A foundation warranty is only as good as its terms and the company behind it. Read what it actually covers (usually re-adjusting the pilings installed), what it excludes (new settlement elsewhere, cosmetic cracks, drainage, plumbing), whether it transfers to a buyer, and whether the company will be around to honor it.
Foundation Repair Baton Rouge recommends reading every warranty in full before signing, including ours. Here’s what to look for.
What most warranties cover
Most foundation repair warranties cover adjustment of the specific pilings or piers installed if the areas they support settle again. That usually means the company returns to re-shim or re-lift at those points at no charge, within stated limits.
What they usually exclude
- Settlement in areas without installed pilings.
- Cosmetic damage — drywall, brick, tile — from movement or from the lift itself.
- Plumbing damage, especially old cast-iron drains.
- Movement caused by drainage, plumbing leaks, tree roots or flooding.
- Earth movement such as fault activity.
- Damage if the homeowner fails to maintain drainage.
Questions to ask
- What exactly is covered — adjustment only, or new pilings too?
- What triggers a claim — a measured amount of movement, or any complaint?
- Is there a fee to make a claim?
- Is it transferable? Within what period after sale, and for what fee?
- What maintenance is required of me (drainage, watering)?
- How long has the company been in business, and who honors the warranty if it closes?
- Is the warranty a separate signed document?
A good warranty needs good records
A warranty is far easier to use if you have the piling map, depth log and before-and-after readings from the original job. Without them, it’s hard to show what moved. Keep them with your house papers, and hand them to a buyer if you sell — see selling a house with foundation issues.
Bottom line
Read the terms, not the headline. Clear coverage, transferability and records matter more than the word “lifetime.” For a repair with full documentation, call Foundation Repair Baton Rouge.