You’ve probably called a foundation repair company to solve the foundation issues plaguing your house only to face further disappointment. Chances are the service turned out to be a scam. They looked into the matter, pretended to fix it, and then ghosted on you.

This is one of the safest escape routes for companies who don’t care about their customer services or bother to fulfill their responsibilities. The only problem is that it leads to your loss of time and money. Forbes agrees that online scams are on the rise.
This only means that you need to be extra careful when you hire a foundation repair company next time. To save you from trouble, here are some important pointers to consider as you hire a foundation repair company:

1. Do your research
Don’t call the first number that pops up in front of you from a foundation repair company’s ad. Instead, begin with research, both online and offline. Ask your friends and colleagues for any recommendations. Chances are you will get a name or two from your circle. If not, then it is likely that they would warn you against a service that is not good.

At the same time, conduct online research by typing in the relevant keywords. Try ‘foundation repair company near me’ or ‘foundation repair company + your location.’ This should pull over some names for you to get started.

2. Explore your options
By now, you should have a list of possible foundation repair company candidates. But your work doesn’t end here because you need to explore each option carefully. Start with googling the websites of the companies on your list.

In this digital era, it is important that each of the names on your list should have a website. It confirms the company’s professionalism and provides the required details at a glance. Once on a website, look for the services they provide and their contact details including a physical address and phone number. Also, search for information of their experience in the field.

It is crucial for a professional service provider to display its contact details. It’s a red flag if they don’t and you need to strike a name off your list if there is no means of interaction on their website. However, if these details are present, note them down and look up the company on Google maps to confirm the authenticity of the location.

3. Read reviews
Now that you have the basics at your disposal, you will have to dive deeper into the research work to prevent another horror story. Commence with searching for each company individually to find out what their customers have to say about them.

You can refer to both Google and Facebook to gather reviews of the foundation repair companies on your radar. Both these places are the top review sources to refer to. The reality is that 84% of us trust reviews as much as we trust personal recommendations. This is because reviews are from other people like us and these can help us in differentiating between the right and the scam.

Looking for testimonials on the business site is, therefore, important. However, it is easy to think that the social proof is forged. Thus, searching for online reviews is a must to learn about the foundation repair company and its services.

4. Explore pricing and research again
Asking for recommendations, scrutinizing the website, and looking up reviews will tell you a lot about the company. There are two more things to do before you finalize anything though. One of these is comparing the prices and educating yourself.

Some companies may not give their prices away on their site. They may require you to call them to get a quote, which you will be doing in your next step. Meanwhile, educate yourself about the common issues and their repair prices.

Home Advisor points out that the average cost of foundation repair is $4,071. According to the same source, your expenses may range in between $1,848 – $6,433. In certain instances, where minimal work is required, these costs can be as low as $450. It may also go as high as $11,898.

You are in a better place if you have figured out the problem affecting your house’s foundation. Because you can search a bit on it and be in an informed position. Reading about foundation repair can also enlighten you about common concerns such as if it is possible to sell your house with foundation problems.

5. Get in touch to learn
Lastly, pick up the phone and call the shortlisted candidates on your list. Notice how responsive the company’s team is. If they miss your call, how fast do they call you back? This will demonstrate how the service provider will communicate with you once you hire them.

Additionally, note how friendly and professional the person on the line is. If the company doesn’t respect their potential clients enough to answer their queries, they won’t pay attention later on as well. Therefore, observe these traits to get an idea of the company’s understanding of customer experience.

Final words
All this can take a lot of your time. But, it can minimize the odds of another horror story when it comes to working with a foundation repair company. To reiterate, research extensively, check the website, gather online reviews, educate yourself a bit, and call the company.

Author Bio:
Evie Harrison is a blogger by choice.  She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences and express herself through her blogs. Find her on Twitter:@iamevieharrison