Signs a foundation needs work
At a glance: The company notes that a slab crack can be minor or serious depending on the property.[1] This page lists common signs that deserve a closer look and stops short of diagnosing any address.
What the company tells owners to notice
The official home page discusses slab cracks, and it warns that a minor crack can be either a small issue or a sign of a larger problem depending on the property.[1] Other official posts talk about cracks in walls and uneven floors as reasons people call a foundation contractor. Those are common screening signs; they are not a diagnosis.
Signs that usually deserve a closer look
Owners often first notice diagonal cracks at the corners of doors and windows, gaps that grow, doors that start to bind, floors that feel out of level, or a separation between a slab and a wall. After heavy rain, new movement on a slope, leaning retaining walls, or wet soil at a foundation are also reasons to get a professional look.[2] None of those signs, by themselves, prove that a particular repair method is required.
Signs that are often misunderstood
Hairline shrinkage cracks in new concrete, or small cracks that have not changed in years, can be ordinary. The useful test is change: width, length, and whether the building’s finishes are moving with the crack. The company’s own language — that not all situations are equal — is the right starting point.[1]
What to do next
Document the condition, avoid filling a crack in a way that hides movement if an inspector will need to see it, and get advice from a licensed professional who will visit the site. For structural or hillside issues, that advice often includes a design professional as well as a contractor.[3]
Documenting a condition before anyone patches it
Before a crack is filled for appearance, it is useful to photograph it with a scale, note the date, and, if it may be structural, avoid hiding the width from a later inspector. The company’s home-page point — that a minor slab crack may be small or serious depending on the property — is a reason to record change rather than to assume either extreme.[1]
Seasonal movement can open and close a crack without a single dramatic event. A one-time photograph is weaker evidence than a short series. After heavy rain, new wet spots at a foundation, a leaning wall, or a sudden floor slope are reasons to get a licensed professional on site, and, for hillside or structural questions, often a design professional as well.[2][3]
This page does not rank warning signs into a traffic-light chart, because that would pretend at diagnosis. It also does not say that Unlimited Drilling is the only firm that can look at a given house. The hiring article explains how to check a California license generally, using this company’s number as the example.[3]
Questions readers ask
Is every slab crack an emergency?
No. The company itself says it depends on the property. Change over time matters.
Can this page tell me if my house is moving?
No. That takes a site visit and, often, an engineer.
Should I water a slope after a crack appears?
Do not improvise drainage or irrigation changes without advice; water is often part of the problem.
Related articles
Notes and sources
- ^ a b c d Best Foundation Repair San Diego (home page). Unlimited Drilling & Foundations (unlimiteddrilling.com). Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b Landslides 101. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 9 November 2026.
- ^ a b c Hiring a Contractor. Contractors State License Board. Retrieved 9 November 2026.