None of the signs below proves a foundation problem on its own. Houses settle, drywall cracks, and humidity makes doors stick. What matters is a pattern, and whether it's getting worse. That's what an inspection is for.
Things worth noting
- Inside: drywall cracks angling up from door or window corners; doors that rub, swing open or won't latch; gaps opening between walls and the ceiling or baseboards.
- Floors: a slope you can feel, tiles cracking in a line, or on pier and beam, floors that feel bouncy or uneven.
- Outside: stair-step cracks in brick, gaps around window frames or the garage door, or soil pulling away from the slab edge in dry weather.
Keep a simple log
Take a photo of each crack with a ruler or coin beside it and write the date. Repeat every few weeks, and again after a long dry or wet spell. A dated record is far more useful to an engineer than "it seems worse."
Why clay soil matters here
The Texas Water Development Board's fact sheet on Houston Black, the Texas state soil, calls it a classic Vertisol that shrinks and swells markedly with changes in moisture. It says the soil is found in the Blackland Prairie, which extends from north of Dallas south to San Antonio, and that its very high shrink-swell potential is commonly a limitation for building sites.
McKinney is north of Dallas, but that doesn't mean your lot is Houston Black. Soil varies from one property to the next. The USDA's free Web Soil Survey shows the soil mapped at an address.
What you can do now
- Start the photo log.
- Look at where water goes: downspouts, low spots and sprinklers near the slab or crawl space. Ask your engineer what's right for your house.
- If you suspect a plumbing leak under or beside the house, have a plumber check it. Note that McKinney's foundation rules ask the engineer to flag plumbing that needs testing.
- Get an engineer's evaluation before agreeing to a large repair.