Frequently Asked Questions

No. Olympia Foundation Repair Pros is a referral service. We take your details and connect you with an independent, Washington-registered foundation contractor working in your area. That contractor inspects, quotes, permits, performs and warrants the work directly with you. We are paid a referral fee by the contractor.

No. There is no charge to you for the referral. Our fee is paid by the contractor, not added to your quote.

No. You are free to get other quotes, and on a job of this size you generally should. Two or three independent opinions is normal practice for structural work.

Ask for their Washington contractor registration number and check it free at lni.wa.gov. That lookup shows registration status, bond, insurance and any complaint history. Do this before paying a deposit.

Diagonal stair-step cracking in exterior masonry or concrete, interior drywall cracks radiating from door and window corners, doors and windows that stick or won't latch, sloping or bouncy floors, and gaps opening between trim and wall. Musty crawl space odour usually points at moisture rather than settlement.

As a general guide: fine vertical cracks are often shrinkage from curing and are frequently cosmetic. Diagonal stair-step cracks suggest differential settlement. Horizontal cracks partway up a wall, and any wall visibly bowing inward, indicate lateral soil pressure and are the most urgent category. Width matters too, and a crack that is actively widening matters more than a wide crack that has been stable for years.

Mark each end with a pencil line and the date, or bridge it with a scored glass tell-tale, then re-check in a few months across a wet season. Movement over time is far more informative than a single measurement.

Some settlement is normal in the first years after construction and then stops. What matters is whether movement is ongoing, whether it is differential (one part dropping relative to another), and whether it is accelerating. A single elevation survey establishes the current state; a second one months later establishes the trend.

For anything beyond minor crack sealing it is usually worth it. An engineer has no financial interest in selling you piers, so an independent assessment before you commit is a reasonable spend on a five-figure repair. Many permits will require stamped engineering regardless.

It spans a wide range. Minor crack injection or an isolated slab lift often lands in the low thousands. Deep steel underpinning is typically quoted per pier, with most residential projects needing several piers, which puts full underpinning jobs well into five figures. The variables that move the number most are depth to bearing, pier count, access, and whether engineering and permits are included.

Usually because they are not quoting the same scope. Check whether each bid includes engineering, permits, excavation and restoration, how many piers are specified, whether per-pier price is fixed or varies with depth, and what the warranty actually covers. Compare scopes before comparing totals.

Usually not for settlement caused by earth movement, soil consolidation or poor compaction, which are standard exclusions. Coverage is more likely where damage results from a sudden event such as a burst supply line. Read your policy and ask your carrier directly rather than relying on a contractor's characterisation.

Many contractors offer financing, and terms vary considerably. Treat it as a separate decision from the repair: compare the effective rate against a home equity product before accepting in-house financing on the spot.

Most residential piering projects run a few days on site once permits are issued. Crawl space encapsulation is commonly one to three days depending on size, access and whether drainage is included. Slab lifting is often a matter of hours. Permit turnaround, not the work itself, is usually the longest part of the schedule.

Piering requires compact excavation pits directly against the footing, so planting immediately at the foundation will be disturbed. Beds and lawn a few feet out generally survive. Full exterior drainage is far more invasive — it means excavating the perimeter, and mature plantings, walkways or decks in the path will be lost. Ask specifically what gets restored and what does not.

Rarely. Most foundation work is performed from outside or from the crawl space and homes stay occupied. Expect noise, equipment access across the yard, and some vibration during driving.

Often partly. Lifting can close cracks that opened as the foundation dropped, but cosmetic repair of drywall, paint, tile and trim is usually a separate scope that the foundation contractor does not include. Confirm who is responsible for finish repair before work starts.

Structural underpinning and significant wall reinforcement generally require a building permit from the City of Olympia or Thurston County, plus engineering. Permitted, inspected work is also what gives you a documented repair to disclose at resale — which is worth more at closing than an undocumented job.

Get it in writing and read it rather than relying on the word 'lifetime'. Key points: does it cover stabilisation only or lift as well; is it the contractor's warranty or a manufacturer's product warranty; does it transfer to a buyer; is there a transfer fee or a registration deadline; and what voids it.

Washington sellers must disclose known material defects. Completed, permitted repairs with engineering documentation and a transferable warranty are generally viewed far more favourably by buyers and underwriters than an unrepaired known problem or an undocumented cash repair.

Both happen. Repairing first removes an unknown that buyers tend to over-price in their heads, but costs you cash up front. A credit based on written estimates keeps your cash but invites renegotiation. What usually matters most either way is having a real engineering assessment in hand so the number under discussion is grounded.

Stabilisation is the reliable outcome; lift is a best effort. Some recovery is usually achievable and doors and windows often improve, but a full return to original elevation is not always possible or even advisable on a house that settled decades ago. Be cautious of anyone guaranteeing the house will go back exactly level.