Structural engineer cost

A structural engineer's report on a house costs $400 to $1,500, typically around $700. A brief consultation is $200 to $500. A full engineered repair design is $1,000 to $3,000.

It is the best money anyone spends on a foundation problem, and the reason is simple: an engineer does not sell repairs. Foundation contractors give free inspections, and a free inspection from someone who profits from the answer is a sales call that may also be honest.

What it costs

What you actually get

A useful report contains:

• An elevation survey: floor heights measured across the house, so the shape and the amount of movement are numbers rather than impressions
• What the movement is, and whether it is settlement, heave, lateral pressure or simply an old house that has always been like that
• Whether it is active or historic, which decides whether anything needs doing at all
• The likely cause, which is usually drainage, soil moisture, or a tree
• A recommendation, including the recommendation to do nothing, which contractors rarely reach
• A specification if repair is needed: the type of repair, the locations, the depths, the loads

That specification is what makes three contractor quotes comparable. Without it, one quotes eight piers, one quotes fourteen, one quotes carbon fiber, and you cannot compare any of them.

When to get one

Before accepting any five-figure repair proposal. Always.

When two contractors disagree, which they routinely do.

When buying a house with foundation findings, during the inspection period. $700 is trivial against the price of the house and it is often the strongest negotiating document available.

When cracks are new, widening, or diagonal from window and door corners.

When floors slope noticeably, or doors that closed last year do not now.

Before removing a wall, where the load calculation is the job.

Not for a hairline crack in a basement wall that has not moved in ten years. That is normal concrete shrinkage.

Finding one who is independent

Ask directly: do you design repairs, do you sell repairs, and are you affiliated with any contractor.

Some engineers work for foundation repair companies and produce reports supporting that company's proposal. That report is not independent and it should not be treated as one, though it is often presented that way.

Look for a licensed Professional Engineer with a structural specialization, working for an engineering firm rather than a contractor, who charges a fee rather than offering the visit free.

Foundation repair companies frequently offer a "free structural inspection". It is a free sales inspection, sometimes performed competently. It is not the same document.

Frequently asked questions

Is an engineer's report worth $700 on a $12,000 repair?

Yes, and the arithmetic is not close. It routinely changes the recommended scope by more than its own cost, and occasionally it finds that no repair is needed at all.

Will contractors accept the engineer's specification?

Reputable ones prefer it: the scope is defined, the liability is clearer, and they can price precisely. A contractor who resists working to an engineer's spec is telling you something.

Do I need one for a small crack?

No. A crack under about an eighth of an inch that has not moved is normal. Mark the ends with a pencil and the date and measure it monthly. If it has not moved through a wet and a dry season, seal it and forget it.

Can the engineer supervise the repair?

Many will, for an additional fee, and the post-repair verification letter is worth having. It is what you show a buyer's inspector in ten years.

What if the engineer says do nothing?

That is a legitimate and common finding, and it is the outcome that saves the most money. Old houses move; movement that stopped decades ago needs monitoring rather than piers.