So MH just called me in full panic mode, re: a call he made to a foundation repair company.
Background: Our kitchen window got a large mysterious crack a couple months ago, and lately MH has been noticing some cracks in the walls. This is our first house and we bought year ago, following a positive inspection from an inspector with stellar online/Angie's List reviews. No mention was ever made of foundation issues.
When MH called today to ask what the cracks might be, they asked him to send photos. Their reply: "major foundation issues." They suggest getting their inspector out there, and a visit plus drawings will run us over $1k at the very least. From what MH said, the very lowest cost will be $6k and might run as high as $100k. We have about $20k in cash available. +o(
MH already stresses a ton over money, even when we're doing well, and so he was having a complete meltdown during our call and kept saying that we're going to lose the house, why does this shit always happen to him, etc. I kept trying to tell him that we need to get someone out there and figure out exactly what we're dealing with before we jump ahead 10 steps, or maybe he should get a second opinion/price comparison, but he was panicking so much that he wasn't listening. Sigh.
Mainly a vent, I guess, but if anyone has any experience with something like this (how your own repair went, how the hell we can fund a $100k repair job, how I can keep MH's head from exploding) I'd appreciate any input.
Get a quote from 2 other foundation companies. I assure you that you will get other answers. Are you in TX? I can send you names of ones that do it free.
Well of course you should get multiple bids - for any job, but especially for something this large. That's just being a smart consumer. And have them actually come out to give an estimate, not just photos.
I wouldn't pay any foundation company just to come out and take a look, but you may want to have a structural engineer come out and do an inspection. It will probably cost a couple hundred dollars, but he's not trying to get you to give him thousands of dollars in business so he's likely to be more objective.
Get multiple quotes. I would not pay for someone to come out for an initial visit. Also, check your homeowner's warranty (foundation should be covered for ~5-7 years) and whether or not the inspector was insured.
Post by kangaroo11 on Nov 12, 2012 13:47:27 GMT -5
We had an inspection, but he missed plenty of stuff. Like the a/c was jacked up and there was a crack in the foundation (thanks, earthquakes!)
Fortunately, the crack in the foundation wasn't too terrible. They cut out the section it was in and refilled the whole thing. There were many, many small cracks, which we fixed ourselves, thanks to some help from a family friend. I think the foundation fixing was $4,000-5,000 (waiting on a text reply from DH, since I don't remember).
I would probably be panicking a little in your DH's position, too, but the advice you've received has been good. I think foundation issues are many homeowners' worst nightmares because they can be so expensive, but as kangaroo points out many of them can be fixed for a lot less than the worst case.
Also, unfortunately even a good inspector might not be able to catch a foundation issue if the inspection occurs before things have started shifting. You bought it a year ago, but how old is the house?
I would probably be panicking a little in your DH's position, too, but the advice you've received has been good.
I'm absolutely worried about it myself, don't get me wrong, but MH has a tendancy to panic over every. little. thing. And then when ACTUAL shit happens he just goes into complete meltdown mode at first. So while I'm not looking forward to dealing with this, I'm REALLY not looking forward to spending a ton of time trying to get him to relax a little bit.
Also, unfortunately even a good inspector might not be able to catch a foundation issue if the inspection occurs before things have started shifting. You bought it a year ago, but how old is the house?
House is 1950s, renovated early 2011.
In the past year we've already replaced the whole roof, repaired the chimney, dealt with a plumbing issue, and had to get a big tree cut down. I don't think MH fully grasps the fact that when you're a homeowner, shit like this is normal (which is where the "Why does this always happen to meeeeeee?" 8-D shit comes in).
Post by car.ramrod on Nov 12, 2012 15:11:32 GMT -5
I second what everyone else has said. A majority of foundation companies are scams that just pray on homeowners. Get a licensed structural inspector out there who does not work for a foundation company. We had this done for $350. He and our inspector both told us not to call a foundation company until we knew exactly what was going on. We ended up not needing a foundation company and instead just needed a mason to come out and tuck point some of the foundation blocks. It was a couple of hour job for $300.
Post by SusanBAnthony on Nov 12, 2012 15:18:40 GMT -5
We just looked at a house with sort-of fixed foundation issues. They fixed one side of the house and it cost 18K. They left the other side as-is (which is why we will not be buying the house). That cost was to put in 20ish steel beams to prop up the bowing foundation. I assume it will vary wildly in cost based on what exactly your problem is.
Good luck. Financing might be possible. I would look into it before emptying savings.
In the past year we've already replaced the whole roof, repaired the chimney, dealt with a plumbing issue, and had to get a big tree cut down. I don't think MH fully grasps the fact that when you're a homeowner, shit like this is normal (which is where the "Why does this always happen to meeeeeee?" shit comes in).
Was the kitchen renovated as well? If so, the previous owners could have changed the size/shape of the window and the cracks are just from the house getting used to the new shape. We had sliding doors transformed into windows and have been getting cracks around there from readjustments and they just need patching, no foundation problems.
We did not know about the foundation issue right away because the inspector didn't pull up all the carpet to find the floor crack. When we replaced the "gorgeous" turquoise carpet, that's when we found the crack and had it repaired. But if the kitchen was renovated last year (with new floors), it's hard to believe it's totally an expensive foundation issue.
The house was a flip, so like you said the whole place might just be getting used to new configurations or something.
I figured that it wasn't wise to just call one place and get a quote based on an iPhone picture and a phone call, but he was so upset that it was pretty hard for him to grasp any ideas besides OMGWE'REGOINGTOHAVETOLIVEINACARDBOARDBOXFOREVER, lol. By the time I get home from work, he should hopefully be more rational and open to suggestions.
Thank you for the advice and tips. I sent MH my Angie's List login and suggested that he start finding people to give us a second opinion.
I hope my reply didn't come across as insensitive! Good luck with your DH and I hope you get good news from your upcoming quotes.
I am *not* a structural engineer, but given what you describe with a 60-year-old house with renovations just last year I'd be way more inclined to guess the cracks are due to the recent renovation rather than the original foundation. I know it could still be the foundation, but I'd be a little bit hopeful in your case. At least when I wasn't hanging around a panicking DH and wanting to slap him silly.
We're looking at a ~$12k sewer repair upcoming soon (not at all covered by insurance) and have just in the past 6 months had to get a 50-year-old maple removed and our AC unit replaced, so I can definitely empathize with the costs of owning a home.
Post by kangaroo11 on Nov 12, 2012 18:12:37 GMT -5
I finally heard back and DH thinks the repair was actually $3,000. The crack stretched clear across the living room. Also, we live in Los Angeles in a house from 1964, so we definitely get a lot of foundation movement and that was the only room with a problem.
Houses settle. Walls will get cracks. Unless it is really bad, nothing really needs to be done. Maybe settling is just more common here, so I'm not thinking it is a big deal.