Walls do Talk…™

FoundationScan® is named for homeowners. It plainly describes what’s going to happen: a structured scan of the foundation for movement, then a clear report they can understand.

“Scan” means the full process — calibrated instrument readings across the floor, then software that zeros the data (mean/max/min), builds the heat map, and documents the instrument, manufacturer accuracy, calibration date, and technician. The app is the analysis and reporting layer. The technician still gathers accurate points with a real instrument (laser plane level, digital level, ZipLevel, smart level, and similar). We didn’t name it PhoneScan — the name is about the outcome homeowners see, not a phone camera trick.

Phone LiDAR is useful for rough floor plans and AR documentation. It is not a foundation measurement tool.

Key reasons:

• Apple does not publish an accuracy tolerance for phone LiDAR / RoomPlan.
• Floor-plan apps that use phones advertise roughly 1–5% error (e.g. CubiCasa ~3–5%, ~2.7% with LiDAR) or about 1–2 inches — not half-inch, house-wide repeatability.
• Independent research puts phone LiDAR in the centimeter class (e.g. roughly ±3 cm horizontal / ±7 mm vertical in controlled tests (one room); interior repeatability often ~0.6–1.4 cm SD). Errors GROW with path length and different walking paths. Ex. multiple rooms. → expect worse, not better. SD = standard deviation. Think “typical scatter,” not the worst-case miss. Most repeats land within about one SD of the average; bigger outliers still happen.
• Occupied homes block the sensor: beds, dressers, and clutter create holes in the mesh — LiDAR can’t measure floor it never sees.
• FoundationScan® is built for calibrated elevation instruments. Proper collection takes about 30–45 minutes and, with training and calibration, can deliver about ½″ repeatable accuracy — some instruments to about 1/32″. The report discloses manufacturer accuracy, calibration date, and who took the data so results are defensible.

Bottom line: a phone walk is a convenience shortcut. Foundation work is an accuracy job.

FoundationScan® is like an X-ray for the home. Precise laser elevations become Benchmark® visual reports — green where the structure is level, gold where it’s worth a closer look, orange/red where movement is real — so inspectors, buyers, realtors, and contractors share one picture instead of guesswork.

Three report types on one tool: Benchmark® Vertical (exterior elevations), Benchmark® Topo (floor elevation heat map), and Benchmark® Wall Profile (bowing, rotation, shear). Techs pick the combination each job needs.

Collecting elevations on site is typically about 30–45 minutes. Once the data is in, building the branded PDF report is about 2 minutes on site.

Any calibrated elevation instrument FoundationScan® supports — laser plane level, digital level, ZipLevel, smart level, and similar. Starter gear is often around ~$200 (laser + tripod). Carry a cheap backup laser; field gear gets destroyed. Set instruments to decimal inches when possible to reduce hand-entry mistakes.

Generated PDF reports are retained for 30 days and can be regenerated anytime. Underlying elevation data is retained; only the generated PDF artifact is cleared after 30 days.

No — native iOS and Android, built mobile-first so the report is produced on the job site. Features include AR map viewing, white-label options, photo uploads, mobile preview links, and view notifications when a client opens a sent report.

Inspectors are the buyer’s advocate — document, don’t sell repair. When something is flagged, FoundationScan® turns uncertainty into shared data: cosmetic vs serious, comparable contractor quotes, and a baseline the buyer keeps when they purchase (and later sell). It’s a paid add-on only when flagged — typically charged to the buyer around $250–$600.

No. FoundationScan® documents elevations and movement patterns so everyone is looking at the same facts. Engineering opinions, repair design, and legal conclusions stay with licensed professionals.

Companies that already take elevation or floor-level data — adding FoundationScan® is about a 2-minute report build on data they’re already collecting. Companies that don’t yet take elevations are a nurture path (train and certify).

First license $65/mo, each additional user $50/mo. Onboarding fee $600, waived on annual billing. Owner/admin login to view team reports is included.

Those amounts are what subscribers of the FoundationScan® app (inspectors, contractors, and other licensed users) typically bill the homeowner — not Point Data Inc.’s software fee. Software licenses are in “How much does FoundationScan® cost?” ($65 / $50 / $600 onboarding). Common homeowner charges: $250–$350 as an inspection add-on, ~$600 as a standalone scan, ~$250 for a follow-up, $1,200+ commercial. Each subscriber sets their own price to the homeowner.

Free trials are not offered as policy. De-risking usually looks like onboarding support, sample reports, training, and sometimes a free-first-report bridge after a deal — ask your Point Data contact what’s available for your situation.

Online training and hands-on options at the Lockridge Park conference center (lockridgepark.com) in Kentucky. During onboarding, Point Data Inc. can run reports from drawings + measurements while a new team learns. On-call support is part of the sales/support playbook.

Yes during onboarding. Point Data Inc. (the software company behind the FoundationScan® app) can produce reports from marked drawings + measurements until your team is proficient — send a scale drawing (graph paper, CAD, or county/PVA sketch) with measurements and marked reading points.

Brian Lockhart is President of Point Data, Inc., the company behind FoundationScan®. He has been involved in foundation repair for over 30 years — he started digging holes and now runs a foundation repair company headquartered in central Kentucky. He is passionate about developing technology for small businesses and founded Point Data, Inc. to develop FoundationScan®.

“My goal is to show how the FoundationScan® tools can help foundation repair companies design better repair plans and can better explain to their clients what is happening in their homes.”

Talk with Brian: foundationscan.com/brian · 855-444-0026

Martin Jokl is Vice President of Point Data, Inc. and co-founded the company with Brian Lockhart. He has been developing commercial software for the last 25 years. He holds a BS in Math and Physics and a PhD in Material Science. Martin especially enjoys working on the FoundationScan® tools and reports as they model houses in the real world and help people understand their houses.

“I want to develop and hone the FoundationScan® tools to make them easy to use and understand, but most importantly, to accurately reflect the state of the foundation.”

Point Data, Inc. was founded by Brian Lockhart and Martin Jokl. Brian brought decades of foundation-repair field experience; Martin brought commercial software development and scientific training. Together they built FoundationScan® — field elevation data turned into Benchmark® reports for contractors, inspectors, and homeowners.