Table of Contents
A structural engineer inspection is performed to know whether or not your home has a damaged structure.
Structure inspections for any building are done by structural engineers licensed in their state of practice. For instance, to inspect your Miami home, the structural building inspector or engineer should have an inspection license for Florida.
The structural engineer/s will look at your home’s foundation, walls, beams, roof, crawl space, etc., to begin with. They do so to find any potential signals of risk or damage to your home’s structural integrity.
If the structural engineer suspects an underlying problem, an in-depth assessment will be conducted to find its exact nature. And it is only after a thorough evaluation of your home that the structural building inspector will document a report.
The objective structural engineer inspection is two-fold:
Once the structure inspections are complete, the engineer/s will share the findings about the condition of your building. Also, they’ll share their expert opinion on the best way you can maintain and upkeep your home’s structure.
It is indeed essential that you obtain a post-inspection report from the structural engineer upon completion of the inspection process.
You see, the inspection report contains every detail of your home’s structure, including the damages it has induced over time and possible construction defects. And since building inspectors document their opinions on structural refurbishment needs and best practices, you can easily do the fixes.
In fact, your engineer can even help you hire a qualified firm to carry out the necessary repairs.
There’s more to a post-inspection report.
A structural inspection report will come in handy when you’re selling your home or buying one.
How?
Many state laws legally require sellers to disclose the current state of the building and its structure. And the only way you can learn about your home’s conditions and possible defects is through a structural inspection report.
So it’s good to hire an engineer and get a house structural inspection before listing your home for sale. That way, you’ll have enough time to fix potential problems and even have the upper hand in price negotiations since you can assure prospective buyers of structural safety.
The same applies when you’re buying a home, as you can renegotiate the deal based on any structural problems documented in the report.
As you can see, we can’t overstate the importance of a structural inspection report.
Are you wondering when a complete home structural engineer inspection is needed?
Here are a few signs that you should be on the lookout for:
If you notice cracks in the home foundation or on the wall surfaces, floors, door openings, etc., it’s definitely not a good sign.
Multiple horizontal or vertical cracks on the exteriors and interiors of your home can be an indication of a shifting home foundation. And that can be too risky for your safety as the building’s structure can even crumble and collapse.
The only way you can get to understand the extent of the problem and possible remedy is through a structural inspection.
Further, if you think that the problem is foundational in nature, maybe it is time for a home foundation inspection.
Do you notice an uneven shape of your floors lately?
If yes, that can be a sign of some structural damage beneath your feet. That’s because homes are built either on a raised foundation or a slab, and if the floor cracks or becomes sloppy, it means there’ve been some structural shifts.
So it’s better to get structure inspections in such instances and fix the issue timely to prevent bigger problems.
The amount you’ll spend on home structure inspections depends on factors like your property’s size, location, age, etc. For example, you can expect to pay between $350 and $700 for a small to medium-sized home.
However, a large or old structure uninspected for a long time can even cost you upward of $3000.
You may wonder what exactly determines the cost of the inspection?
You see, there are mainly three things that decide how much you pay for the inspection, namely:
Apart from the standard structural inspection cost, you might want the engineer to draw plans for new additions, home remodeling, or fresh construction. In such instances, you can expect an additional cost of $1500 over and above the standard inspection charges.
Also, for a new construction project, you’ll need to conduct a soil boring test and density test, which can cost you $1410 on average. And if you’re looking to compliment structure inspections with an infrared thermography inspection, it can cost you another $600-$1000.
There you have it, the entire range of expected inspection costs.
Once you schedule a structural engineer inspection, it’s good to prepare your property for the same. That way, you can have a full-proof and hassle-free inspection process.
What does this prep-up include, you may ask?
You can make your property inspection ready by following some simple and easy steps, which include:
For a proper inspection, it is important that your engineer has full access to areas in and around the structure. So, by following these steps, you can ensure that the structural inspector can easily access each corner of your building.
That sounds easy for sure, doesn’t it?
It is possible that the structural engineer may raise concerns in the inspection report, even ones serious in nature.
As the building owner, it is your responsibility to get these issues fixed right away since they endanger inhabitants’ safety. You can seek a referral from your engineer to hire a professional building repair team to carry out the necessary fixes.
Even if the structural issues are minor and don’t pose an immediate threat to safety, it’s better to fix them. That’s because no potential buyer will be willing to purchase your property with a defective structure.
In fact, having a sound structure is even more important when you’re looking to sell your home. A defective structure will earn your property a bad name in the real estate market, thus reducing its resale value.
When conducting structure inspections for your home, it is necessary that you hire a licensed and seasoned structural building inspector.
You see, an unprofessional or inexperienced inspector can create an incorrect inspection report, putting the safety of occupants in danger. And that’s something you’ll want to avoid at all costs, won’t you?
Thankfully, getting an experienced and trustworthy structural engineer is easier than it may sound. All you need to do is get in touch with the right people and research well before hiring someone.
To make this process easy for you, we have put together five ways you can get the right structural engineer. So let’s have a look:
That’s simple, isn’t it?
It is natural for your home to develop flaws over time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will collapse. So instead of worrying about these, you should rather look for ways to tackle them.
Fortunately, a timely structural engineer inspection offers you cost-effective solutions to fix your home’s key structural issues. And even if structure inspections find some critical problems, your engineer will definitely suggest you a way out.
If you’re out there for an ideal structural inspection in Florida, look nowhere else, as we’ve got the most experienced team of structural engineers. From carrying out an extensive structural inspection of your home to effectively fixing the damages, we do it all.
