Veteran-built.
Cracked slabs and foundations
Most concrete cracks are shrinkage cracks and are harmless if sealed. The ones to worry about are wide, growing, or where one side is higher than the other.
What to look for
Warning signs
- Hairline cracks in driveways and garage floors (usually normal)
- Cracks wider than 1/4 in or one side higher
- Doors and windows that start sticking
- Diagonal cracks in drywall at door corners
- Gaps between baseboard and floor
Do it yourself
- Mark the ends of a crack with a pencil and the date. Check again in a month.
- Clean and seal cracks under 1/4 in with flexible crack sealant.
- Fix the water: downspouts and grading cause most settlement.
- Photograph everything for your records.
Supplies for the DIY fix
Concrete crack sealant
Backer rod
Concrete resurfacer
Crack monitor gauge
Concrete sealer
Tools
Wire brush
Heavy-duty caulk gun
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What this looks like on a real job
Cracked concrete
Crawlspace and piers
New slab poured
Rotted framing found during demoGood, better, best contractor options
Seal and patch
$
Flexible sealant and resurfacing for cosmetic cracks.
Engineer inspection + slab leveling
$$
A structural or geotechnical engineer finds the cause. Polyurethane foam injection can lift sunken slabs.
Foundation repair
$$$
Piers or underpinning, designed by an engineer and done with a permit. Get the engineer's report before any bids.
$ under about $500 · $$ about $500 to $5,000 · $$$ over about $5,000. Rough guide only; every house is different. Get three written bids from licensed contractors.
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Tell us what you are seeing. We will walk the property, tell you honestly if it is a DIY job, and refer licensed partners for the rest.
Jobs that require a contractor's license under California law are referred to CSLB-licensed contractors.
Broker, not a contractor. David Thomas Mejia is a California real estate broker (CA DRE #01448424), not a licensed contractor. Work that needs a California contractor's license should be done by a CSLB-licensed contractor; check any license at cslb.ca.gov. Cost ranges on this page are general estimates, not bids.