Cracks in exterior brick walls...Should I buy or run?

Question

I am looking at buying a single family house on a slope.  The property looks good except the inspector noticed some cracks in the exterior brick.  The cracks look like they have previously been filled. I am just wondering if this cracking is a sign of structural issues with the house and if I need to consult with a structural engineer or not. Would you be concerned and possibly walk away from the deal?

Greg Scott · Answer

Small cracks in the masonry happens everywhere and usually isn't a big problem unless the gaps get big.

However you have some pictures here where the brick is split. That is usually an indication the foundation has shifted substantially.   I have owned a number of properties in Texas where this is quite common, but it also can be very expensive.   Almost every house I've had there has had some sort of foundation work but once you see split bricks, it is often more serious. Be sure to get a foundation specialist to tell you what it would take to get the house fixed.

Also note that sometimes fixing the foundation can break old pipes so set aside additional $ for sewer line repairs.  The foundation specialist can often give you a sense for the level of risk you have.

John K. · Answer

@Polina Kin  This is fairly common in Texas and there are varying opinion's as to why this is. Some blame the earth under Texas while others blame construction.  As stated above, this can be nothing more than one more thing to fix, to outright kill the deal expensive. My suggestion would be to hire a structural engineer to give you an unbiased opinion on how severe the shifting is. This will cost you about $300-500, but they are not there to sell you anything. On top of that, most if not all foundation companies will accept the opinion of the SE, and repair to those recommendations. The foundation companies will of course tell you for free how bad the shifting is, but in my experience, drastically over quote the number of piers actually needed to level it out. In one instance, they quoted me 26 piers at a cost of around $5,500. I had a structural engineer come out and he stated I only needed 10 piers, for $2,500. Don't automatically run if a house shows signs of settling, it's that common here. Once you get comfortable with this idea, it is a great negotiating tool. Best of Luck in Texas!John