There are a handful of reasons to book an inspection. A crack showed up after a wet winter. A buyer’s home inspector wrote “recommend evaluation by a structural professional” and escrow closes in two weeks. Or the house sits near a bluff and the owner wants a baseline before anything changes. The approach shifts a little for each, but the goal is the same: a clear read on the structure, in plain language.
When a sale is on the calendar
Census figures put the median home value in Encinitas around $1.65 million, and above $2 million in the Cardiff ZIP (92007). At those numbers a foundation surprise after closing is expensive. A pre-purchase visit is usually quick, and it gives the buyer something concrete to negotiate with or walk away from. Sellers sometimes get one first so there’s nothing new for a buyer’s inspector to find.
Tip for buyers: ask the seller for any old geotech reports, permits, or repair records. Houses near the coast often have a paper trail, and it saves time.
The walk-through, crawl space to downspouts
This page also covers what some companies sell separately as a “structural inspection.” We don’t split them. A foundation problem shows up in the framing, and a framing problem often starts at the foundation.
- Cracks. Location, width, pattern, and whether edges are offset. We map them so you have something to compare against later. See foundation cracks and wall cracks.
- Floor levels. A digital level or manometer survey across the floor shows whether a slope is gradual (often old construction) or concentrated (often movement). See uneven floors.
- Crawl space, if there is one. Posts, piers, girders, mudsill, moisture, and any wood decay.
- Doors, windows, and framing. Racking, gaps, and separations at additions.
- Water. Downspouts, grading, irrigation, and where runoff ends up. On a coastal lot this matters a lot.
- Exterior concrete. Spalling and rust stains on homes close to the ocean. See salt air and concrete corrosion.
What we don’t cover, and who does
A foundation inspection isn’t a geotechnical investigation. We can tell you a footing has settled. We can’t tell you, from the surface, why the soil under it gave way or how far down good material starts. That takes a geotechnical engineer with borings. And on a bluff-top lot, the question of how the bluff itself is behaving belongs to an engineering geologist. The City’s Coastal Bluff Overlay requires a site-specific geotechnical report for development on those parcels.
When our findings point to engineering, we coordinate with licensed engineers as needed and tell you why.
Bluff-top and near-bluff homes
For homes in Leucadia, Old Encinitas, and Cardiff near the bluff edge, a baseline inspection is worth having. We document crack locations, floor elevations, and drainage paths with photos and measurements, so a later visit can tell you whether anything changed. It doesn’t replace monitoring by your geotech. It gives you a structural record to put next to it. More on bluff-top home foundations.
The written summary
A written summary with photos: what we found, what we think it means, what we’d do about it (including “nothing yet”), and whether an engineer or geotech should weigh in before anyone quotes a repair. If repair makes sense, we’ll give you a Free Quote.
Questions we hear around town
Do I need to be home for the visit?
It helps, since you can point out what you’ve noticed. If you can’t be there, a neighbor, agent or property manager can let us in.
We have a manufactured home. Can you look at it?
Tell us about it first. A manufactured home is supported differently from a site-built house, so describe the setup when you reach out and we’ll let you know whether it’s something we evaluate.
Do you inspect condos and townhomes?
Yes, but in an HOA building the foundation is usually common area. Loop in the association early.
Is your inspection the same as a geotech report?
No. We look at the house: foundation, framing, drainage, and signs of movement. A geotechnical report looks at the ground itself, with borings and lab work, prepared by a licensed engineer or engineering geologist. If what we see points to a soils question, we’ll say so and coordinate with licensed engineers as needed.
Get a Free Quote
Tell us the address area, the reason for the visit, and your timeline, especially if you’re in escrow. If the findings lead to repair, see foundation repair.