FHA - Cracks in driveway and garage floor

[bgillaspie]

We have an FHA appraisal/inspection next week on a house we are buying in Kansas. There are some cracks in the driveway (only one small area, 1ft by 1ft area, in the corner where it appears lower that other parts) and a crack in the corner of the garage. The crack in the garage is 6-8 feet long but not wide. Guessing not more than 1/8 inch wide.

If you think they need repaired does that just entail patching the cracks or is is replacing the whole driveway or slab.

I would like to attach picture but not sure how to.

Thanks.

 

[Mile High Trout]

difficult question.

appraisers mantra: identify the appraisal problem - work towards the appraisal solution.

For concrete issues, there are many factors to consider. Is the positive waterflow of the lot acceptable? Is the home a built in garage or attached? Is the driveway otherwise in good health, or showing signs of flaking like it was poured in cold temps? Why is the concrete cracking?

For your specific questions the cure if required would rest on the identification of the source of the problem. This may not be applicable to your area or situation, but it seems like if the concrete slabs are not influencing the concrete skirtings or footers, they are expected to have more wear and tear than other areas of the home itself.

FHA is supposed to be all about health and safety of the home and residents. The severity and estimated future influence of any shortcoming can play into repair and approval notes. You can hand the appraiser an engineers report stating the detailed cause and effect, and cure necessary or not. But that's sometimes more than the appraisal.

You can attach pics by advanced user settings, but it would be anecdotal anyways. The specific appraiser makes the call.

 

[Ted Martin]

Same old disclaimer:

Appraiser is not a home inspector or engineer. If you have concerns hire an engineer to look at the home.

The following is based on wild speculation on my part and may have no basis in reality since I do not know where this property is located and have not looked at it.


I could probably count on one or two hands the number of homes I've looked at over the last 30+ years in Kansas that didn't have driveway cracks. How old is the home? How much has the garage slab settled? Hint, look at the joint where the slab meets the wall and you should be able to see a color difference if it settled. With a 6 to 8 long 1/8 inch wide crack I'd bet you see the slab has settled more than an inch. Is it close to the garage door? When the garage door is closed does the door come in contact across its entire width or is there a gap? If there is a gap then the foundation in the outside corner is probably broken. If the crack is at the home end of the garage it would be less likely to have anything to do with the foundation and more likely to be a result of poor compaction under the slab, unless you notice cracks in the stem walls of the foundation in that area.

Repairs required, depends, if the home is newer and has a value in middle to upper end of market values the market would probably require it to be repaired to be marketable. If the home is older and closer to the lower end of the market, most buyer would not require a repair for the home to be considered marketable. Based on your limited description it doesn't sound like a threat to the homes structural integrity but more of a marketability or cosmetic issue.

If it has a basement you might also look about 6 to 8 feet from each of the corners and see if there are vertical cracks, if there are then look near the center of the wall for another vertical crack. If you see these types of cracks they are far more serious than the slab cracks.

 

[Mile High Trout]

If it has a basement you might also look about 6 to 8 feet from each of the corners and see if there are vertical cracks, if there are then look near the center of the wall for another vertical crack. If you see these types of cracks they are far more serious than the slab cracks.

Interesting. Sometimes the ask an appraiser section has some really great content.

The vertical crack more detrimental than lateral floor based ones? Sounds just about right, unless there is heaving to accompany then they might be equal. Another reason why local professionals are best - they've been there and done that as far as learning what is substantial and what is not.

 

[Mr Rex]

I think he means horizontal cracks. When the hydrostatic pressure (weight of water in the soil) overcomes the walls vertical strength (no or inadequate vertical reinforcement) the wall will bend inward, creating a horizontal crack, usually about half the height of the exterior fill. Technically the wall is in failure, although it may take years before it actually "fails" literally. Often they are nearly imperceptible, unless you lay a 4 foot level or similar straightedge against the wall and one end will not touch.:icon_idea: