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Foundation repairs can be costly, so it’s no wonder homeowners are concerned about the condition of the foundation their home sits on. Seventy-eight percent of 978 owners recently surveyed say they’re worried about foundation damage to their home, according to a new survey from Groundworks, a nationwide foundation services firm.
Many homeowners say they’ve had to deal with some foundation damage to their home already. The most common issues were from water or moisture issues; basement concrete or foundation cracks; sloping, sagging, or uneven floors; and cracks in the ceiling or walls, the survey finds.
The expense of foundation repairs contributes to their concerns. Of the 605 survey respondents who experienced foundation repairs, 47% had costs ranging from $100 to up to $1,000; 35% had repair costs between $1,001 to $5,000; 13% had costs between $5,001 to $10,000; and 5% of respondents said their repairs totaled more than $10,000.
Overall, about a quarter of the nearly 1,000 respondents said they would rather sell their home than fix their home’s foundation issues. Thirty-nine percent said they’d prefer to sell their home as-is if necessary.
Groundworks says that the most common foundation defects on homes they see include:
- Tree and shrub roots: Plants that are too close to the foundation can have root systems that damage the home’s foundation.
- Settling: Drought conditions can lead to the uneven settlement of a home.
- Sinking: Too much water around a home’s foundation from improper drainage or rain and flooding can cause the home to sink.
- Poor workmanship: Possible issues could be the concrete mix having too much water that could result in weak cement or the concrete could be improperly leveled.