Gather your property details, any prior reports or permits, a written description of what you have noticed, and a short list of what you want the proposal to explain before anyone visits. Then ask each contractor to put the same items in writing so you can compare proposals item by item rather than by one headline number. This publication does not diagnose movement, recommend a repair method, or quote prices; it helps you record what a proposal does and does not document. Use the comparison matrix to keep entries side by side.
1. Basic property and contract details
Write down the address, approximate age of the home, type of foundation if you know it from prior paperwork, and whether the home is in a historic district. The City of San Antonio publishes separate contractor registration categories, and the residential category is the one tied to structural work and foundation repairs: you must be registered as a Residential Building Contractor for foundation repairs or detached accessory buildings greater than 300 square feet (City of San Antonio, Building & Home Improvement). The same page lists an FBI national background check, government-issued photo ID, a $170 fee for two years, and liability insurance naming the City as certificate holder at minimum limits of $500,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 total, and $500,000 for products and completed operations. Requirements and fees can change, so confirm current terms with the City. Do not treat a company's registration as evidence of work quality; it is simply the category the City uses for permitting.
Hypothetical example: a homeowner in a 1950s ranch house asks for proposals and notes that one company's paperwork lists a Home Improvement Contractor registration number. On the City page, that category covers limited repair and replacement such as non-structural remodeling, conversions and modernizations, with a lower insurance minimum and a $150 two-year fee. The homeowner can ask the company to clarify which category applies to the work described, without deciding whether any method is appropriate.
2. What you have noticed, in your own words
Write dated observations: where you see a crack, how wide it appears, whether a door or window sticks, whether floors feel uneven, and whether you have noticed water pooling near the slab or along a wall. Photograph each item with something for scale and note the date. Keep observations factual; a proposal can then state whether the contractor recorded the same things. The point is a record, not a self-diagnosis. Groundwork San Antonio does not determine what causes movement, and a proposal's observations are the contractor's statements, not an engineering finding.
Also note anything that could affect access or scope: locked gates, pets, landscaping, an addition, a prior repair, or a recent remodel. Hypothetical example: a homeowner notes a crack that reappears after patching and a patio that slopes toward the house. The proposal form has fields for observations and investigation; the homeowner can mark whether each proposal documents its own observations of those items or simply refers to the homeowner's list.
3. Prior paperwork
Collect any earlier inspection reports, engineer letters, permits, warranties and invoices. The City's inspections page, supplied here in a German translation, says the City accepts a confirmation letter from an engineer or industry expert for specialized work performed, and that most inspections relate to building permits (City of San Antonio, Inspections). Translated wording may differ from the English original, so verify any specific requirement with the City. Prior documents help you ask whether a new proposal accounts for them, but they do not make a repair necessary or unnecessary.
4. Whether an engineer is involved, and what that means
Texas licenses professional engineers through the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS), whose stated mission is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the people of Texas through licensure, compliance and education (TBPELS webinar material). TBPELS notes that Texas does not license engineers by discipline, but engineers must not practice outside their competence under Board Rule ยง137.59(a). It also states that a Texas professional engineer may sign and seal only work they personally performed or that was performed under their direct supervision. TBPELS provides a flow chart for evaluating when a licensed engineer is required, linked from its page on the statutory definition of engineering (TBPELS, Is a Texas Licensed Engineer Required?).
For a proposal, that means you can ask whether the document specifies an investigation by a licensed engineer, what that engineer is being asked to evaluate, and whether any sealed report is included or excluded. It does not mean every proposal needs one, and it does not let you judge the engineering content. See questions for a licensed engineer for phrasing.
5. Permits and inspections
The City inspections page describes building inspections covering foundations, framing, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and third-party special inspections, and says requests submitted before midnight are scheduled for the following day, with a $3 fee per appointment when scheduling by phone at 210-207-1111. It also says special inspections must be performed by specially trained inspectors approved by the City, with qualifications submitted through an application process. Treat these as the City's stated processes, not as a statement about any particular project. In your proposal notes, record whether the proposal states who pulls permits, what inspections are anticipated, and whether any third-party special inspection is included or excluded.
The same page says the City accepts reports of unlicensed contractors and work without a permit or certificate of occupancy, and that calls can be confidential and anonymous. That is a reporting channel, not a quality rating.
6. Items to require in writing
Before comparing, ask each company to state in the proposal: observations documented; investigation specified (who, what, and whether sealed); scope and method described; exclusions; permits and inspections; warranty terms; and unanswered questions. Read compare the scope, not just the headline price for how to read those fields, and record warranty terms and exclusions for what to copy verbatim. Hypothetical example: one proposal lists a transferable warranty but does not say what voids it; another lists exclusions for drainage work. Record both as written rather than scoring them.
A practical limitation: a proposal can be complete on paper and still contain statements you cannot verify. The matrix shows missing information, not quality. Keep original documents, note the date each proposal was received, and avoid signing anything until you have compared the written items. Enter your notes in the private comparison tool, export a local Markdown copy, and reset it when you are done; nothing you type is stored or sent.
