foundation repair company until you have checked out their reputation through family, friends, and online sources. It is not enough to just take someone’s word for it; spend some time to check out the contractor’s online reviews and ratings. It will also help to ask the foundation repair company for references from their past clients. Bear in mind the foundation repair must be done well if you intend to sell your home in the future.

When checking out their online ratings and reviews, you want to check for consistency so you don’t fall victim to fake reviews. One of the online resources to check for what customers are saying about the contraction is the Better Business Bureau.

Inspection

Meeting a contractor in person and having them inspect the foundation is the best way to get a feel for them. This way, they can have a good idea of the foundation issue and the severity of the damage. With this, they are able to provide a more accurate quote. Their inspection also gives you the opportunity to field the questions on your mind concerning the repair process, their licensing, and insurance.

If the inspection process goes smooth, discussions can then continue about starting the repair process.

Give preference to a local company

In your search for the best foundation repair company, you may want to show preference to local contractors. Armed with a good knowledge of the weather conditions and the soil type in your area, they are usually more effective with foundation repairs. More so, you are likely to get the best deals from them.

This is not to propose that your search should be limited to local contractors. There are foundation issues that your local contractors might lack the required skills to handle.

Conclusion

Foundation repair is not one of your regular home renovation projects you can take on yourself. Unfortunately, getting the best contractor for the job can be a challenging task, and making a wrong choice of a foundation repair contractor can leave your foundation worse than it was before the repair.

It is important to arm yourself with enough knowledge before contacting a contractor. It will not only help you get the right contractor for the job, but it will also save you a lot of stress and money in the long run.