Thread: Buying new home, but noticed cracks in foundation?

I am purchasing a new home and on the final walkthrough with the builder I noticed two 15 foot long hairline cracks in the garage floor. The floor is part of the post tension slab foundation. The floor sits aproximately 3-4 inches below the rest of the foundation on the front right portion of the foundation. the crack runs from about center front to back then along the seem (change in foundation height) along the back of the garage. My question is whether this should be a big concern, the builder is telling me there is nothing to be concerned about and this is normal. This is also a brand new $400,000 house.
Any comments would be greatly apreciated

Back to my original question. This foundation is only 3 months old from pour. I watched them build the house and just noticed the cracks because they had construction materials on top of them in the garage. My concern is the extreme length, one goes the entire length of the garage from front to back where it meets the thicker raised portion of the foundation of the house, while the other seems to go the entire back length of the garage at the seem. Almost like the right half of the garage is seperating. Would you buy this house? I have money invested and the builder is saying this is normal and if it doesnt get to be 1/4" wide or with verticle seperation no repair is necessary. I have not closed yet, scheduled for the 10th.

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Two things you can count on concerning concrete: it gets hard and it cracks.
In streets, walks, and drives, expansion or control joints are used to provide a place for the cracks to form to relieve the stress of curing concrete as it shrinks as well as changes from temperature extremes. Monolithic slabs don't use these joints, so you get to see the cracks.
Curing cracks are normal (thin hair line random cracks) wider cracks with any displacement is another thing that merits attention.

Like Jim said it sounds like a typical to observe curing crack.

But why take the builders word, hire yourself a Home Inspector and have it checked out.

Spending 440K would worth the inspection fee.

rick

Good catch Rick

Edward,
I will bet a good home inspector will catch more than double his fee in mistakes in your new home. Don't count on a warranty by the person who made the mistakes in the first place to correct the mistakes that YOU will find if you skip the inspection.
Find a nit picky, deal killer, inspector near you BEFORE you give the builder your money.
Remember the golden rule of real estate, "He who has the gold makes the rules!"