Floors or Part of the House Settling

This guide does not diagnose your foundation. It helps you decide who to call and what to ask.

Sloping floors, sticking doors and new cracks around windows can have several causes. Some involve the foundation. Some involve the wood framing above it.

Before choosing piles, piers or underpinning, it helps to know whether the house is still moving and why. An engineer's assessment can separate the diagnosis from the sale.

Get it looked at soon if

Floors are sloping more than they used to.
Doors and windows have recently started to stick.
Cracks in the foundation or walls are growing.
There are gaps between walls and floors or ceilings that were not there before.

If you think there is an immediate safety risk, leave the area and contact your local emergency services.

Who can assess it

A structural engineer

Independent of any contractor. Can assess whether there is a structural problem and write a repair scope that contractors then price.

A foundation repair contractor

Can look at the problem and propose a repair. They sell the repair, so ask what else could explain what you see.

A home inspector

Looks at the whole house and points out what needs a closer look. A general inspection is not a structural assessment.

Services that may come up

Questions to ask every contractor

Is the house still moving? How would we know?
Why piles, piers or underpinning instead of the other methods?
How many support points are planned, and how deep? What if they need to go deeper?
Will an engineer be involved? Who hires them?
Who applies for any permit and books inspections?
What is included, and what would cost extra if you find more damage?
What does the warranty cover, for how long, and does it transfer to a new owner?

What to record

Take dated photos from the same spot, with a tape measure or coin for scale.
Mark the ends of any crack with a pencil and the date, so you can see if it grows.
Note when it happens: after rain, during snowmelt, or all the time.
Keep every estimate, report and invoice in one folder.

Slow down if you hear

Pressure to sign today or lose a price.
A large deposit before any work or materials arrive.
A scope that does not say what is included.
Claims of a grant or rebate you cannot confirm yourself.