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My husband and I have an offer accepted on a home where we currently live. The house was built in 2000, and we are first time homebuyers. This week, the inspection was completed.
A variety of small issues were found, along with a few more important issues that are still easy to fix that we have asked the sellers to repair. (Issues such as one floor joist needs to be replaced, the AC condensing drip pipe needs to be piped to the exterior of the home, etc.)
However, the inspectors said that that in their opinion, the home is structurally sound, but they did find one foundation crack in the crawl space that is technically wider that 1/4 inch, so they legally have to tell us that we may want to consider paying for a foundation inspection. It was wide enough for them to stick the tip of a screwdriver in one section, and smaller at the bottom than the top. Don't know if it is related, but there has been some moisture issues down in the crawlspace due to the AC pipe not being routed to the exterior and instead being dumped into the crawlspace. For what it is worth, there are no other signs of foundation issues.
Not exactly sure what to do here, especially since the inspectors voiced that they don't really think it is an issue. My realtor and lender (who is a friend) also don't think it is a problem because most homes have foundation cracks in time, and there aren't signs of other issues. However, I recognize that although probably well meaning, they are not experts in that area.
I have spoken to several companies in my area that do free foundation inspections, but my concern is that although it is free, they could potentially give a very misleading and inaccurate quote. What are your thoughts?
Unfortunately I have not independently measured the gap. It was found through the crawlspace. I apologize but I cannot seem to figure out how to insert a photo, so I am sharing a link to a photo. Here is a photo for reference that was from the inspection report. (The bottom photo).
It's really hard to see what's going on in that picture.
Usually, a home inspector will ALWAYS recommend a pro check out any foundation cracks they find. They don't want the liability, and sometimes, small cracks are a big problem. It's probably no big deal, but the only person that can definitively state that is a structural engineer.
My story:
I had a step crack (up to 1/4 inch in parts) in a block foundation wall of the place I sold a bit ago. I brought out a structural engineer, and he recommended a fix (his visit cost $400). I had a mason out to fix it the next week ($3700). The engineer gave me a letter certifying the fix based on pics the mason sent him for ($75.)
It sucked, because I didn't want to spend the money before I listed, but I'm thankful the fix wasn't super expensive. Foundation issues can easily run into the 10s of thousands, and I did the right thing for the buyer instead of trying to cover it up.
I have two structural engineers that will come out and do a verbal inspection for $150. If you want a report or they need to engineer a solution to a real problem, then obviously the cost goes up. Do you have anyone out there that can evaluate it?
It is really common to have cracks where there is a water problem as it saturates the soil around the foundation. I think out here we start looking at helical piers once there is a one-inch drop in the foundation. The most important thing is to stop the movement (solving the water problem) so that you don't end up with a dropped corner.
If you want a structural engineer, get one. Ask your Realtor and inspector for a recommendation or 2.
And be there when they come inspect the home. And they will also tell you what they will write and sign their license to, and tell you verbally what they believe in their experienced and professional opinion needs to be done.
But what they're going to write, and accept the liability for in writing, is what it takes to make it "right", that is, to today's code.
For example, we don't know where you are.
Where I am, given the characteristics of the soil/earth, everything moves slightly over time. So, a knowledgeable inspector and engineer will provide their local experience on what appears to be an active problem, and what appears to have occurred in the past and isn't still moving (no matter, your inspection and/or engineer's report will say "monitor for changes").
As an example, we get moving chimneys. If a chimney has moved 1/2 inch over 40 years, then the engineer should be saying "spend $5K on helical piers or some structural solution" to ensure it doesn't move anymore. But if it moved 1/2 inch what appears to be 20 years ago, and hasn't moved since .... do you really need to spend $5K to get the chimney back square? Only if it concerns you.
Thank you all for your thoughts. Unfortunately it is very hard to see what is happening in the photo.
I am located in southwest Missouri. I honestly do not know how that impacts the foundation in regards to the soil/ earth (I am not a native to this area).
We went ahead and paid to have a foundation inspector who is able to come out on Sunday, which is a big plus to get it done so quickly. It is $400, but I know that if we did not spend it and bought the house, we would be wondering the whole time if we made a mistake.
My fingers are crossed for a decent report. Otherwise, it is a terrific home and has much of what we were looking for. I will report back. Thanks again!
All concrete foundations have cracks. It’s unavoidable. The problem comes when the cracks are numerous and wide. I’ve seen brand new foundations develop cracks.
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