How do I price piers when I don't know the depth?

Quote a per-pier price to an estimated depth, plus a stated per-foot rate beyond it. Load-bearing strata depth genuinely isn't knowable until you're driving, and pricing the overage rate in advance is the only honest way to handle it.

Should the warranty transfer to a new owner?

A transferable warranty is worth real money to a homeowner planning to sell and is a strong closing argument — state clearly whether yours transfers, whether there's a fee, and what it covers. Ambiguity here surfaces at the worst moment, during a home sale.

Who pays for the engineer?

Pass it through at cost as its own line, and require it where the scope or the jurisdiction demands it. A stamped design protects the homeowner and you, and structural work quoted without one where it was needed is a liability you don't want.

Foundation Repair Estimate Template (Free)

What belongs on the estimate

Business name, contractor license number, contact info
Customer name, property address, phone
Observed conditions — crack widths, movement measured, affected walls
Piers — count, type, estimated depth, overage rate
Wall stabilization — anchors, carbon fiber, or beams, by unit
Crack injection — by location and count
Engineering and permits — at cost
Excavation, access, and restoration
Payment schedule, warranty, and transferability

The template

[Your Business Name] · License #________
[Phone] · [Email]

Estimate #____        Date: __________
Prepared For: [Customer Name]   Phone: __________
Property: _____________________________________
Observed: crack widths ___ in, differential ___ in
Affected walls: ________________________________

--------------------------------------------------
Description                              Amount
--------------------------------------------------
Structural engineering (at cost)         $______
Permit + inspection (at cost)            $______
Excavation + spoil handling              $______
Push piers — ___ @ $___ each             $______
   (estimated depth ___ ft; beyond that,
    $___ per additional foot per pier)
Helical piers — ___ @ $___ each          $______
Slab piers — ___ @ $___ each             $______
Wall anchors — ___ @ $___ each           $______
Carbon fiber straps — ___ @ $___ each    $______
Steel I-beam bracing — ___ @ $___ each   $______
Crack injection x___ [locations]         $______
Lifting / leveling attempt (if pursued)  $______
Backfill, compaction + restoration       $______
Concrete / hardscape patching            $______
--------------------------------------------------
Subtotal                                 $______
Tax (if applicable)                      $______
Estimate Total                           $______

PAYMENT SCHEDULE
  ___% deposit at signing                 $______
  ___% draw at piers installed            $______
  Balance at completion                   $______

WARRANTY: ___ on installed piers/anchors at the
locations listed. Transferable: [yes / no / fee $___].
Covers stabilization; lifting results not guaranteed
beyond what is achievable without damage.

NOT INCLUDED: cosmetic repair (drywall, paint, tile),
plumbing under slab, landscaping restoration beyond
work area, water management or drainage.

Separate stabilization from lifting

Stabilization is a promise you can keep. Lifting is more of a hope. How much a settled foundation actually returns depends on soil, age, and how much movement the structure will tolerate without cracking further.

Guarantee the first, describe the second honestly, and put both distinctions in writing — this is probably the most common source of dispute in the entire trade.

State the depth overage rate

Nobody really knows how deep competent strata sits until a pier is being driven. A per-foot overage rate on the estimate converts a genuine unknown into arithmetic instead of a mid-job renegotiation with a hole already open.

Exclude the cosmetic repairs

Drywall cracks, tile, and paint all move when a foundation does. Fixing the structure isn’t the same as fixing the finishes — say so plainly, because homeowners reasonably assume otherwise.

Skipping the copy-paste

Software with your per-pier, per-anchor, and injection rates saved builds this estimate quickly and schedules the deposit and pier draw off the same job record.