Find out if that crack is cosmetic or a sign your house is moving. Free crack inspection and a written price from a local crew, usually with a call back the same day.
✓The soil movesCommon soils around Lubbock have a clay subsoil, according to USDA soil surveys. Clay swells when it is wet and shrinks when it dries. When part of the ground under your house moves and part does not, the house cracks where it bends.soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov
✓The weather swingsLubbock gets about 18.6 inches of rain a year, according to the National Weather Service, and much of it comes in heavy storms after long dry spells. Many homeowners notice new cracks after a very dry summer or a very wet month.weather.gov
✓Brick is stiffMany Lubbock homes have brick on the outside. Brick does not bend, so it cracks with small movement that a wood wall would hide.esinationwide.com
✓Frost is a small factorLubbock County is in a 12 inch frost line zone, according to a Texas housing agency notice. Freeze cracks are less common here than clay cracks.tdhca.texas.gov
What it costs
Typical ranges from published cost guides, not quotes. Every job starts with a free inspection and a written price, so you see the number before any work begins.
Almost every house in Lubbock has a few cracks. Concrete shrinks as it dries. Drywall tape lets go. Brick mortar wears. Most of these are cosmetic.
Other cracks are your house telling you it moved. Those are the ones that grow, get wider at one end, or show up with doors that stick. The free inspection tells you which kind you have, so you are not guessing or paying for a fix you do not need.
Does this sound like your house?
These are the cracks Lubbock homeowners call about:
"A crack runs from the corner of my door up to the ceiling."
"The brick outside has a crack that steps up like stairs."
"There is a crack across my garage floor and one side is higher."
"My tile floor cracked in a straight line across the room."
"I can see a crack in the concrete along the bottom of my outside wall."
"The crack in my living room came back after I patched it."
"The bricks are pulling away from my window frame."
"I can fit a coin in the crack."
How to read a crack
Hairline and straight. Thin as a pencil line, flat on both sides, not growing. Usually cosmetic shrinkage.
Diagonal from a door or window corner. The frame of the house is getting pulled as part of it moves. One of the most common signs of foundation movement.
Stair-step in brick. The crack follows the mortar lines up and over. Often means one corner of the house settled.
Wider at one end. One side of the house moved more than the other. Worth an inspection.
One side higher than the other. If you can feel a lip when you run your hand over a slab crack, the slab moved up or down. Worth an inspection.
Wider than a quarter inch. Roughly the width of a pencil. Have it checked.
How a local crew fixes cracks
Fix the cause first
If the house is still moving, patching the crack only hides it for a while. The crew will measure floor levels to see if the house needs piers, re-leveling or drainage work first. See foundation repair.
Sealing slab cracks
Cracks in a concrete slab or slab edge can be cleaned and filled with epoxy or a flexible sealer. This keeps water and bugs out and stops the crack from getting worse from the surface.
Injecting wall cracks
For cracks in concrete walls or a thick slab edge, the crew sets small ports along the crack and pumps epoxy or polyurethane into it until it fills.
Repointing brick
For stair-step cracks in brick, the crew grinds out the cracked mortar and fills it with new mortar. Broken bricks can be replaced. Once the house is level, this is often all the brick needs.
Patching drywall and plaster
Inside cracks get taped, mudded and painted. Most crews do this after any lifting, because the house moves a little during the lift.
About these prices
These are typical ranges from published cost guides, not quotes.
A single cosmetic crack is a small job. If the crack is a sign the house is moving, the bigger cost is the piers or leveling. See the full cost guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which foundation cracks are serious?
Cracks wider than about a quarter inch, cracks where one side sits higher than the other, stair-step cracks in brick, and cracks that keep getting longer are the ones to have checked soon.
Are hairline cracks in my slab normal?
Thin hairline cracks are common as concrete dries and shrinks. If they stay thin and flat, they are usually cosmetic. Watch them over a few months.
Can I just fill the crack myself?
You can patch a small cosmetic crack, but filling a crack does not stop the house from moving. If the crack comes back, the cause is still there.
How do I tell if a crack is growing?
Put a strip of painter's tape across it and mark both ends with a pencil and the date. Take a photo with a coin for scale. Check again in a few weeks.
Will the crack close when my house is leveled?
Often part of the way. Brick, drywall and tile usually still need patching after the house is lifted. Ask whether your estimate includes it.
Why do new cracks show up after a big rain or a dry summer?
Clay soil under many Lubbock homes swells when wet and shrinks when dry. A sudden change in moisture moves the ground a little, and the house shows it.
Does a cracked brick wall mean my foundation failed?
Not always. Brick is stiff, so it cracks with small movement. Stair-step cracks near a corner are a common sign of settling, and a floor level check tells you how much the house really moved.
Get your crack checked for free
A photo and a few minutes on the phone is a good start. Call (806) 855-8140 or send the short form. A local crew will call you back, usually the same day, and tell you in writing what the crack means and what it costs to fix.