I'm always amazed at how people will have an absolute fit when they see a six-inch, hairline crack in the foundation wall of their home, yet no one ever seems to have any problem with out-and-out damage to the foundation wall created by so-called professionals in other industries. For example, I quite often find damage caused by plumbers and heating and cooling professionals similar to that in the picture below.

I would submit that such damage is far more serious than a six-inch hairline crack. Recently I was at a construction draw inspection where the plumber was causing damage to the foundation slab, damage that would not be visible once the bathtub, shower, and tile floors were intalled. Here's the damage that I found in the master bathroom:

   

I can guarantee you that if the hole in the slab is irregular, and if the concrete aggregate is visible, and if the rebar has been cut and pushed to the side (the right picture), the hole has not been designed or engineered for the foundation. At that point, it's not a matter of if there will be problems, it's a matter of when.

Unfortunately, banks and lenders don't seem to care if the house is being built well, or to code, they just want pictures showing that work is getting done for the money they advanced. They didn't care about these holes in the foundation slab, but the person for whom the funds are being advanced and the house being built sure did when I pointed them out to him.

I don't think it's going to be a pretty picture, so to speak, when the builders show up on Monday.

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Some of Russel's other blog entries

1. 12 reasons why I won't comment on your blogs
2. Just because they sell it doesn't mean you should buy it -- ActiveRain Feature
3. What do you do when the listing agent is, uh, blind maybe?
4. The garage is not a playground.
5. Need to vent? Feel free to vent (your attic) here.
6. That just ain't the way we do it out here, Sonny Boy
7. Not responsible for advice not taken
8. Sometimes it's just a question of semantics and definitions
9. A true real estate nightmare affecting hundreds of people
10. I purposefully burned a bridge yesterday
11. What part of that don't you understand? (Reading 101, English 101, & Spanish 101)
12. Out of sight, out of mind, skip the work, charge for it
13. "How much will it cost?" "$399 plus a $100 aggravation surcharge."
14. In a home inspection, if the thing works, the thing works
15. Sometimes it really is that simple (electric again)
16. Sometimes it really is that simple (attic)