I recently had a home inspection done and the report highlighted an issue with the CMU columns underneath my house in Georgia. The inspector mentioned that there were additional CMU columns added for foundation support, but they were stacked incorrectly, lacking proper footings and mortar. He recommended having a foundation and crawlspace expert evaluate and repair this issue. Can anyone shed light on how serious this problem might be and what steps I should take? Here's a link to the inspection pictures: [Pictures](https://imgur.com/a/MVnbCsm)
3 Answers
Honestly, it’s hard to tell without a professional inspection. I had a similar situation with my house, and what seemed minor ended up costing me around $5,000 to fix because my inspector didn’t catch it. It's better to either get it checked thoroughly or, if you're not feeling it, consider walking away. You don't want to inherit someone else's problem!
It sounds like the inspector is worried about the integrity of the support those concrete blocks provide. They should be properly installed on footers and mortared together to offer real support. My advice is to consult a structural expert to evaluate it properly. Without that, you won't know the full severity of the issue.
The inspector is right; improperly oriented blocks and the absence of proper footings is definitely a concern. Definitely take his advice and get a qualified professional to assess the situation and recommend repairs. Better safe than sorry! I've been in this field for 30 years and trust me, catching these things early is key.
Wow, $5k is a lot! You managed to get that sorted out, though. It's always risky with those kinds of issues.