What an evaluation is for
An evaluation answers one question: what is this house actually doing? Not what a crack looks like, not what the neighbourhood is like, not what the build year suggests. What the measurements and observations, taken together, indicate about this specific structure.
That distinction runs through everything on this site. An observation is something you or we can see: a stair-step crack in the brick, a door that catches on the jamb, a floor that feels like it slopes toward the kitchen. A diagnosis is a conclusion about cause and significance. Observations are evidence for a diagnosis; they are not a diagnosis themselves, and treating them as one is how homeowners end up with repair scopes their houses never needed. Every quote for foundation repair in Fort Worth we issue starts here, with the measurements rather than the symptom.
The relative elevation survey
The core of the evaluation is a relative elevation survey, sometimes called a floor-level survey. Using a manometer or a comparable elevation instrument, readings are taken at points across the floor throughout the house and referenced to each other, producing a picture of the floor plane.
What matters is the pattern, not any one number. A floor that falls steadily toward one exterior corner suggests something different from one that dips along a single interior line, and both differ from a floor that is high in the center. Perimeter drop often points toward settlement at the edge; a central high point can indicate heave. The survey does not tell us the cause on its own, but it tells us the shape of the problem, and the shape narrows the possibilities considerably.
Elevation differences also need context. No house is perfectly level, including new construction. Original construction irregularity, later additions built to a different datum, and previous repairs all show up in a survey and all need accounting for before anyone draws conclusions.
What else gets examined
Interior: cracks with their location, direction, and pattern recorded rather than just their width; door and window operation; separation at trim, baseboards, and ceiling lines; floor tile or hardwood condition; and any evidence of previous patching that has reopened.
Exterior: brick and mortar condition, particularly around openings; separation between the main structure and porches, steps, or additions; the grade around the perimeter and whether it falls toward or away from the house; downspout and roof water discharge; irrigation; and tree proximity and size.
Underneath, where applicable: on pier-and-beam homes, the crawlspace — pier condition, girder and joist condition, sill plates, clearance, moisture, and any prior work.
History: previous repairs, additions, known plumbing issues, and how long the observation has been present. A crack that appeared last month and one that has been there since 2009 mean different things.
What you receive
The written output has three parts, kept deliberately separate. First, the findings: the elevation readings and the documented observations, stated as fact. Second, the interpretation: what we believe those findings indicate, stated as our opinion, with the reasoning shown. Third, the recommendation: either a proposed scope with method, quantities, inclusions, exclusions, schedule, and warranty terms, or a recommendation to monitor with a suggested interval.
Keeping those three apart is the point. You can accept our measurements and still want a second opinion on our interpretation, and the document is written so that another contractor or an engineer can pick it up and work from it. The guide to foundation assessment documents covers what each document type is good for.
When we recommend an engineer instead
There are situations where a contractor evaluation is not the right document. Real estate transactions where the outcome affects price or financing. Disputes with a previous contractor. Insurance matters. Cases where two proposals differ so much that an independent opinion is the only sensible tiebreaker. Unusual movement patterns where the cause is genuinely unclear.
In those cases a licensed Professional Engineer’s assessment carries weight ours does not, precisely because they are not selling the repair. A P.E. is licensed through the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS), and you can verify a license through that board if you want to confirm one before hiring. We will tell you when we think an engineer applies to your situation. The comparison of contractor evaluations and engineer assessments explains the difference in full.
