Inspector questions foundation repair

[Danny Day]

I've got a contract to buy a house here with no option period ($2,500 in EM right now) set to close on the 22nd.

I got it inspected by a professional and he has noted in the report / spoke with me about that this house has had foundation work done before.

He told me he could not find evidence of a current foundation problem, but would like for me to get it checked out by a foundation company?

He stated "As noted, cosmetic interior differential movement evident as well as some cracks at foundation wall. Appears due to previous foundation movement, before or during what appears to be foundation repair, however no paperwork of what company and where foundation was repaired available, it is recommended that buyer consult with a foundation specialist for precautionary purposes."

My question: as of right now, I am not aware of any structural problem / foundation problem. No cracks, no sticking windows, no sticking doors, etc.

There is evidence that they did have the foundation repaired before. If I call out another company to do an inspection, I feel that 9.5 times out of 10 they will find something wrong, and it will cost me, and I will have to disclose it.

There is a minimum margin on this deal for repairs and a major foundation problem will blow it all. I do not think it has any type of major foundation problem, as well as the inspector - but since it is on his report, I want to know what the best way to get things done (at a reasonable expense / least liability).

[J Scott]

If you're ever worried about a contractor charging for unnecessary work, bring in an independent third party. These days, for anything foundation/structural, I bring in an engineer to assess the situation and recommend a solution. The engineer makes the same amount of money regardless of whether he finds an issue or not, so there's no reason for him to tell me to do unnecessary work.

The other benefit of an engineer is that once he provides a recommendation on what work to do, I can hire contractors who don't need to "specialize" in foundation repair to do the work -- they will be less expensive than a foundation company, as will do just as good a job if they have the engineer's recommendations.