What do you do when a structural integrity report lists corrections?
Ask the engineer to explain each finding, what further information or work is needed, and whether another visit is involved. Do this before anyone authorizes repairs or extra work.
Is a report with findings a failed report?
It is an honest one. The report describes the conditions the engineer found within the agreed scope, and some of those conditions may be ones nobody hoped to see. The lender separately decides whether the resulting documentation satisfies its requirement.
Do not tell a borrower that paying for a report guarantees a favorable result. The conclusions depend on the conditions and information reviewed.
What might the next step be?
Depending on the finding and the assignment, the path could involve:
- Additional information about the home or its installation.
- Further investigation of a specific condition.
- A repair scope or repair design.
- Completed repairs, followed by another review.
Ask which of these is part of the original assignment and which would be quoted separately.
What should you ask before authorizing more work?
Request the scope, the fee, and the scheduling for any additional step in writing. Ask how a return visit or a revised scope would be handled. Our reinspection after corrections service exists for the visit that follows completed work.
How does the borrower fit in?
Send the borrower the finding in plain terms and let the engineer answer technical questions. The borrower may need to bring in a contractor, and the contractor should work from the engineer's written finding, not from a summary passed along secondhand.
How do you keep the file clean?
Keep every version of the report with its date, and note which finding each repair addresses. When corrections are done, the engineer reviews the completed work and the file shows the full sequence. Our ordering checklist for loan processors covers what to send so the first scope is right.
Does the lender still decide?
Yes. Report delivery and loan approval are separate steps. Leave time for your reviewer after the report arrives, and after any follow-up.
Where do you go from here?
If a report in your file lists findings, send us the report and the question your reviewer has. Reports are signed by an engineer licensed in the state where the home sits: Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, or Indiana. We reply within one business day.