Guide
How to compare foundation repair bids for your apartment community
Two foundation bids for the same building can sit thousands of dollars apart and still not be comparable. Here is what to line up before you decide.
Why foundation bids vary so much
Foundation contractors may propose different repair methods, different numbers of piers or pilings, and different ways of reaching the work, such as tunneling under the slab or breaking out the interior floor. Some bids include engineering, permits and a plumbing test. Others leave them out. Warranty terms also differ in length, what they cover, and whether they pass to a new owner.
Line up these items in every bid
- Scope by building: which buildings are included and what work is planned for each
- Repair method and count: the type of pier or piling, how many, and the assumed depth
- Access method: tunneling under the slab or interior breakouts, with quantities
- Concrete and finishes: who patches the slab and who replaces flooring
- Engineering and permits: who orders the engineer’s report and pulls the permit, and who pays
- Plumbing test: whether a post-repair plumbing test is included
- Warranty: length, what it covers, its conditions, and whether it transfers
- Payment schedule and deposit
- Extras: unit prices for extra piers, extra tunneling or rock, so surprises have a price
- Exclusions: damage to flooring, plumbing, landscaping or brick the contractor will not repair
Watch for these
- A single lump-sum price with no pier counts and no building names
- An “all buildings” bid that does not break out each building
- Contract terms that limit what you can say about the contractor, or that force arbitration. Read the fine print.
- A warranty that depends on a plumbing test or on payment steps you have not planned for
This guide is general information. AdoreList is a bid-sourcing and vendor-matching service. We do not perform construction work, and we do not guarantee contractor performance or final pricing.
Want foundation bids you can actually compare?
We send every contractor the same written scope and deliver the bids side by side.