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How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost? (by Mark Cook)

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Foundation repair is cheaper than filming a silver screen production but not like paying for a ticket to go see a movie. The process is thousands of dollars homeowners don’t have for a rainy day. 

There are important factors to consider before signing a contract for thousands of dollars with a foundation repair company. 

How much does it cost? Will the foundation repair they do work? Is the company going to be transparent about the process? 

These are legitimate questions you want answers to, which Dalinghaus Construction is here to help with. 

I’m Mark Cook, one of the Project Design Specialists for Dalinghaus Construction. I’m one of the guys that will come to your home and do an inspection on your foundation. I’ve inspected thousands of homes for concerned homeowners. I design repair plans and propose repair recommendations.

I’ve been with Dalinghaus Construction since 2015 and in the industry since 2009. I’ve designed thousands of repair plans for homeowners in my time – too many to count. I want you to know about pricing for foundation repair before you start your process so you know what to expect from the beginning.

Watch this video “Who is Mark Cook? – Foundation Repair Project Design Specialist” to learn more about me and my background in the foundation repair industry.

How Soon Will I know the Price of my Project?

Today. Or “the day of your inspection” today. More than 90% of the time, all homeowners I deal with have the price that day.

The only time you won’t know with me is if it’s a complicated project. We may have to get someone else involved to work out the repair. I’ll sometimes need to talk to an engineer or David, our production team manager, to see how long something is going to take.

There are some obscure projects I don’t know too much about. And I’m not gonna give a bid on a project we can’t accomplish. Dalinghaus Construction doesn’t specialize in something like framing or other jobs that don’t involve foundation repair. So we won’t do it. These are complicated jobs our crews aren’t trained to do.

There are times I may need to consult with an engineer for the design or call the Dalinghaus Construction office for certain answers on materials we have.

Regardless, you will receive your repair plan and proposal on the same day about 90% of the time. Worst case scenario, you receive it the next day. 

Some companies don’t send you their project proposals until a week after your inspection. I don’t like that. I like to make it so you have the information and proposal sooner than later.

How is pricing separated?

We normally do bulk pricing for our jobs. Say one of them is $36,530, we would first divide everything out by line items, followed by giving the total price. 

There is a legal statement on our proposals that says you cannot share our information with other people. This is important because, for example, if you have this information going to a competitor who is new to the industry compared to someone like me who has been doing this since 2009, then it is someone taking my knowledge and information.

In the end, if you compare companies’ apples to apples, they all have a similar price point.  

Are there additional costs to prep for my repair?

The only things are engineering and permitting

Engineering is a cost we will have a line item for in most cases. That could vary based on the complication of the project. For example, if a house is on a big slope and needs a lot of soil testing or additional design work, the engineering work can be more expensive. There have been projects where engineering alone was $20,000-$30,000.

For a normal residential project, engineering is going to be $5,000-$10,000. While you could hire your own structural engineer, it’s not something we recommend. We wouldn’t recommend it with any other foundation repair company you go to. 

We work closely with engineering firms that understand the work we do. We also get discounted projects, the engineers are third-party since we want unbiased engineer designs, and your project will be done in a reasonable timeframe. 

Permitting is a fluctuating cost based on each municipality. Each city will have different costs.

And then special inspections are an additional cost if required. 

What does the average foundation repair cost?

The average cost is currently $26,000 with the average project taking about a week. Projects can range from $10,000-$100,000 or more. Every project is different and depends on things like how much your foundation has settled and how much damage has been done to your home.

Think of it like going to different breweries, which I love. You can expect similar types of foods and beers. You might be an IPA guy like me and want to try an assortment of different flavors. No matter which brewery you go to, prices can still average about the same. It depends on the extent of how many items you decide to try. And the gift shop.

Are there costs that need to be considered for my foundation repair?

Some of the variables in price come from if your footing is deeper than two feet. The pricing increases because of the additional labor. This is sometimes the case and can happen, which is important for you to know.

Will I get quality work for what I pay for? How is Dalinghaus Construction with pricing compared to the competition?

There is a precursor to this answer. Everything needs to be compared apples to apples

We use hot-dipped galvanized steel equipment. We don’t use powder-coated or non-galvanized steel materials. The materials we use are top-of-the-line in the industry.

They’re like the BMW or Landrover of the material that is being attached to your home. 

With other companies that install similar types of material, we’re close in price because the steel comes from the same places and is bought by distributors. That is never gonna change.

If we’re comparing apples to apples, the cost will be pretty close to our competitors. 

There is competition that uses inferior materials and costs close to our price point. Others use inferior materials and price significantly cheaper.

We always encourage people to get multiple bids, even if pricing won’t be much different. 

The material we use also has a lifetime warranty based on where the piers are installed.

How can I pay for my foundation repair?

Cash. 

Check.

Credit card.

Loans through your bank. 

We offer construction loans through different companies. You also have the option of 0% financing from 12-24 months. There is a 0% minimal payment plan where you pay a certain amount for your project per month instead of everything at once.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, prices of materials have increased. Sometimes prices increase within a few months. Because prices have been changing so much, I started making a deadline for my proposals to expire after 30 days. You need to know prices are always fluctuating due to supply chain issues, material costs, manufacturing, etc. 

This is important for you to know because the price you received six months ago isn’t the same now. 

If you thought a sheet of plywood was going to be the same as it was in 2019, a piece of plywood went from $20 to $50.

What do I get out of paying for this? Is it worth the financial investment?

You get a lifetime warranty, all high-end material installed that will not rust put in by experts who have been doing this job for years, work with a company that will be in communication with you every step of the way, you can track your project, and have your project done to your satisfaction. 

Dalinghaus Construction is a very transparent company. We make sure you know what is going on with your project every step of the way.

As for the financial investment, a home with a damaged foundation will make the value of your home decrease by at least 30%. That’s a big deal. 

Banks aren’t willing to loan for a home with foundation problems, which limits your clientele to cash buyers. They can negotiate well and buy your home at a price much lower than its market value.

Foundation repair will bring your home back up to market value. 

You know the price for foundation repair. Get multiple bids. 

Foundation repair isn’t cheap, as I’ve established here. There are variations in cost, and there are also benefits. When it comes to your foundation repair, I highly encourage you to get bids from multiple companies.

With everything in your life, like how you should date multiple people or go to multiple dealers before getting your brand new Rebel Truck, you should get multiple bids before you sign a $50,000 contract. You want to get multiple inspectors and trust the person who has been in this industry for a long time. And you want to go with a transparent company. 

I’m an IPA, imperial, and double IPA person. If I’m going to breweries, I like to compare different beers before determining which one I like the most. And there are some I try that just aren’t that good. That’s how looking for a foundation repair company will be for you. 

Watch this video “What to Expect During A Foundation Inspection w/ Mark Cook” to learn more about the foundation inspection process.

If you want to get a hold of me or have any questions, call Dalinghaus Construction at (877)360-9277. You can also call the number to schedule a free evaluation, or do the same thing by clicking the button below!

WRITTEN BY

Mark Cook

Mark Cook is a veteran foundation repair inspector with over 11 years of industry experience and 4,000 repair projects completed. Mark learned the tools of the trade from his father, Craig Cook, a celebrated Southern California Civil Engineer in the business since 1980 and a stickler to detail. Mark learned land surveying/development and CAD at his father’s construction company from 2000 to 2010 before transitioning to foundation repair.

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