Scope & disclosure
Please read this before we schedule a visit. It protects everyone and keeps expectations honest.
What this service is
Foundation Repair Advocate provides independent floor elevation surveys, on-site observation, and plain-language discussion based on field experience and forensic techniques used in foundation repair and related geotechnical work across Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, and Utah.
We provide measured documentation and an independent practical opinion. We do not diagnose structural adequacy, design repairs, or provide stamped engineering opinions.
This is a non-destructive first look with known limits: measure what the floors are doing, talk through what that may mean, and help you decide whether monitoring, drainage, repair, or a full engineering investigation is warranted — without fear and without a pier to sell.
First step — not a full investigation
A complete picture of a foundation problem can involve geotechnical exploration (borings, soil labs) and/or stamped structural engineering. Those services look at factors we cannot see from the living room — conditions in the dirt, design loads, and formal repair design. They also cost significantly more and often take longer.
Our visit does not replace that work. It often comes before it. Many homes never need the full package. Some do — and then you hire the right PE or geotech firm with better questions and a measured baseline already in hand.
Non-destructive first look with known limits. Floor survey and observation first. Full geotechnical or structural investigation when the facts call for it — at that higher price, for that deeper scope.
What this service is not
- Not a licensed Arizona professional engineering (PE) service. We do not provide stamped engineering reports, structural calculations, or designs intended for permitting or construction documents.
- Not a home inspection under Arizona home inspector licensing. We do not perform a general home inspection or certify a property for a real estate transaction.
- Not a foundation repair contractor. We do not sell, install, or bid helical piers, push piers, foam, or other structural repair. We have no commission on repair work.
- Not a subsurface investigation. We cannot see into the dirt. Soil conditions below grade, moisture at depth, and hidden defects require geotechnical exploration, excavation, or other methods we do not perform on a standard survey visit.
What we can and cannot know
Floor elevations, visible cracks, door and window behavior, drainage at the surface, and patterns we have seen over years of field work are useful. They are stillobservations and experience — not proof of what is happening below the slab or footing.
Two homes with similar floor maps can have different causes. Two cracks that look the same can mean different things. We will tell you when the picture is clear enough to act, when monitoring is wiser, and when a licensed engineer or geotechnical firm is the right next step.
You are hiring judgment and measurement — not a guarantee. Measured documentation and practical opinion only — not structural adequacy, repair design, or stamped engineering. Our written summary and conversation are informational. They do not replace engineering, legal advice, contractor bids, or your own decision-making.
Real estate transactions
Agents and parties often need a calm first look when cracks or settlement concerns show up mid-transaction. Our survey and notes are informational — based on experience and forensic observation — so everyone can talk about facts before panic or a repair bid drives the deal.
They are not a certification that the foundation is sound, not a seller disclosure document, and not a substitute for inspections, lender requirements, or a full geotechnical / structural investigation when one is required. Contract language and disclosure remain the responsibility of the parties and their advisors.
Acknowledgement (for clients)
By scheduling and completing a visit with Foundation Repair Advocate, you acknowledge that:
- You understand the scope and limits above.
- Findings are based on accessible observation, floor elevation data, and professional experience — not subsurface exploration or stamped engineering.
- Recommendations are guidance for education and decision-making, not a directive to repair or not repair.
- You will seek a licensed Arizona PE, geotechnical firm, attorney, or contractor when the situation requires their role — and that we will say so when we believe that is needed.
A signed copy can be included with your engagement paperwork when we schedule. This page is the public statement of the same limits.
Questions
If any of this is unclear before you book, ask. We would rather talk it through than leave an assumption on either side.