Is an Engineer Certified Plan Required for Foundation Repair?

Did you know that most cities require a structural engineer’s report before repairing your foundation? Any repairs not performed with the city’s approval are not recognized and will not improve the value of your home on appraisal. San Diego and California require an engineer-certified report and city-approved permit before any foundation repair will be recognized.

What is an engineer-certified plan?

An engineer-certified plan includes all the details needed to show a repair plan will be effective in returning the home to the appropriate levels of safety and foundation strength. This is not limited to but may include the number and type of foundation piers to be installed, the strength of the repair supports, soil conditions, and more.

As part of the report, the engineer includes observations about the damage indicating the need for repair such as cracks in the foundation, water damage, sagging floors, or other indicators. The engineer-certified plan will outline all the recommendations for repair and the costs associated with the repairs.

How much does a city-approved permit cost?

Many foundation repair companies try to undercut the competition by ignoring the need for a city-approved permit. They know that if you see a smaller estimate you’ll likely choose their services. Unfortunately without city approval, you can’t be sure their repairs will be up to code, and you can be sure that they will do nothing to improve the value of your home. Without a city-approved permit, the repairs will not be added to the value of your home when appraised. If you try to sell your home you may even be required to redo the repairs to the foundation costing you even more money.

Sure Safe includes the cost of a city-approved permit in every engineer-certified repair plan. Don’t be fooled by companies that don’t include an engineer-certified plan and city-approved permit.