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Foundation Crack and Structural Repair in Massachusetts and New Hampshire
A crack that leaks is a water problem; a wall that bows, leans or settles is a structural one, and structural work brings in the building department. Telling the two apart takes someone looking at the wall in person. Call (978) 800-2819 or send the form. A person reads every request and replies with what happens next.
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Before anyone patches
Who looks at the wall, and who signs off
Get it seen in person. Hairline, stair-step, horizontal, bowing or settling: what a crack means depends on the wall, the house and whether it is moving, and that takes someone on site. Describe what you see, when you first noticed it and whether it has changed.
Structural work is supervised work. In Massachusetts, a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional must oversee construction on one- and two-family homes (when a CSL is required), and the regulation lists foundation and structural frame work among the stages where a licensed supervisor must be on site (780 CMR 110.R5). Our screening looks up the construction supervisor license of whoever oversees structural work there.
When an engineer comes in. The Massachusetts code requires construction documents from a registered design professional where a statute calls for them, and lets the building official require additional documents where special conditions exist (780 CMR R107.1). For new construction, substantial improvement or substantial-damage repair in a flood hazard area, documentation prepared and sealed by one must be part of the construction documents (780 CMR R322.1).
Massachusetts
Foundation repair in Massachusetts
Permits. No permit application is needed for ordinary repairs, but one is required for "the substantial cutting away of any wall" and "the removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support" (780 CMR R105.2.2). The code doesn't define ordinary repairs, so ask your building department.
Registration and the contract. Look up the company on the HIC contractor search and its supervisor on the license verification site. Agreements over $1,000 must be in writing, the deposit can't exceed one-third of the price or the cost of special-order materials, and the contract must explain your three-day cancellation rights (M.G.L. c.142A §2). Homeowners can apply to the Guaranty Fund for up to $25,000 of actual losses against a registered contractor, if they meet its requirements (HIC homeowner resources).
Digging and backfill. Repairs from the outside mean excavating, which requires premarking and notice to Dig Safe at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays (M.G.L. c.82 §40A). The code requires backfill to be free-draining, free of organic material, placed in lifts of no more than 12 inches and compacted, and not placed until the wall is strong enough and braced or anchored (780 CMR R404.1.7).
New Hampshire
Foundation repair in New Hampshire
Permits and the code. Building permits come from your town, and local codes stricter than the state's stay in force (RSA 155-A:2). Foundation repair falls under the state building code as adopted in New Hampshire; the 2024 code set took effect July 1, 2026, and permits may be filed under either the 2021 or the 2024 codes through December 31, 2026 (Town of Merrimack code page).
The contractor and the contract. "In New Hampshire, contractors do not need to be licensed," the Attorney General's office says, and it advises a written contract with the scope, materials, total price and payment schedule, references, proof of insurance, and caution about any down payment over 50% (NH Attorney General). On contracts over $5,000, the contractor must give you notice of the defect-claim process, which requires written notice to the contractor at least 60 days before a lawsuit (RSA 359-G).
Digging. Excavation within 100 feet of an underground facility needs notice at least 72 hours ahead, not counting weekends and legal holidays, and a white-marked dig area (RSA 374:51). Dig Safe is free at 811 (Dig Safe).
New Hampshire basement rules and the towns we cover.
Last verified November 2026. Fees, restrictions and deadlines on this page are due for re-checking by January 2027. New England Basement Pros is a referral service. We don't inspect walls, design repairs or file permits.
FAQ
Foundation repair questions
Is my crack structural?
Nobody can say from a description, and we won't guess. A contractor needs to see it, and on structural work in Massachusetts a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional must oversee construction on one- and two-family homes. Ask the contractor who will assess the wall and whether a registered design professional will be involved.
Do I need an engineer?
Massachusetts' code calls for construction documents from a registered design professional where a statute requires them, lets the building official require more where special conditions exist, and requires sealed documentation for new construction or substantial improvement in flood hazard areas. Your building department and the contractor can tell you whether your job is one of those.
Does foundation repair need a permit?
In Massachusetts, ordinary repairs need no permit application, but substantially cutting away a wall or cutting or removing a structural beam or load-bearing support does. In New Hampshire, permits come from your town. Either way, ask the building department before work starts.
What should the contract say?
In Massachusetts, any agreement over $1,000 must be in writing with the contractor's registration number, start and completion dates, the work and materials, the price and a payment schedule. In New Hampshire, the Attorney General advises the same kind of written contract, and on contracts over $5,000 the contractor must give you notice of its right to try to resolve alleged defects before you can sue (RSA 359-G).
What does it cost me to use New England Basement Pros?
Nothing. The request and the referral are free; the contractor prices the work.
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