About FoundationAnswers
Most foundation advice comes from people selling the fix. Ours doesn't.
FoundationAnswers is an independent guide to foundations, crawl spaces, basement water, damp and water damage, written and checked by a licensed geotechnical engineer. We sell no repairs, so we can tell you when you don't need one.
Last updated
- 0repairs sold, and no leads sold
- 30engineer-checked guides published
- 9topic hubs across the whole house
- 3states where our engineer holds a PE license
Why we exist
You deserve an answer before you get a sales pitch
You find a crack in the basement wall, a stain on the ceiling or a musty smell under the floor. You search for answers, and most of the results come from companies that sell the repair. Their articles can be detailed, but they end with a booking form, and they rarely tell you that the problem needs no repair at all.
FoundationAnswers takes your side of that conversation. Our goal is simple: you walk into any talk with a contractor already knowing what a fair answer looks like.
| Question | Typical sales page | FoundationAnswers |
|---|---|---|
| Goal of the page | Book an appointment | Answer your question |
| "Leave it alone" verdict | Rare | Given when true |
| Prices | "Call for a free quote" | Sourced ranges |
| Who checks it | Often unnamed | A named, licensed PE |
| Where it ends | A booking form | Your next step |
Our promise
Every guide answers three questions, in order
- 1
Is this serious?
A clear verdict, such as normal, monitor or call an engineer, with the measurements behind it.
- 2
Why is it happening?
The real cause in plain English, because a repair that ignores the cause rarely lasts.
- 3
What will fixing it involve and cost?
The options, their limits and sourced price ranges, so you can judge a quote.
The engineer behind the guides
Rebecca Scherzinger, PE
Geotechnical Engineer, PE
Every guide is written and checked by Rebecca Scherzinger, a licensed Professional Engineer in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana with an MS in geotechnical engineering from Virginia Tech. Geotechnical engineering is the study of how soil, rock and water behave under structures, which is where most foundation problems begin.
We never claim site visits, inspections or projects that did not happen.
- MS, Geotechnical Engineering
- PE: Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana
- Soil, foundations and groundwater
Our process
How a guide gets made
Start with real questions
We study what homeowners ask in search results and on forums.
Go to primary sources
Numbers come from building codes, government agencies, research and named cost data.
Engineer review
Thresholds, verdicts, repair advice and costs are checked before a guide goes live.
Keep it honest
Dates change only when content changes, and sources are listed on every guide.
Read our methodology and full editorial policy.
What we stand for
Four rules we don't bend
We sell no repairs
We are not a contractor, we don't sell leads, and no installer pays to appear in a guide.
Numbers you can check
Diagnosis guides give crack widths, humidity levels and floor slopes you can measure yourself.
Honest verdicts
When the right answer is "leave it alone", that is what we say.
Open about costs
Cost guides show price ranges, what they include, and how to read a quote.
What we cover
From the footing up to the ceiling stain
- Foundation cracks
- Settling and subsidence
- Crawl spaces
- Basement water
- Damp and mold
- Water damage
- Repair methods
- Floors, walls and doors
- Inspections and buying
Most guides are written for the United States first. Where words, standards or prices differ, we publish a national version for Canada, the United Kingdom or Australia. We don't publish city or "near me" pages, because the engineering does not change from one town to the next.
How we're paid
How the site makes money
How we earn
- Display advertising
- A small number of clearly labeled product links, such as moisture meters or crack gauges that a guide explains
- If you buy through one of those links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you
What we never do
- Take payment from repair companies
- Sell your details as a lead
- Let an advertiser change a verdict or a cost range
Read the full advertising disclosure.
Spotted an error, or have a question?
Tell us if a price is out of date or a standard has changed. We fix confirmed errors quickly and note significant changes on the page.
New here? You can browse every topic from the FoundationAnswers homepage.