Had my pier & beam foundation redone. Did not pass inspection!!?

Question

Remodeling and old house in a small town in Texas. We paid a contractor who has been redoing foundations in this area for 25 years. ( And his inspections have been passing. ) The house is sitting on blocks now. ( It was sitting on cedar stumps.) The inspector said that the house must meet requirement for footing in the 2003 IRC or provide an engineer letter stating that it is secure. What is he talking about? This whole town has pier and beam foundations sitting on blocks and also cedar stumps. I have done spent a fortune on this leveling now I am going to have to spend more?? Can someone help out in this matter? This is just the beginning with the permits. I also want to have the bathroom and kitchen remodeled. At this point I wish I would have never bought this house and am wanting to sell it as is. If I have to redo this foundation again, shouldn't all of the rest of the people in this town who have recently had inspections redo theirs as well?

Answer 1

Get the contractor to follow up with the inspector because you paid him to do the job right. It may be a CYA situation, and the inspector wants to see competent authority approve the job.

Answer 2

I would guess that the code has become more stringent, as a result of things like Hurricane Katrina and that the inspectors are being asked to enforce the code everytime there's permitted work being done. I assume the the rest of the town's now non-compliant foundations were built before this particular regulation took effect?

In any case, try to get an engineer to draft a letter saying that it's secure. That's going to be your best bet.

I don't think that raising a stink about everyone else's foundations being non-compliant is going to get you anywhere. Hopefully the engineer's professional opinion will not cost you too much. I know how frustrating it is dealing with a government agency who seems to only see through a narrow tunnel.

You probably won't be able to sell your house, at least not for as much, if you leave it in non-compliance. Is the house legal to occupy? An outstanding failed inspection on something structural, like the foundation, is going to make that house hard to sell. Do what you have to do to satisfy that inspector. Cry hardship, complain, get the engineer to write you a letter, but get it taken care of.

Answer 3

Retain an engineer to inspect and recommend the needed changes in writing, then have your contractor make the required changes. What your inspector is doing is CHA for  any future problems and insurance.

Answer 4

You have to fully complete the job of leveling the foundation because you started the job. Once you get a contractor such as foundation, electrical or HVAC to come out and begin working on your place, they are required by law to complete the job and bring you up to the current state and county codes. You need to look at the contract between you and the foundation company to see if they specified they would complete only certain aspects or whether they were to complete the job for x amount of $$$.