# Crack Assessment Checklist | Is the Crack in Your Wall Serious?

> Free crack assessment checklist: ten plain questions about width, pattern, growth and symptoms that tell you whether to monitor, inspect soon or call now.

URL: https://structuralengineer.ie/tools/structural-crack-assessment/

Free tool

# Crack Assessment Checklist: Is Your Crack Serious?

Ten plain questions about the crack and the house. The result tells you whether to monitor it, get it inspected, or call now.

[StructuralEngineer.ie](https://structuralengineer.ie/)'s crack assessment checklist uses the same things an engineer looks at first: width, pattern, location, growth, and what else is happening in the house. It runs in your browser, nothing is sent, and the result comes with next steps.

- 01 How wide is the widest crack? Hairline: a coin edge won't go in Up to about 1 mm 1–5 mm 5–15 mm Wider than 15 mm
- 02 What shape is it? A fine straight line in plaster Vertical through the blockwork Stepped or diagonal through the joints Wider at one end than the other
- 03 Where is it? Where plaster meets plasterboard, or ceiling meets wall At a window or door corner Where an extension meets the house At the base of internal walls, near floor level
- 04 Is it getting bigger? No, it's been the same for years I don't know Yes, slowly over months Yes, noticeably in weeks
- 05 Have doors or windows started sticking? No One, seasonally Yes, several, recently
- 06 Are floors sloping, lifting or cracking? No Slightly, it's always been that way Yes, it's new or getting worse
- 07 How old is the house? Under 2 years 1997–2008 build Other 20th-century house Pre-1920 period house
- 08 Is there a large tree within about 10 m of the cracked wall? No Yes There was one, recently felled
- 09 Any recent work or leaks nearby? None Recent extension or wall removal Leaking drain, gutter or pipe
- 10 Is any wall visibly bulging, leaning or bowing? No Not sure Yes

Your result

0 of 10 answered

Answer every question for a result. Nothing is sent anywhere.

## What the checklist is based on

Crack widths follow the BRE Digest 251 damage categories, where cracks over about 5 mm are category 3 and above. The other questions pick up the signs of movement an engineer looks for: stepped or tapering patterns, growth, sticking doors, floors lifting and bulging walls.

For more detail, read [are cracks in walls serious?](https://structuralengineer.ie/guide/when-are-cracks-in-walls-serious/) or see the [crack inspection service](https://structuralengineer.ie/structural-crack-inspection/).

Sources

- [Engineers Ireland: Cracking and structural movement in Irish low-rise residential masonry buildings](https://www.engineersireland.ie/News/cracking-and-structural-movement-in-irish-low-rise-residential-masonry-buildings)

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