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It depends on which job your crack needs. A stable vertical crack in a poured wall can be sealed with a DIY foam injection kit, and the kit prices are below. A horizontal, bowing, offset, wide or stair-step crack needs a structural engineer's report first, then contractor bids priced against it, and that work is priced job by job.
The cost of fixing a foundation crack depends far more on what kind of crack it is than on how long it is. A stable vertical crack in a poured wall is a one-kit DIY job. A wall that has moved needs an engineer and a contractor, and the price is set by the repair the engineer specifies.
Before you price anything, figure out which crack you have. The foundation crack guide and the when to worry checklist sort them.
How much does it cost to fix a cracked foundation?
Your crack type puts you in one of three kinds of job: sealing a stable crack, stopping water from the outside, or stabilizing a wall that moved, which starts with an engineer.
| Crack | What it needs | Who does it | What sets the price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vertical or diagonal, poured wall, 1/4 inch or narrower, flush edges | Foam injection to seal it | You, with a kit, or an injection contractor | Kit price, or the contractor's quote for the number and length of cracks |
| Same crack, leaking | Foam injection, plus fixing the water outside | You or an injection contractor | Same as above, plus grading or gutter work |
| Many leaking cracks, or leaks injection can't reach | Outside excavation and waterproofing | Waterproofing contractor | How much wall is dug out, access, permits |
| Wider than 1/4 inch, or one edge sticks out | An engineer's diagnosis first | Engineer, then a contractor | The repair the engineer specifies |
| Horizontal crack or bowing wall | Bracing, anchors or rebuilding, to an engineer's design | Engineer, then a contractor | Wall length, method, excavation |
| Stair-step crack in a block wall | An engineer's diagnosis first | Engineer, then a contractor | The repair the engineer specifies |
We don’t print contractor price ranges. The ones published online come from cost estimate sites rather than data we can check, and the honest answer is that your quote depends on your wall. The sections below show what moves the price, so you can read a quote and compare two of them.
Foundation crack injection cost
A DIY foam injection kit for one crack costs $204.95, and a contractor quotes injection per job. The kit is the cheapest way to seal a stable vertical crack in a poured wall.
The kit prices:
- 10 ft kit with epoxy paste: $204.95. It covers about 6 to 10 feet of crack (plan on 8) and uses a standard caulk gun you supply.
- 10 ft kit with peel-off paste: $239.95. Same coverage, and the paste peels off for a cleaner wall afterward.
- 30 ft kit with epoxy paste: $574.95. It covers about 30 feet and includes its own dual dispensing gun.
- 30 ft kit with peel-off paste: $654.95.
For up to about 16 feet of crack, two 10 ft kits cost less than one 30 ft kit. The kit sizing calculator picks the cheapest mix, and the peel-off vs epoxy paste guide explains which paste suits your wall.
The kit’s product page rates it for cracks up to 3/8 inch wide. This site sends any wall crack wider than 1/4 inch to an engineer first, because a gap that wide can mean the wall moved. The injection guide covers the full method.
What drives a contractor’s injection price?
A contractor’s quote for injection mostly comes down to how much crack there is and how hard it is to reach. These are the things that move it:
- Number and total length of cracks. Ports, foam and labor all scale with length.
- Foam or epoxy. Polyurethane foam seals a crack and stays flexible. Epoxy bonds the crack for strength, and the American Concrete Institute’s guide to sealing leaks lists it only for dormant cracks (opens in a new tab). The epoxy vs polyurethane guide compares them.
- Access. Finished walls, paneling, shelving or a furnace in front of the crack add time to open up and put back.
- Active water. Ask how the contractor handles a crack that’s running water during the job. The leaking crack guide covers that case.
- Outside work. Some quotes add excavation and an exterior membrane. Ask whether that’s needed for your crack or only for a leak injection can’t reach.
- Warranty. A longer or transferable warranty is part of what you’re paying for. Read exactly what it covers.
DIY vs professional: what do you get for the money?
DIY costs less and fits one kind of crack. A contractor costs more and gives you labor, equipment and a written warranty, and an engineer-designed repair is the only option for a wall that moved.
| DIY foam kit | Injection contractor | Engineer-designed repair | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cracks it fits | Stable vertical or diagonal cracks in poured walls, 1/4 inch or narrower | The same cracks, plus many cracks or hard-to-reach ones | Horizontal, bowing, offset, wide or block stair-step cracks |
| Method | Polyurethane foam injected through surface ports | Foam or epoxy injection | Bracing, anchors, reinforcing or rebuilding, as the engineer specifies |
| Who diagnoses the crack | You | The contractor, who also sells the repair | An independent engineer |
| Who stands behind the work | You | The contractor, under the written warranty | The contractor for the work, the engineer for the design |
| Warranty | None on the labor; it's your work | Whatever the written contract says | Whatever the written contract says |
| How the price is set | Fixed kit price | Quote per job | Engineer's fee, then contractor bids on the design |
DIY is a good deal when the crack is the right kind and you’re comfortable with a caulk gun. The foundation crack repair guide helps you decide whether yours qualifies.
When is DIY off the table?
When the crack shows the wall moved. No kit fixes movement, and sealing the crack hides the sign without stopping the cause.
Skip the kit and call a structural engineer for:
- A horizontal crack in a basement wall
- A bowing wall, with or without a crack
- Any wall crack wider than 1/4 inch
- A crack with one edge sticking out past the other
- A stair-step crack in a block wall
The American Concrete Institute says the cause of cracking must be assessed and corrected (opens in a new tab) before any repair. Paying for a seal on a wall that’s still moving means paying twice.
What does a structural engineer cost?
There’s no national price list, and the fee depends on what you ask for. A visual opinion costs less than a written report with measurements, and a report that includes a repair design costs more again.
One public benchmark: Connecticut’s crumbling foundations program reimburses a visual inspection by a licensed professional engineer at 100% up to $400 (opens in a new tab), and core testing at 50% up to $2,000. Those are reimbursement caps for one state’s program, not a price list, but they show the scale of a visual visit compared with lab testing.
The engineer vs contractor guide explains what an engineer’s visit covers and how to find a licensed one.
What should a written foundation repair quote include?
Every quote should be in writing and should describe the work, the materials, the completion date and the price. The Federal Trade Commission lists those four items as the minimum for a written home improvement estimate (opens in a new tab).
For a foundation crack, ask the quote to spell out:
- Which cracks, by location and length
- The method and material: foam or epoxy injection, outside membrane, or the bracing or anchor system
- Whether the work follows an engineer’s report, and which one
- Who pulls any permit
- What’s excluded, such as moving finished walls, landscaping or regrading
- The warranty in writing: what it covers (leaks, movement or both), how long, and whether it transfers to a buyer
- The payment schedule
How do you compare foundation repair quotes?
Price every bid against the same scope, ideally an engineer’s report. If each company diagnoses the wall itself, you’re comparing three different repairs, not three prices.
The FTC’s advice for any home improvement job applies here:
- Get several estimates, and don’t automatically choose the lowest bidder (opens in a new tab).
- Check the license and insurance. Confirm the contractor’s license with your state or county, and ask for proof of insurance.
- Don’t pay it all up front. Some states limit down payments, and the FTC says not to make the final payment until the work is done.
- Know your cancellation right. If you sign the contract at your home, federal law generally gives you three business days to cancel.
- Watch for pressure. Door knocking “in the area,” leftover materials and a push for a decision today are on the FTC’s list of red flags.
If you’re selling, keep the report, the contract and the warranty together. The buying and selling guide covers what buyers ask for.
Should you fix it now or watch it first?
Watch it first if you’re not sure it’s stable. Marking the ends and measuring the width every few weeks costs nothing and tells you whether the crack is still moving, which changes which tier above you’re in.
The crack monitoring guide shows how. If the crack widens, lengthens or starts to offset, move straight to an engineer.
Questions
Why doesn't this page list contractor price ranges?
We only print numbers we can trace to an independent source, and we didn't find one for contractor foundation repair prices. The ranges you see online come from cost estimate sites, not published data we can check. Two or three written quotes for your own wall will tell you more than a national range.
Is a free inspection from a repair company worth it?
It's useful for getting a quote, but it isn't independent, because the person diagnosing the wall also sells the fix. For a crack that might be structural, have an engineer look first and get bids against the report.
Does homeowners insurance pay for foundation crack repair?
It depends on your policy and what caused the crack, so read your policy and ask your agent. The insurance guide covers the questions to ask.
Is it cheaper to buy two 10 ft kits or one 30 ft kit?
For up to about 16 feet of crack, two 10 ft kits cost less than one 30 ft kit. Past that the 30 ft kit is the better buy. The kit sizing calculator works it out for your cracks.