When part of your home drops because the soil beneath it has moved or compressed, the symptoms show up as cracks, sticking doors, and uneven floors. Here is how to read those signs and what our free inspection looks at.
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Foundation settlement is the downward movement of all or part of a home's foundation as the soil supporting it shifts, compresses, or loses volume. When that ground moves, the footings move with it, and the structure above follows. Uniform settlement, where the whole house drops a small, even amount, usually causes few problems.
Differential settlement, where one part of the foundation sinks more than another, is what usually causes damage, because it twists and racks the rigid structure above. It is often gradual, so the early signs are easy to miss: a door that has started to stick, a hairline crack above a window, or a floor that feels slightly off.
Because the cause sits in the soil, you cannot confirm it from inside the house. Our free inspection measures elevations and examines the foundation and crawl space to find whether settlement is occurring, where, and why.
Every repair method we install for foundation repair is on the foundation repair solutions page.
Across the Piedmont, including Charlotte, Huntersville, Matthews, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and the Triangle, much of the soil is clay. Clay absorbs water and swells during wet seasons, then shrinks as it dries in summer, loading and unloading the footings every year. Over years it can consolidate the soil under one part of the home more than another, dropping that section. This is a common settlement driver in these clay markets.
When a home is built on fill soil that was not compacted thoroughly, the loose soil keeps consolidating under the weight of the structure for years, and the footings on it can sink as it densifies. This can cause settlement on graded lots and in newer subdivisions where the building pad was filled and leveled before construction. Because compaction usually varies across a lot, the settlement is often uneven.
Water moving through or under the soil can carry away the fine particles that give it structure, leaving voids beneath footings. Around Asheville and the mountains, hillside lots and heavy rainfall drive runoff and subsurface water under foundations. In the Sandhills near Fayetteville and Pinehurst, sandy soils let water move freely, and fines wash out as it drains. As voids open, the foundation can settle into them.
In coastal markets like Wilmington, Leland, and Brunswick County, a high water table and sandy, saturated soils behave differently than inland Piedmont clay. Saturated sandy soil has reduced bearing strength, and changing moisture and water levels can cause the ground beneath footings to shift and consolidate. Settlement here is often tied to water saturation and the lower bearing strength of wet, sandy ground.
Extended dry periods pull moisture out of the soil, and large trees close to the home draw additional water through their root systems. As clay soil dries and shrinks, it can pull away from and settle beneath footings on the affected side of the house. This is why settlement sometimes appears or worsens after a dry summer, or concentrates on the side of a home nearest a mature tree.
In some homes the original footings were adequate for the conditions assumed at construction but were never sized for many years of soil movement or for the actual bearing capacity of the soil. Over time those footings can settle under the steady load. This shows up across both older pier and beam construction and slab on grade homes throughout the Carolinas.
Guides and Answers
An article from our team that goes deeper on this topic.
Foundation Repair
Much of a new house’s settling often happens in its first few years, but there is no fixed settlement period.
Answer three quick questions about your home. We'll match what you see to the most likely cause and point you to the right next step.
If your home is showing foundation settlement, an inspector can find the cause. HydroHelp911 handles foundation repair and related structural and moisture work across North and South Carolina.
An inspector looks at your home, finds the source of the problem, and explains each finding in plain language. There is no obligation.
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For example, helical and push piers carry a lifetime warranty that no additional settlement will occur in the area of installed piers, once the final invoice is paid in full. Read the warranty terms.
Ask your inspector about financing when you get your written estimate. See financing options.
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The cause depends on where you are. In the Piedmont, around Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and the Triangle, clay soils swell when wet and shrink when dry, cycling pressure on footings and settling them unevenly over time. Around Asheville and the mountains, hillside lots and heavy rainfall drive erosion and washout beneath foundations. In coastal markets like Wilmington and Leland, a high water table and saturated sandy soils reduce the ground's bearing strength. Poorly compacted fill soil under newer homes can be a driver in both states. An inspection identifies which of these is at work on your home.
How a repair moves from a free inspection to finished work once the cause is found.
An inspector looks at the areas showing foundation settlement, explains what they find in plain language, and answers your questions at no cost.
The repair is matched to the cause the inspector found, with the scope and price in a written estimate.
A HydroHelp911 crew carries out the repair plan you approved.
A free guide for homes in North and South Carolina: what can move a foundation here, the signs worth writing down, and how foundation repairs work, in plain language.
Homeowners across North Carolina and South Carolina describe their inspections and repairs in their own words.
A free inspection finds the cause: one visit, clear findings, and a written estimate at no cost.
