Who asks for one
Buyers are the biggest group. The general home inspection comes back with a line like “evidence of foundation movement, recommend evaluation by a qualified professional,” and suddenly there’s a deadline. Sellers come next, often because they’d rather know what a buyer’s inspector will find before listing. Then there are owners who just watched a crack get longer over a season and want an answer.
What happens on site
The inspector walks the outside first, looking at brick, mortar joints, the visible edge of the slab, gutters and how the yard drains. Inside, they take elevation readings room by room and note cracks in drywall, tile and ceilings, plus any doors or windows that bind. On a raised house they go into the crawl space to look at piers, shims, beams and moisture.
Then they put it together. A low corner next to a downspout that dumps water against the house tells one story. A high middle with low edges after a dry summer tells another.
What you should get
Ask for the findings in writing: the elevation readings, photos of the cracks they noted, their opinion of the cause and what they recommend. If a repair company did the inspection, the estimate will often be attached. Some buyers take that estimate back to the seller during negotiations.
Repair company or engineer? It depends on what you need it for. A repair company’s inspection is free or low cost because it’s part of quoting. An engineer charges for the report and has no repair to sell. When a lot of money rides on the answer, some people get both and compare.