How Long is An Acculevel Quote Valid and Why?

Originally posted 4/30/21; updated 12/20/22

Since Andy Beery founded Acculevel in 1996, our goal has been to help homeowners protect and preserve their homes.  We reach this goal by treating our customers in the way we want to be treated: honestly, fairly, and respectfully.  

Like some of the other blogs in this FAQ series, this is written specifically for homeowners who are potential Acculevel customers.  If you do not live within our service area, this particular article may not be as useful to you; but it may provide you with some questions to discuss with your contractor of choice.

In this blog, I’m going to explain how long our quoted estimates are valid, and why they expire.

How Long is A Written Acculevel Estimate Valid? 

An Acculevel written estimate is guaranteed for 30 days.  During that time, even if materials or other costs increase, we will honor the pricing you were given during your in-home appointment. If you pay a deposit before those 30 days expire, this locks in the pricing for an additional 60 days.

Why Does the Quote Expire?

When one of our project advisors comes to your home and evaluates the area(s) of concern, they are recommending the best repair option for you at that time.  But most of the forces that cause foundation damage are natural forces beyond human control.  

For example, one severe thunderstorm could lead to any of the following problems:

• A small leak in your basement could turn into flooding, which could make repairs messier and more expensive.  
• The force of water in the soil around your home (hydrostatic pressure) could expand a small crack into a large one.  
• Hydrostatic pressure could also increase erosion, making your foundation sink or settle unevenly.
• If you have a wall that is already starting to bow or lean inward, hydrostatic pressure can also make this worse.  Carbon fiber straps are only a solution for walls bowing less than 2 inches. 
• Heavy rain can lead to standing water in a crawl space, which promotes mold and rot in your floor joists and beams
• Too much water in a short period of time can overflow guttering, depositing water around your foundation where it can leak into your basement. 

I’m sure you’ve experienced this type of problem before, when your car starts just fine in August but struggles in January.  Different conditions lead to different results.  We can only trust a given situation to remain the same for so long, before it becomes too much of a gamble. 

Why Do Prices Change?

When one of our project advisors gives you pricing for a repair, the price is all-inclusive.  We don’t add surcharges or fees to cover fluctuating fuel costs, and we pay the applicable sales taxes ourselves.   

Acculevel representatives do not manipulate pricing to add in room for false discounts or haggling.  Some companies will negotiate special “one-time deals” as a sales tactic to pressure customers; Acculevel does not do this.  If three customers in three different cities need the same service? Their prices will all be the same.

But pricing variables do change, because the costs of the materials we use can – and do- increase.  Running a business is not cheap; we pay living wages to our employees, retain the appropriate insurance policies, and maintain our repair trucks and vans.  We pay up front for materials like the lumber we use to repair damaged floor joists, the steel beams that shore up sagging floors, and the polyurethane foam used in slabjacking.  All of these expenses factor into the overall cost of our services.

Want to Know More About Working with Acculevel?

If you haven’t scheduled an estimate with any contractor yet, please use our checklist of questions to ask a contractor.  The article goes through all of the questions and provides Acculevel’s answers; there is also the option to download a free copy of the questions for you to use with other contractors, if you’d like to get more than one quote.

We also have a guide that can help you prepare for an appointment with a contractor.  When I developed that article, I used feedback from our project advisors and call center representatives, to determine the top 7 questions asked before or during every appointment.  

If you’d like to know more about pricing and business practices, we have an article that reviews the various types of added expenses you may encounter during repairs.  We explain why we don’t usually need building permits, what they cost in the rare event we do need one, and how we believe an ethical contractor should approach you about additional (not quoted) costs.

There is also an article that explains why discounts from contractors don’t always save you money.  This blog explains how some companies play with the numbers, what you should watch for, and what you can expect from us.

We Want to Protect You and Your Home

I would like to reinforce this message to you: Acculevel’s goal is to do the best and most thorough repair possible, to protect and maintain your home.  We know that allowing our employees into your home demonstrates trust, and we intend to repay that trust with the absolute best in customer service.  

If you have an estimate and would like us to make needed repairs to your home, we have created guidelines for site preparation.  This will give you some additional information about the particulars of your repair installation.  If you have questions about what your repairs will involve, you are always welcome to contact your project advisor.  They have been to your property, seen it firsthand, and will be the most knowledgeable person to ask.  

If you have any additional questions about your estimate, upcoming installation, or the service(s) involved, please contact our office at 866-669-3349 or [email protected].