How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost California

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   How much should I spend redoing my deck for it to be worth it?
   I have a small house with a small deck that is old and needs to either be sanded down 3’4″ or completely rebuilt to repair the damage it has sustained. We bought the house for 720,000 a year ago and zillow right now says it is worth 746,000. How much will the repair to the deck cost and how much would it bring back? We live in Marin County, CA.

   • ANSWER:
     You know, people ask these kind of questions all the time and they are so broad. It really depends on the ACTUAL size of the deck (small doesn’t tell us much), the type of wood now there, or what type you would replace it with, etc. You need to consult those who build decks and get estimates, then compare to the materials and labor YOU would put in to refurbish your existing deck. In other words, YOU will need to do some legwork here. Also, the type of foundation under the deck is important, as some counties and towns require a more elaborate foundation than do others. Ask a realtor what adding a new deck would add to your home value-wise. And, unless you are selling the home immediately AFTER putting on a new deck, their answer won’t be valid forever. Prices change, and decks go in and out of favor. A deck is NOT considered a permanent structure, either. It’s actually of LESS value than you probably think and if it’s small, then even more so, Also, homes usually don’t go up in value quite as much as you are stating (26,000 in one year) even in California, but perhaps yours is a special case or something. With the depressed RE market, that seems a little off.

2. QUESTION:
   How much should I pay a builder to knock down my half of an adjoining garage?
   I live in a modern semi detached house and my garage adjoins the neighbours (neither touching the houses). How much is a guideline cost for a builder to a) knock it down, b) Build a new outer wall for the neighbour (i.e. what was the center), and c) take up the concrete foundations?

   • ANSWER:
     First you need to get a permit from your local building & zoning department to do this type of work.
     Once you have the approval & permit in hand, then you can start getting estimates from licensed contractors. You will also need written permission of the other owner to access their side of the property to do the needed repairs to bring their side up to current code.
     I don’t know the cost of removal & structural repairs. I do know that having a concrete slab removed is almost as costly as having one installed! I just received estimates ranging from -9,000 to have a 2 &1/2 car garage sized cement patio removed from my place. Most garages have steel re-bar in the foundations & that means more work to remove them. So, yours will most likely cost over grand to remove if you live in California!

3. QUESTION:
   What makes more sense. Partnership or corporation in California? Which is cheaper or less headache?
   My son and I are opening an automotive repair business. We want to protect our assets but do not want to have a difficult time managing a corporation or filling out excessive paperwork for income or tax reporting. However, we want to be protected in the event of a costly lawsuit.

   • ANSWER:
     Look into organizing a limited liability company (LLC). LLC’s will protect your personal assets like a corporation, and you get taxed like a partnership (no double tax like corporations). LLC’s have less paperwork generally, but the owners (members) still need to abide by the Organization Agreement and Articles of Organization.

     A corporation is an option, and an IRS subchapter S election may be the way to go, and if so, will save you taxes. And yes, the corporation will protect your personal assets so long as you observe the distinction between the corporation and yourself.

     As you have noted, a partnership will expose you individually to the partnership’s liabilities.

     The botton line is that you need legal and tax advisors. The information you get here are mere talking points that you can use for discussion with real professionals. It will cost some money, but it is worth it because you will be laying the foundation for establishing your future tax and legal liabilities. Make sure that your lawyer is licensed by the California Bar and that your accountant is a licensed CPA in California.

4. QUESTION:
   Where can I get free fill dirt in north Georgia?

   • ANSWER:
     It will be close to impossible to find someone to deliver for free. but if you have a truck/van/trailer or if you can rent one, there might be some places that have a tractor to load free stuff for you; or if you have a truck AND a shovel then you can probably find dirt in many places but that is a local issue and I am in California…

     these guys often have tractors and often have fill to dispose of:
     -construction companies
     -excavation companies
     -foundation companies
     -swimming pool companies

     some companies have other debris to dispose of which might interest you depending on what you are using the fill dirt for. Like sometimes big slabs of concrete are available; my grandma used some when repairing a hillside next to her creek. Asphalt, tires, cars, old hay and ALL kinds of things<<just contact the appropriate companies/repairmen/manufacturers.

     Also some places will give you real nice dirt for free, like farms/ranches/riding stables/auction yards/fair grounds who are cleaning out stalls and feed lots or corrals<they might give you truckloads of manure mixed with dirt or hay/sawdust. You might need to call around and you might need to schedule an appointment. also the local dump might have compost for you. many areas have recycling programs in place where they divy up the yard waste from county parks or whatever. The local Chamber of Commerce might have info about those things or can refer you to who does and local garden clubs might have info about things like these and also local feed shops/farm supply might know of feed lots who welcome the public.

     sawmills can be good suppliers of sawdust.

     If you lived here I could tell you about the quarry where you can get volcanic pumice for free or low cost. Local quarries often charge per truckload and they will load your truck for you. One place to look for other local people who like free things (and might have local advice) is http://www.freecycle.org The group in my area gives away about 30 free things a day to each other and it is all kinds of varied stuff. they do it to help save the planet/landfills.

     good luck and happy arbor day!

5. QUESTION:
   I need help with writing a letter in the state of California of being reimburse for the damages caused by mold
   I don’t know the status of limitation.
   I don’t understand how to write the letter.
   I need the lay-out of how the letter to be written.
   It was toxic mold that I had to move out for 6 months. I had to pay my rents as well as for all of the damages of the property caused by the third floor with the previous owner. I am writing to the new owner to reimburse me for the rent loss and repair damages that the homeowner’s assocation did not cover.

   The letter needs to be well written so if worst case scenario that I have to go to small claim court, I could have a better probability of winning the case.

   • ANSWER:
     First of all, I would make a demand with the landlord, not the state for what damages have occured and document how and why.

     Will this be your first claim? and as you stated lay-out your case in a factual manner.

     My best advise is to talk to attorney to see if you have a case and the procedures to follow.

     Attorneys are good at preparing a well written document for a claim.

     If you latter choose to go to small claims court you will have a good foundation for being prepared in court.

     In California you can sue up to ,500 not including court cost.

     Best to you.

6. QUESTION:
   WA2000 sniper rifle, how many are left in the world?
   I know only 176 were ever built, but how many are left?

   • ANSWER:
     “It is believed that only about 176 WA-2000 rifles were ever made.”

     This is in about a 10 year period from the early 1970’s through the early 1980’s — And this includes the ‘bull-pup’ model, the 308 cal (NATO 7.62 X 51) the 300 Win Mag And THE 7.5×55 Swiss.

     A VERY quick view of some gun shops (5) showed prices (2010) that ran from a low of $US 30, 000 (7.65) to $US 45, 500 (300 Win Mag). So based upon price, the fact that the last one was made 30 years ago, and that they were likely competitive in price with other top end rifles of the same quality, the price alone will tell you that from normal attrition of high power accurate weapons, a good guess would be that about 100 would remain. Of the 100, I would guess from experience that 20% of them would be in need of some repair, and 10% would need very serious repair. I have engraved custom rifles as accurate if not more so than this rifle, and which cost 1/3 as much without the engraving in need of repair within 5 years of my engraving. The main concern is rust from oils from handeling without gloves — it can start very slowly, even if wiped down with a slightly oiled rag, unless done properly, you will have rust. Then there is barrel fouling if not religiously cleaned and oiled, especially after shooting — I have seen 00 rifles put away after a Mag or two have gone through it, and a month later when we were going to go ‘match off’ again, the gun had not been cleaned (yet). So you figure some attrition along those lines. So mechanical failures, failure to clean, rifles not de-cocked sitting in a gun safe somewhere — all will need work and most of it will need to be custom machining at this point.

     So what do you mean how many are left in the world? Do yo mean Pristine NIB condition? maybe 10, NBF? maybe 10-20 at MOST. And in absolute serviceable condition (meaning grab the rifle and you life depends on it in war conditions) maybe 80. If you mean ‘serviceable’ as being that it can fire in non-war conditions and not fail in the first 50-100 rounds, I would guess maybe 100-120 maximum, meaning that 50 have been destroyed in fires, stolen, lost, disassembled and never reassembled all the way and pieces are missing and when one piece goes missing others tend to follow over time — placed in a top drawer, or in a can or bottle on a work bench and forgotten or accidentally tossed out — How can one ever tell? It’s a guess, and I figure my guess is as good as any other. So Bottom line? 100-120 and 50 have been lost or destroyed. I live in the gold Country of California and when we dug a new foundation for our studio, we found a rusted metal box that contained am 1866 Winchester rifle in a rotted saddle scabbard, an Ithica side by side shot gun in a scabbard with a notch down flap, two Peace Makers in rotted leather, and what appeared to be several bundles of confederate bills, a primitive reloader and what appeared to have been tins of black powder, a bag of empty brass now all green, a box of bullets, what were probably primers, a bullet mold, cubes of led, and a rusted iron ‘spoon’ that had been used to melt led and a lot of led shot rolling around in the bottom with what appeared to be rotted brass bottoms to the once paper shot shells. Our guess is someone buried the leather lined metal trunk in the very early 1880’s and meant to come back to it — it was lined with rocks and oil cloth on the outside, and had a reasonably tight water cover — but moisture hung out in the box and even covering the guns in what appeared to be a grease didn’t stop the rust that set in, even the barrels which had been filled with grease, were rusted when we soaked the guns long enough in a mixture of kerosene and diesel oil to get the dried out grease out. So — someone had buried his prized possessions, probably under his cabin as was often the case, and what once was, 100 years later, nothing remained. Some may have been hidden, the owner died, and who knew where they were? I once hid some weapons, along with several months of food and survival gear were there to be a nuclear war while I was gone, and my family survived an initial blast, they would have a place to hide — and when I got back from the service, the USFS had blasted the opening to the nearly hidden mine closed. I asked and nothing had been reported from inside the mine — they had just set a satchel charge at the mouth of the mine and detonated it — I dug in 20 feet over about two weeks, and still had not come to the end of the cave in. Having blown up many tunnels over seas, I knew they had thrown in several satchels and blown them all at once to make a ‘stable’ closing. Now a house sits over where the mine used to be. And several wonderful guns are now missing, presumed lost in action.

7. QUESTION:
   can anyone name ALL of the santa anita racetrack horse vets?
   i want to know of the names can someone fill me in????

   • ANSWER:
     As far as I know all Southern California racetrack vets have access to Santa Anita’s hospital.

     quoting source

     Track Veterinarians have access to unique Southern California Equine Foundation with hospitals at Santa Anita and Hollywood Park
     By Tracy Gantz

     As Dr. Jeff Blea monitored the chestnut gelding’s breathing under anesthesia, Dr. Rick Arthur drilled a screw into the horse’s right front cannon bone to repair a fracture. They finished the procedure without complications, and expect the gelding to be able to successfully return to racing.

     The two veterinarians were working in the surgery of the Southern California Equine Foundation hospital at Santa Anita, a facility that stands ready for scheduled surgeries such as this one and emergency procedures when necessary. Because the hospital lies at one end of the racetrack’s barn area, the gelding could go to the surgical prep area directly from his stall.

     “Horses need to be operated on in their natural environments, in their homes,” said Dr. Ted Simpson, another Southern California equine veterinarian who often performs surgeries. “When we can take them right out of their stalls into the hospital, there is less stress and less trauma than having to move the horse.”

     Once the horse recovers enough to travel, he can be moved to a nearby lay-up farm.

     Arthur, Blea, and Simpson are just three of the racetrack vets who regularly use the SCEF facilities. Not only do all racetrack vets have access to Santa Anita’s hospital, which includes an X-ray room, they can get nuclear scintigraphy scans at the SCEF Nuclear Imaging Facility, located in a separate building on the Santa Anita backstretch. The SCEF also has a hospital across town at Hollywood Park, where vets can perform surgeries and order X-rays. The Hollywood Park setup includes a lab for blood work, with a daily courier to Santa Anita.

     Racetracks around the country have varied methods of taking care of injuries. Nearby privately owned equine hospitals often perform the task, but Southern California vets, racetrack management, and horsemen took the lead in the mid-1970s to establish not-for-profit hospitals right on the backstretch.

     “We provided a cooperative hospital that anyone on the racetrack can use,” said Arthur, who served as the SCEF’s president during the early 1990s. “It can provide services to owners at a very, very reasonable cost. For example, we can nuke scan for about two-thirds the cost at normal equine hospitals.”

     Arthur currently serves on the board of the Oak Tree Racing Association and is also involved with developing the Medication and Testing Consortium’s national medication policy. He was instrumental in establishing the SCEF’s Nuclear Imaging Facility in 1993.

     “The SCEF enables us to have facilities here that all of us individually would never have been able to have,” said Dr. Helmuth Von Bluecher, another former SCEF president and a longtime racetrack veterinarian. “We’ve also been able to keep ahead of diagnostic developments in such things as radiology, nuclear scintigraphy, and surgery.”

     As a not-for-profit organization, the SCEF can dedicate all of its efforts to its mission of helping the racehorse. For a fee, veterinarians can use the foundation’s surgery and diagnostic equipment for their clients’ horses.

     “We try to keep our fees as reasonable as possible,” said Karen Klawitter, the SCEF’s hospital administrator. “That way veterinarians can keep prices down for owners and trainers as well.”

     The SCEF most recently has purchased a state-of-the-art digital radiography system, the first of its kind available for equine veterinarians featuring mammography-quality images.

     “We’re still streamlining it,” said Blea, the current president of the SCEF. “Eventually, we’ll be able to e-mail the images anywhere in the world.”

     Another recent development has been Simpson’s use of Acutrak headless titanium compression screws in surgery, building on the laboratory studies of Dr. Larry Galuppo at the University of California at Davis. The SCEF and its research arm, the Dolly Green Research Foundation, funded Galuppo’s study, and Simpson joined Southern California vets Dr. Sylvia Greenman and Dr. Joseph Dowd in helping with the research.

     “Horses heal well with these screws,” Simpson said. “I actually find them preferable in slab fractures and short condylar fractures. They seem to provide more stability. They’re titanium, so they aren’t as irritating as stainless steel. They pull two pieces of bone together as they tighten, and they don’t need to come out. There is no head to irritate the soft tissue, and they don’t seem to break as easily.”

     That cooperation with U.C. Davis is even easier these days because Dr. Gregory Ferraro, the director of Davis’ Center for Equine Health, was one of the SCEF’s founders.

     continued at:
     http://www.calracing.com/press_releases.php?f=WhereHorsesBenefittheMost.html

8. QUESTION:
   why is earthquake insurance difficult to sell?

   • ANSWER:
     1. The deductible can be as high as 25% of the value of the property improvements. For many people whose homes have already survived earthquakes, it is not considered cost effective when for example the first ,000 to ,000 of damages aren’t even covered. Most houses would have to be completely destroyed before the insurance payout is effective. Insurance companies are notorious for using cost estimates that are not based on replacement cost, making the likelihood of actually getting a payout even lower.

     2. Earthquake insurers often require an inspection of the property, and require that changes be made that are quite expensive. For example they may require that your home be bolted to its foundation – a practice that wasn’t required by building codes until the early 1960s. Being forced to spend what could cost over ten thousand dollars for repairs just to be able to buy the insurance is likely to make it cost-prohibitive for many homeowners.

     3. Despite some recent rate reductions (in California) the price is still high, and could cost as much as a homeowners policy for the same dwelling. Since most homeowner’s policies have a 00 deductible, instead of what is effectively well over a ,000 deductible, it is probable that most homeowners do not consider the risk-reward ratio to be worthwhile.

     4. There is a perception problem. In my opinion, most real estate agents don’t know enough about earthquakes to make them recommend earthquake insurance, so instead they advise homeowners that it is a waste of money. To add to that perception problem, I don’t know many people who trust insurance agents, so they aren’t likely to take advice from an insurance company. The publicity of some insurance companies that still have not settled claims for events like Hurricane Katrina makes the insurance industry look like their “good hands” are only good at collecting payments.

     5. Lender’s (mortgage companies and banks) do not require earthquake insurance like they do fire insurance. Most people are forced to buy insurance by their lender and in my experience most people only buy the minimum required.

     To get quotes check here:
     http://www.earthquakeauthority.com/CEAHome2006.aspx?edate=8&pid=3

9. QUESTION:
   Cost to fix a slab leak?
   Southern California, concrete slab foundation house 22 years old.
   I have a leak detector coming in on Monday to find the leak with the plumber right behind him.
   My question – since this might be the first of many leaks to follow would it be better to re-pipe the house? How costly is that?
   The leak detector will be about 0. How expensive might the plumber be to repair the leak independent of the flooring costs?
   Thank you.
   Proprenor – I will close the question out tomorrow after I get the estimate from the plumber as an FYI.
   Thank you.
   (File under irony – Last week I had scheduled an appt with a contractor to do some remodeling & now this. Now I’ll just leave the floor a mess & add it to the remodeling bill!

   • ANSWER:
     Your copper pipes are run under your slab, aren’t they..
     I’ve come across this problem many times.
     Only once did the client wish to reroute the pipes.
     You have to find out WHY the pipe broke in the first place.
     They should be buried in sand.
     Not rocky dirt.
     The vibrations of the pipes will eventually wear a hole in it if there’s sharp rocks around.
     Once, I came across a pipe that was obviously run over by a tractor!
     It must have been leaking for years..
     Another few times, there was copper making contact with galvanized metal.
     This causes electrolysis and could be your problem.
     Whatever it is, try to figure out why it broke.
     This will tell you if you should reroute the pipes.
     Also, it’s a big messy job to jack into the slab.
     Also, the price of copper is ridiculous right now.
     You might consider using Pex piping.
     I’m from the old school and I never believed in plastic pipes,
     but after an installer friend and I put it through a series of tests,
     tests that made me believe the pipes were trashed,
     I’ve become a believer.
     Really is amazing stuff..
     Oh, about the price,
     it’s hard to give you an estimate without seeing it,
     and your plumber will probably give you an hourly rate due to all the unknowns,
     I’m thinking 0 would be about the least amount he would charge to go into the slab.
     Good luck to you.

     Edit-
     That’s great!
     It’ll work out fine,
     you’ll see.
     Keep me informed…

10. QUESTION:
    House Foundation Cost?
    I’m going to have my brick Foundation replaced. It’s only the back half of the house that really needs it but I’ve been told that any brick foundation should be replaced. How much should I expect to pay for a new foundation? I will also need to have the house & foundation seimic retrofitted. I’m the the Bay Area (northern California). Also, one contractor that I spoke with said that they would put a new foundation down in two sessions, the back first then the front. I thought I read somewhere that all the concrete should be poured at one time.

    • ANSWER:
      Foundations are usually concrete, even pier an beam, or crawl space homes. If your home is brick and built above the ground with brick around the perimeter of the house it is often called foundation, but a true foundation supports the house, not hides it, even in San Francisco.

      A home built with a covering of brick hiding the underside of the home is pier and beam or crawl space foundation so the brick doesn’t really support it, it just covers up what’s hidden underneath.

      The type of problem you describe is common for many homes built on piers. The mortar holding the bricks together will deteriorate over time and gradually the bricks hiding the underpinnings of your house will fall apart exposing the underside of your home to anyone who cares to look.

      This can be repaired or it can be replaced and you can do the work yourself if you don’t mind learning a new skill. If the missing brick is still around you can clean it up and get yourself some mortar mix or mix up your own with a little cement, sand and water. All it takes is time and you’ll learn how to do it best as you go.

      If the brick on your home’s foundation is all that concerns you, it can be done in stages or all at once. But, if it truly is concrete being poured, it should all be done at once to avoid weakness in the finished product and seams where it should be smooth.

      If it’s brick work and you’re willing to do it yourself, the cost can be as little as with you doing all the brick cleaning and re-mortaring, but if you hire it done this can cost several thousands of dollars, depending on the honesty and integrity of who you hire.

      No one can put a price on someone else’s work and without dimensions, height and perimeter or length of distance to cover, it would be impossible for anyone to give you an exact figure, and then only if they were doing the work.

11. QUESTION:
    Motorcycles? All you know!! Most info. get 10 points!! :)?
    okay. i’m trying to convince my parents to get me a motorcycle when we move back to california. they are leaning more towards yes. butttt my mom is still worried about safety. The more i know about the dangers and parts and rule about the motorcycles the more relaxed about the idea she gets.. so plz tell me everything you know and ill give you ten points..

    -Belle (yes, im a girl soon to be 16!!)

    • ANSWER:
      okay Belle. This is not all I know, but here goes! HA HA

      Your main issue is your mom’s concern about safety…so start by voluntarily taking the motorcycle safe riding course..basic beginners course when you get to California. Do that without pressing the motorcycle issue with either your dad or mom. That will show them both some signs of maturity.

      You do not say, but are they going to pay for the bike for you? If so, then look for a part time job and save your money, until you have at least enough to do the down payment. Do not get your heart set on a brand new bike! There are many many good used bikes that dealers will give you a decent price on and a service guarantee on. Look for one that has been obviously taken care of. Good paint, chrome in good shape, and starts and runs easily and smoothly. Mileage used to be a big issue but nowadays if the bike is several years old and has low mileage, then it has sat in someones garage for a long time and not run..that is hard on a motorcycle..harder than riding it frequently. Don’t buy a used cheap bike from an individual unless your dad is willing to spend countless hours tinkering with it! If he is not mechanically inclined, a cheap bike gets expensive quickly when it has to go to the dealership to be repaired all the time.

      Consider seriously your size and strength. What size motorcycle should you have as a starter bike? Best bet there is to check with a couple of dealers, tell them your honest situation, and consider seriously their recommendations. That will help prevent you from making a mistake and getting something that you just cannot handle as a beginner.

      Now to some issues other than safety. Your mom may be a bit nervous because you are growing up and in a short time not be under her control anymore. Do not let this become an issue. Learn about safety gear…leathers, boots, gloves, and helmets…buy good ones if they let you buy the bike, and wear them…no down to the store and back with shorts and a t-shirt on…and no helmet!

      It is said that asphalt is the greatest tattoo eraser ever invented for a reason…road rash as bikers call it is not only very painful but also very scarring. Don’t take the chance. And on your clothes, you will have the opportunity to buy patches to express your feelings…but stay away from obscene, or “in your face” ones, at least until you are well away from home as an adult. Pick ones that are appropriate for who you are and who you want people to think you are.

      Obey the safety rules, ride carefully, be certain you have with you at all times your driver’s license and insurance papers. Investigate the cost of insurance for particular motorcycles considering your age and inexperience. That will help you decide what you and your parents can afford and will save them from having to gather that information…another sign of maturity.

      And finally, if your mom says no…Do not get upset and mad…Consider this, you will have laid a strong foundation for you getting a bike and if you get mad, you could say something that would unravel that entire effort. Be strong. If you accept their decision at that time and do not make a big issue of it, but continue to educate yourself and them, then in 6 months or so, you will be able to revisit the idea and they will have time to see that you are serious and not in a “rush” to get one.

      Best of luck to you and should you be successful you will have a great time!

12. QUESTION:
    If Arkansas were to get a level 7 earth quake would the whole state be toast. Link Inside.?
    http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Quake-Warning-New-Fault-Line-Capable-Of-Magnitude-7-Tremors-Discovered-in-Arkansas/Article/200901415208324?lpos=World_News_Second_Home_Page_Article_Teaser_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15208324_Quake_Warning%3A_New_Fault_Line_Capable_Of_Magnitude_7_Tremors_Discovered_in_Arkansas

    • ANSWER:
      yes ,i have been in a 7 magnatude quake in 1970 in california ,sanfernando valley and it realy tore things up.power out substations shorted out ,looked like an atom bomb went off it was early in the morning ant the blow out lit up the whole valley,arpoximatly 35 miles long and 25 miles wide,freeways collapsed water and gas lines broke all over the place,buildings fell down and houses shook of there foundations hyways were wrinckeled like waves on the ocean.it was aful.goverment offered BSA loans at low interest to make repairs but beverly hills brentwood ans santamonica got there money first then they ran out of money and left ordinary worling stiff out cold.but the russian imbasy offered low cost loans for anyone who needed it.after that the goverment came up with more money after all.if that fault goes in arkansas it might trigger the new madred fault along the missippi river valley and in the ozarks,it would ba an earthquake like paople havent seen in a very long time,the last quake caused the missippi river to flow backwards to fill the sunken land and it took the river 3-4 hours to fill it up.out in the west they build with yhe knowlage a quake will be hitting sooner or later,but here they dont even consider it likely so a lot of buildings that are made of concrete blocks will end up on the ground.as you know most walmart stores around here are made of concrete blocks,and even brick buildings will fall the most resistant is a regular wood framed home,it will get damaged but not likely to collapse.if one hits remember telephone poles might break or fall and electrical tension lines will likely break,gas and water pipes will rupture and gas will spew out causing a huge fire hazard.just be careful,usualy there are after shocks that are almost as bad and ther might be as many as 4

13. QUESTION:
    dirt foundation.. house is SINKING! How to repair it!??! or PRICE to have someone repair it?!?
    I have no clue on the square footage of my house, but 3 of the 4 walls in the basement are dirt and one is cinder block with a dirt floor. I’ve been looking everywhere online and can’t find a price for this kind of foundation work. I guess what will need to be done is some new concrete pilers to be poured down there. There are already some concrete pilers down there but the dirt that they are sitting on is literally washing away every single time it rains. If there is a way for my husband and father to team up and fix this, PLEASE send me a link to a website!!!! If not, then if you would know a round about estimate please let me know. I don’t think it would be “as” expensive since it’s not a concreat foundation… but I’m afraid the house is going to just fall in!
    and also, I’ve already emailed some local places for a free estimate. .. just so curious that I can’t hardly wait for them to make an appointment and come give me a price!

    • ANSWER:
      The price for new pilers (concrete pylons) would be around 10-20k in California for a 2000 sq ft single story.
      This would be an unlikely DIY project for a homeowner, since a lot of equipment (ie jack and industrial air compressors) will need to be used with an upfront cost higher than the project cost, making it easier just to hire a contractor.

      The house will not fall in right away, it will take time. Just be careful of the weather, and please do not stay home if it is raining as the dirt walls may collapse if waterlogged.

14. QUESTION:
    Hairline stucco cracks on exterior walls around the house?
    Hi,

    I am putting in an offer for this one foreclosure home. The house was built in 2005 here in Norther California, so it’s fairly new. The only concern I have is that there are many hairline size cracks on the exterior walls. Except for the front wall, the side and back walls has at least 8-10 hairline size cracks with length from 2 – 6 feet. There’s one crack that’s larger than most and it’s below the run horizontally below the window with the size of the 5 mm pencil lead. The house has some of its interior walls just repainted very recent (I still see the taping and the smell). Would you think these are just some sort of a cover-up from the banks? Could there be problems? Also, if I would hire the home inspections, what kinds of inspection should i be focusing on? Please help as I am very concern about this.

    Thank you very much for your help answering these!

    • ANSWER:
      Normally cracks are evidence of a stressed wall. The stress could be just thermal from excessive heating or cooling as when a mixture is put on too dry or dries out too fast, but the concern is that it will be an indication of a settling foundation.

      You have to know what kind of stucco you have on the house. If it was masonry over an expanded wire mesh I would be more concerned than if it were a thin coat over foam boards.

      For an on site inspection you might consider a general contractor or a masonry contractor. In some situations you may wish to have a foundation engineer. While the “home inspectors” I have encountered have been good at a general review of the home their individual expertise for a particular condition seems to vary. I have found that they are better at spotting conditions than saying how serious it is or the underlying causes, solutions, or cost to repair. Ultimately it is the cost to repair that you are most concerned with.

15. QUESTION:
    Second marriage money problem revisited?
    My first posting of this question appeared to be confusing to some people. So I am modifying it to help make it clearer. The only difference in the question is it assumes I did not pay my mortgage off, the rest is the same.

    My husband and I have been married for a few years and can’t agree on a money matter. We are both retired and when we married we both had homes with small remaining mortgages (~0K each). We decided to live in my house because it is located in a less dense area and he would rent his house. I pay the mortgage, insurance, property tax, repairs, etc on the house we live in (my house) and he pays the same on his house. We both share in our living expenses (utilities, groceries, cable, vacations, etc, but not mortgages) but since we live in my house I have no income from it while he has rental income from his. Note we both have approximately the same mortgage to pay each month on our own. I feel since he’s getting rent he should share the rent income with me since I’m share my house with him. He asked me if I want him to pay rent. I said no, but want him to share his rent income with me since I’m sharing my house with him. He said it sounds like I’m really asking him to pay rent and he felt spouses should not charge each other rent. And after all, his rental house is his, not mine. I said what if we were living in his house and I was renting mine. He said he would not ask for any money since the rent is from my house. With his type of non symmetrical thinking, I seriously thought of living in his house and renting mine since with his type of thinking I could use all of my rental income to help cover my share living expenses and thereby have extra money to enjoy.

    One option is for us to buy a house together but with California Prop 13 we have had a difficult time finding a house that cost less than either of our houses and if we buy a house that costs more we will pay much higher property taxes due to the tax laws. Also, there is the cost to sell our houses and buying a house we both own and we really like my house and would rather not move at this time.

    We are both widowed and have children from our first marriages. So the money issue also affects our children since our children will inherit our money. Many couples at our age do not combine their money if they have children from a previous marriage. It makes it very difficult to fairly distribute their assets to their children upon their death. Since we both are widowed half our money originally was our previous spouses who both wish their money to eventually go to their children, not to another woman or man and perhaps to their children. Therefore, to be fair to our previous deceased spouses, it is important to not be unfair with the use of their money or assets.

    This money problem has made it difficult for us to be sure our marriage will last since we have had little progress even after going to marriage counseling. This makes buying a house together at this time a difficult choice. Selling both our houses and buying a house together is a big decision when a marriage is not on a solid foundation. I want us to share both houses until we feel our marriage is solid enough for us to sell our houses and buy a house together.

    Any suggestions would be appreciated.

    • ANSWER:
      My ADHD just kicked in and I gotta go take my medicine then I’ll be back to help you save your marriage–wait for me?

      (THIS is the modified version?)

16. QUESTION:
    What does is a buyer obligated to fix with a seller’s FHA loan?
    We’re selling our house and the buyer’s realtor has come up with a nice list of things that need to be fixed before the FHA appraiser comes to appraise the house. The items include fixing the paint (where we scraped it but didn’t paint it) on a window sill outside, installing GFCI outlets in a couple locations, and fixing a cracked window (which would require replacement because of the condition of the frame.)

    So – first, will the cracked window likely be flagged by an FHA appraiser (it’s a double pane, cracked on only the outside side.)

    Also, *and more importantly* what is our obligation as a seller to pay for the buyer’s FHA repairs? Obviously, they could walk away, but is it reasonable to ask them to pay for these repairs?

    Thanks!

    • ANSWER:
      Your obligation is whatever you agreed to in the purchase contract and how badly you want to sell your property. Just remember, chances are if the first buyer passes on your property so will the next buyer if you are unwilling to sell the property in a livable standard. Most FHA buyers are purchasing on a wing and a prayer. Other words, they have just enough money to purchase your home with the down payment and closing costs. They don’t have the money to make repairs.

      Cracked windows don’t have to repaired, broken window do. Here in California, hot water heaters must be strapped down.

      Required Repairs: Required repairs are limited to those repairs necessary to preserve the continued marketability of the property and to protect the health and safety of the occupants, A.K.A. the three S’s:

      Safety: protect the health and safety of the occupants

      Security: protect the security of the property (security for the FHA insured mortgage.)

      Soundness: correct physical deficiencies or conditions affecting structural integrity

      Listed below are the most common repairs or requirements noted by appraisers. These items, I noted by the appraiser, will have to be corrected prior to proceeding to settlement.

      1. Paint. Chipping, peeling paint must be scraped and painted. This includes interior, exterior, garages, sheds, fences, etc.

      2. Windows. Broken windows should be replaced.

      3. Handrails. Handrails should be installed at three or more stairs.

      4. Infestation of any kind should be exterminated and carry a 12 month warranty/ guarantee (i.e., insects, mice, bats, etc.).

      5. Exit Doors. Cracked or damaged exit doors that are otherwise inoperable.

      6. Trip Hazards. i.e. cracked or partially heaving sidewalks, poorly installed carpeting.

      7. Driveway. Lack of an all weather driveway surfaces.

      8. Countertops. Rotten or worn out counter tops.

      9. Inadequate access/ egress from bedrooms to exterior of home.

      10. Flooring. Defective floor finish or covering (worn through the finish, badly soiled carpeting, etc.)

      11. Walls. Damaged plaster, sheet rock or other wall and ceiling materials in homes constructed post- 1978.

      12. Crawl Space. If there is a crawl space, it will be the homeowner’s responsibility to make this area accessible so that it can be thoroughly inspected. All debris and trash in a crawl space has to be removed

      13. Wet Basements. The cause of Wet basements should be cured (i.e., improve drainage away from house, gutters, etc.).

      14. Structural or foundation problems must be repaired. Such as foundation damage caused by excessive settlement, bulging foundation wall or standing water against the foundation.

      15. Well/ Septic. Abandoned inoperable wells must be capped and sealed by a licensed well sealing contractor. A clean well and septic inspection can be required at the discretion of the lender.

      16. Flammable storage tanks must be removed and filler cap sealed from the inside (i.e., buried oil tank).

      17. Poor workmanship.

      18. Roof. Roof should have 2-3 years of useful life remaining and no more than 2 layers of shingles. If the home is over 10 years old, you must remove snow from a large portion of the roof for inspection by the appraiser. A roof certification may be required at the discretion of the lender. Leaking or worn out roofs (if 3 or more layers of shingles on leaking or worn out roof, all existing shingles must be removed before re-roofing).

      19. Plumbing, electrical, heating systems. Electric service must be 60 amp or greater. Electric certification may be required if 60 amp appears to be overloaded (i.e., larger than 1000 sq. feet with many major electrical appliances). Damaged or inoperable plumbing, electric and heating systems should be repaired. The appraiser will check these areas. This includes leaky faucets or running toilets. Any faulty or mechanical systems must be operable prior to settlement.

17. QUESTION:
    Groups and oraganisations?
    Out of interest, how does the following influence science?

    1. Greenpeace
    2. Cancer Research UK
    3. British Cancer Society
    4. Pharmaceutical Companies – specific one called Pfizer
    5. Environmental group called Environment Agency

    • ANSWER:
      1. Greenpeace:

      On 4 May 1972, following Dorothy Stowe’s departure from the chairmanship of the Don’t Make a Wave Committee, the fledgling environmental group officially changed its name to “The Greenpeace Foundation”.

      In 1972 the yacht Vega, a 12.5-metre (41 ft) ketch owned by David McTaggart (an eventual spokesman for Greenpeace International), was renamed Greenpeace III and sailed in an anti-nuclear protest into the exclusion zone at Mururoa in French Polynesia to attempt to disrupt French atmospheric nuclear testing. This voyage was sponsored and organised by the New Zealand branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.[19] CNDNZ and the New Zealand Peace Media had been lobbying the New Zealand Government and the New Zealand public to place pressure on Britain and France to agree to enforce a nuclear test ban in the South Pacific since the mid 1950s.

      In 1973 the yacht Fri spearheaded an international protest of a flotilla of yachts in a voyage against atmospheric nuclear tests at Moruroa in French Polynesia.[20] Fri was an important part of a series of anti-nuclear protest campaigns out of New Zealand and Australia which lasted thirty years, from which New Zealand declared itself a Nuclear free zone which became enshrined in legislation in what became the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act 1987.[21][22] This voyage was organised by CNDNZ and the New Zealand Peace Media. In 1974, coordinated by Greenpeace New Zealand, the Fri embarked on a 3 year 40,233 kilometers “Pacific Peace Odyssey” voyage, carrying the peace message to all nuclear states around the world.[23][24]

      In 1974 the La Flor, from Melbourne, Australia, skippered by Rolf Heimann, a children’s author, set out for Mururoa via New Zealand as Greenpeace IV but arrived after the final nuclear test for the year. The French military conducted more than 200 nuclear tests (40 of them atmospheric) at Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls over a thirty-year period ending in 1996.

      In 1975 the Vancouver based Greenpeace Foundation mounted an anti-whaling campaign which encountered Soviet whalers over the seamounts off Mendocino, California. This campaign had been influenced by the work of Paul Spong and Farley Mowat as well as Robert Hunter’s encounter with the Orca Skana.

      In 1976 a campaign was launched against the killing and skinning of baby seals in Newfoundland for the high-fashion fur trade, targeting Norwegian ships engaged in the trade after receiving a hostile welcome from the Newfoundland fishermen involved in the hunt. Greenpeace used helicopters to move people and supplies to a base camp at Belle Isle. Brigitte Bardot later got involved in this campaign, to great effect. In the same year another anti-whaling expedition, using the James Bay as Greenpeace VII, disrupted the Soviet fleet again, but this time with the assistance of a “deep throat” source and extra funding from Ed Daly of World Airways. At about the same time visits to Japan were arranged to persuade the Japanese people that whaling should end.

      By the late 1970s, spurred by the global reach of what Robert Hunter called “mind bombs”, in which images of confrontation on the high seas converted diffuse and complex issues into considerably more media-friendly David versus Goliath-style narratives, more than 20 groups across North America[4], Europe[5], New Zealand[6] and Australia[7] had adopted the name “Greenpeace”.

      Greenpeace also engaged with its opponents through the courts both in Canada (defending a loitering charge for failing to leave a fisheries office) and in France (David McTaggart’s Law of the Sea case to recover repair costs after his yacht Vega was damaged by the French navy).

      Similarly, Greenpeace became involved with lobbying elected officials and various bodies such as the United Nations through events such as the Conference on the Human Environment and with the International Whaling Commission.

      On August 21, 2007, Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), angered environmental groups with his suggestion that “rich nations should be absolved from the need to cut emissions if they pay developing countries to do it on their behalf”. Doug Parr of Greenpeace opposed Mr. de Boer’s suggestion: “The current trading system is not delivering emissions reductions as it is … Expanding it like this to give rich countries a completely free hand will simply not work.”[25] On August 22, 2007, the Philippine Department of Energy’s plan to develop nuclear energy as an alternative source of power was opposed by Von Hernandez, campaign director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, who warned that exploring nuclear options to bolster energy demand is “dangerous and misleading.” He said the risks of accidents like Chernobyl or the most recent Kashiwazaki nuclear plant leak in Japan after an earthquake are real.[26]

      Four Greenpeace activists breached security at Heathrow Airport on February 25, 2008 to c

18. QUESTION:
    Rough estimate of how much it would it take to fix up this rental property?
    Link is to a detailed pdf of what a home inspector took note of. I know contractors can be expensive, do you think it could cost more then 15-20k to repair it? Any tips or advice on this would be great, I’m 22 and this will be my first real estate purchase.

    https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0BxQvCtf6ktIcODBjMGIyMzQtNGE0OS00Y2I3LTkwZjMtMzA3OTI4MGU1ZDVi&hl=en&authkey=CKLks4AM

    • ANSWER:
      Thats gruesome. I guess all of us started somewhere.

      But the foundation troubles alone gives me pause.

      In California 50K wouldn’t fix that property.

      First time buyers need cosmetic fixers; OK bones–roof, foundation, plumbing electrical.

      Old paint, appliances and fixtures — all easily replaced and provide bang for the buck.

19. QUESTION:
    Need to know : Is this thing a drain?
    I have a block foundation and it is leaking.

    One contractor came and said if this thing in the floor isn’t a drain (the floor has been tiled, before I bought it) then I need a sump pump for the drainage (which I don’t want).

    Another one I talked to said they would charge me 0 to come and see if it is a drain (but put it toward the cost of doing the job if they got it).

    It sticks up out of the basement laundry room floor about 4 inches and has a round top on it. There is a round flap in the top you can push down. It looks to be as old as the house, 40 years. I could send a photo of it for confirmation if anyone is really experienced with plumbing.
    I will gladly take a pic and send it if I know where to send it!

    • ANSWER:
      It sounds like a drain with a damper to trap any sewer gasses.
      But 4″ up from the ground?
      Yes, a picture would help.

      Edit-
      To Dennis M,
      I’ve been doing plumbing work for more than 25yrs professionally for a living.
      I’ve gone to school and taken the test to get my Contractor’s License which is is good standing with the California State Licensing Board.
      I believe I’m qualified to give “me” an educated answer to her question; unlike someone who only does his own home repairs.

• Posted in: Uncategorized ♦ how much does foundation repair cost california