Skip to content
forebot.
Sign inBook a demo

Crack in a foundation wall, slab or brick wall.

A structural engineer should judge any growing, offset or leaking crack before a contractor repairs it.

Customers put it like this

  • crack in the basement wall
  • foundation crack is getting bigger
  • crack came back after it was patched
  • neighbor is digging and now we have cracks
Prepare this job in ForeBotFind another guide

Stop first if

  • A wall or crack is visibly moving, or you hear cracking.Leave the area and keep people out from under it. Call emergency services and a structural engineer.
  • Walls move or new cracking is heard during digging, pile driving or blasting nearby.Clear people away. Ask for the work to stop. Call a structural engineer.
  • Gaps are opening between visits.Keep people clear of that area. Call a structural engineer now.
01

Ask on the call

6

Homeowner? These are the questions a good technician will ask you. Having the answers ready makes the first visit count.

  1. Where is the crack, and which way does it run?
  2. When did you first see it, and has it grown?
  3. Are the two sides still flush with each other?
  4. Does it leak or get wet after rain?
  5. Is anyone digging, demolishing or driving piles nearby?
  6. Has it been patched before?
02

Bring

5
  • Crack gauge card
  • Camera and scale
  • Level and string line
  • Pencil for date marks
  • Flashlight
03

Check on site

6
  1. Photograph each crack with a scale, and record width, length and location.
  2. Mark the crack ends and set a dated reference.
  3. Check for offset, plumb or bulge with a level or string line.
  4. Map stains, efflorescence, weeps and where downspouts send water.
  5. Re-read across a warm and a cold season before drawing conclusions.
  6. Send growing, offset or leaking cracks to an engineer before any repair.
04

Keep on the record

5
  • Dated photos with a scale
  • Width readings over time
  • Offset and plumb notes
  • Water map around the crack
  • Crack survey before any nearby work starts

General guidance for a qualified person, not a finding about any home. The person on site decides.