Typical cost in Bothell
Bothell Foundation Repair reads cracks in foundation walls, stem walls and block walls in Bothell before anyone suggests sealing them. A crack describes the wall behind it, and the useful first question is whether it is still moving.
About 27 percent of Bothell homes predate 1980 and about 39 percent date from 2000 on. Mountlake Terrace and Lynnwood are covered too.
Start with the mildest case, a fine straight crack. HUD’s inspection guide rates shrinkage cracking as rarely serious, and a University of Minnesota extension guide expects concrete and block foundations to crack to some degree. If the crack holds still, the remaining worry is moisture: HUD says minor settlement cracking harms the structure only if long-term leakage through it damages building parts.
A crack that is wider at one end points to uneven settlement. HUD ties tapering cracks to a foundation or piers that are inadequate under a projecting part of the house, with a bay window, porch or addition as its examples, so the footing under that part deserves a look as well as the wall.
Horizontal and sweeping cracks in block or brick walls are the ones we like least. HUD lists poor backfilling, vibration from heavy vehicles close by and swelling saturated soil among their causes and calls them potentially serious, so they are worth asking an engineer about before a repair is chosen.
A nonstructural crack can be filled by injecting resin or covered with a surface sealer, and neither changes why the concrete cracked. Waterproofing is designed to bridge nonstructural cracks up to 1/16 inch, according to HUD’s rehab guide.
We do not promise a watertight result. If water is coming through, the better question is where it comes from, which is covered on our foundation drainage page.
A tapering crack, in HUD’s rehab guide, points to differential settlement, and the guide names a structural or soils engineer with specialist experience as the person to consult about cause. Horizontal cracks, cracks still widening and cracks with sticking doors should be shown to one before anyone patches them.
That is federal guidance and not a Washington permit rule, and the page on settlement and piering goes further into it. We do not offer engineering, and where your house needs a report we recommend a registered engineer.
These factors move a price, and the written estimate comes after the foundation has been seen:
Permits for a house inside Bothell go through the city, even though Bothell lies in both King and Snohomish counties. The MyBuildingPermit regional tip sheet lists Bothell among participating cities and says work it does not list needs a permit. We do not assume crack repair is exempt, so we ask the permit office before starting.
A property in a critical, shoreline or sensitive area should check with the local jurisdiction, the same tip sheet says. Bothell’s critical areas code describes landslide, seismic and other geological hazard areas, so a crack on a sloped lot gets a second look from us.
Not on its own. Fine shrinkage cracks are described as rarely serious. Tapering, horizontal or still-growing cracks deserve a closer look, so measure the crack, date a photo and measure again in a few weeks.
Sometimes. Whether a crack is worked from inside or outside depends on where the wall can be reached and on what is behind it, and a crack sealed on one side still has the same cause. We decide after looking at the wall.
Not as a promise. Filling a crack closes the gap, but if the wall is still moving the crack can open again, so we look for the reason first.
Where shifted floors accompany a crack, foundation settlement and piering is the follow-up read, and the Bothell Foundation Repair home page covers whatever else you need.
Say where the crack is, which way it runs, how wide it is at its widest and whether it has changed. Mention whether the wall is poured concrete or block, and whether any water has come through. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
Call (425) 491-5234