Your foundation inspection is on the calendar. Now what?
You’ve got questions. A lot of them. How long is this whole thing going to take? Is your house going to be a disaster zone while the crew is here? And how on earth are you going to pay for this?
You might be lying awake running through imaginary conversations at 2 am, mentally composing your list of things to ask. That’s completely normal. Foundation repair is a big decision, and Anchor Foundation Repair has been fielding these same questions since 1985. We know what’s on your mind.
This article answers the basic-but-important stuff that most people want to know. With the general stuff out of the way before your In-Home Assessment arrives, you can focus on the questions that are more specific to your home.
We’ll cover questions along these lines:
- Timing — how soon can you start, and how long will it take?
- What happens to the inside and outside of your home during repairs?
- What about payments, deposits, and financing options?
Please note: this article focuses on Anchor’s slab foundation repairs, so if you’re having an assessment for your crawl space home or another kind of service with us, all of this might not apply to you.
Concerns About Timing of Your Foundation Repairs
Foundation repair timelines depend on a few factors — the size of your home, how much work is involved, and how busy the schedule is. Here’s what to expect.
How Soon Can You Start?
Once your In-Home Assessment is complete, work typically begins within 6 to 8 weeks. During busy seasons, that window can stretch to 8 to 10 weeks.
The good news: foundation repair issues are not typically emergencies. These problems have been developing over many years, so a few extra weeks on the schedule won’t change anything. If something truly can’t wait, we’ll let you know during your free estimate phone call.
If you haven’t set up your In-Home Assessment yet, we can usually see you within a week of completing your initial call. (But hopefully you already have or you wouldn’t be reading this article!)
How Long Will the Job Take?
For slab foundation repairs, the timeline depends on the size of your home and how much work is involved.
Average-sized slab homes typically take about 3½ to 4 weeks. Larger homes or more extensive slab foundation repairs can run closer to 8 to 10 weeks. Please note, a team is not onsite during that entire time. The concrete curing phase takes up some of that span and the crew will be elsewhere.
We’ll give you a more specific timeline during your In-Home Assessment once we’ve seen your home. If you’re curious about the slab foundation repair process now, check out this article: What to Expect When You’re Expecting Foundation Repair: 7 Steps for Drilled Piers.
Our other service types have completely different timelines, so check these links if you’re working on another kind of project:
House Leveling: How Long Does Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Take?
How Long Does Mud Jacking Take to Raise and Level My Sunken Concrete?
How Long Does Under-Slab Tunneling Take? Typical Timelines Explained
Concerns About Your Home During Foundation Repairs
This is usually where homeowners have the most questions — and understandably so. Nobody wants surprises when a crew is working on their house. Here are the most common things people want to know, grouped by where the concern is located.
Jump to your question:
Do you need to come in and out of my home during repairs?
Will my home get dusty and dirty inside?
Do you need to do actual work inside the home?
Do I need to move out while work is being done?
Will my drywall or trim be damaged?
Will my windows and doors be damaged?
What do you do about my landscaping?
Interior Concerns
If you’re wondering what happens inside your home during the repair process, this section covers the basics — how often we’ll need to enter, whether to expect any mess, and whether you’ll need to move out temporarily.
Do You Need to Come In and Out of My Home During Repairs?
The first phase of leveling happens entirely outside for most homes (the exception is if you have interior settlement). During the second phase, our Job Supervisor will need to come inside to check separation points and monitor the leveling progress.
When coming in, the Job Supervisor takes his boots off at the door. We do ask that you be present — or at least allow access — during that phase.
Will My Home Get Dusty and Dirty Inside?
If only exterior perimeter piers are being installed, your home should stay fairly clean. Supervisors entering the home during those check-ins are in protected feet, as noted above.If interior pier installation is needed, things can get messy — but that type of repair is not very common on slab homes, and it also typically requires homeowners to stay elsewhere during the process.
Do You Need to Do Actual Work Inside the Home?
Ordinarily, no. Most foundation repair work for a typical project is completed outside the home. There will be times we need to enter, but it’s for checking and monitoring things. When we do enter the home during the leveling phase, it’s to monitor progress, not tear anything up.
Only about 10 to 15% of slab homes require interior piers. If your home is one of them, then yes, work will be going on extensively inside — but don’t panic, it’s not as common.
Do I Need to Move Out While Work Is Being Done?
For most slab repairs, no, you do not need to move out. The only exception is if interior piers are needed — in that case, it’s generally safer not to be living in the home during that phase of the work.
Will My Drywall or Trim Be Damaged During the Repair?
For house leveling, gaps in drywall or trim typically should close back up under normal conditions as the home returns to level. That process generally does not cause damage.
There is one important exception: if your home was recently remodeled before being leveled, damage can happen. Trim or walls installed while the home was un-level may not cooperate when the home is brought back into proper position.
If you know leveling is in your future, finish the foundation work first before tackling major remodel projects.
Interior or Exterior Concerns
A few common concerns straddle both the inside and outside of your home. Here’s what to know about your plumbing and your windows and doors going into the repair.
Will My Plumbing Be Damaged During the Repair?
There is a chance that plumbing could be affected, depending on how much the home needs to be lifted near plumbing fixtures. Older homes — particularly those built before the early 1970s — carry a higher risk because they were often built with cast iron drain lines that have become brittle over time.
We keep a close eye on this throughout the job. If something needs a plumber’s attention, we’ll let you know right away. We will never leave you with an under-home leak. Plumbing repairs are a separate cost covered by the homeowner, but we won’t leave you in the dark about it.
In some cases, plumbing problems discovered during a slab repair require under-slab tunneling to access and fix the line. If that becomes necessary, it will add time and cost to the project — but we’ll communicate that clearly before moving forward. Want to know more about how foundation movement and plumbing problems are related? Check out our article on foundation-related plumbing issues.
Will My Windows and Doors Be Damaged During the Repair?
Similar to drywall and trim, windows and door gaps generally come back together during house leveling without causing damage.The remodeling exception is the same: if recent renovations were made while the home was un-level, bringing the home back to proper elevation could cause misalignment. Level first, remodel second is always the smarter sequence.
Exterior Concerns
Here’s what to expect outside your home — here, it’s really all about your landscaping.
What Do You Do About My Landscaping?
*We* relocate any potentially affected landscaping carefully, and move it back when we’re done. Not every foundation repair company does this, but we at least try to take care of your landscaping.
Any plants or landscaping in the path of the repair get gently move to another area of your property while work is underway. We do this all the time and know it matters to homeowners. When the job is complete, Anchor moves everything back to its original spot.
Please note: If a plant doesn’t survive the temporary relocation, we ask that the homeowner replace it — but we’ll happily reinstall it for you. We’re not responsible for plant loss, but we’re not going to leave you with a mess either.
Concerns About Paying For Foundation Repairs
Foundation repair is a significant investment. We completely understand that, and we want you to feel confident every step of the way. Here are the most common payment questions homeowners ask.
Deposits and Payment Schedule
After your In-Home Assessment, you’ll receive a proposal by email through our project management system. Accepting the proposal and paying the deposit gets your home on the schedule.
For a slab foundation repair, the payment schedule looks like this:
- 10% deposit to get on the schedule
- 25% payment on the job start date
- 40% payment after piers are poured
- 25% final payment upon job completion
If your job has a different payment structure, we’ll tell you that at the In-Home Assessment — no surprises. Our other projects types may match this schedule or be slightly modified depending on the service being provided.
Payment Types Accepted
We accept checks (payable to Anchor Foundation Repair) and credit/debit card payments. Card types accepted include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Payment requests come through BuilderTrend, and via phone or email.
Financing Options
Great news — we do offer financing. In partnership with Buildertrend and Nelnet Bank (FDIC insured), we offer 6 months same as cash or monthly payment plans with rates ranging from 6.99% to 13.49%. You can check your qualifying offers in minutes with a no-hard-credit-check preliminary application.
Visit our financing options page for all the details, links to apply, and a demo of what the process looks like.
You’re also welcome to arrange financing through your own bank — a home equity loan or other personal financing options work too. We have a whole article breaking down realistic financing options for foundation repair if you want to explore what might work best for your situation.
Now You’re Ready for Your In-Home Foundation Assessment
We’ve been answering these same questions for 40+ years, so we figured it was time to write them all down in one place. Also, your Pre-Assessment Prep Guide, covers all these questions in depth and more. So if you haven’t read that yet, it’s worth your time to do so now.
The basics are out of the way. Now it’s a great time to think through the questions that are specific to your home and your situation — the things only you know to ask. Jot them down before your appointment so you don’t forget anything in the moment.
If you want to send your questions in advance, email your Estimator so they can be covered during the visit. By the way, we know homeowners have lots of questions, and we’ve built a full library of articles to answer them. Check out our Learning Center and see what other resources are available and we’ll see you soon!
