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Role · Basement & foundation repair

Foundation inspector

A foundation inspector is a salesperson who inspects a basement, crawl space or foundation, diagnoses the problem and sells the repair, usually on company-generated leads.

The title sets up the visit: the homeowner called about water or cracks and wants a diagnosis. The job is to find the cause, explain it plainly and sell a repair the homeowner trusts. It's sales, but credibility does most of the work.

Hire foundation inspectorsPay & KPIs

Also called

The same job under other titles.

Basement & foundation

  • Outside Sales Representative
  • Certified Field Inspector (CFI)

Groundworks has posted the job as Outside Sales Representative and calls its reps Certified Field Inspectors internally. Candidates may know the role by either name.

Trades that hire foundation inspectors

A day in the job

A day of inspections

Most of the day is in basements and crawl spaces. An illustrative day:

  1. Morning

    Reviews the day's leads. At some basement companies they come from the company's marketing; one posting promised 'no cold calling'.

  2. The inspection

    Goes through the basement or crawl space with the homeowner: moisture, cracks, bowing walls, the sump, the grading outside. Photographs and measures as they go.

  3. The diagnosis

    Explains what's happening and why, using the photos. This is where trust is won or lost.

  4. The proposal

    Presents repair options, the warranty and financing, and asks for the order.

  5. After

    Writes a scope the crew can install without a second visit. Follows up on open proposals before the next heavy rain sends the homeowner to a competitor.

Scorecard

The inspector scorecard

There are no published benchmarks for this trade we'd trust, so build your bar from your own strongest inspectors and measure candidates against it.

  • Close-rate history on inspections run

    Ask how they count an inspection where they advised waiting.

    Verified by Level

  • Pay history

    Commission statements or W-2s that match the sales they describe.

    Verified by Level

  • Average ticket

    Watch for repair scopes bigger than the problem. They come back as cancels and bad reviews.

    You check

  • Cancel rate

    Basement repairs are a scary purchase. Cancels show whether the homeowner believed the diagnosis.

    You check

  • Scope accuracy

    Change orders and crew callbacks on their jobs.

    You check

  • Reviews

    Homeowner reviews that mention the inspector by name, good or bad.

    You check

Level verifies close-rate history and pay history (commission statements or W-2s), and runs reference checks, before you meet a candidate. Everything marked “You check” is yours to ask about.

Rules to know

An inspector shouldn't present as an engineer. Separately, some states regulate home improvement salespeople, such as Maryland's MHIC exam and Connecticut's registration. The FTC Cooling-Off Rule gives at-home buyers 3 business days to cancel.

Pay models

How basement and foundation inspectors are paid

One large basement company's posting shows one shape: paid training first, then commission.

  • Paid training, then commission

    Groundworks advertised $750/week during a mandatory regional training class, with company-generated leads. The same posting's earnings figures are the company's own claims.

  • Percent of sale

    Typical home improvement commission is 6-12% of the sale, from 2018 data. Repair tickets vary widely, so set rates against your own job mix.

  • Base plus commission

    Steadies pay through slower months and helps you hire people from adjacent trades who haven't sold on straight commission.

Annual wage · BLS · May 2025

Sales reps at foundation, structure & exterior contractors

NAICS 2381

10th $37,70090th $136,100

Median $69,990

BLS, May 2025. W-2 reps only. This group includes roofing and siding sellers, not just foundation work.

Work it through

How it compares

Foundation inspector vs structural engineer vs home inspector

Homeowners don't always know the difference, so your inspector has to be clear about which one they are. Presenting as an independent expert while selling the repair is the fastest way to lose trust.
Compared onFoundation inspector (sales)Structural engineerHome inspector
Works forThe repair companyUsually hired independentlyUsually the buyer, before a purchase
Goal of the visitDiagnose and sell a repairAssess the structure and recommendReport on the home's condition
Paid forSigned repairsThe assessmentThe report
What you hire forDiagnosis, plain talk and a closeNot a sales hireNot a sales hire

Our view

What makes a great foundation inspector

These sales start with a diagnosis. Homeowners buy from the inspector they believe, so trust is what turns your inspections into revenue.

  • Diagnose, then explain

    The inspector has to find the cause, explain it clearly without scaring anyone, and present repair options the homeowner understands.

  • Look at inspection-led sellers

    Good candidates come from other inspection-led sales, such as pest, roofing or home inspection, or from other basement and foundation companies.

  • Plan for training

    Larger basement companies often run paid training before reps go out alone, like the Groundworks posting in the pay section above. Budget the time and pay for it, whoever you hire.

Our judgment from headhunting for this role.

First 90 days

Your new inspector's first 90 days

Training comes first in this trade. Agree targets for each stage before day one, check in weekly, and start them on warmer leads so a good hire doesn't look average early on.

  1. Days 1-14

    Learn your repair products, the warranty, the price book and the CRM. Ride along on real inspections with your best inspector, or with you.

  2. Days 15-45

    Run inspections, starting with warmer leads. Review every diagnosis and proposal together, sold or not.

  3. Days 46-90

    A full calendar. Track close rate, average ticket, cancels and scope accuracy against the targets you agreed.

Advice for your own onboarding. Level doesn’t run training or ride-alongs.

How Level vets

The three checks we run on inspectors.

  1. 01

    Close-rate history on inspections they ran, so you can compare candidates who came from different lead sources.

  2. 02

    Pay history from commission statements or W-2s. Training pay, draws and commission should all show up where they say.

  3. 03

    Reference checks. We confirm the history and track record a candidate gives us with their references, before you meet them.

Their diagnosis and how they explain it are for you to test. A wet-wall photo and ten minutes will tell you a lot.

How it worksInterview tips

Yours to run

  • The interview
  • A ride-along
  • A role-play

Level doesn’t run these. The tips further down are what we’d look for.

Candidate pools

Where good foundation inspectors come from

The job rewards people who are comfortable in a crawl space and in a kitchen. Look in four places.

  • Other basement and foundation companies

    They know the products, the warranty talk and the homeowner's fear. Check they sold on diagnosis, not pressure.

  • Our read

    Techs who already explain problems

    Pest, HVAC and plumbing techs crawl under houses and explain what they find. The diagnostic habit transfers well.

  • Roofing and siding reps

    Inspection-led sales with photos and a repair proposal. Same shape, different part of the house.

  • Our read

    Home inspectors who want commission

    They know how to read a house. They'll need to learn to ask for the order.

“Our read” marks our own judgment from the market, not sourced data.

Level starts where the track records are. The best reps are usually employed and doing well, so they aren’t scrolling job boards. We headhunt top performers at the strongest companies in your trade and market, and show them why your seat is a better move. The other pools are worth knowing if you’re hiring yourself.

Interview tips

Interviewing a foundation inspector

Close-rate history, pay history and references are checked before you meet them. Use the interview to see how they diagnose and how honest they are about it.
  1. 01

    Hand them photos

    Show photos of a damp basement wall and a stair-step crack. Ask what they'd check next and how they'd explain it to a nervous homeowner.

  2. 02

    Ask about the no-sale

    Ask about an inspection where they told the homeowner the repair could wait. You want someone who will say it when it's true.

  3. 03

    Role-play the second opinion

    The homeowner has a cheaper quote and a brother-in-law who says it's fine. Watch whether they argue or explain.

  4. 04

    Ride along on an inspection

    Watch the whole visit, crawl space to kitchen table. Hire the one you'd trust in your own basement.

This is our advice for your own hiring process. Level doesn’t run interviews, ride-alongs or role-plays.

A real track record, or a good interview?

Salespeople are good at interviews. It’s part of the job. Here’s how we’d tell the difference in your seat.

Specifics, not adjectives

A real inspector-closer talks about last month in numbers: inspections run, repairs sold, the average ticket and how many cancelled, plus an inspection where they told the homeowner to wait. Someone who mainly interviews well talks in adjectives instead.

Listen for

  • How they explain a crack or a wet wall to a nervous homeowner.
  • Whether financing comes up without being prompted.
  • Whether they talk about the house and the homeowner's worry, or about the size of the sale.

Red flags

  • A close rate with no word on the leads behind it, or one that sounds too good for diagnostic sales.
  • Sales that don't line up with what they were paid. We check pay history for you before you meet them.
  • Repair scopes that always come in big. They tend to come back as cancels and bad reviews.
  • High cancels they brush off. Cancels show the homeowner didn't believe the diagnosis.
  • Letting a homeowner think they're an engineer.

When a candidate quotes a close rate

Close rate has no agreed definition in home improvement (No standard, per Pro Remodeler), so the same number can mean very different things. Five questions make it comparable:

  1. 01Closed out of what: leads issued, appointments run, or demos given?
  2. 02What kind of leads: tech-generated, marketed, self-generated or storm?
  3. 03Over what period, and how many appointments is that?
  4. 04What was the cancel rate on those sales?
  5. 05What was the average ticket?

Job description

Foundation Inspector job description, short version.

A starting point for your posting. Edit the lead sources, territory and pay plan to match your seat.

Foundation Inspector

We're hiring a foundation inspector to visit homeowners, inspect basements, crawl spaces and foundations, diagnose the problem and sell the right repair. Company-generated leads and paid training.

What you’ll do

  • Inspect basements, crawl spaces and foundations, with photos and measurements
  • Diagnose the cause of water, cracks or movement and explain it plainly
  • Present repair options, warranties and financing, and ask for the order
  • Write accurate scopes the install crews can build from
  • Follow up on open proposals
  • Keep the CRM current and protect the company's reviews

What we’re looking for

  • In-home sales experience, or diagnostic field work and a wish to sell
  • Close-rate and pay history you can show (commission statements or W-2s), if you've sold before
  • Comfortable in tight crawl spaces and on job sites
  • Valid driver's license

FAQ

Questions about hiring foundation inspectors.

  • Is a foundation inspector a sales job?

    Yes. In basement waterproofing and foundation repair, the inspector is the salesperson: they inspect, diagnose and sell the repair. It's not an engineering or home-inspection role.

  • How are basement waterproofing sales reps paid?

    Often paid training followed by commission. One large company advertised $750/week during training. Typical home improvement commission is 6-12% of the sale (2018 data). See home improvement commission.

  • What background makes a good foundation inspector?

    In-home sales experience helps most. People from roofing, pest, HVAC or plumbing who already explain problems to homeowners can also do well, with training on the close.

  • Does a foundation inspector need a license?

    Not as an engineer, and they shouldn't present as one. Some states regulate home improvement salespeople: Maryland's MHIC salesperson exam is 35 questions, 70% to pass, and in Connecticut: Registration required. Check the states you work in.

  • How does Level check a foundation inspector?

    We verify their close-rate history on inspections and their pay history from commission statements or W-2s, and check references, before you meet them. Someone coming from a diagnostic trade may have no sales record yet, and then there's no close rate to verify, so weigh that in your interview.

Hire inspectors homeowners trust in their basement.

Tell us the seat. We headhunt proven closers who already sell in your trade and check their close rate, pay history and references before you meet them. You pay only when you hire.

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