You need a foundation inspection to get a quote for repairing your foundation problems. Most foundation repair contractors seem to do this for free. Why in the world would a company charge a homeowner to get a bid for repairs? What’s in it for you???
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we don’t fix things that don’t need fixin’, and we don’t try to sell you stuff you don’t need. After 35+ years in business, that’s what’s best for our Brazos Valley community and for exceptional homeowners like you.
We’re here to help guide you through the foundation repair process and that starts with offering an unbiased no-strings-attached inspection to verify the condition of your foundation.
This article will elaborate on the top reasons why a paid foundation inspection is beneficial to homeowners. We explain what Anchor offers as part of a paid inspection. We also explain why we think this is the best way for you to feel confident about how to handle your foundation repairs.
Why Would You Pay for a Foundation Inspection?
Many foundation repair contractors are happy to come to your home and do a repair estimate for free. Why do you think that is? What’s in it for them? What’s in it for you?
Free inspections are a way for a repair company to *get a foot in the door* and sell you their product and service. They want you to buy from them and spend time convincing you that their company or foundation repair method is the best. The free quote, bid, or estimate is a key sales gimmick to get in front of you.
But what if you don’t really have a foundation problem? Do you think they will tell you that?
When you are unsure about what to do and feel less than confident about how to handle your possible foundation problem, paying for a foundation inspection is a good way to ensure you are getting a fair and impartial opinion on the condition of your home.
A contractor who charges for the inspection time is not depending on you buying their product to make the trip to your home worthwhile. You’re paying them for their time and expertise directly. We pay doctors and lawyers for their professional opinions, time, and expertise all the time. This is no different.
How Does a Paid Foundation Inspection Benefit You? 6 Reasons
Getting an impartial opinion is arguably the most valuable way that paid foundation inspections benefit you, but there are more reasons too. Paid foundation inspections are worth the cost because you should be getting more than just a 15-minute visit and a repair price. Paid inspections can offer you:
- More Educational Value,
- Less Sales Pressure,
- More Dedicated Time,
- A Homeowner Centered Approach,
- More Professional Treatment, and
- The previously mentioned and important Unbiased Opinion.
Not that every foundation repair company is guaranteed to offer all these things with a paid inspection process, but the potential is there for an improved homeowner experience and value when you need honest answers.
How Our Paid Inspections Differ from Other Company Estimates
We can’t speak for other companies on how they run their inspection process. We can only speak for ourselves and how we do things at Anchor Foundation Repair. So we will elaborate on the *Anchor Way* that each of the 6 benefits is carried out in your interests for an optimal foundation inspection process.
1. Anchor Offers More Educational Value
Most people don’t know a whole lot about foundation problems and foundation repair. Let’s face it, it’s not an exciting topic. You don’t need to know about it . . . until you need to know about it.
Our Learning Center is available at all times for answers to your most pressing foundation questions. But if you’re about to get an inspection, we send along other tools and resources to help you understand foundation problems, your foundation repair options, and how to prepare for the foundation repair process.
We will teach you everything you need to know to make an informed decision about your home – even if you don’t end up using us. We will teach you other things about your home condition when we see that it would benefit you to know. We work to educate and empower you to make your own choices because we want you 100% on board with your foundation decisions.
2. Anchor Offers Less Sales Pressure
As mentioned, many foundation repair companies are trying to *make a sale* when they visit your home to inspect your foundation. When you pay for a foundation inspection, think of it as paying to *avoid* a sales presentation. We’re not there to sell you our thing, we’re there to offer our professional opinion about your home. We align our recommendations with the goals and future plans you have for your home.
When Anchor inspects a foundation, we are there to verify that you indeed have a foundation problem that we can help you with. Since the time we spend with you is already paid for in the form of an inspection fee, our advice and expertise come with *no strings attached* and you are free to take or leave the suggestions we offer.
Not that we don’t want you to use us when it makes sense for your situation, we definitely do. We just want you to arrive at that decision without any pressure from us.
3. Anchor Offers More Dedicated Time
We don’t want to rush from one inspection to another. We’ve done the *bid-and-dash* routine in the past and it’s exhausting. Ultimately, it doesn’t feel right for the homeowners we want to work with. We purposefully schedule fewer inspections each day so that we can spend more time with each homeowner talking through your individual situation.
An Anchor In-Home Assessment – what we call foundation inspections – allows for about 2 hours on every foundation inspection. We spend time looking over your home carefully, listening to your biggest concerns, and offering guidance that aligns with your needs.
We often hear about other companies that spend about 15 minutes looking over your home, sketching out a rough diagram, tossing out a price, and promptly taking off – leaving homeowners with a lot of questions still forming in their minds. We’re not gonna do that.
4. Anchor Offers a Homeowner-Centered Approach
Homeowner-centered aspects of our foundation inspection process have been mentioned throughout this article. Let’s spell it out again just to be clear:
We want what’s best for you – even if it means you end up using another company.
Our recommendations will be based on:
- Your top concerns,
- The problems you want solved,
- Your needs as a priority and,
- The future goals and plans you have for your home.
Our recommendation might be entirely different depending on what you need, what you want, when you want it done, what kind of budget you have, and whether the home is your forever home vs. a home you are selling soon vs. a rental property.
We are here to guide you through your foundation repair decisions, not tell you that our way is the only way. If your needs and what we offer align, then we are a good match for handling your foundation repairs with you fully on board with the process.
5. Anchor Offers More Professional Treatment
Because we are slowing down and allowing a 2-hour block just for you, we can also take the time to provide you with the most professional treatment possible.
Your paid In-Home Assessment will go something like this. We will:
- Show up on time.
- Discuss your home situation.
- Listen to your concerns.
- Put together a plan that addresses those concerns.
- Use tools and software to develop a repair plan estimate.
- Present the info in easy-to-understand terms.
- Use clear, no-nonsense communication.
- Then, we leave you time to think without pressure about what’s best for you.
Our goal is always to respect your time, respect your property, respect your wishes, and respect your decisions. We know you have a hard decision to make and many options available to you. Anchor can be part of your solution if you let us, but we also honor your right to choose another path.
6. Anchor Offers You An Unbiased Opinion
When we are compensated up front for our time and expertise, we are in a better position to provide you with a completely impartial and unbiased opinion. We will be the first to tell you if you should consider doing foundation work or not. We will plainly explain why your potential foundation repair will add value for you or not.
We will absolutely let you know if we think there’s a better option out there for you. When you’re getting a free inspection from another company, they might not be so inclined to tell you such things.
Here’s the bottom line: I don’t think anyone has ever felt that our time together wasn’t worth the money paid. If you trust us (and you trust the process), we will tell you over the phone with a free estimate before moving forward to a paid In-Home Assessment.
Most importantly, if you choose to do the work with Anchor, the money you pay for the inspection will go towards your final bill. In other words, then the inspection ends up being free anyway if you use us . . .
How Much Do Anchor Inspections Cost and What Can I Expect?
Our inspections cost between $225 to $275 depending on what type of home you have and where it is located. This 2-hour dedicated home visit will leave you with confirmation of your foundation condition, a detailed plan and price to repair it, and as much education and information as you desire.
We understand the stress and anxiety that comes with overwhelming repair projects. At Anchor Foundation Repair, we offer fair and impartial assessments, empowering education, and a fully transparent repair process. After 35+ years in business, we are here to guide you through the foundation repair process so that you can handle your foundation problems with 100% confidence.
As far as what to expect from your in-home visit, check out one of these articles depending on your foundation type:
Crawl Space: What To Expect from a Pier and Beam Foundation Inspection with Anchor
Slab: How to Prepare for Your In-Home Inspection with Anchor Foundation Repair