Structural engineer cost
A structural engineer's report costs $400 to $1,500. It is the best money anyone spends on a foundation problem, for one reason: an engineer does not sell repairs.
National average
$700
per each
On this page
- What it costs
- What you actually get
- When to get one
- Finding one who is independent
- Frequently asked questions
- Is an engineer's report worth $700 on a $12,000 repair?
- Will contractors accept the engineer's specification?
- Do I need one for a small crack?
- Can the engineer supervise the repair?
- What if the engineer says do nothing?
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
| Service | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Site visit and verbal opinion | $200 to $500 |
| Written report with findings | $400 to $1,500 |
| Report with a repair design and specification | $1,000 to $3,000 |
| Elevation survey of the floors | $300 to $900 |
| Reviewing a contractor's proposal | $300 to $800 |
| Post-repair verification letter | $300 to $900 |
| Monitoring visits, per visit | $200 to $600 |
| Load calculation for a wall removal | $400 to $1,500 |
| Design for a beam or header | $500 to $2,000 |
| Expert report for a dispute | $2,000 to $10,000 |
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 fibre, 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 specialisation, 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.
Read next
Foundation inspection cost$300 to $1,000per eachA foundation inspection costs $300 to $1,000 from an independent inspector. Repair companies offer them free, and that is a sales visit that may also be a competent inspection.
Foundation pier cost$1,500 to $4,000per eachUnderpinning costs $7,000 to $30,000, typically $16,000. Push piers are $1,500 to $3,500 each and helical piers $2,000 to $4,000. Piers are priced per pier, not per foot of wall.
Carbon fiber strap cost$800 to $2,000per eachCarbon fibre straps cost $800 to $2,000 each, so a 30 foot bowing wall is $5,000 to $12,000. All the bracing methods stop a wall moving further; only wall anchors can straighten it.
Foundation crack repair cost$350 to $1,000per eachInjecting a foundation crack costs $350 to $1,000, typically $600. The expensive question is not the injection: it is whether the crack is the problem or a symptom of something moving.
Does insurance cover foundation repair$5,000 to $30,000per projectHomeowners insurance generally does not. The standard policy excludes earth movement, settling and cracking, which is most of what causes foundation problems. The exceptions are worth knowing precisely.