Standards
How we vet foundation professionals
HyreFoundation currently verifies two things about a foundation professional: license status, where the state licenses the work, and the business's legal entity and filings. Insurance, warranty terms, reviews and complaint history are not verified yet. Verification is not endorsement, and we publish no ratings, rankings or company profiles.
Verification is not endorsement. When we say a professional was verified, we mean named facts were checked against a named source on a stated date. It does not mean they do good work, charge a fair price, or will honor a warranty in fifteen years. No platform can tell you those things.
Where does vetting stand today?
Our professional network is still being built. HyreFoundation publishes no company profiles, rankings or star ratings, because nothing we hold today would survive scrutiny. Rather than launch a directory and call it vetting, we are publishing the framework first and filling it in.
What does HyreFoundation check?
| Check | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| License status, where the state licenses this work at all | The state licensing board’s own record | In place |
| Legal entity and operating history | Secretary of State business filings | In place |
| General liability and workers' compensation | Certificate confirmed with the issuing carrier, not a PDF from the contractor | Not yet |
| Warranty terms | Recorded from a real signed contract, not a brochure | Not yet |
| Homeowner reviews | Collected under a published policy, attributable to a real job | Not yet |
| Complaint and disciplinary history | State board and attorney general records where published | Not yet |
"In place" rows describe what we verify today. "Not yet" rows are what we are building. A row moves when it is true, not before.
Why is a license check worth less in foundation repair?
Because in much of the country there is no license to check. Depending on the state, foundation repair may sit under a general contractor classification, under a specialty classification not written with underpinning in mind, or under nothing at all. Texas has no state residential contractor license.
So "licensed and insured" in an ad can be true and still mean nobody assessed whether the company understands soil. That is the gap an independent structural engineer fills, and why we push that advice so hard.
What can nobody check for you?
- Workmanship. Piers are backfilled. Nobody, including us, the state or the next owner, can inspect the finished work.
- Whether the diagnosis was right. It is the most consequential part of a foundation job and the least visible afterward.
- Whether the price was fair. Without soil data and an engineer’s scope, no price compares to any other. See what drives foundation repair cost.
- Whether a warranty will be honored. A lifetime warranty lasts as long as the company issuing it. See what a foundation warranty is worth.
What should I check myself?
The same things, yourself. The foundation contractor checklist is the homeowner version of this page, and the inspection report checklist tool tests whether the packet you were handed is complete.
If something here is unclear, or you think we have a professional’s details wrong, contact HyreFoundation. Other common questions are on the foundation FAQ.