Foundation Inspection & Repair FAQ

No. Per California State License Board: “a general building contractor shall not take a prime contract for any project involving trades other than framing or carpentry unless the prime contract requires at least two unrelated building trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed specialty contractor to perform the work.”

The answer is simple. We are not there to just provide a bid. We are there to illuminate any issues concerned with the foundation, structure, site drainage or retaining walls and provide our client with recommendations while answering any and all questions they have.

The fee being credited towards repairs is at the discretion of our Structural Assessor and is done on a case-by-case basis.

Unfortunately no. We need to personally view the property to know that what is being stated as an issue is in fact an issue and that nothing was missed. From there we are able to correctly advise recommendations.

We provide what we call an Observation Letter. This is an itemized letter which states what was observed and any recommendations for these observations. Both observations and recommendations are in clear layman’s terms so that the client can understand what is being said.

The Observation Letter will typically be delivered within 24-48 hours.

As we are General Engineering Contractors and Structural Engineers we have the unique ability to not only assess but recommend efficient solutions to any problems. We can also, if requested, advise on potential costs associated with the recommendations based on our decades of experience. If the client would like an actual cost estimate for Alpha to do the work we can provide this.

We are not a Geotechnical firm and therefore will not be able to do an analysis of the soil. However, if the project requires one, Alpha will coordinate and expedite the entire process. We not only evaluate foundations but also any hillside related issues.

While we are licensed as Structural Engineers and General Engineering Contractors, we do not send out our engineer. The Structural Assessor in Alpha Structural, Inc. is the one that will assess the property and recommend any repairs needed. Here at Alpha the Structural Assessor is senior to our engineering department in that they are the one to assess a property, design the solution and work out the proper budget for that repair. Our Structural Assessors work closely with our Engineering and Construction departments in order to provide the most effective recommendations.

In the same way we are not able to provide an estimate over the phone, we cannot provide an estimate based on someone else’s recommendations. We have to be sure, for ourselves, that the recommendations are correct for that home and what that homeowner needs and wants.

We will need access to the home to be able to do a thorough assessment. It is important to see what is happening inside. Are there cracks? How do the door and window frames line up? Are the floors sloping? With slab foundations we will need access inside as there is no way to crawl underneath the home.

The assessment is a visual assessment based on thousands of similar projects. This “assessment” is done without tools or special equipment. Along with this, we will provide an easy-to-understand letter detailing the issues.