In my previous blog I noted a few things that the AZFS engineering team did with our trained technicians on site during a foundation inspection. I plan to cover the processes followed in the office to produce the report as well.  But first I think it would be productive to list the 17 items to include in a foundation inspection report.

Below I have listed the basic items covered in a foundation inspection report in numbered list. I realized that the entire article with more complete explanations, illustrations, and pictures was over seven thousand words. That’s a little long for a blog.  So, I have simply listed them here. I am following up with a small eBook for those that want to take a deeper dive.

The Items to Include in A Foundation Inspection Report: The Build Site

1. Soil: Determine what the soil layer compositions and properties are from as many sources as possible.

2. Rainfall: Gather and understand long term precipitation data and its effect on soils at that location (as compared to other areas).

3. Aerial photography: Use aerial and site photography to understand drainage, landscaping (trees vs. grass), sunshine vs. shade, etc., and how they affect the various areas around the house.  Include any known history of damages, and/or repairs to plumbing.

4. Topography: Understand the original topography and any modifications to the soil before the house was built (and after).

The Home Structure 

5. Load Paths: A complete understanding of the structural systems and load paths of a home. This includes truss systems vs. non-truss systems, interior load bearing walls, post tension vs. conventional vs. pier and beam systems and how they interact with various soil conditions.

6. Floorplan: Complete floor plan drawn to scale.

7. Floor Level Survey: Complete floor level survey with topological mapping and an understanding of topological patterns and their interpretations.

8. Damage: A complete Damage Map overlaid with the topological map. This helps us understand how the damage relates to the observed elevations. This requires extensive experience in understanding nuanced damages and their varied interpretation with similar symptoms, including surrounding infrastructure.

Other Factors in the Foundation Inspection Report

9. Site Pics: Site pictures with a photo numbering plan that corresponds to a floor plan numbering.

10. Age: Age of the structure and its effect on moisture migration under the foundation.

11. Analysis: A complete severity analysis completed to scientific standards accepted by the industry.

12. Compilation: A review of all the above data and how each item affects all the others.

 Communication and Peer Review are Items to Include in a Foundation Inspection Report

13. Written observations: Along with recommendations supported by the data gathered.

14. Complete repair plan: This includes specifications and placement of various recommended elements with drainage.

15. Peer review: To check assumptions and that conclusions are supported by the data and not succumb to common human biases.

16. Conduct an oral interview: Speak with the current home owner to learn about past repairs, any plumbing leaks or other important historical facts.

17. Seal: Entire report sealed by a licensed professional engineer.

This is a summary of items that we feel should be addressed by the EOR. They may or may not be expressly addressed in the report. Although I think it is a good idea to do so. The varying geology of other parts of the country might have additional items to consider, such as landslides or karst.

Each Item to Include in the Foundation Inspection Report Serves a Purpose 

Each item in a foundation inspection report will point their observations to a tentative conclusion. It’s important to recognize that each of them need to be balanced against the others and weighed to reach overall conclusions. I like to say frequently that there is usually no smoking gun conclusion for just one item.

 Everything Must Be Considered

Often foundation repair contractors will tell customers that they will conduct a FULL foundation inspection. In reality they may only include two or three items, if they include any at all. I have found that each network’s training on investigations can vary widely and sometimes use completely unscientific methodology. These imprecise methods include everything from rolling a golf ball around, to claiming they have a bubble in their head, to walking barefoot across surfaces.  I even  heard one instructor tell an entire network of foundation repair sales people, “The bottom line is to recommend more than you think is necessary… if you think a corner needs it, then put piers on the entire side…. If the entire side needs it, put them in half the house…. If half the house needs it, then put them in the entire house” 

This is not the way to go about doing things!  It also wastes money and time. 

Don’t let the public get nailed by those who only have a hammer for a tool. Follow proper protocol, with this list as a starting point.