You don't need to be a structural engineer to do a meaningful foundation inspection of your own home. A systematic walk-through using this checklist takes about 30 minutes and can catch problems while they're still inexpensive to fix. We recommend Texas homeowners complete this checklist every six months — once in late summer after drought stress, and once in early spring after wet season.
The 10 Warning Signs
Work through these in order, starting inside and moving out:
- 1 Diagonal cracks at door and window corners: The single most reliable sign of differential settlement. Measure the width — under 1/16 inch is minor, 1/8 inch or larger warrants professional evaluation, anything wider is urgent.
- 2 Sticking or misaligned doors: Test every exterior door and interior door on the first floor. A door that sticks consistently, drags at the floor, or no longer latches easily may indicate the frame has racked from foundation movement.
- 3 Sloping or uneven floors: Walk slowly across every room on the first floor. A ball placed on the floor that rolls consistently in one direction indicates slope. Most foundations tolerate up to 1 inch of elevation difference per 20 feet — more than that warrants evaluation.
- 4 Wall-to-ceiling gaps: Check the junction between walls and ceilings throughout the home. Gaps that weren't there when you moved in — especially if only on one side of a room — indicate the structure has moved.
- 5 Horizontal cracks in drywall: Horizontal cracks, particularly near the middle of a wall, often indicate foundation movement or lateral soil pressure on a basement or crawl space wall. Vertical hairline cracks are less concerning — horizontal cracks rarely are.
- 6 Stair-step cracks in exterior brick: Walk around the full exterior perimeter. Cracks running diagonally through mortar joints in a stair-step pattern are a reliable indicator of differential settlement in the structure behind the brick.
- 7 Gaps between brick and window/door trim: Look for gaps wider than the normal caulk joint between brick veneer and the trim around windows and doors. New gaps indicate movement.
- 8 Displaced or separated exterior trim: Fascia boards, soffits, and decorative trim that has pulled away from the wall at any corner indicates the structure has moved vertically or horizontally.
- 9 Standing water near the foundation: After a normal rain event, check whether water stands within six feet of the foundation for more than a few hours. Chronic standing water is the leading risk factor for future foundation damage even if no current symptoms are present.
- 10 Exposed or cracked foundation perimeter: Where you can see the foundation wall, look for horizontal cracks (lateral pressure), vertical cracks (differential settlement), or stair-step cracks in block foundations. Note any areas where the concrete appears to have shifted, bulged, or separated.
How to Document Your Findings
Documenting foundation conditions over time is more valuable than a single inspection. Here's how:
- ✓ Photograph every crack with a ruler or coin in the frame for scale
- ✓ Note the date on every photo — progression over time matters more than any single observation
- ✓ Mark hairline cracks with a pencil line at each end — if the crack grows past the line, it's active
- ✓ Record door operation: which rooms, which doors, which direction they stick
- ✓ Keep a simple log — even a note on your phone — of observations from each semi-annual check
When to Call a Professional
Call for a free professional foundation inspection if you observe any of the following:
A professional foundation inspection is always free. There is no financial reason to delay — early evaluation protects your largest investment.
- ✓ Any crack at a door or window corner measuring 1/8 inch or wider
- ✓ Two or more doors sticking simultaneously — especially if the problem developed over less than a year
- ✓ A floor slope you can feel when walking that wasn't there previously
- ✓ Any new gap appearing at a wall-ceiling junction or at the base of exterior walls
- ✓ Stair-step cracks in brick that are new or have grown since you last checked
- ✓ Standing water that persists within six feet of the foundation for more than 24 hours after rain