You are anxiously awaiting your In-Home Assessment with an Anchor Foundation Repair expert. You have questions . . . lots of them . . . How long is this going to take? Will my home get messed up? How can I pay for this?
You might be mentally going through the questions you want to ask in a pretend conversation at 2 am while you are lying in bed awake. You might be writing a list (or thinking you should start a list) of all the things you want to remember to ask when your in-home appointment finally comes.
Not to worry, Anchor knows that foundation repair is a big investment and decision for you and we want to answer all of your questions and concerns. After 35 years of answering many of the same questions, we have a good idea of what you might want to know right now.
Here is a list of questions/concerns and answers to basic questions homeowners commonly have at this stage. We will address:
- Concerns about Job Timing and Length
- Concerns about the Interior and Exterior of your Home
- Concerns about Payments and Financing
Anchor Foundation Repair wants to answer these for you upfront so that your In-Home Assessment can focus more on your individual and unique home needs instead of the basic stuff.
Concerns about Timing
How long before you can start?
Everyone wants to know how soon before Anchor Foundation Repair can start to work on their home. We do have jobs already in place so on average work can begin at an average of 6 to 8 weeks from your in-home appointment. When we are in a busy season, it might be 8 to 10 weeks.
If you have been sent this article just before your In-Home Assessment, then you already have this appointment set up.
If you are wondering how soon you can get an In-Home Assessment, we can typically see you within a week of providing pictures and your free rough estimate phone call.
Remember, most foundation repair issues are not emergencies. Most problems have taken many years to form, so it’s okay to wait a few weeks in most cases. We would let you know during the free estimate phone call if we think something can’t wait.
How long will it take?
Hopefully, you have already submitted some photos and had your free phone estimate conversation with Anchor’s Foundation Repair expert, so you should know what type of repair is in store for your home.
Each different type of repair of course takes a different amount of time. Below are the general types of repairs that Anchor Foundation Repair provides, and the average amount of time it might take to complete.
For Slab Foundation Repairs –
Average sized slab foundations can take 3 ½ to 4 weeks to repair, while larger sized homes/repair areas can take around 8 to 10 weeks. We will be able to be more specific on this at the time of your In-Home Assessment.
For Pier and Beam Foundation Repairs –
Repair to pier and beam type foundations can be done in about 1 week ordinarily. If there is a need to cut out and remove floors, then it can take longer but seldom more than 2 full weeks.
For Mud Jacking Repairs –
Mud jacking is typically for porches, patios, and exterior concrete areas around the home. Mud jacking repairs are speedy, only taking a full day or less.
For Tunneling Repairs –
Tunneling is a complex job and involves repairing plumbing or sewer lines under your slab. But the short answer is about 1 week unless there are some long distances to tunnel into.
Concerns about your Home
Homeowners tend to have a variety of questions and concerns about what happens inside and outside of their home during the repair process. In this section, we will cover the inside concerns first, concerns that could be inside or outside, then specifically outside concerns.
Interior Concerns
Do you need to come in and out of my home during the leveling process?
The first phase of home leveling is exclusively outside. During a second phase of the house leveling process, we will need to come in and out of the home to check on separation points and inspect for levelness and progress.
The Job Supervisor will take off his boots to come into the home for this inspection so we ask that you are present in the home if possible or allow access during this phase.
Will my home get dusty and dirty inside?
If only exterior perimeter piers are being installed, your home should generally not get dust and dirt inside. As stated above, Job Supervisors enter homes in this case without boots.
If your home is needing interior pier installation then it is likely to get pretty dirty. However, this type of repair almost always requires the homeowner to vacate and live elsewhere during the process anyway and this type of repair is not as common.
Do you need to do any actual work inside the home?
Ordinarily, the answer is no. Only around 5% of slab homes need any interior piers installed. So if interior piers are needed, then yes, but that does not happen very often. We do need to enter the home during the phase of work where we are raising the home back to its original elevation, but the work being done is simply monitoring the progress of the raising process.
Do I need to move out while the work is being done?
Ordinarily, the answer is no. However, in the rare case of needing interior piers or major subfloor work on a pier and beam home, then we would say it is usually safer to not live in the home during repairs that require interior repairs of this nature.
Will my drywall or trim be damaged during the repair?
Gaps in drywall or trim would come back together in the case of house leveling and generally, this process does not cause that type of damage.
In the case of a home that has recently been remodeled extensively but without first being leveled, then yes, damage can occur. This is because walls or trim may have been installed when the home was in an un-level state. So the act of the home becoming level might cause damage to the remodeled areas.
If you know that your home needs to be leveled, it is a better idea to complete the foundation repair first before doing any major remodeling projects to avoid this situation.
Interior or Exterior Concerns
Will my plumbing be damaged during the repair?
There is a chance that interior or exterior plumbing might be damaged during the raising process. It does depend on how much your home needs to be lifted close to plumbing fixtures.
How susceptible your home is to plumbing damage can also depend on the age of your home. Homes built before the early 1970s run a higher risk of drain line damage during the repair process.
These homes were built with cast iron drain lines that have now become old, brittle, and weak due to age. The condition of any cast iron type drain lines can affect the likelihood of this problem.
We know this is something to watch out for and will help you know when a plumber needs to be called in for additional repairs. Plumbing repairs do need to be covered separately by the homeowner.
We will monitor the completed plumbing repairs throughout the time of our work and alert you if anything seems to need further attention from your plumber. We promise never to leave you with an under-home leak that could get worse over time.
Will my windows and doors be damaged during the repair?
Windows and door gaps would come back together in the case of house leveling and generally, this process does not cause that type of damage.
In the case of a home that has recently been remodeled extensively but without first being leveled, then yes, damage or misalignment can occur. This is because windows or doors may have been installed when the home was in an un-level state. So the act of the home becoming level might cause damage to the remodeled areas.
If you know that your home needs to be leveled, it is a better idea to complete the foundation repair first before doing any major remodeling projects to avoid this situation.
Exterior Concerns
What do you do about my landscaping?
Any landscaping in the way of the repair process will gently be moved. We move landscaping all the time and know it is very important to homeowners that this is done with care. It will be transplanted to another area of your property during the repair time. Homeowners should plan to water and care for the landscaping as you normally would in the temporary location.
When the foundation repair work is completed, Anchor will move the landscape items back to their original location. If for some reason an item does not survive during the job time, we ask that the homeowner purchase the new plant item, and Anchor will gladly install it back in its original location for you.
Concerns about Payments
Foundation repair is normally a big-ticket item and one most homeowners do not take lightly, we completely understand that making a large investment in your home is a big deal.
It is always our desire for homeowners to feel great confidence about their decision to use Anchor Foundation Repair. Here are some common questions and concerns people tend to ask about payments.
Deposits
We will ask for a deposit, usually 10% of the total cost, to get your home on our schedule. After the In-Home Assessment is completed, you will receive email communication from the office with your proposal. The payment of that deposit and acceptance of the proposal will activate the next steps.
Payment requests and updates will come by phone or email. The payment schedule usually goes something like this for a house leveling or typical slab foundation repair job:
- 10% down payment to get on the schedule
- 25% payment on the job start date
- 40% payment after piers are poured
- 25% final payment upon job completion
For crawlspace homes, the schedule is 25% down, 50% at job start, and 25% upon completion. If your job’s payment schedule will be different than either described here, we will let you know this at the time of the In-Home Assessment visit.
Payment Types Accepted
We accept checks payable to Anchor Foundation Repair and credit/debit card payments. Payments are normally requested via email from our office system, called BuilderTrend, or are also available on your BuilderTrend account that is set up when you start a project with the Anchor Team for your foundation repair.
Card types accepted include Mastercard, Visa, Discover, and American Express.
Financing
Through a partnership with gethearth.com, financing is available for Anchor Foundation Repair work. Hearth is a Better Business Bureau accredited business that defines itself as a “home improvement and repair financing” outlet.
Hearth promises to quickly get you personalized rates without affecting your credit score. Your acceptance of Hearth financing is determined only by your financial situation. Anchor does not play a part in determining your financing ability or terms.
If this is something you are interested in, please let us know as soon as possible and we can send you a customized Hearth link by email.
Homeowners are also free to find financing through their bank or means of credit, such as a home equity loan or other bank loans.
Your In-Home Assessment is coming soon!
We hope that this short list of basic questions covered some of your most pressing but common concerns. We know this doesn’t cover any specific questions that you might have about your unique home situation.
So, now that all the easy stuff is out of the way, this is a good time to jot down more “your home specific” questions for our Anchor Foundation Repair expert to address during your upcoming In-Home Assessment.
If you want, contact our office through the contact form with your list of special questions so that our expert can have those on hand during the visit and be sure to cover them. See you soon!