Foundation Inspection & Repair Engineering by a Licensed Structural Engineer

A crack in the foundation, a floor that slopes, a door that suddenly sticks: these are the moments homeowners start searching for a foundation repair structural engineer. Strut E&I gives you an independent, licensed engineer's answer about what is happening to your foundation, whether it needs repair, and exactly what that repair should be, before you sign a contract with anyone.

Most homeowners call a foundation repair company first. That makes sense, since their name is on the yard signs. But think about how that conversation works. The person diagnosing your foundation is also the person selling the repair, and the recommended fix usually matches the product that company installs.

Many of those contractors do good work. The problem is the structure of the transaction, not the people. An independent structural engineer has nothing to sell you except an accurate assessment. We do not install piers. We do not earn more if the repair is bigger. Our job is to tell you what the foundation is actually doing, why, and what the right repair is, which is sometimes a much smaller job than you were quoted, and occasionally no structural repair at all.

That independence matters most in three situations:

If you are still trying to work out whether what you are seeing is serious, our guide to the causes and signs of foundation settlement is a good place to start.

Settlement is not automatically a defect. Nearly every house settles somewhat after construction. What we determine is whether the movement is uniform (usually harmless) or differential, meaning one part of the house is moving more than another. Differential settlement is what cracks walls, racks door frames, and slopes floors. We measure floor elevations, map the pattern of distress, and identify the likely cause: soil type, drainage, plumbing leaks, tree roots, or original construction.

Crack direction, width, and location tell an engineer a great deal. Thin vertical shrinkage cracks in poured concrete are common and often cosmetic. Stair-step cracks in block, cracks that are wider at one end, and especially horizontal cracks in a foundation wall point to settlement or lateral soil pressure and need a closer look. We document each crack and tell you which ones matter.

Bowing, leaning, or bulging basement walls usually mean the soil outside is pushing harder than the wall was built to resist. We evaluate how far the wall has moved, whether it is still moving, and whether it can be braced, anchored, or must be rebuilt.

In much of the Southeast, a "foundation problem" is really a crawlspace problem: undersized or rotted girders, failing piers, sagging joists, or moisture damage. Water is often the root cause, and we look at it alongside the structure. For background, see our article on how water damage affects structural integrity.

A written, engineer-sealed report describing the observed conditions, the probable cause, whether structural repair is needed, and our recommendations. This is the document lenders, insurers, buyers, and building departments take seriously.

Already have quotes? We review the contractor's proposed scope, pier count and spacing, and method against what the structure actually needs. You will know whether the proposal is appropriate, excessive, or missing something.

When repair is needed, we design it. Depending on the condition, that may include push piers or helical piers, concrete underpinning, wall bracing or wall anchors, new or supplemental crawlspace piers and girders, sistered joists, and drainage changes that remove the cause. You receive sealed drawings and specifications that any qualified contractor can bid and build from, so you can compare apples to apples.

After the work is complete, we inspect it and issue a sealed letter confirming the repair was installed in general conformance with the design. Keep this letter. At resale, it answers the buyer's inspector before the question becomes a negotiation.

Many of these overlap with the general warning signs of structural damage. If you see two or more together, get an assessment.

Foundation questions also come up before a project, not only after a problem appears. If you are thinking about building up, see can your foundation support a second-story addition and our second-story addition engineering service. For buyers, a foundation evaluation is often part of a broader residential structural inspection. For larger repairs to existing buildings, see our structural rehabilitation work.

Strut Engineering & Investment, Inc. is a licensed structural engineering firm founded by Emad Badiee, who holds a BS and MS in Civil-Structural Engineering from UAB, brings more than 16 years of experience, and is licensed in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Every project is assigned a dedicated licensed structural engineer, and our Director of Construction, Ali Badiee, is a licensed General Contractor in Georgia, so our repair designs are practical to build.

Our background in forensic structural engineering, investigating why structures fail, shapes how we read foundations. We look for the cause, not just the symptom, because a repair that ignores the cause tends to fail again. Homeowners have given us a 5.0-star rating on Google.

We work across Greater Atlanta, where expansive red clay is behind a large share of foundation movement (read more about Atlanta foundation problems and clay soil), and throughout Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and New Jersey, including Charlotte and the Carolina Piedmont. We serve single-family homeowners, buyers, sellers, real estate agents, and contractors.

Start with the structural engineer. An independent engineer diagnoses the problem and defines the repair without selling a product. With a sealed scope in hand, you can get competitive bids from repair contractors and know each one is pricing the same work.

A visual inspection of the foundation, basement or crawlspace, and the framing above; floor elevation measurements; documentation of cracks and distress; an assessment of drainage and soil conditions; and a sealed written report with findings and recommendations.

No. Thin vertical cracks in poured concrete are often shrinkage and are common. Horizontal cracks, stair-step cracks, cracks wider at one end, and cracks that keep growing are the ones that warrant a structural engineer's evaluation.

Both. If repair is needed, we prepare sealed repair drawings and specifications for piers, underpinning, wall bracing, crawlspace framing, or other work, which a qualified contractor can then bid and build.

It is strongly recommended. A post-repair verification letter from a licensed engineer documents that the repair was completed properly, which is valuable to future buyers, lenders, and insurers.

It depends on the size of the home, access to the crawlspace or basement, and whether you need only a report or also repair design. We give you a clear scope and quote when you call. For a broader look at fees, see what a structural engineer inspection costs and how much a structural engineer costs.

Before you commit to a repair, find out what your foundation actually needs. Strut E&I will assess it, explain it in plain terms, and design the right fix if one is required.

Call (404) 480-5555, email info@struteni.com, or contact our team to schedule a foundation assessment. You can also review all of our structural engineering services.