You *think* you might have foundation issues with your crawl space home, but you’re not sure. You’re definitely not ready to call in a professional until you know it’s worth it. Can’t someone just tell you how to do a quick DIY-style inspection for your crawl space foundation?
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we’ve been inspecting and repairing crawl space and pier and beam foundation homes (and slabs!) for 40+ years. As a trained and uber-experienced foundation repair contractor who’s looked at thousands of homes, I can share a simple 3-step inspection process with you that any homeowner is capable of carrying out.
In this guide, we will offer an easy DIY process to identify crawl space foundation issues. The process includes key indicators of foundation settlement for these types of foundations and helps you understand if the problem is potentially minor or major in terms of repair needs.
*BONUS* – This inspection does not require you to enter your crawl space or crawl around under your home.
Can I Determine On My Own If My Crawl Space Foundation Has Issues?
I applaud your desire to learn more about your home. While you might think that only a professional can know for sure if you have a foundation problem, you have more essential knowledge than you think. Let’s empower you with any information and education you need to start figuring this out on your own.
You are the expert when it comes to your home’s condition. You really have more insight than anyone else because you’re there every day and throughout every season.
Your historical perspective is key in diagnosing foundation problems. You know what has changed and what hasn’t changed since you have been living in the home. Think about what’s different than it used to be when you go through this self-inspection process next.
*Disclaimer Alert* This DIY inspection process is for preliminary assessment purposes to help you get a better grip on what might be going on with your home. Unless you’re going to DIY any repairs too, you will still eventually need an inspection and repair quote from a professional if there is a foundation problem that needs repair.
BUT this 3-phase self-inspection will give you a great head start in understanding any problem your foundation may be experiencing.
3-Step Process For DIY Crawl Space Foundation Inspection
We’re going to use our senses for this DIY crawl space foundation inspection. You don’t need any special tools or equipment, just your eyes, ears, and body. I told you this was going to be easy!
1. Look for Crawl Space Foundation Problem Indicators You Can See
The first component of any foundation inspection is visual – what do you see? Look both inside and outside your home for alignment imperfections in the home’s finishes. We’re talking walls, trim, tile, and even cabinetry and floors.
The #1 most prevalent and telltale sign of foundation issues in any home: diagonal wall cracks. Look specifically for this typical sign of foundation settlement, especially around window and door frames or any cased openings like pass-throughs or closet enclosures.
Other top visual signs of foundation issues in crawl space homes include:
- Trim separations, and
- Gaps between walls and ceilings, or between walls and floors, or a combination.
If you’re feeling extra thorough, sketch a little diagram of the footprint of your home and mark the points on any walls where you spy these visual cues.
2. Find Crawl Space Foundation Issues You Can Feel
The next sense to employ for a crawl space foundation inspection is touch – what do you feel? Our focus will be on doors with this one, both interior and exterior. Yes, even the closet doors.
A top cue of foundation settlement and issues in any home relates to the fit and function of your doors. Check all of them and *get a feel* for how they are working. Open them, close them, move them back and forth. Check their latch. Prepare to touch these doors all over.
- Is there resistance in swinging or closing?
- Is it rubbing the door frame on top?
- Is it scraping the floor?
- Is it making contact with the frame on either side?
- Does it latch properly and without focused effort (and lock if it’s a deadbolt)?
- Has the top of the door been cut or sanded down? Run your hand across it.
Make a note on your home diagram of any doors with issues to continue putting the puzzle together on what might be going on with your crawl space foundation.
3. Listen for Crawl Space Concerns You Can Hear
Now we move to the listening phase of your crawl space home inspection – what do you hear?
This helps you hone in on the signs and symptoms showing up that involve your floors.
More than for other types of foundations, floor issues are one of the top reliable indicators for crawl space foundation problems. Walk your floors all over and listen for rattles and shakes accompanied by loose and bouncy floors.
- Check every room along its perimeter and middle of each (bedrooms, kitchen, living, etc.
- The Walk Test: Does any furniture or favorite knickknack rattle or vibrate?
- The Bounce Test: Do a small bounce (not a big jump), any furniture or object shaking?
If you’re doing the diagram-marking thing, note the rooms that seem to have these unstable or unsupported floor symptoms.
Why Don’t I Need to Get Into the Crawl Space to Inspect There?
You may have noticed a *void* (yeah, that’s a foundation joke) in this crawl space foundation inspection – the fact that you’re not actually inspecting the crawl space. First, remember that we are trying to offer a DIY inspection that *any homeowner* can accomplish easily.
Sure, you could look in the crawl space to inspect if you want to crawl around in the dirt, perhaps with some new creepy crawly friends. But it’s honestly not necessary for a preliminary inspection when you’re trying to figure out if it’s worth calling in a professional or not.
Deficiencies in your crawl space will always show up as signs and symptoms in your living space somehow – 100% guaranteed. You just have to know which signs and symptoms are important to focus on vs. which signs mislead and confuse.
Looking in the crawl space identifies specific parts and materials that need repair or replacement, which helps a contractor determine pricing. When you’re getting a professional inspection, they should absolutely be crawling that crawl space – and not using a crawl bot camera either.
But for these purposes, you don’t need to know all that right now. You need to know if you’ve got a big enough issue to have someone come out . . .
How to Tell If You Have a Minor or Major Foundation Problem
Do you have a major foundation problem or some minor foundation settlement? That is the big question, but how can you tell? Gather up the intel you collected during your *sensational* inspection and let’s see if we can put these pieces together for you.
- Minor Issues = Smaller cracks + tight but fitting/functional doors + a little shake
- Major Problem = Bigger/alarming cracks + doors that don’t close + really loose floors
Where is your home falling on this spectrum based on your quick inspection? Major? Minor? Somewhere in the middle??
Is It Time for A Professional Crawl Space Inspection?
Is the time right for an inspection and crawl space foundation repairs? That’s the real underlying question, isn’t it?
For minor issues, you could wait a while and see how or if things change due to seasonal cycles. Consider looking into some lighter maintenance-level work for your crawl space foundation. If it’s minor now, issues of decay and degradation will get worse as time goes on and cause more costly repairs.
We recommend maintenance every 5 to 8 years, so if it’s been longer than that, you should probably get your home looked over anyway, even if it feels on the minor side.
For somewhere in between the minor and major situations. The other big questions are:
- How much do the signs and symptoms bother you?
- Is anything not working correctly to the point of daily anger, irritation, or inconvenience?
- Do you avoid having people over because you feel embarrassed?
- Do you regularly stress out about these home problems?
If any of these worries are plaguing you, then even this in-between state calls for a professional look and a repair quote.
For major problems, this DIY inspection should be a big confirmation that you need some repair work and it’s time to call a professional. You may even call in a couple of contractors to get multiple quotes for comparison.
Ready for a Professional Inspection Now?
Now that you know what level of foundation issues you are dealing with, do you feel ready to have someone else take a look? Choosing a foundation repair contractor is not only about pricing, it’s also about trust, future support, and follow-through with warranty work.
At Anchor Foundation Repair, we offer fair and impartial assessments, empowering education, and a fully transparent repair process. After 40+ years in business, we want you to know as much about foundations as we do and we’ve got no secrets to hide from the Brazos Valley community.
It’s the crawl space home you love and you deserve to be 100% on board with your home repair decisions. If you need more guidance when choosing a contractor to handle your crawl space or house leveling repairs, check out this resource: 15 Questions to Ask Before Hiring A House Leveling Contractor.
Or if you’re here in the BCS area, contact us today to start the inspection and quoting process.
