Guide
Buying or selling a house with a foundation problem
A foundation problem does not make a house unsellable, and it does not have to end a purchase. It changes what each side should find out and put in writing. This page is general information, so ask your attorney how it applies to your sale.
The seller's side
What a Massachusetts seller has to disclose
Massachusetts expects the buyer to do the looking. The state board that licenses real estate agents puts it this way in its course outline on seller agency: residential sellers who are not in the business of selling homes have no affirmative disclosure requirement, apart from telling buyers about lead paint.
Agents are held to more. The same outline says real estate licensees must disclose known material defects in a property. So a listing agent who knows the rear wall was underpinned, or that it needs to be, cannot stay silent about it.
For a buyer the practical lesson is to ask direct questions in writing: has the foundation been repaired, by whom, with what permit, and is there an engineer's report. For a seller, a straight written answer backed by documents is the safer course.
The buyer's side
Your right to an inspection
Since October 15, 2025 a state regulation has protected the home inspection. As summarized by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, sellers and their agents may not make acceptance of an offer depend on the buyer giving up or limiting an inspection, and may not accept an offer that says the buyer intends to waive one. It applies to houses of one to four units and to condominium units. A signed disclosure of this right is required by the time the first purchase contract is signed.
You may still choose not to inspect, and there are exemptions, such as sales between relatives and foreclosures. With an old Boston house, use the right. If the home inspector notes cracks, slopes or a leaning wall, ask for time to bring in a structural engineer or a foundation company before the inspection period ends.
Homework
What each side should gather
Buyers
Before you commit
- Search the address in Boston's historical permit records for earlier structural work.
- In a filled district, look the building up in the Groundwater Trust's Information Center for foundation type and any underpinning.
- Get a written opinion on cause and likely repair, so the price can be negotiated on facts.
- In a condominium, read the association's minutes and reserve figures for mention of the foundation.
Sellers
Before you list
- Have the problem inspected so you know its extent before a buyer's inspector finds it.
- Decide whether to repair first or sell as it stands with a report in hand. Both are legitimate.
- Collect the permit, the engineer's letter, the contract and the warranty for any past repair.
- Check whether the warranty passes to a new owner and what the company needs to transfer it.
Questions from buyers and sellers
The seller says the foundation was fixed years ago. What should I ask for?
The building permit, the engineer's drawings or letter, the contractor's name and the warranty. Then have someone measure the house now. A repair that worked will show no fresh movement around it.
Should I repair before selling?
It depends on the size of the job, your timetable and the market. A completed, permitted repair with paperwork removes a question from the sale. A clear report and a written proposal let a buyer price the work instead of fearing it. Your agent and attorney can advise on which serves you.
Can I call this number if I am only thinking of making an offer?
Yes, if you can arrange access with the seller. Say at the outset that you are a prospective buyer and when your inspection period ends.
Foundation repair in Boston
Have a Boston foundation company take a look
Give the street, the kind of building and what has changed. The company settles a day to visit, and afterwards you receive its written account of the cause and what it would charge.
Ready to have it looked at?
Phone and say what you have seen. The firm on the other end is a Boston-area foundation repair company, independent of this website, and it can book a visit to your home.
Call (617) 555-0111You speak with an independent company, not with this website. See the referral disclosure.