Sinking
Foundation
in Maryland

Not always. Foundation settlement is usually discussed as a differential problem, one corner or section dropping more than another, which is what produces the diagonal cracks and sloping floors most homeowners recognize. A sinking foundation is the other pattern: the whole foundation, or a large uniform section of it, descends together at roughly the same rate.

Because the structure above moves down as a coordinated unit rather than racking or twisting, a sinking foundation can go unnoticed for years. There's often no dramatic cracking, no door that suddenly won't close, just a house that's quietly settled lower than it used to sit.

Uniform sinking shows up in the relationship between the house and the ground around it rather than in cracks inside the house. Look for exterior grade that appears to have crept up the foundation wall over the years, less painted or parged foundation visible above the soil line than there used to be, exterior steps or a porch slab that has separated from the house because it didn't sink with it, or window wells that have become noticeably shallower.

Uniform sinking is most common on homes built on fill soil that was never fully compacted before construction, or on fill that has continued consolidating for decades under the house's weight. It can also happen where broad, widespread drainage issues affect the soil under the entire footprint rather than just one section, unlike differential settlement, which usually traces to a localized soil problem at one area.

A free OBW foundation inspection compares your foundation's current elevation against what's typical for the home's age and construction to confirm whether uniform sinking has occurred and how much. We also check the exterior grade relationship, the window well depth, and any separated steps or porches, since those give a clearer read on gradual, whole-foundation movement than interior symptoms do.

The method is related but the scope is different. Once OBW confirms the pattern and the cause, foundation leveling addresses it the same way differential settlement is addressed, piers driven or screwed to competent bearing soil, though a uniform sink across the whole foundation is treated differently in scope and pier layout than a settled corner. Backed by a written workmanship guarantee, terms vary by service, ask your inspector.