For realtors & home inspectors

Under-Slab Access for Repairs Before Closing

A failed hydrostatic test or a foundation note in the report doesn't have to kill the deal. The calendar is what kills it. We open the access fast so the repair and the re-test both land inside the option period, and so there is something specific to put in front of the buyer.

Get a Tunneling Quote (210) 816-0034

Access opened under a foundation so a pre-closing repair can be made on time.

Agents and inspectors are usually first to know when an under-slab problem surfaces, and the question is always the same. Can this be fixed before we close? Two things decide the answer. How quickly the access opens, and what the buyer gets told while it is open. Digging is what takes the days, so the day the issue surfaces is the day to start. Then the paperwork matters, because a repair the buyer can't see is the hardest kind to close on. We photograph the access, the condition it exposed, and the finished backfill, so the file shows work rather than assurances.

“Under-slab access for repair work before closing”“Fast hydrostatic-failure access during the option period”“Documented access and restoration for the closing file”

When you call us

The jobs that need a tunnel.

Hydrostatic test failed in the option period

The buyer wants it fixed before closing. We dig to the leak fast so the repair and the re-test both fit the option days you have left.

The buyer wants to know what was done

Nobody can inspect a repair buried under a slab. We document the access, the exposed condition, and the backfill so the agent has something real to hand across the table.

Inspection flags possible foundation movement

A single line in a report can spook a buyer. Get eyes under the slab, or a free second opinion, so the negotiation runs on measurements.

Repair required before funding

A lender or a buyer requires the fix before closing. We open the access on a schedule built backward from the funding date.

A staged home still showing

Tunneling from outside keeps the interior presentable, so showings continue while the repair happens below the floor.

What you get

How we work with you.

What you refer reflects on you, so we treat your client like ours. A schedule we keep, a property left clean, and an honest read when the flagged issue turns out to be cosmetic, because telling your client not to spend protects your relationship better than a quick job would. When the repair is real we move on it, coordinate the licensed trade, and backfill before the walkthrough so the buyer sees a finished yard. Then ask us for the photos and the backfill record. Handing a buyer a documented repair at the table is worth more to the deal than the two days you'd save by skipping it.

SCOPE OF WORK

Access dug on a schedule that protects the closing date
Coordination with the licensed plumber or foundation crew
A read on whether a flagged issue is structural or cosmetic
Clean backfill and restoration before final walkthrough
Photos and documentation for the transaction file

How every bore is held

Velocity, precision, OSHA, quality control, and the standards behind them.

Tunneling is the slow, risky part of a plumbing or foundation job. We run it like a discipline, not a dig.

VEL

Velocity

Hand-tunneling is the slow part of any plumbing or foundation job. We staff the bore to the schedule and hand over an open, ready trench instead of billable hours spent waiting on a shovel.

PRC

Precision

We dig to the plan. Depth, width and pitch are shot before the first spade and verified as we go, so the pipe run or the pier lands where the drawing says.

SAF

OSHA safety

Cave-in exposure is real. We work to OSHA Subpart P excavation practice: protective systems, safe access and egress, spoil set back from the edge, water and air managed, and daily competent-person inspection.

Quality control

Every bore is checked against the drawing for working width, clean floor and walls, and true pitch. Backfill goes in compacted lifts so the ground above settles right.

STD

Standards & compliance

Texas 811 is called and lines are located before we dig. We sell the access, not the licensed pipe work. Permits, locates and clean documentation come standard.

Why a foundation crew digs a better tunnel

We come out of foundation repair, and we've dug alongside plumbers for years, so we know how to dig it.

We know how a sewer line runs under a slab, where the belly usually hides, and how much room it takes to set a fitting and lie down to make a joint. So we open the bore wider at the repair, shore it, keep it dry, light it, and get out of the way. Years of watching the pipe work happen is what tells us how wide to make it.

We open the work area wider where the repair is, leaving room to set, slope, and joint
Shored, dry, and lit so the plumber works in a tunnel, not a hole
We dig it and back-fill it; your licensed plumber does the pipe work

From locate to backfill

How an under-slab tunnel runs.

Locate & plan

We call Texas 811, locate utilities, and shoot the depth, width, and pitch the repair needs before a spade hits the ground.

Open the entry

A compact entry pit goes in at the chosen point, usually outside the foundation, so the floors above stay whole.

Tunnel to the work

We hand-tunnel to the pipe run, pier location, or access point, widening the bore where the repair happens.

Shore & hand off

The bore is shored and inspected, then handed off open, dry, and workable to your licensed plumber, foundation crew, or engineer.

Backfill in lifts

Once the repair passes, we place backfill in compacted lifts so the slab, drive, or walk above settles correctly.

Clean & document

Spoil hauled, site restored, and the access and backfill documented for your file or warranty.

LICENSING & SAFE DIGGING

In Texas, plumbing repairs are regulated by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, which issues Tradesman, Journeyman, Master, and Inspector licenses. Motmot sells under-slab tunneling and access excavation, and partners with your licensed plumber for the pipe repair. Before any dig, Texas 811 is contacted at least two business days ahead so gas, water, and utility lines are located first.

Industry FAQ

Realtors & inspectors tunneling, questions answered.

Can a repair really get done before closing?

Often, yes, if the access starts quickly. The dig is the slow half, so the sooner we tunnel to the repair, the more option days your plumber or foundation crew has left to fix it and re-test. Call the day the issue surfaces.

My client's inspection mentioned the foundation. Now what?

Don't let a vague note drive your client's decision. We can shoot floor elevations and put a number on the movement, or provide a free second opinion, so your client knows whether it's a structural fix or a cosmetic item to disclose.

What do we tell the buyer?

Show them the record. We photograph the opened access, the condition underneath, and the finished backfill, and the licensed plumber's test result covers the repair itself. A buyer who can see what happened under the slab has a lot less to be nervous about at the table.

Will the property look finished for the walkthrough?

Yes. We backfill, compact, and restore the site so the buyer's final walkthrough shows a clean property rather than an open excavation.

Do you pay or accept referral fees?

We don't do anything that complicates a transaction. We earn agent and inspector referrals by being fast and clean, and by making your client glad you sent us.

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