What Counts as a True Emergency
These situations warrant immediate professional intervention. Not next week. Today or tomorrow.
Wall Collapse or Imminent Collapse
If a wall has actually fallen in, or if sections are visibly rotating, separating from the floor or ceiling, or showing signs they might give way, get everyone away from that area immediately.
I've never seen an actual collapse, thankfully. But I've seen pictures from foundation contractors. The damage is catastrophic. Walls that buckle inward, framing crashing down, contents of upper floors falling through. These aren't theoretical concerns.
Any sign a wall is about to fail: call someone now. Emergency services if you're not sure. Foundation contractor if they have emergency availability. Structural engineer. Someone who can assess safety.
Sudden Dramatic Movement
Gary's wall had been slowly bowing for who knows how long before he noticed. That's different from sudden movement.
If you wake up and the house feels shifted, if multiple doors suddenly won't close that worked fine yesterday, if gaps open visibly within hours, something significant has happened. This could indicate sudden soil failure, footing collapse, or rapid structural movement.
Document what you're seeing with photos. Then call for help.
Active Soil Collapse
My neighbor Tom had a plumbing leak that washed away soil under his foundation. By the time he noticed, there was a visible depression in his yard where soil had eroded underground.
Sinkholes, visible erosion near the foundation, soil that seems to be disappearing, these indicate the supporting ground is actively failing. This can progress quickly once it starts.
Major Water Events
A burst pipe flooding the area around the foundation, water actively undermining the soil, flooding that's creating pressure against basement walls, these are emergencies because the damage is ongoing. Every hour the water runs, things get worse.
Stop the water source if you can. Then assess the foundation situation.
Urgent But Not Immediate
These need attention within days, not hours. Serious, but you have time to find the right help.
Significant Wall Bowing
Gary's situation fell here, honestly. His wall was bowed an inch and a half, but it wasn't about to collapse. It had been bowing gradually and had reached a concerning point.
He called a foundation contractor the next morning. They came within three days. The wall needed anchors, but there was time to plan the repair properly.
Significant bow that doesn't appear to be rapidly worsening is urgent but not a middle-of-the-night emergency.
Rapidly Growing Cracks
A crack that's visibly wider this week than last week proves something is actively moving. That's not normal. It's not an emergency in the "call 911" sense, but it means the forces causing damage haven't stopped.
Get professional assessment soon. Days, not weeks. The longer active movement continues, the worse the eventual repair.
Post-Event Assessment
After earthquakes, floods, or major storms, foundations should be checked even if nothing obvious is wrong. Hidden damage might exist. Get professional inspection promptly, even if your house looks fine from the outside.
What to Do in an Emergency
If you're facing what seems like a foundation emergency, here's the sequence.
Safety First
Get people away from any area that might be affected if a wall fails. If you have any doubt about structural safety, evacuate and call for professional assessment. No possession is worth risking injury.
Gary and his family stayed in the house, but they avoided the basement until the contractor confirmed it was safe. That was probably overly cautious, but caution costs nothing.
Don't Make It Worse
Don't try to push walls back into place. Don't add load to weakened areas. Don't start repairs yourself without professional guidance.
If water is part of the problem, stop the water if you can. Beyond that, wait for someone who knows what they're doing.
Document Everything
Take photos and video of what you're seeing. Note when you first noticed the problem. This documentation is important for insurance claims and helps professionals understand the timeline.
Gary's photos from that first night were useful when his insurance company wanted to understand the situation.
Call for Help
Structural engineer or foundation contractor, whoever you can reach. Many have emergency availability for situations that can't wait.
Explain that you believe you have a foundation emergency. Describe what you're seeing. They'll help you assess whether it truly needs immediate attention or can wait until morning.
Notify Insurance
Contact your homeowner's insurance to report the situation. Foundation damage coverage varies, but you need to document the claim regardless of whether it's ultimately covered.
Gary's situation was covered under "sudden earth movement" in his policy. Not every policy is the same.
What Isn't an Emergency
Context matters. Many scary-looking situations aren't emergencies.
Old Cracks You Just Noticed
Finding a crack that's clearly been there for years isn't an emergency just because you just noticed it. If it's been sitting there for decades without causing problems, it's not going to collapse tonight.
Evaluate it carefully, sure. But don't panic because you discovered something that's been there longer than you have.
Water Seepage
Water coming through cracks during rain is annoying and needs to be addressed, but it's a waterproofing issue, not a structural emergency. Fix it properly when you can, but it's not a call-the-contractor-at-midnight situation.
Minor Settlement Symptoms
A door that sticks a little, a hairline drywall crack, slightly uneven floors. These indicate settlement, but settlement that happens gradually over years. Not emergencies.
Monitor them. Address them when appropriate. But don't treat them like the house is falling down.
Historic Repairs
Evidence of old repairs, cracks that were previously patched, signs of work that was done years ago. These are history. The previous owner dealt with something. Unless you see signs of new movement, it's information, not an emergency.
What Happened with Gary
For the record: Gary's wall didn't collapse. The contractor assessed it as serious but not critical. They scheduled wall anchor installation for two weeks later.
Temporary Monitoring
The contractor installed some crack monitors as a precaution. If the movement accelerated before the repair, Gary would see it on the monitors and could call for emergency intervention.
The monitors stayed stable. The wall had been bowing slowly and continued bowing slowly.
The Repair
Wall anchors through to buried plates in the yard. Six anchors total. They arrested the movement and will slowly pull the wall back toward plumb over the next few years as they're tightened periodically.
Total cost: $8,400. Not cheap, but not the emergency repair surcharge either. If he'd waited until the wall was about to fail, it would have been worse.
The Lesson
Gary's situation was urgent but not an emergency. He had time to plan, get quotes, and schedule the work properly. The key was recognizing it was serious and not waiting months to address it.
True emergencies are rare. But serious situations that need prompt attention are common enough. Know the difference.