7 Warning Signs Your Home Has Foundation Problems (And What to Do Next)

Your home’s foundation endures a great deal while supporting every pound of your home’s weight and weathering the elements year-round. Given long enough, these stressors will provoke enough wear and tear to compromise your foundation’s integrity.

Signs of foundation problems sometimes present in surprising or unusual ways. You might notice a hairline crack in a wall or a sticky door. These defects could have more benign causes, but it’s best to rule out foundation trouble quickly to get ahead of very costly repairs.

Why Foundation Problems Are Easy to Dismiss Until They’re Expensive

Foundation issues usually develop slowly, and early symptoms often seem like the results of the home aging naturally. The building materials or foundation settling over time can result in hairline cracks, minor architectural misalignments, warping, and other small imperfections, and these usually aren’t indicative of a compromised foundation. If you’re not a contractor or building inspector, you probably don’t have the expertise to distinguish an innocuous flaw from a worrying sign of foundation trouble. The average homeowner may not act until there are more obvious problems, like house foundation cracks, crumbling cement, or structural damage. By that point, the price of remediation could be in the tens of thousands.

7 Warning Signs Your Home Has Foundation Problems (And What to Do Next)

Indications of foundation damage may arise in unexpected places. Here are some signs of potential trouble.

1. Cracks in the drywall

Plenty of homes have hairline cracks in the paint or drywall, and most are of little consequence. Less common are diagonal cracks that run at a 45-degree angle from the corner of a window or door frame. These cracks suggest that the foundation is settling unevenly, with one side sinking into the earth at a faster rate than the other.

If you notice a crack in a wall, take a photo, measure its length and width, and monitor it to see if it grows over the next several weeks and months. If the crack gets worse, call a professional.

2. Doors and windows that are sticky, jammed, or won’t close properly

A shifting foundation can distort the framing around doors and windows. Even a slight misalignment can make a door or window harder to open or close. In some cases, it won’t shut or latch properly.

Weather can affect your doors and windows too. In humid summer weather, for example, a door might expand enough to become a little sticky in the frame. If you notice any troublesome doors or windows in your home, take note of whether the problem is consistent regardless of any seasonal changes in weather.

3. Sloping or uneven floors

A failing foundation can have a noticeable effect on the floors of the home. A floor may begin to slope, or it may dip or bounce underfoot if the foundation damages an underlying support. If you suspect a problem with the integrity of your floors, use a marble or long level to check for irregularities.

4. Gaps between walls and ceilings or floors

Separation where walls meet ceilings or floors often means the foundation is sinking beneath the structure it’s meant to support. Examine the perimeter of rooms that share walls with the home’s exterior. As with cracks in the walls, document the progression of gaps with photographs and measurements.

5. Cracks in exterior masonry or brickwork

Evidence of foundation failure may appear outside as well. Inspect any masonry, brickwork, or concrete around your home’s exterior for signs of cracks or deterioration. Particularly concerning crack patterns are horizontal cracks in concrete foundations and stair-pattern cracks in brickwork. Document any damage you see, but don’t wait for the problem to worsen before calling for help.

6. Water in the basement or crawl space

If a home’s foundation is damaged, water may seep from the surrounding earth into the basement or below-ground crawl space. You may discover wet surfaces, puddles, dried water stains, or a white chalky residue called efflorescence. Even if foundation trouble isn’t the cause, water in the basement is never good. Work with a home professional to identify the cause and remedy the problem.

7. Chimney leaning or separating from the house

The weight and architecture of a chimney usually causes it to settle differently than the rest of the house. If the home’s foundation is in trouble, you might see the chimney begin to lean or separate from the house before any other symptoms become apparent.

The Difference Between a Harmless Crack and One That Needs Immediate Attention

Not every crack means your foundation is in danger. Most cracks, especially vertical hairline cracks in drywall, are usually due to minor seasonal expansion and contraction. Cracks that suggest structural movement tend to have distinct patterns.

• Diagonal cracks. Cracks that run at an angle from a door or window frame suggest differential settlement of the foundation.
• Horizontal cracks in concrete. If the concrete or block wall of the foundation has a crack running horizontally, there is likely lateral pressure compromising the integrity of the foundation itself.
• Stair-step cracks. If a brickwork foundation begins to fail, you may discover a crack following a staircase pattern between the staggered layers of bricks.

If you’re unsure of whether a crack warrants a professional assessment, take a photo of the crack and measure its length or mark each end with a pencil. Check back in two to four weeks to see if the crack has gotten larger. A crack that doesn’t change is less likely to be a symptom of a serious problem.

What Happens If Foundation Problems Go Unaddressed

Foundation problems won’t resolve on their own. Without remediation, ground movement, water pressure, erosion, poor drainage, or some other root cause of damage will continue to stress the foundation. Cracks will worsen, framing will become distorted, and cascading problems will ensue. Moisture in the basement will cause mold growth and water damage. Strained plumbing systems will result in leaks, and stressed electrical systems will lead to power outages and fire hazards. Eventually, the home’s very structural integrity will be compromised.

As problems worsen, the corresponding repair costs spike. Caught early, foundation problems that entail minor crack repairs and stabilization might cost a few thousand dollars. If the problem has become severe enough to require a full foundation underpinning, the cost runs to the tens of thousands. Secondary damage to the home’s systems and cosmetic damage add to that total.

When to Call a Professional and What to Expect From the Process

If you notice an early sign of a possibly damaged or sinking foundation, first take a photo and record some measurements along with the date. Keep this information so that you or an inspector can refer to it later and assess how the problem progresses, if at all.

The next step is a professional structural inspection. Consider a licensed structural engineer, who is less likely to have a financial incentive to recommend repairs. A thorough inspection may cost between $300 and $700, but consider this an investment to stave off much more expensive costs down the road. If you’re a new homebuyer, an inspection is especially important because it can flag other issues with the home that go unnoticed to the untrained eye.

With the inspection report and repair recommendations in hand, you can reach out to qualified contractors in your area for quotes. Depending on the nature and severity of the problem, potential fixes could include:

• Applying epoxy or polyurethane foam to small and stable cracks in a concrete foundation
• Installing carbon fiber straps to reinforce basement walls
• Performing foundation piering or underpinning in the cases of severe settling or sinking
• Correcting drainage for situations in which water is contributing to damage