Updated over 5 years ago on . Most recent reply
Basement Foundation Crack in Potential Deal
I just got back from looking at a potential duplex property. Overall, the property looked solid with minimal repairs in the living spaces. However, in the basement, there is a few horizontal cracks in the wall. The basement has poured cement foundation. It looks like the wall was once patched with cement and now that layer has cracked. I also found some cracking in the exterior and on the porch. Here are some photos I took:
Would appreciate any input from others with more knowledge about how serious this type of crack is. There was no water leakage in the basement and no humidity at all. Thanks for any help, really appreciate it!
Most Popular Reply
Tyler is spot on. An engineer signing off on the repairs is a great thing because reality is they are taking on the liability of the repairs providing their stamp thus tend to over engineer things for a measure of safety. I don't want to downplay the value of an engineer, I use them regularly.
In short, yes. If everything else checks out don't be too concerned about the foundation if it is a simple fix. Tyler was right the first time, I gave bad advice saying you should go directly to the contractor. What is $500 for the engineer to provide a report of what needs done and get a reference to his preferred foundation contractor? Cheap really in the grand scheme. Using the engineer the foundation company will do it exactly how he/she has spec'd it and since the engineer is signing off on the repairs he/she will only refer a company who's work they have seen and trusts, cause they are carrying the liability on the repairs.
The foundation repairs are a good negotiating card for you and with an engineer letter stating what needs to be done exactly done and a quote from the engineers trusted contractor, what argument can the seller make?
Engineers charge differently. So just to clarify, they may charge to come out and then send another bill to get the stamped paperwork. My total last foundation repair I spec'd was $750 I believe. Good luck.