Anyone who has been in any trade, business, or life, long enough knows that people will disagree on subjects they claim to be knowledgeable about. Home Inspectors run into this maybe more than most (less doctors, auto technicians, and IT specialists).
So a home inspection report gives a thumbs down on the foundation with the caveat to get a structural engineer in to validate what's going on with the foundation wall that is bowed outward. Seller jumps in to be helpful (and close the deal) and hires an engineer that says "A-Ok". First-time buyer logically says, "Hmmm, who should I believe?"
So a home inspection report gives a thumbs down on the foundation with the caveat to get a structural engineer in to validate what's going on with the foundation wall that is bowed outward. Seller jumps in to be helpful (and close the deal) and hires an engineer that says "A-Ok". First-time buyer logically says, "Hmmm, who should I believe?"
While some home inspectors will write up small (1/4 inch) non-leaking cracks as a problem, a leaning or bowing wall cannot be considered a minor problem. The main purpose of foundation walls is to carry the weight of the whole house and its contents and residents "vertically" down to be dispursed into the earth below.
In this home, built in 1958, we do not know when the wall began to bow. If upon construction and nothing since, well maybe it "found its footing"...(don't laugh). If in the first 40 years, then again, initial backfill settlement, but more of a concern. But with the owner not specifying how long it has been there, and jumping to hire someone to say "A-Ok"... if I was the buyer or agent, I'd be more than a bit concerned.
So when we run into this, we are looking for a third opinion by someone, (hired by the person who is most at risk), who is certified to a higher level and is an engineer with specialization in Residential Structures. I would say, most engineers are not residential experts, and houses are, well, unique, and need a specialist, just like in the medical profession. So "who 'ya gonna call?" - the trained, certified, and licensed specialist.