Who decides if a foundation crack in Nepean is structural?

A structural engineer or a qualified contractor assesses whether a foundation crack is structural. On price, published Ontario contractor pricing puts crack injection at about $500 to $1,500 per crack; we found no published range for structural foundation repair. We found no Ontario or City of Ottawa rule that assigns the decision to a specific trade or profession for a repair on a private residence.

Ask the contractor who looks at the crack whether they will bring in an engineer, or hire one yourself before any repair work begins.

Ontario's Building Code sets out requirements for foundation walls and their repair, but it does not define which cracks are structural and which are not, and neither does the City of Ottawa's permit guidance. The City's permit list includes "structural foundation repairs and drain tile replacement" and "structural repairs or alterations," so if a contractor or engineer determines the crack is structural, a building permit is required before the repair starts. For crack injection alone, where no structural repair is involved, ask the City's Building Code Services whether a permit applies to your specific job before work begins.

A few things worth knowing before you hire anyone for this:

• We found no Ontario licence or certificate specific to waterproofing contractors. Ask whether a licensed engineer is involved if the contractor describes the crack as structural.
• Get the contractor's assessment in writing, including what they observed, what repair method they are proposing.

Before you sign, ask whether the repair will be done under a building permit, and have that written into the contract.