# 4 Things You Need to Know About Floor Elevations > If your home has fractured drywall, a bent chimney, and stupid sloped floors, then odds are high you have foundation issues. _Brian Dalinghaus ยท 2020-10-29_ --- If your home has fractured drywall, a bent chimney, and stupid sloped floors you can _Risky-Business-Cruise_ across, then odds are high you have foundation issues. Your foundation is probably suffering from [**foundation settlement**](/foundation-repair/problem-signs/sinking-foundation/) or [**foundation heave**](/blog/what-is-foundation-heave/), both of which are instigated by **[[sign:foundation-repair/expansive-soil|expansive soils]]**. This article covers the **4 main things** you need to know about floor elevation surveys: ## 1\. What Is a Floor Elevation Survey? A [[service:foundation-repair/foundation-inspection|floor elevation survey]] indicates **_where_** and by **_how_** **_much_** your floor elevation differs throughout the entirety of your home. First, a base point is established to be used as the primary reference point, _point 0_. After the base is established, elevation readings are taken throughout the home in a thorough and complete manner. These measurements are taken to gauge the elevation discrepancies from the base point. They will either be higher, lower, or equivalent to the referential point. All of these readings are recorded on a map or sketch of the home and used to identify **_where_** and **_how much_** movement has occurred. *Note, We here at Dalinghaus Foundation Repair utilize a **Ziplevel** to determine floor elevation surveys. ## 2\. Accurate Measurements of Floor Movement in Your Home Floor elevation surveys are _incredibly accurate_ and capable of determining elevation differences **_to within 1/10_** **_th_** **_of an inch_**. Floor elevations show exactly how much _higher_ or _lower_ different sections of your floor are. This provides verifiable data to back up the visual **signs** that a home is experiencing movement. ## 3\. Tools/Devices Utilized to Perform Floor Elevation Surveys There are 3 main tools that are utilized to provide the [[service:foundation-repair/foundation-inspection|data for a floor elevation survey]]. - A Water Level - A Transit - A Ziplevel Altimeter ### Water Level The Water Level has been around _for-ev-er_ and is easily the oldest form of conducting floor elevation surveys. Water Levels utilize a water basic (that is associated at a higher elevation than what you are measuring). A line comes out of the basin to a post. A mark is then placed on the line to signify the level of water compared to the basin. If there is a difference, there will either be _more_ or _less_ water in the line. The difference is measured and recorded as the reading for that specific area. ### The Transit The Transit is just like what you see surveyors use on large construction sites. A laser comes from the base unit and a grade rode is placed at areas throughout the home/structure. Depending on how _high_ or _low_ you have to move the grade rod is the difference in elevation from where the base unit is located. ### Ziplevel Altimeter This device is similar to the water level but doesn't require you to carry a tripod and buckets of water to set it up. The altimeter is self-contained and not only saves on setup and deconstruct time but allows you to quickly, effectively set new base points if required. This Altimeter works more or less in the same way as others. - A base point is determined and then the measuring unit is placed throughout specific areas of the home - Once the altimeter has determined the difference at the base point, it provides a reading in **_1-2 seconds_**! **4.What Do Floor Elevations Tell You about Your Home?** Once all of the data points have been recorded and properly labeled on the home sketch, you can then make a determination on any trends of movement within your home. These readings and trends are important to know because they provide data to compile for the correct fix and repairs for the areas experiencing settlement/heave. If you didn't have these then you are just guessing on what area(s) you need to repair and no expectations should be made in regard to lifting and leveling those areas, let alone to maximum practical recovery. Read more: **7 Common Foundation Repair Payment Questions** **AN ACCURATE FLOOR ELEVATION SURVEY IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH ANY PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK SO THAT EXPECTATIONS ARE MADE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY JUSTIFIED!** ## Dalinghaus Has Your Back Disparate floor elevation readings are the _numero uno_ sign that you have foundation issues. For that reason, they are the number one thing that is required to provide a truly accurate diagnosis (for the proposed scope of work to address the foundation repair issue). Yes, knowing _where_ the sticky doors and some cracking in the drywall & stucco are important, but really just effects from an underlying cause. ## Schedule a Free Evaluation Foundation movement is easier to judge in person than from a photo. [Schedule a free evaluation](/contact-us/) and a Dalinghaus specialist will walk the property with you and explain what the evidence shows.