Home Inspection Red Flags: What Every Buyer Should Know
Do you know the most impactful issues uncovered in a professional home inspection?
It’s easy to overlook what’s happening beneath your feet—until your floor starts to slope, doors stop closing, or cracks zigzag up your walls. These subtle signs can point to serious foundation issues, and in Colorado’s unique climate, the risks are higher than you might think.
Your home’s foundation is—literally—the base everything else depends on. If it shifts, cracks, or settles unevenly, it can lead to structural damage that’s expensive to fix. At Coal Creek Home Inspections, we’ve seen everything from slightly bowed basement walls to full-blown foundation failures, often in homes that looked perfectly fine from the outside.
Foundation inspections assess the structural integrity of your home and identify early signs of trouble. A small issue today could mean a major repair tomorrow, which is why we always recommend being proactive.
Not every crack is a crisis—but it’s important to look at the big picture. Here are a few indications we might have foundation issues that often show up during a home inspection:
These signs can indicate movement or settlement—issues we regularly see in the Denver/Boulder metro area due to expansive clay soils and freeze-thaw cycles.
Not every crack is a crisis—but it’s important to look at the big picture.
Colorado’s soil composition and wild weather swings make foundations particularly vulnerable. Along the Front Range, the ground is rich in bentonite clay, a type of soil known for its expansive properties. When wet, bentonite clay absorbs water and swells significantly; when dry, it shrinks and contracts. This constant expansion and contraction puts relentless pressure on foundation walls and slabs, especially in homes that weren’t designed with expansive soils in mind. Combine that with heavy snow in winter, dry spells in summer, and rapid shifts in moisture levels throughout the year, it’s easy to see why foundation cracks are so common in our region.
Don’t wait for a visible crack to turn into a structural headache. You should schedule a foundation inspection:
Early detection can save you thousands in repair costs—and a lot of stress.
A seasoned homebuyer was initially hesitant to schedule a home inspection—after all, the 1960s home had fresh paint, a pre-listing inspection, and seemed to be in "great shape." But once inside, we noticed smaller quirks typical of older homes: sticking doors, uneven floors, and poor grading in the backyard. Then, we found a long horizontal crack in the basement wall that had been missed before. Horizontal cracks like this are often indicators of significant foundation movement. We recommended a structural engineer, who ultimately advised serious repairs totaling over $30,000. In this case, a second look and a seasoned eye made all the difference—and saved our buyer from an unexpected financial burden.
Foundation issues don’t fix themselves—they only get worse. Whether you’re noticing early symptoms or just want peace of mind, a professional home inspection of your foundation is one of the smartest investments you can make as a homeowner.
Need an expert opinion? Contact us today to schedule your inspection.
