Trade checklist · Foundation & Drainage
Foundation and drainage quote review
Two foundation repair quotes on the same slab often recommend different pier counts, different pier types, and different rules for concrete breakout, post-lift plumbing tests, and structural engineer letters. Paste your quote below for a written benchmark note.
Scope checklist
FN-TRADE-FOUND
finalist.cc trade read
What we check on a foundation repair or drainage quote
When a person at finalist.cc reads a slab, pier-and-beam, or French drain proposal, we check ten scope lines that explain why pier counts and totals diverge and what is left out of the base price.
1. Line by line across a foundation or drainage quote
| Line | What a vague quote says | What a clear scope states | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation survey & pier map | “Install 14 piers on south and west sides” | Floor elevation readings (in tenths of an inch) plotted on a footprint drawing showing exact exterior and interior pier locations and spacing. | Compare maps |
| Pier type & construction | “Pressed pilings” | Whether piers are pressed concrete cylinders (and whether they are cabled or pinned), steel push piers, drilled concrete bell-bottom piers, or hybrid steel/concrete pilings, along with target refusal or depth criteria. | Vague |
| Exterior vs. interior breakout | “3 interior piers included” | Whether exterior piers require breaking through patios, sidewalks, or driveways, and for interior piers, who removes and replaces flooring (tile, hardwood, carpet) after the slab patch sets. | Flooring excluded |
| Tunneling vs. interior slab break | “Access interior beams” | Whether interior grade beams are reached by breaking through the living-room floor slab or by excavating a tunnel from the exterior perimeter (and how the tunnel is backfilled and compacted). | Vague |
| Post-lift hydrostatic plumbing test | “Plumbing check extra” | Whether a third-party plumber performs a post-lift hydrostatic sewer and fresh-water pressure test, and whether that test fee is included in the base quote or billed separately. | Often missing |
| Independent P.E. engineer letter | “Engineer report available” | Whether pre-repair design and final post-lift compliance letters stamped by an independent Professional Engineer (P.E.) are included in the quote (often required for city permits and future home buyers). | Check fee |
| Polyurethane foam vs. mudjacking | “Void fill included” | Whether under-slab voids created by lifting are filled via polyurethane foam injection or cementitious slurry (mudjacking), and whether foam is priced per pound or included. | Vague |
| French drain & surface drainage | “Install 60 ft French drain” | Trench depth and width, laser-graded slope, 4-inch rigid SDR-35 or Schedule 40 perforated pipe vs. corrugated black flex pipe, washed gravel envelope, non-woven filter fabric wrap, and separate solid pipe for roof downspouts. | Pipe spec key |
| Root barriers & landscaping | “Backfill work area” | Depth ofHDPE root barrier panels if trees are near the slab, and whether removed bushes, sod, and irrigation lines are restored or left for the homeowner. | Check exclusions |
| Warranty terms & transferability | “Lifetime transferable warranty” | Who backs the warranty (contractor only vs. third-party trust), the settlement threshold required to trigger a free adjustment (for example, how many tenths of an inch of movement), transfer fee and deadline when selling the house, and drainage/plumbing exclusions that void coverage. | Read fine print |
2. Questions we help you send back to the foundation or drainage contractor
- Can you attach the floor-elevation drawing showing the readings and the exact placement of each proposed exterior and interior pier?
- Are the independent Professional Engineer (P.E.) pre-lift design letter, city permit fee, and post-lift P.E. completion letter included in the total price?
- Is a post-lift hydrostatic plumbing test by a plumber included in the quote?
- For the French drain, does the quote use rigid PVC pipe (SDR-35 or Schedule 40) in a fabric-lined washed-gravel trench, and are the roof downspouts tied into a separate solid discharge line?
- What exact measurement change triggers a warranty adjustment, what is the fee or notice window to transfer the warranty to a future home buyer, and what conditions void the coverage?
Other trade quote reviews on finalist.cc: Roof replacement quote review · HVAC replacement quote review · Fence and deck quote review.
Send your foundation or drainage quote
Paste your foundation repair, pier-and-beam, or French drain quote below, or choose that it is a PDF or photo. A person at finalist.cc reads it against our checklist and replies by email with a benchmark note.
What happens next
- A person reads the quote line by line.
- If the quote includes an elevation map PDF or photo, we reply by email and ask for it; you attach it to your reply.
- You get a benchmark note by email: included, missing, vague, the arithmetic, questions to ask, and a scope for a second bid.
We do not send your quote or your details to foundation or drainage contractors.