Property & Building Inspection · Task 4 of 19

Structure study notes

Report visible evidence of movement, deterioration and water. Engineering analysis is out of scope.

Key points

• Crack types: vertical hairline means shrinkage; stair-step means settlement; horizontal in block walls means lateral soil pressure. Refer for evaluation.
• Wider-at-top vs wider-at-bottom cracks hint at the direction of movement.
• Joists: no notches in the middle third; bored holes away from the edges. Never cut truss members.
• Sill plates are anchored to the foundation; wood should not sit on soil or concrete without treatment.
• Look for termite tubes, decay (probe), sagging girders, missing posts and crawlspace moisture.
• Report limitations such as finished basements, storage and low crawlspace clearance.

Exam tip

the right action for significant movement is report and refer to a structural engineer.

Practise this task

Try free structure practice questions with answers and explanations, or look up terms in the glossary.

These notes are an original study aid and may contain errors. Verify against current IRC, NEC and NFPA editions and your state's standards of practice.