Bank requesting inspection report for foundation

I have a client who has requested an inspection on the foundation as requested by her bank. I am doing a whole house inspection for her. Anything special the bank might be looking for in requesting a foundation inspection?

Is it a manufactured home?

No, Larry. It was built in 1931 and is a two story with a full basement.

That is probably why the bank wants to make sure their investment is solid. :smile:

Is the basement finished?

Not sure if the basement is finished. I don’t believe that is. The home is only 2500sq feet and is two story.

James where are you located?

Here in many parts of Texas we have highly expansive soils which results in quite a few foundation issues. Of course we are mostly slab here but the concept would be the same in that they are most likely looking for some type of verification there are no major issues. Unless you are also a licensed Engineer make sure you do CYA with appropriate language to help them understand it is not an engineering review.

Good advice for James and others, Manny! :smile:

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I’d start with asking the client to request from the bank what they want reported on. No sense guessing. General condition is different from all cracks and flaws is different from any horizontal cracks. If the bank is asking for a specific inspection it may have specific criteria.

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Exactly, once you know exactly what they want, you will know if it within your abilities.

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Make sure they’re not asking for a foundation certification. That’s an engineer’s responsibility, at least in my state.

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