Start from the scope, not the total
Two foundation proposals rarely describe the same work. When homeowners tell us one company quoted far more than another, the difference almost always turns out to be scope rather than margin.
The purpose of this guide is to give you a repeatable way to compare them. Work through the sections below with both documents in front of you. If either proposal cannot answer a line, that absence is itself information.
If you want the terminology decoded first, our guide on understanding a foundation repair proposal covers what each line item actually means.
What we cannot tell you
Before the worksheet, an honest limitation. A website cannot determine that another company’s proposal contains unnecessary work. We have not seen your property, we have not seen their measurements, and a claim like that made from a distance is marketing rather than analysis.
What this guide can do is show you what to compare and what questions to ask each contractor directly. The answers to those questions are considerably more useful than any third party’s opinion.
The comparison worksheet
| Compare | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Was an elevation survey performed? | ||
| Pier count | ||
| Pier locations shown on a plan? | ||
| Pier system specified | ||
| Depth approach stated | ||
| Interior piers included? | ||
| Access method (tunneling or breakout) | ||
| Permit filed and itemized? | ||
| Plumbing testing included? | ||
| Restoration included, by surface | ||
| Exclusions written out | ||
| Schedule and duration | ||
| Payment terms | ||
| Warranty document provided | ||
| Warranty transferable? |
Fill both columns before looking at either total. The gaps will usually explain the price difference on their own.
The lines that matter most
Was there a survey? A quote based on a walk-around and a quote based on a digital manometer elevation survey are not comparable. One is an impression; the other is measurement. Ask which you are holding.
Pier locations on a plan. A count without locations tells you nothing about placement, and placement is what determines whether the repair addresses the movement.
System and depth. Twelve pressed pilings and twelve steel piers are different products reaching different depths. Neither is universally better. They should not be compared as though they were interchangeable.
Permits. Underpinning in Dallas is permitted and inspected. A proposal that does not mention permitting either excludes it or is not planning to pull one. Both are worth clarifying.
Plumbing testing. Under-slab leaks can cause movement and can be caused by it. A proposal including pre- and post-lift testing costs more and closes a question the other one leaves open.
Restoration. The single most common source of end-of-project disputes. Get it in writing, surface by surface.
Questions to ask each contractor
Ask both, and compare the answers rather than the brochures:
- How did you determine this pier count? Which measurements support it?
- Where exactly will the piers go, and can you show me on a plan?
- What system, and why that system for my soil and load?
- What happens if a pier meets an obstruction before reaching bearing?
- Is the permit included, and who schedules the inspection?
- What is specifically excluded from this price?
- What documentation will I receive when the work is finished?
- Can I read the warranty before I sign the contract?
A contractor who answers these clearly is giving you the means to check their work. One who deflects is telling you something too.
Reading the price difference
Once the worksheet is filled in, the gap usually resolves into one of three explanations.
Different scope. The most common. One proposal covers more work. Whether the extra work is necessary is a question for the measurements, not the price.
Different system or depth. Steel reaching deep bearing costs more than shallower pressed concrete. That is a real difference in what gets installed.
Different inclusions. Permits, plumbing testing, tunneling, and restoration each move the total meaningfully.
If the two proposals genuinely match on all of the above and still differ substantially, then you are looking at a pricing difference, and choosing the lower one is reasonable.
Before you sign
Ask for the warranty document itself rather than a summary. Check what voids coverage, how transfer works, and what is explicitly excluded. Ask what closeout documentation you receive: elevation records, installation logs, permit sign-off, and plumbing results.
Then make the decision on scope and documentation, with price as the tiebreaker between equivalent options. That is the order that protects you. Our own slab foundation repair scopes are written to be compared this way on purpose.