Foundation repair contracts that still make sense when the house sells
Foundation repair is sold to worried homeowners at the kitchen table, and read again years later by a buyer's inspector and an engineer they hired. The contract, the readings and the warranty have to make sense to all of them. SignMaster gets each document signed in the home or by link, and keeps a sealed copy with a certificate that shows who agreed to what, and when.
Updated November 9, 2026 · 3 min read
On this page
The documents on a foundation job
| Document | What it pins down |
|---|---|
| Inspection report and repair plan | Elevation readings, where the piers or anchors go, and how many |
| Repair contract | Pier type and count, what happens if more are needed, access, landscaping, permits and any engineer's involvement |
| Pre-existing conditions | Cracks, sticking doors and sloped floors already there, and that lifting can open or close cracks inside the house |
| Plumbing test acknowledgment | On slab homes, whether drain lines are tested before and after lifting, and who pays for repairs found |
| Change order | Extra piers or deeper installs once you're in the ground |
| Warranty and transfer form | Your warranty's terms, and the form a buyer signs to take it over |
Start from your own documents, and look at the library's home improvement warranty and change order form for the pieces you don't have yet.
Selling in the home: the cancellation notice
Most foundation repair is sold during an inspection visit at the customer's house. Under the FTC's Cooling-Off Rule, a home sale of $25 or more lets the buyer cancel until midnight of the third business day. You owe them a completed copy of the contract at signing, with a cancellation statement next to their signature, plus two copies of a notice of cancellation they can mail back. Some states set their own rules on top.
Build the statement into your contract template and put the library's notice of cancellation form in the same envelope. When everyone has signed, the sealed copy goes to the homeowner by email, and in the iPhone and iPad app you can also print or share it on the spot.
Lifting day
- 1
Walk the house first
Record the existing cracks and readings on the pre-existing conditions form, with initials beside each room. Photos of each crack can join the envelope as a PDF.
- 2
Price the surprise on the spot
If a pier won't reach refusal where you expected, open a change order: added piers times your price, as a calculated total. The homeowner signs on your tablet with Sign in person.
- 3
Sign off the result
After the lift, fill in the final readings and have the homeowner sign. The engineer's letter, scanned in the iPhone and iPad app, goes in the same envelope.
- 4
Everyone gets the sealed copy
Homeowner, office and the engineer, added as Receives a copy, get the PDF and its certificate of completion.
Warranties that follow the house
A transferable warranty is a selling point only if the transfer is easy. Turn your transfer form into a public signing link on your website: the seller or buyer fills in the address, the closing date and the new owner's details, and signs. Every request lands as a row in the template's Responses table, and Save signers to Contacts adds the new owner to your list for the next inspection reminder.
Real estate deadlines
Transfers often come up days before a closing. Agents and buyers can sign from a link on any phone, without an account, and the sealed PDF is something they can hand straight to the title company.
What it costs
Inspectors, crew leads and the office can share Crew at $49 a month for 5 people, with extra seats at $8 a month. Company is $99 a month for 15 people with the same unlimited envelopes. A one-person outfit can run on Solo at $15 a month. New workspaces get 14 days of Crew free. See every plan.
What SignMaster doesn't do
- It doesn't take elevation readings or do engineering.
- It doesn't arrange financing or take payments.
- It doesn't decide what your state requires in a home repair contract.
- It emails signing links. Copy a link if a homeowner wants it by text.
Questions? Answers.
How do I transfer a foundation warranty to a new owner?
Send your transfer form to the buyer by link, or let them fill it in from a public signing link on your site. Both sides sign without an account and get the sealed PDF.
How do I document cracks that were there before we lifted?
Use a pre-existing conditions form with a line per room and initials beside each, and add photos to the envelope. Have the homeowner sign it before work starts.
Can I add piers in the middle of a job?
Yes. Send a change order with the count and the new total, and have the homeowner sign on your tablet or from a link before you install them.
Can both homeowners sign the contract?
Yes. One signs on your device and the other from a link, in either order. Both signatures end up in one envelope.