Post Replacement vs Complete Foundation Repair

What do you think of first when you think about foundation repair? You’re probably thinking about how expensive foundation repair can be. Fortunately this doesn’t always have to be the case. Most homeowners assume that when it comes to the foundation of their home, it’s all or nothing. In reality there are many foundation repairs that can be done in a day, and don’t have to break the bank. This includes individual post replacement, seismic retrofitting (earthquake prep), and all the other levels in between a complete foundation overhaul.

Post replacement involves replacing individual supports that have become unstable because of shifting soil, rotting supports, or other issues. Many times a foundation can be as strong as the day it was built with a few posts replaced. Seismic retrofitting is the process of bracing and bolting walls and foundation together to bring an old home up to current safety standards. A complete foundation repair usually involves complete replacement of posts, and other fixes.

So the first question you need to ask yourself when considering foundation repair is…

Do you need a complete repair or just post replacement?

The easiest way to find out is to get a professional foundation inspection. Sure Safe creates a personalized engineer certified repair plan for every inspection we perform. We’ll let you know if you just need an upgrade to be earthquake-ready, just a couple post-placements, or even if there’s no work needed. We’ll walk you through our inspection results and show you the problems so there’s no mystery where we get our recommendations. Luckily, many of our customers homes only need moderate or minor foundation repair, which means it’s both cheaper and faster to repair. In most cases, we’re in and out in less than a day!

While we pride ourselves on honest and thorough inspections, there’s no need to take our word. It’s often easy to get more than one inspection at either low cost or for free. However, that does lead us to one warning we give all our customers.

Beware of contractors who suggest less work is needed to make the sale

Home foundation repair is a competitive business and some contractors will suggest less work is needed to be able to propose a cheaper repair option. Be wary and do your homework. If they give you a quote for less work and less expense, make sure they explain their reasoning and compare it to the other inspections you’ve received.

Usually, you’ll be able to sniff out the inspections that weren’t as thorough or don’t address all foundation issues. You don’t want to be left with an inadequate repair job that comes back to bite you later when you’re trying to sell. Which brings us to the next question you should ask yourself.

Does the proposal have a city-approved engineer-certified plan?

If you’re trying to decide which proposal to accept, always choose one that has a city-approved repair plan. Without city approval, you’re repairs may not be considered when attempting to refinance or sell a home. We’ve seen poorly done, unapproved repairs cause many home sales to fall through.

Every Sure Safe repair plan is an engineer-certified city-approved repair plan, so you know you’re getting a foundation repair that is up to code, will improve your home value, and keep you safe. Contact us today for a foundation inspection and repair plan.