A compiled reference of 22 verified statistics on residential foundation damage in the United States, from how many homes carry cracks and crumbling, to the soil and water conditions that cause foundations to fail, to what repairs actually cost by method. Every figure is drawn from a named public source (the US Census Bureau's American Housing Survey, the Colorado Geological Survey, InterNACHI, This Old House, HomeAdvisor, and the Insurance Information Institute) and independently checked against the original before publishing.
Key statistics
5 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
Foundation damage is common and expensive: millions of US homes carry cracks or crumbling, most of it driven by expansive soils and water, and repairs a homeowner rarely sees covered by insurance run from a few hundred dollars for a crack to tens of thousands for a full lift.
4.9 million US homes had foundation crumbling or open cracks or holes in 2023.
Foundation repair averages about $5,175, with most projects between $2,225 and $8,134.
About 1 in 4 US homes has some damage from expansive soils.
Expansive soils cause more property damage than floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined.
Standard homeowners insurance excludes settling and earth movement, so most foundation repairs are not covered.
How we built this report
Every figure below was compiled in September 2026 from named public sources and checked against the original document before publishing.
- Compiled from primary sources
Government housing data (the Census Bureau's American Housing Survey), a state geological survey, a national home-inspector survey, published cost guides, and an insurance reference body.
- Only explicitly stated figures
We include only numbers a named source states directly, and attribute each inline at the point it appears.
- Disagreements shown, not averaged
Where two cost guides give slightly different averages, we show both rather than blending them into a single false figure.
- Independent review
Written by one co-founder and reviewed by the other before publishing.
Scope note: cost figures are guide-level national ranges, not an audited survey, and individual quotes vary widely by region, soil, and repair method. Prevalence figures are self-reported by households (the American Housing Survey) or drawn from geological and inspection sources. Confirm any single figure against the specific source before relying on it.
Foundation damage and repair, by the numbers
All 22 figures, grouped into four themes: how common foundation damage is, what causes it, what repairs cost, and what inspections and insurance add. Each is drawn from a named public source and independently verified.
How common foundation damage is
The best national count comes from the US Census Bureau's American Housing Survey, sponsored by HUD. According to the 2023 American Housing Survey (census.gov), of the 133.2 million occupied housing units in the United States, 4.9 million had foundation crumbling or open cracks or holes, roughly 3.7% of all occupied homes. Foundation problems rarely travel alone: the same survey counted 7.2 million homes with open cracks or holes in interior walls or ceilings and more than 11 million each reporting interior and exterior water leakage, the moisture that drives most movement. Home inspectors see the pattern from the field, too. According to InterNACHI (nachi.org), improper surface grading and drainage is the single most common house problem, and at least four of the ten most common problems tie directly to water.
Statistic 1
4.9 million occupied US homes had foundation crumbling or open cracks or holes in 2023, out of 133.2 million total (about 3.7%).
US Census Bureau, American Housing Survey (2023)
Statistic 2
7.2 million US homes had open cracks or holes in interior walls or ceilings in 2023.
US Census Bureau, American Housing Survey (2023)
Statistic 3
11.2 million homes reported interior water leakage and 11.8 million reported exterior water leakage in 2023.
US Census Bureau, American Housing Survey (2023)
Statistic 4
3.9 million US homes reported mold in the prior 12 months in 2023, a common companion to foundation moisture problems.
US Census Bureau, American Housing Survey (2023)
Statistic 5
Improper surface grading and drainage is the most common house problem home inspectors report, at 35.8%; at least four of the ten most common problems are water-related.
InterNACHI, survey of US and Canadian home inspectors
What this means: Foundation cracks and crumbling affect millions of homes, and the leading trigger, water reaching the foundation through poor grading and drainage, is the most common defect inspectors find. Catching the water problem early is far cheaper than repairing the movement it causes later.
What causes foundation failure: soil and water
Most structural foundation movement traces back to the ground the house sits on. Expansive (shrink-swell) clay soils absorb water and expand, then dry and contract, cyclically lifting and dropping the foundation. According to the Colorado Geological Survey (coloradogeologicalsurvey.org), these soils inflict a few billion dollars of damage each year to houses, buildings, roads, and pipelines, more than twice the damage from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined. The survey reports that one in five people is affected by expansive soils, versus one in ten by floods, and that more than 250,000 new homes are built on expansive soils each year. The American Society of Civil Engineers, as cited by Geology.com (geology.com), estimates about one in four US homes has some damage caused by expansive soils.
Statistic 6
Expansive soils cause a few billion dollars in damage a year, more than twice the loss from floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined.
Colorado Geological Survey
Statistic 7
One in five people is affected by expansive soils, compared with one in ten affected by floods.
Colorado Geological Survey
Statistic 8
More than 250,000 new homes are built on expansive soils each year in the US.
Colorado Geological Survey
Statistic 9
Of homes built on expansive soils, about 60% experience only minor damage over their useful lives, but roughly 10% experience significant damage.
Colorado Geological Survey
Statistic 10
About one in four US homes has some damage caused by expansive soils.
American Society of Civil Engineers, via Geology.com
What this means: Foundation damage is less an accident than a predictable outcome of soil plus water. In expansive-clay regions, roughly one home in ten built on that ground will see serious movement, which is why documenting a foundation's condition over time, rather than only at purchase, matters most where the soil moves.
What foundation repairs cost
Two widely used cost guides put the national average close together. According to This Old House (thisoldhouse.com), foundation repair averages about $5,179, with a typical range of $2,224 to $8,134. According to HomeAdvisor (homeadvisor.com), the average is $5,175, most homeowners spend $2,225 to $8,133, and the full observed spread runs from about $500 for a minor fix to $16,000 for major work. The number that matters, though, is the one tied to your specific problem: a hairline crack and a sinking slab are not the same project. The cards below break cost out by the repair itself.
Statistic 11
National average foundation repair cost is about $5,179, with a typical range of $2,224 to $8,134.
This Old House (2026)
Statistic 12
HomeAdvisor puts the average at $5,175, with most homeowners spending $2,225 to $8,133 and an observed spread of $500 to $16,000.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 13
Minor foundation crack repair costs $250 to $800.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 14
Foundation sealing or waterproofing costs about $2,300 to $7,300.
This Old House (2026); HomeAdvisor
Statistic 15
Repairing a settling or sinking foundation costs $5,000 to $25,000.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 16
Repairing a bowing or bulging foundation wall costs $4,000 to $12,000.
HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 17
Piering or underpinning costs $1,000 to $3,000 per pier.
HomeAdvisor and This Old House (2026)
Statistic 18
Mudjacking or slabjacking to lift a settled slab costs $550 to $1,300, the most affordable method.
This Old House (2026)
Statistic 19
Full foundation lifting or leveling of a house costs $20,000 to $23,000, the most expensive common repair.
This Old House (2026)
What this means: The 100x spread between a $250 crack seal and a $25,000 lift is almost entirely a function of how far the movement progressed before it was addressed. Cost is set less by the house than by how late the problem is caught.
Inspections, engineers, and insurance
Before a repair comes diagnosis, and after it comes the question of who pays. According to This Old House (thisoldhouse.com), a structural engineer's report runs $500 to $1,000, while HomeAdvisor prices a professional foundation inspection at $340 to $780; a soil report can add $500 to $3,000 and permits $75 to $150. On coverage, the answer is usually unwelcome: according to the Insurance Information Institute (iii.org), standard homeowners policies exclude earth movement and gradual settling, shrinking, and expansion, so foundation damage is typically paid only when a sudden covered peril, such as a burst pipe, causes it.
Statistic 20
A structural engineer's report costs $500 to $1,000; a professional foundation inspection runs $340 to $780.
This Old House and HomeAdvisor (2026)
Statistic 21
A soil report adds $500 to $3,000 and permits $75 to $150 to a foundation project.
This Old House (2026)
Statistic 22
Standard homeowners insurance excludes earth movement and gradual settling; foundation damage is generally covered only from a sudden covered peril such as a burst pipe.
Insurance Information Institute
What this means: Because the most common cause of foundation damage, soil movement and gradual settling, is precisely what standard policies exclude, most foundation repair is an out-of-pocket cost. That puts the entire financial burden on early detection, where a documented condition history is worth more than a claim that will not be paid.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
How many US homes have foundation problems?
About 4.9 million of the 133.2 million occupied US housing units, roughly 3.7%, had foundation crumbling or open cracks or holes in 2023, according to the US Census Bureau's American Housing Survey (census.gov). Another 7.2 million had open cracks or holes in interior walls or ceilings.
How much does foundation repair cost on average?
The national average is about $5,175, with most homeowners spending between roughly $2,225 and $8,134, according to HomeAdvisor (homeadvisor.com) and This Old House (thisoldhouse.com). Minor crack repairs run $250 to $800, while full foundation lifting or leveling can reach $20,000 to $23,000.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation repair?
Generally no. Standard homeowners policies exclude earth movement and gradual settling, shrinking, and expansion, according to the Insurance Information Institute (iii.org). Foundation damage is typically covered only when a sudden covered peril, such as a burst pipe, causes it.
What causes most foundation damage?
Expansive soils and water are the leading drivers. The American Society of Civil Engineers, via Geology.com (geology.com), estimates about one in four US homes has some damage from expansive soils, which the Colorado Geological Survey (coloradogeologicalsurvey.org) reports cause more property loss than floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes combined.
Data sources
Every figure traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing. We name each source and show its root domain, but do not link out: it keeps this reference the terminal citation. Internal links stay live.
US Census BureauAmerican Housing Survey, housing-quality estimates (2023)census.gov
Colorado Geological SurveyExpansive and swelling soils hazard overviewcoloradogeologicalsurvey.org
InterNACHISurvey of the most common house problemsnachi.org
This Old House2026 foundation repair cost guidethisoldhouse.com
HomeAdvisorFoundation repair cost datahomeadvisor.com
Insurance Information InstituteGuidance on earth-movement and settling coverageiii.org