Foundation engineer versus repair company: who does what in a repair

A foundation engineer and a foundation repair company do different jobs on the same repair: the engineer evaluates the foundation, decides whether repair is warranted and specifies it, and the repair company builds what is specified. Texas law places evaluation and design in the practice of engineering, and the residential foundation guidelines published by the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers state that the evaluation and the repair design shall be performed by a professional engineer licensed in Texas.

The evaluation step, and what 254 Engineering describes for it, is on the foundation inspection page.

What foundation engineer means

Section 1001.003 of the Occupations Code includes consultation, investigation, evaluation, analysis and design in the practice of engineering, and section 1001.301 restricts that practice, and the title engineer, to license holders. Foundation engineer describes the work an engineer does; it is not a separate license.

What protects an owner is competence, and the board's rules address it directly. Rule 137.59 says engineers shall practice only in their areas of competence and shall not take an assignment they are not qualified by education or experience to perform.

Two kinds of engineer can be involved. A geotechnical engineer characterizes the soil, and the ASCE Texas guidelines say a major or comprehensive repair should rest on a site specific boring and testing program. The engineer who evaluates the foundation and designs the repair draws on that soil data.

The repair, stage by stage

1. Evaluation, by the engineer

The guidelines define three levels: a Level A report of first impressions, a Level B evaluation with measured floor elevations, and Level C with testing such as soil sampling, plumbing tests and post tensioning cable tests. Section 3.1 says the engineer should personally visit the site and be in responsible charge of the investigation.

2. Repair documents, by the engineer

Section 7.4.1 lists what remediation documents contain, including the site address, purpose and limitations, a plan view, construction details, specifications, requirements for construction observation or testing, and a required post repair floor elevation survey. Section 7.2 says the engineer who seals those documents is the engineer of record, with approval authority over changes.

3. Permit, by whoever the city names

Several Texas cities require engineering on the permit. The City of Houston asks, for a slab on grade foundation, for plans prepared by a Texas licensed engineer showing the location, quantity and type of supports. The City of Denton states that all foundation repairs require a permit and asks for a repair letter and plan signed and sealed by a Texas registered engineer. Requirements differ by city, so check the city where the house stands.

4. Construction, by the repair company

The contractor installs the supports, lifts where the documents call for it, and restores the site, observed or tested as the documents require. Section 7.4.3.1 sets the expectation: it is unlikely that elevation adjustments will result in a level foundation.

5. Plumbing, by a licensed plumber

Section 7.6 says water and sanitary lines should be tested for leaks where the repair includes jacking or lifting, and that leaks found should be repaired.

6. Verification, by the engineer

Section 7.7 says floor elevations should be measured by the engineer or the engineer's representative after the repair, with copies to the client. Section 7.8 says the engineer should provide a letter of substantial completion stating that the work generally conforms to the documents. Denton asks for a final engineered seal report before its building final.

That letter is the document a future buyer's agent will ask for. How the repair documents themselves work is set out on the repair specification page.

Where the roles merge

Problems start when the party that sells the repair also decides whether it is needed and how large it is. The ASCE Texas guidelines say at section 2.2 that it is essential to avoid conflicts of interest to maintain the credibility of the evaluation. TBPELS rule 137.57(d) requires an engineer whose own financial or business interests could affect their judgment to inform all parties in writing, and to accept the work only if the client confirms its knowledge of the conflict in writing.

A repair company that employs or retains an engineer is not breaking a rule by doing so. The owner is entitled to know the relationship, and an engineer engaged by the owner has none to disclose. What a free inspection from a repair company can and cannot do is covered in free foundation inspection versus an engineer.

The board itself has declined to write technical standards for repair methods. In a 2018 response to a request about pier design under slab on grade foundations, it said the Texas Engineering Practice Act does not set specific technical standards, and that it will investigate substantiated complaints against engineers practicing incompetently.

Questions for the engineer

• Who are you engaged by, and do you have any relationship with a repair contractor on this job?
• Which level of investigation will this be, and will floor elevations be measured?
• If repair is warranted, will you prepare sealed repair documents, and will you verify the repair afterwards?
• Will the post repair letter state that the work conforms to your documents?

Questions for the repair company

• Whose sealed documents will the work be built to, and may I see them before signing?
• Who pulls the permit, and what does this city require for it?
• Is a plumbing test part of the contract where lifting is involved?
• Who measures the floor after the work, and who issues the final letter?
• What does the warranty cover, who holds it, and does it transfer to a buyer? Get the answers in writing.

An owner who engages the engineer first controls the scope, the bids and the final letter. The foundation inspection page sets out what the evaluation covers, and the guide to choosing a structural engineer lists the public checks worth making on any engineer before engaging one.