Why hire an independent structural engineer?
by Fred Falcone II
At Falcone Crawl Space we believe that an engineer should be hired for an exterior foundation issues as well some interior foundation issues. The North Carolina Board of Engineers has a rule that our views reflect; it can be found at http://www.ncbels.org/forms/foundationrepaircompanyguidelines.pdf.
Many foundation repair companies are not aware of the rule, don’t care about the rule, or utilize loop holes in the rule. We believe YOU should research and retain an engineer you believe to be the best fit for you and your home.
Yes, we could hire an engineer and have them on staff but we feel that would be a big conflict of interest. We could have them “over engineer” for the sake of a larger repair. However, if you engage the engineer yourself they have no vested interest as to the scope of the repair, only to the adequacy of the structural repairs they are engineering. That engineer or firm is now working for you and can help protect you by ensuring the repairs are performed per their specifications and with proper materials.
Also, once you have received their report you can then get quotes from multiple foundation repair companies and with the report know you are getting an apple to apples quote based on the engineer’s recommendations. This will (in most cases) help to eliminate the confusing process of trying to decipher the lingo, industry terms, and adequacy of quotes provided.
We could use the loop hole and partner with an engineering firm and show up in the foundation repair firm’s truck and uniform but actually be under “direct supervisory control (responsible charge) of the PE” during the evaluation, then they call the engineer and show them some photos and inform him/her of their repair plan and the engineer will OK it. The sales man clocks out from the engineers control, puts back on the proverbial hat of the sales man and pitch you the repair plan and estimate. Yes, this technique meets the rules set forth by the North Carolina Board of Engineers and Surveyors but we feel this approach is deceiving.
At Falcone Crawl Space, we advocate for homeowners to hire an independent, licensed structural engineer when one is needed. We can work with any licensed structural engineer in North or South Carolina. If you want help finding an engineer, please contact us (LINK) and we will point you to some who we think will do a great job for you.
Engineer Finder Form
If you are in need of an Engineer, we would be more than happy to recommend one for your project. Please fill out the form below, and we will get back to you as soon as possible with a suitable recommendation based on your city and state.
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