A Whole-House Structural Assessment

There is not one thing wrong. There are several, and you have stopped being sure which ones matter. Cracks in the basement, a hump in the kitchen floor, water in the corner every spring, a beam somebody sistered, posts somebody added, trees close to the house. Or you just bought an 1870s house and want to understand what is holding it up before you move a wall. Or the one problem you called about turns out to connect to three others.

I'm Travis Busch, a licensed Connecticut PE. For a house like that I do not look at one thing. I walk the whole structure, from what the footings are doing to how the roof is framed, and write you one sealed letter that puts it in order.

What I actually look at

Everything that carries load, and everything that tells me whether it has moved.

• The foundation, inside and out: cracks, bowing, water history, what the walls sit on where that can be seen, the slab.
• The main beam and every post: what they are, what they stand on, whether anyone has added, moved or lifted one.
• The floor framing: joist size and span, notches and cuts, sistering, rot and insect damage at the sills and joist ends, where the floors above are low or high, with a level.
• The bearing walls and how load gets from the roof to the ground. In an old house this path has often been changed and nobody wrote down where.
• The roof framing from the attic: rafters, ridge, collar ties, anything that has spread or sagged, the chimney where it passes through.
• Doors, windows, trim and finishes, room by room, which record movement better than the basement does.
• Outside: grading, downspouts, additions and porches and whether they are moving with the house or away from it, trees close to the foundation.

I take the measurements and photographs myself and I go where the answers are, crawl space and attic included. Open up anything you can beforehand and I will look at it.

What you get

A signed and sealed letter from a Connecticut PE on the whole house. It says what is holding the house up, what has moved and whether it is still moving, what I think caused what, what needs attention and in what order, and what is fine and can be left alone. Where a repair is framing, the letter says what to build, with drawings when a contractor needs them. Where the next step is a specialist, a geotechnical engineer, a foundation repair contractor, a mason, it says who and what to ask for. If you are planning a renovation, this letter is the starting point for the design.

What it costs

One fixed price for the whole house, quoted on the first call before any work starts. Half is due at the visit, check, cash or card, and the rest when the letter is ready. The price covers the visit, the letter and your questions about it. A whole-house visit is longer than a single-item visit, and the price reflects that; I will say the number on the call before you decide anything.

When you do not need an engineer

If nothing is cracked, nothing has moved and you want a general look at a house, a home inspector is the right first call and costs less. If you have exactly one concern, one crack or one floor, you want the single-item letter, not this. Call me for the whole house when there are several things, when you are about to renovate an old house, when you are buying one that has clearly been worked on, or when a previous report left you with more questions than answers.

How to book

Call or text (860) 519-6009. Tell me the town, the age of the house, what you have noticed, and whether a purchase or a renovation is behind the call. You get one price and a date on that call. Text or email me whatever photos and reports you have before then and I will show up knowing your house.

Related: Before you buy · Foundation cracks · A sagging or humped floor · Water, settling and walls that moved