Start with conditions, not a product
Settlement around Charleston often traces back to marsh sediment that's still consolidating decades after fill was placed, which is a fundamentally slower and more persistent process than typical soil settlement elsewhere.
Build a complete scope
- What was measured, and whether the ground is original or filled marsh
- Whether the structure is historic masonry, a raised pier house, or slab
- Whether the scale of work triggers floodplain elevation requirements
- Whether preservation review applies to anything that becomes visible
- Access on a constrained lot, restoration afterward, and warranty terms
Charleston settlement context
A lot of the peninsula and its immediate suburbs were built up on reclaimed low ground, so settlement work here tends to involve a longer view of how the fill has behaved since it went in.