structural engineer inspector
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the only problem is there are no reviews on any of these engineers so im leery of taking the $300 dollar guy just because the price seems too cheap
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If it was me I'd be calling real masons to look it over and getting prices.
Post some pictures of what you think the issues may be, there's some good masons here that could make suggestions or tell you to run.
Post some pictures of what you think the issues may be, there's some good masons here that could make suggestions or tell you to run.
home is in Lake Hiawatha Nj and outside the flood zone but not far , it is a wet area i dont have any pictures but the cement floor which was the garage turned family room slopes to the left 4 inch not plumb now it may be because it was wet or maybe they sloped it to keep water away from the basement i just want to know if its a big cause for concern , the upstairs only has about an inch slope which for a house built 1960 could be settlement
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Your cost is likely to depend on what you want (the scope of the inspection). Do you want the engineer to give you a written report with his stamp? Do you want an estimate to make the repairs, if any are required? Do you want recommendations on alternatives to perform the repairs? Do you want the engineer to assume liability for errors and omissions (i.e. he says you only need to fix X, you fix it, but are not happy with the results).
i just want to know if this is a cause for concern or does this slope serve a purpose and how will it effect the house down the road i didnt buy anything yet i can walk away..... i know the repairs estimate will cost more , i just want a structural inspection of the slope on the concrete garage turned family room and if the upstairs is from natural settlement ,was only asking cause the prices went from $300 to $750 but many were about $500 and am having a hard time deciding since there are no reviews , how long does an avg inspection last last guy i talked to wants $480 and said it takes about 15-20minutes
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3,613 Posts
More than likely the slope of the floor in the family room is because that room was originally a garage and the floors of garage is always slope to the outside to drain out any water that comes in with the vehicles. Assuming the slope is towards the place where the garage door was previously I highly doubt that's an issue.
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758 Posts
A foundation inspection will only take 20 minutes if there aren't many problems. If there are problems, then it will take longer to collect data on displacement, rotation, bulging, and crack locations. A full-bore forensic inspection can take over an hour, sometimes two, but that scope is really only for flood/hurricane insurance work.
I wouldn't discount the $300 guy. I know a really good engineer up there that charges around that neighborhood. I can guess who the $750 folks are, because that's what they charge pretty much everyone in northern NJ. They have a thorough report, though.
Ask for them to provide a sample report, so you can gauge what level of information you're getting.
The long and short of it is that in your neck of the woods, for anything over $400, all you're doing is paying a premium for the guy who simply charges more and gets his price.
I wouldn't discount the $300 guy. I know a really good engineer up there that charges around that neighborhood. I can guess who the $750 folks are, because that's what they charge pretty much everyone in northern NJ. They have a thorough report, though.
Ask for them to provide a sample report, so you can gauge what level of information you're getting.
The long and short of it is that in your neck of the woods, for anything over $400, all you're doing is paying a premium for the guy who simply charges more and gets his price.
no those require $2,000+ a yr flood insurance this one is by the grammar school closer to rt 46 west edwards rd and no flood insurance
actually engineer said the foundation was really solid for a 1960 built home and the slope isnt something detrimental but has voids underneath that can be leveled by drilling holes and pumping concrete underneath aka mudjacking just hope its not that expensive
you're not mudjacking - just filling voids - price i can't recall but some bsmnt wtrproofing co should have a small grout pump - air or hydraulic,,, you don't need the big trlr mtd rigs
ag, down here mortagors are starting to require radon,,, just did a bsmnt that blew a 4.0,,, $3,400 later, it was 2.9 & they closed on the house today w/o any troubles,,, had someone known enough to leave a bsmnt window open & a fan on, it would've passed w/o the $3,400 expense
then again, i'd have to wait 2 wks longer for the new trk :wink2: whatever happened to common sense ?
ag, down here mortagors are starting to require radon,,, just did a bsmnt that blew a 4.0,,, $3,400 later, it was 2.9 & they closed on the house today w/o any troubles,,, had someone known enough to leave a bsmnt window open & a fan on, it would've passed w/o the $3,400 expense
then again, i'd have to wait 2 wks longer for the new trk :wink2: whatever happened to common sense ?
radon test at the house here was 0.5, nj they pass with 4.0 or lower
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