Licensing
Which Tennessee licence applies
Tennessee ties contractor licensing to contract value. Above a threshold set in state law, the company needs a contractor's licence from the Board for Licensing Contractors, and that licence carries a monetary limit of its own.
Below that value, Rutherford County is one of nine counties where the state's Home Improvement licence applies to repair and alteration work on existing homes, again from a set minimum upward. The Board's page gives the current amounts and lists what an applicant has to show, which includes a surety bond plus evidence of liability cover and workers' compensation.
Either licence can be looked up by company name or number in the state's licence search. Check that the name on the licence is the name on your contract, that the status is active, and that the contract price is within the licence limit.
Before you sign
Paper to see first
- The licence number, checked by you in the state search.
- An up-to-date liability insurance certificate, emailed straight from the insurer's or agent's office.
- Workers' compensation cover, or the state exemption if the owner works alone.
- A written contract naming the work, the materials, the price, the payment stages and the start date.
- The warranty document itself, not a summary of it.
- Confirmation of who obtains the building permit.
Rutherford County's building department gives similar advice: verify licence and insurance, get references and a written agreement, keep any deposit to a third of the contract or less, and see that the permit is obtained and posted.
The warranty
Nine questions about a foundation warranty
What exactly is covered?
Often only the piers or supports installed, and only against further settlement at those points.
What is left out?
Parts of the house that were not piered, movement upward, cosmetic cracks, plumbing.
What is the term?
Count the years, and find the start date.
What is the remedy?
Readjusting the piers, or anything more?
Can the next owner inherit it?
Look for paperwork, a transfer charge or a time limit after closing.
Who honours it?
The local company, a national brand it belongs to, or the maker of the piers.
Suppose the firm folds or changes owners?
Find out whether any other party is bound.
What voids it?
Commonly, failing to keep gutters and drainage working, or other work near the piers.
Is all of that written down?
A promise made in the driveway is worth what it is written on.
Judgement
Good signs and warning signs
Encouraging
- Measures the floors and shows you the readings.
- Explains the cause before talking about products.
- Stays relaxed about rival quotes and outside engineers.
- Puts depth assumptions and extra charges in writing.
Reasons to slow down
- A discount that evaporates when the salesperson's car leaves.
- No licence number on the paperwork.
- A large payment wanted before any work or materials arrive.
- Reluctance to say who will pull the permit.
Second opinions
Two or three proposals is normal
Foundation work is a large purchase, and companies expect to be compared. Calling again on another day may connect you with a different company. You can also ask neighbours who have had work done, read a company's customer comments elsewhere online, and pay a structural engineer for a view that comes with nothing to sell.
One phone call
Speak with a foundation repair company near Murfreesboro
Mention the crack, the dip or the lean, name the room, and give the month you first spotted it. Whoever picks up belongs to a Middle Tennessee foundation outfit whose only tie to this website is the referral. They can pencil in an inspection and follow it with a written price.
A house that is cracking as you listen, a wall on the point of failing, gas in the air: everybody outside first, then 911 and the gas company.
Expect the call to be recorded. Two short pages cover the rest: who pays for referrals and what becomes of call details.