subject: Foundation Repair—Don't Let Prices Keep You From Getting Quality Service [print this page] Let's face the factsmaintaining a home isn't cheap. It seems like every time you get one thing fixed, another problem pops up. It's almost enough to make you long for the days of renting an apartment and having access to maintenance crews.
However, with your home being such a large investment, it's important not to pinch pennies when it comes to upkeep. Nothing illustrates this more than the need for foundation repair. The day you realize your foundation needs fixing might seem like the worst day of your life. You know it won't come cheap and frankly, you just don't want to spend the cash. But you need to.
Disclaimer
Don't misunderstand me. You don't want to just go throw your money at the first foundation repair company that comes your way. They aren't all on the same level. Some grossly overcharge and will send you to the poor house. However, the cheapest guy on Craigslist isn't going to give you the quality of work you need to secure your investment.
You need to find a company that has experience and great customer feedback. Once you've found that reputable foundation repair contractor, then it's time to start looking at costs. Compare them with others and make sure you aren't getting price-gouged. If everything lines up, it's time to start figuring out how to come up with the service fee.
Luckily, there are a lot of potential cost-cutters along the way:
* Financing options- When it's time to talk payment, discuss financing options with your foundation repair contractor. A contractor who has been in business for years can chop up the total cost into a series of reasonable payments. Some companies even offer 0% interest rates. That means same as cash financing. The fly-by-night repair guy you find on a job board won't be able to give you that.
* Free estimate and consultation- Reputable foundation repair contractors will;
-come to your home
-inspect your foundation
-diagnose the problem
-consult you on the available "next steps"
All for free! Only at that point can you have a true idea of what the job will cost you. So basically, you have nothing to lose by calling a contractor who gives free estimates. In fact, it would be silly not to.
* It might be an easy fix- When you find a crack in your foundation walls, you probably think it's the end of the world. Fortunately, it's not uncommon for those cracks to be the result of minor settlementmeaning they don't compromise the integrity of your structure. If this is the case with your foundation walls, you aren't looking at paying a second house payment to fix your foundation. Concrete crack injection will stop your spreading cracks for a fraction of the cost.
Warning
Remember, like any other problem, the longer you wait, the worse it gets. If you're waiting years for the "right time" to obtain foundation repair, you're doing yourself a disservice. Catch it early enough and maybe you'll just need some supports installed to straighten your foundation walls. Wait too long and you may be staring in the face of a complete foundation wall rebuild.
So save yourself some money by jumping on your foundation problem now. Find a reputable contractor who offers free estimates and same as cash financing. But whatever you dodon't wait for foundation repair.
Foundation RepairDon't Let Prices Keep You From Getting Quality Service
