What it measures · 60–90 minutes · What to expect
What a foundation inspection measures, and what to expect.
A foundation inspection should end with measurements. This is the walkthrough, stop by stop: the floor-elevation survey that shows how far and where the slab has moved, the crack mapping and drainage review, and the written report you keep. Roughly a third of the time the read is “monitor it, water the foundation, fix the gutters,” and we say so. Ready to have one done? Book your free foundation inspection.
What actually happens
What actually happens at your inspection.
Exterior walk
Brick and mortar joints, frieze boards, caulk lines, expansion joints, corners. We photograph and measure every crack (width, direction, location) because the pattern tells us which way the slab is moving.
Interior observations
Doors and windows (which stick, which corners), drywall cracks above openings, tile and flooring, baseboards pulling from floors. You walk with us, because we want you seeing what we see.
Floor elevation survey
A ZipLevel altimeter reads relative floor heights across the whole slab, on a grid. This is the heart of the inspection: feelings lie, slopes mislead, but a 40-point elevation map doesn't.
Moisture context
Drainage paths, gutters and downspouts, grading, trees within root-reach of the slab, irrigation, and plumbing red flags (unexplained warm spots, high bills, constantly damp soil).
The straight answer
Same visit, you get the picture in plain English: stable, monitor, or repair, with the elevation map to justify it. If repair makes sense, you get a marked pier plan and a firm price. If not, you get advice and we leave.
What’s included
Every free inspection includes all five.
Floor elevation readings
A ZipLevel altimeter maps relative floor heights across the whole slab on a grid, and it is the objective heart of the inspection.
Crack mapping with photos
Every crack documented: width, direction, location, inside and out. The pattern tells us which way the structure is moving.
Drainage & moisture review
Gutters, downspouts, grading, trees within root-reach, irrigation, and plumbing red flags, which are the causes behind most movement.
Doors, windows & interior checks
Which doors stick, which corners rack, what the trim and tile are saying, all read against the elevation map, not in isolation.
Written findings
The elevation map, crack documentation, our read on cause and trajectory, and a recommendation, including “no repair needed” when that's the truth.
Costs
Free inspection vs. paid engineer report, both are legitimate.
Motmot inspection, free
Elevation survey, crack mapping, drainage review, written findings, and a firm per-pier price if repair makes sense. The honest caveat about any contractor inspection, ours included, is the incentive. The inspector works for a repair company. We blunt that by paying nobody a commission on pier count and putting the elevation map, not a pitch, at the center of the visit.
Independent structural engineer, typically $300–$600 in Texas
A licensed P.E. sells you nothing but the report, and that independence is worth paying for in the right cases: pre-purchase due diligence on a big unknown, litigation or insurance documentation, unusual structures, or a tiebreaker between wildly different repair bids. We work alongside independent engineers comfortably, and we’ll tell you when your case warrants one.
Want the full breakdown of who charges what and when each is the right call? Read foundation inspection vs structural engineer report for the decision matrix, our guide to foundation inspection cost in Texas. Or, if you already have a quote in hand, bring it to a free second opinion.
From real inspections
What we photograph and measure.
Every crack gets documented (width, direction, location) because the pattern, read against the elevation map, is what separates cosmetic from structural. Want to pre-read your own walls? Start with how to tell if foundation cracks are serious and the top 10 signs, ranked.
The elevation map
The elevation survey puts your floor into numbers.
Every inspection produces a relative elevation map like this one. Green is level; red is the low corner. The pattern, not any single number, reveals whether movement is settlement, heave, or nothing at all.
It also becomes your baseline. If we recommend monitoring, the next survey (also free) shows exactly what changed. If we repair, the before/after maps document the lift for your records and for your future buyer’s inspector. (Buying rather than owning? Here’s our option-period playbook for foundation inspections, plus the ten questions to ask any contractor, including us.)
From a Google review
“The inspection process was thorough, including interior and exterior evaluation and elevation readings, and everything was clearly explained so we understood the issue and the solution.”
Straight answers
Inspection questions, answered straight.
Look it up yourself
Your inspection starts with your specific soil.
The USDA’s Web Soil Survey maps the exact soil under any address in the country, giving you the series name, its shrink–swell rating, drainage class, and depth to bedrock, free and public.
How we use it: before we ever name a method, we read what’s actually beneath your slab, then confirm it with elevation readings on site. You can pull your own map too. Enter your address, draw a box around your lot, and open “Soil Data Explorer.”
Find your home’s soil on USDA Web Soil Survey →From real jobs and inspections
What a Motmot inspection looks like in the field.
Get the measured truth about your foundation.
Free elevation survey, written summary, and a straight answer, whether that's repair, monitor, or relax.
Now booking free inspections in Central Texas.