Is Your New Home Settling? 5 Common Settling Issues — and When to Call a Pro

There’s nothing more exciting than moving into your brand-new home: It’s your blank canvas, fresh, clean and ready to make your own.

But after a few months, you might start noticing small issues: maybe a hairline crack in the wall, a nail pop in the hallway, or doors that stick a little when you try to close them. Should you be concerned?

In the majority cases, the answer is no, according to Rob Claus, a licensed home inspector in Illinois and director of education for the Certified Commercial Property Inspection Association.

“Those cracks and pops happen during the first few months because of the drying process. Areas where there are tremendous temperature fluctuations will most likely experience more frequent cracking or popping conditions,” he says.

It’s all part of settling, the natural process of a new construction home adjusting to the environment. The soil beneath the foundation adjusts under the home’s weight, and materials like wood and drywall can expand or contract with temperature and humidity changes.

Here's what’s normal settling, what’s not – and when you should call in a pro.

1. Hairline cracks in the walls or ceiling

Super thin cracks about as thick as a credit card or strand of hair that appear in your new home – especially near windows, doors, or where walls meet ceilings – are extremely common, says Nick Gromicko, founder of InterNACHI, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors.

“Cracks are a natural occurrence in construction,” he says, and the majority of them are “totally harmless.”

When to watch out: If cracks are vertical and under five millimeters wide, there is low-to-moderate urgency.

It’s high urgency if the cracks are horizontal or diagonal across walls and wider than five millimeters, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Multiple cracks clustered together are a red flag, too. These cracks could be a sign of foundational movement, stress on structural supports, or more serious settling issues.

2. Nail pops in drywall

Small, circular bumps where nails or screws push out of the drywall may surface in your new build. These are also a typical part of the settling process.

Drywall and construction materials, including wood studs, go through a drying process. As the wood shrinks, nails get pushed outward, creating these little protrusions through the finishes, Claus says.

“Regardless of the price of your home, the construction materials will shrink while they are drying. This is what is causing the popping of the drywall,” he explains.

When to watch out: If they’re breaking through the drywall, leaving damage, or appearing in clusters, you may need to monitor the area and flag it to your builder or a home inspector for assessing.

3. Sticking doors or windows

A binding door isn’t concerning to Claus.

“[It’s] not necessarily a structural issue, but a changing moisture issue. As moisture levels increase on the inside of the home, the doors will swell and bind against the jams or frames,” he says.

When to watch out: Binding windows are a different story.

“Windows should never bind, especially since the majority of windows are now constructed of vinyl instead of wood,” he says. Vinyl doesn’t budge, so sticking windows may be a potential structural concern.

If it’s a window or two, and they still close with little effort, it shouldn’t be a cause for alarm. But if you notice multiple windows stop functioning properly, consult with your builder or a home inspector.

4. Gaps between trim or countertops

Tiny gaps may appear between baseboards and walls, and even between countertops and backsplashes. These are more examples of the home settling, causing minor movement. Seasonal changes in humidity can also trigger this as materials shrink or expand.

If gaps are slight and cosmetic, you can recaulk and move on.

When to watch out: If you’re noticing substantial movement, such as the counter separating from a wall or a sloping countertop, this can be a sign for more significant shifting. Take photos, monitor movement, and call your builder or a home inspector if you’re concerned.

5. Cracks in the concrete

Just like lumber, concrete materials in the home take time to dry out and settle – to the tune of about 28 days, according to Claus. It’s during this process that cracks in the concrete may crop up, too.

“That is normal and to be expected. Most cracks are not structural or causing structural compromise to the home. Most cracks may never migrate moisture from the exterior to the interior of the building,” he says.

These small foundational cracks are normal but they can still be filled to avoid air gaps, and to avoid water damage or the intrusion of pests.

When to watch out: If anything is wider than a penny in width, it’s worth flagging to your builder to fill and keep monitoring. Claus says a home inspector is trained to identify any potential structural issues with the foundation stemming from wider cracks.

What to do to manage new home issues

As a new homeowner, you have a few tools up your sleeve to ensure your new build stays in mint condition:

• Making use of your builder’s warranty, which often covers cosmetic issues for the first year and structural issues for longer. If you need clarification, ask your builder what’s covered – in some cases, they anticipate a certain amount of repair requests and adjustments after you’ve moved in.

• Conducting a full inspection around the 11-month mark. Make sure you take photos of cracks or issues and report them before your warranty expires. If you’re not sure of a potential issue, flag it for your peace of mind.

• Document everything. Keep a log of when cracks appear or change, so you have a record if problems get worse

• Call in a second opinion. Claus and Gromicko emphasize the value of a hiring an independent home inspector during your new construction walkthrough and at the 11-month mark before your builder’s warranty expires. “You really need to have an unbiased second set of eyes to look at the condition of the home. This would include not only the fit but also the finish,” Claus says.