Buying a New Home? Check the Foundation!

When buying a new home there are many things you can do to ascertain the quality of the foundation upon which the residence was built. From appearances the foundation and the surrounding landscaping are in almost ideal conditions on new properties. At least they should be! But how can you evaluate the unseen portion of the new home’s foundation—the soil underneath?

There are several documents you can request prior to the purchase of the newly constructed home. If the inspections were done, there are reports. If they don’t have reports you must consider that the inspections were not done. Get answers to these:

1. Ask for any written inspection reports. These could have been prepared by a professional engineer or a Licensed Real Estate Inspector. The disclosure notice of the transaction should reflect whether there were any such inspections. If there were, get the reports.
2. Find out what type of foundation the house has. Ask for any Inspection Reports of the foundation installation that might have been performed by a professional engineer.
3. Ask if there is more than one type of foundation supporting the home you are considering buying. Some builders will build the interior foundation with piers. But, to cut costs they might support exterior portions of the foundation with shallow beams on soil. Ideally, the home has one solid support system for the foundation.
4. Ask this specific question, “Was the foundation designed by a Professional Engineer based on a site-specific soil report?” This lets you know whether they did a soil test to determine the type of soil underneath the home.
5. Ask for those copies of the construction drawings and soil reports. It is highly recommended that you engage your own Professional Engineer to read those reports and conduct her/his own inspection for you.

Some other things to note:

1. Are the slopes of the ground away from the foundation on all sides?
2. Are there any drains or spouts that will puddle water within 3 feet of the foundation?
3. Find out if the house was built over any landfill of a swampy area or ditch.
4. Did the homebuilder remove large trees around or in the footprint of the foundation? The root balls probably left large holes that required fill dirt.
5. Any barren soil around a new home is a sign that something is going on underneath and may be a problem in the future.
6. Request copies of the construction schedule or letter detailing when the foundation was cast, drywall floated, floor tile installed and home completed. Get copies of certificates of completion and inspection also.
7. Realizing that a home is usually the largest single purchase a person makes, go ahead and asked for aerial photos of the site prior to development. This will help you understand any changes made to the ground upon which the house was built.
8. While you’re at it (this was mentioned in #5 previously), it might be worth your investment to hire your own professional engineer for an independent design and construction review.

Dawson Foundation Repair wants you to buy your new home with full knowledge of the quality of foundation of the home. Our experience of foundation repair in Texas since 1984 indicates that homeowners are usually surprised by what actually exists under the foundation. Exercise your consumer rights. And when you need foundation professionals for you home, Dawson Foundation Repair is ready to assist. Our bell bottom pier method of foundation repair is the gold standard. Your home is worth it.

Dawson Foundation Repair installs only Bell Bottom Piers for homeowners and commercial property owners. Bell Bottom Piers have far more advantages over any other method of foundation repair and we feel the homeowner should receive the best option available. Dawson Foundation Repair services homes and commercial businesses all over Texas including Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and other smaller cities. Call us for a free inspection and assessment of your home’s foundation security.