The evaluation is floor elevation readings across the house reported in inches, dated crack measurements, and the exterior water path. About an hour, and many local specialists don't charge for it; ask when they call. Ask for a copy of the survey whether or not you hire the specialist.
What the hour covers
Outside first — downspout discharge, grade fall, where upslope runoff crosses the lot, and where the last storm left standing water. Then the elevation survey: floor heights read at a grid of points and reported as differences in inches, which is the measurement that decides everything else. Then crack documentation with measurements and dates, interior door and trim behavior, and the crawl space or basement where there is one.
What a foundation repair scope contains
Whatever the specialist recommends should arrive as a document, not a conversation. Look for the survey numbers, and the water problems named with their correction priced separately. If piers are needed, ask for the count, the placement, the type and why, the depth assumption with a per-foot rate beyond it, and the lift target — stabilize only, or stabilize and recover a stated amount. If void filling is anticipated, ask for the rate and how take is measured, a timeline in days, and a written price on each line so you can phase it. Compare every number with the cost guide.
Buying a house?
Say so when you call. The survey and scope are built to hand straight to a repair negotiation, and the difference between a cosmetic crack and $12,000 of settlement is exactly the kind of thing worth knowing before closing rather than after.
Evaluation questions
Is the first visit free?
Many local specialists don't charge for the first visit, but it depends on the company. Ask when the specialist calls, before they come out. A good first visit includes the floor elevation readings, crack documentation, exterior water assessment, and the written scope. You pay only for work you approve with the specialist. Some visits end with 'extend two downspouts and rebuild the grade on the north side', and they happen more than you would expect.
How long does it take?
About an hour for a typical house. Larger homes, complicated additions, steep hillside lots, or rural properties with more ground to walk run longer. The extra twenty minutes beat a scope written from a guess.
Do I need to be home?
Someone should be, at least for the walkthrough at the end - that is where the survey numbers turn into a plan. If you are buying and cannot attend, ask the specialist to work with your agent and send the report directly to you.
What if I already have a bid from another company?
Keep it. Read it against the survey numbers and note where it matches and where it does not - particularly whether it states a depth assumption, whether void filling is included or excluded, and whether piers get load tested. If their scope is sound and their price is better, that is worth knowing.
Get a Fayetteville foundation evaluation
Tell us what the house is doing — a crack that keeps growing, a door that quit latching, a floor that dips toward one corner — so the evaluation starts from what you have seen. A local specialist serving Fayetteville calls you back.