Frequently Asked Questions

Common signs include doors and windows that stick or will not latch, cracks in drywall above door frames, stair-step cracks in brick, gaps between trim and walls, and floors that slope or feel soft. One sign alone is not always serious. Several showing up together, or getting worse over a season, is a good reason to have the foundation checked.

Clay soil swells when it absorbs water and shrinks as it dries. After a wet spring and a dry late summer, the ground under one side of a house can be in a very different state than the other side. That uneven movement is what cracks foundations and racks door frames.

Yes. In a crawl space home the work often focuses on the piers, beams, joists and support posts under the floor, along with moisture control. Repairs can include adding steel support jacks, replacing rotted wood, re-shimming piers and installing a vapor barrier or full encapsulation.

Start outside. Clean gutters, extend downspouts well away from the house and make sure the soil slopes away from the foundation. If water still comes through, an interior drain tile system with a sump pump or exterior waterproofing may be needed, depending on where the water enters and how much there is.

An engineer's evaluation is a good idea when movement is significant or ongoing, when a wall is bowing or leaning, when you are buying or selling a home with known issues, or when a lender or insurer asks for a report. We can work with your residential civil or structural engineer and follow their recommendations in the repair plan.

Some do, depending on the type and scope of the work. Structural repairs are more likely to need a permit than crack sealing or drainage work. Ask any contractor you talk to about permits and engineering letters, and we will tell you up front what applies to your job.

Crack injections and small crawl space repairs often take a day or less. Pier installations, wall bracing and drainage systems can take several days, and weather, access, permits and engineer review can add time. You get a realistic timeframe with your estimate.

Sometimes, but not always. Lifting or stabilizing a foundation can narrow some cracks, while others will need to be patched afterward. The main goal is to stop the movement so cracks do not keep coming back, and we explain what cosmetic work may still be needed.

Small, stable cracks can often be watched for a while. Active movement, water coming in, or floors that are sagging tend to get worse and more expensive with time. An inspection tells you which category you are in so you can decide with real information.