Basement crack repair estimates - who to trust?

Question

Hi all, my LTR (Boston, built in the 1930's) has some cracks in the basement walls that I didn't think were too serious (owned for 10y, some water and flaking but mostly dry). A new owner in the condo building is worried about them and wants them repaired. Ok, fine. We got three estimates from masonry repair companies ranging from $7,500 (patch) to $35,000 ("do this repair now or you will need a major $80K repair"). They each have different stories about what is going on that are pretty different - how do I find out what is really going on in order to make this decision? Other BP threads seem to indicate a structural engineer could make the call, but that getting one is pricey. How would you approach this? Thanks for any advice you can offer...

Gregory Banks · Answer

To close the loop on this story, we hired Rick Dempsey (who was fantastic by the way, highly recommended if anyone needs a MA-base SE...Matt Kelly, we really appreciate that referral!). Who noted that we simply have a porous basement wall, like every other basement wall from that time period. He recommended we do some work to move the outflow from nearby downspouts further away and then clean/reseal the interior wall. Not sure what the final $$ will be, but certainly not $35K.

Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts on this!

Jared W Smith · Answer

Looks like a rubble type foundation wall. This is common for that build time frame. Your quote are all across the board because some could be patching the cracks (cheaper ones), while others could be re-doing the section of wall with cracks (expensive ones). With no direction from an Engineer (or Architect) Contractors have no idea and will price out the scope of work they think is best even if it's not the best option.

As others advised, get a structural engineer in there to review the conditions. In my opinion, these do not seem to be serious but I am not seeing all the areas.

Jonathan Bock · Answer

Maslow's Hammer for all the restoration companies you've reached out too.

It would be nice if you had a contact who was an actual mason not a marketer.

1930's construction is rare so maybe they cut some corners it was a global depression.

Matt Kelly · Answer

There is a great structural guy in MA. Rick Dempsey 508-326-5499 I have used him and he is always a straight shooter! Good luck!

Mike Bourgeois · Answer

@Gregory Banks I can offer some practical advice and referrals. Just shoot me a message. I’m currently house hacking in a duplex with a 130 yr old fieldstone foundation. Had structural issues (wall caving in) that I addressed a couple years ago. Started with a structural engineer, hired them for drawings, the whole bit.

These kinds of foundations need to be maintained over the years. Mortar, paint & bonding materials deteriorate leaving cracks, gaps, etc. which can be concerning to look at, but this is very often addressed with repointing. I can’t diagnose your issue from the pics (though it seems repointing needed) I can say that there are contractors in this area who will immediately jump to the $35k+ solutions when they see deferred maintenance on these types of foundations. It’s very often overkill.

Lien Vuong · Answer

A SE walk through would run around $600-1000 to assess it and would be a good starting point honestly. They would also give the buyers more confidence as they're a certified and accredited vendor rather than a mason contractor. PM me if you'd like a referral, happy to share.

Gregory Banks · Answer

Jonathan, if you want some knob and tube wire for your electrical museum, it's got that too...I'm out of my depth in knowing whether they are marketers or giving sound advice. Looks like biting the bullet and getting an engineer may be my best bet. Ugh...

Adam Bartomeo · Answer

It sounds like you don't have enough information due to conflicting reports. It's a simple solution, get more info. Whether that is most contractors, hiring an engineer, or getting self-educated. Chances are that an engineer would be the most time efficient way of getting the info.

Gregory Banks · Answer

Thank you, Lien, both for the advice and the referral - I will reach out!

-Greg

Basement crack repair estimates - who to trust?

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