Shifting footers are due to settling, from undermining or occasionally from footer construction above the frost line which allows freeze thaw cycles to move the footer. Shifting footers are rare, but can be a very serious problem and could cause the walls they support to collapse. They may also only cause cracks which could be cosmetic and may not be serious. If the problem looks severe, a structural engineer may be necessary to determine the extent.

Shifting footers are covered in Section X, Appendix 4 and Appendix 6 of The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z. Remember, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most salesmen get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed inexpensivelly, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.

You can save thousands of dollars and many headaches by learning what is going on first. Often what looks like an expensive and serious problem may not be. Once the problem is explained, solving it is just common sense. I’ve used the knowledge I’ve put in The Home Waterproofers Manual – Home Waterproofing A to Z every day to fix water problems. It will work for you too.

But remember, when dealing with salesmen, in the waterproofing business it’s “buyer beware”. Most get a percentage of the sale and don’t consider it their job to save you money. They charge as much as they can. If they see a problem that can be fixed at low cost, or one that has a simple solution, they won’t mention it, but will only talk about “preventing serious damage” and try to scare you into signing a big contract.