Crack in Foundation, Deal Breaker?

Question

Hey BP,

We are in escrow on a single family property in Sacramento, CA that we are planning to house hack. We just had our inspection and this was found in the foundation in the crawl space. Our agents put us in contact with a structural engineer who I sent this pic to and he said that it is larger than most cracks he has seen in the area and is a significant cold joint. He is doing an inspection on Sunday so we should have more clarity then, but would love to get some advice/thoughts from you all. Should we be prepared for this to be a significant expense or to be indicative of a larger problem? Appreciate any insights!

Kat Lewczyk · Answer

Thank you everyone for your input! We ended up following the advice on this thread and getting a seller credit.

Ranjit Sandhu · Answer

Agreed with all of the above suggestions. Come back and let us know how did it go.

Eliott Elias · Answer

You see what it costs and ask for the seller to pay that.

James Peterson · Answer

Not an expert, but definitely do what others recommended, get the professional advice.  Your agent was right to get the engineer involved. Although costly, if the inspection shows you need $X to repair it.  Assuming you have an inspection contingency,  ask for every bit of that but before you do, ask other foundation contractors how much they might make that repair for.  If the sellers don't agree, back out and find something else.

Jason Hirko · Answer

Get the answer from a pro (like you are doing) and be prepared to retrade the contract with the seller to get that money (or more, preferably) off the price. It could end up being a win for you!

Andrew Syrios · Answer

I think that's a hydrostatic crack and looks pretty bad. I would get a foundation contractor to give you a quote on it and retrade. Or if that's too much, just back out.

Frank Barletta · Answer

I'm no expert and would wait for the report, but it could easily cost over $15K if severe.If you were unaware, depending on the local laws, there is usually a provision in contracts that if the inspection brings something material to your attention, you can either break the contract, ask for a concession or proceed. I've seen a few homes with 'cracks" that were not issues when inspected in person and could be remedied cost-effectively.

Konstantin Morar · Answer

@Kat Lewczyk Did you end up hiring a foundation contractor? If so, who did you end up hiring and would you recommend them?

Crack in Foundation, Deal Breaker?

Most Popular Reply