# StructuralRepair.ca > Structural repair in Canadian homes — reading the warning signs, what an engineer checks, and how houses are put right. StructuralRepair.ca is part of the HAUSE Home network — an independent Canadian information and service-request network (not a contractor). Contact: info@hause.ca, 403-679-3100. Structural repair is work that restores a house's ability to carry its loads safely from the roof and floors down to the soil. It includes sistering joists, adding beams, posts and footings, replacing a removed bearing wall with a beam, bracing bowing foundation walls, underpinning settling footings and reinforcing roofs. It starts with finding the cause, usually with a structural engineer, and most of it needs a building permit. ## Guides ### Diagnose - [Brick, block and stone walls and chimneys: what cracks, bulges and leaning mean](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/brick-wall-and-chimney-problems/): Brick wall and chimney structural problems: load-bearing solid masonry vs brick veneer, stair-step cracks, bulging walls, lintel cracks and leaning chimneys. - [Emergency shoring: what to do when part of a house may be failing](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/emergency-shoring/): What to do when a floor, ceiling, wall or roof may be failing: get people out, who to call, how temporary shoring works, what not to do, and insurance steps. - [Signs of structural damage in a house, sorted by what they mean](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/signs-of-structural-damage/): Signs of structural damage in a house: which cracks, sloping floors, sticking doors and gaps are cosmetic, which need assessment and which need an engineer. ### Engineers - [Structural engineer reports, letters and stamped drawings, explained](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/structural-engineer-reports-and-drawings/): What a structural engineer report, letter and stamped drawings contain, how to read them, what authentication means and what to ask for before a repair. - [What a structural engineer does for a house, and how to hire one in Canada](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/what-does-a-structural-engineer-do/): What a structural engineer does for a house in Canada: assessments, letters, stamped drawings and field reviews, P.Eng licensing, fees and how to hire one. ### Floors & walls - [Cut joists, notches, holes and new openings: how renovations damage structure, and how it is fixed](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/cut-joists-and-renovation-damage/): How renovations damage house structure: notched and drilled joists, cut studs and top plates, removed posts, and doors or windows cut into load-bearing walls. - [Deck structural problems: ledger boards, footings, posts, joists and guards](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/deck-structural-problems/): Deck structural problems explained: failing ledger boards, heaving or sinking footings, rotted posts and joists, loose guards, sistering joists and permits. - [Fixing a sagging floor with a new beam, posts and footings](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/fix-sagging-floor-beams-and-posts/): How a mid-span beam, new posts and proper footings fix a sagging floor, how jacking is done safely, sinking posts, teleposts, crawl spaces and costs. - [How to tell if a wall is load-bearing: the clues and the exceptions](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/load-bearing-walls/): How to tell if a wall is load-bearing: joist direction, what sits above and below, trusses, exterior walls, blueprints and the exceptions that fool people. - [LVL, steel, glulam or built-up lumber: how a house beam is chosen, and how old beams are repaired](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/lvl-vs-steel-beams/): LVL vs steel beams for a load-bearing wall or sagging floor: what each beam type is, how size is really decided, why calculators fall short, and beam repairs. - [Removing a load-bearing wall: the beam, the load path, permits and cost](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/removing-a-load-bearing-wall/): How a load-bearing wall is removed safely in Canada: beam options, flush vs dropped beams, temporary walls, posts and footings, permits and 2026 costs. - [Sagging floors: why they happen, how much is acceptable and when to worry](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/sagging-floors/): Why floors sag, whether a sagging floor is dangerous, how much sag is acceptable (L/360, L/240), how to measure it and the repairs that actually work. - [Sistering floor joists: how it works, overlap, fasteners and cost](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/sistering-floor-joists/): Sistering floor joists explained: when it works, how much overlap, which bolts, screws and adhesive are used, sistering to level a floor, permits and cost. ### Foundations - [Bowing basement walls: how to measure them, how they are fixed and what it costs](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/bowing-basement-walls/): How to tell if a basement wall is bowing, how much is acceptable, and the structural fixes: steel beams, carbon fibre, wall anchors and rebuilding, and costs. - [Foundation settlement: the signs, what is normal and how it is fixed](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/foundation-settlement/): Foundation settlement explained: uniform vs differential settlement, the signs, how much is normal, how it is measured, and piers and underpinning. - [Horizontal cracks in a foundation wall: what they mean and how they are fixed](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/horizontal-foundation-cracks/): What a horizontal crack in a foundation wall means, how serious it is, how to tell it from a pour line, how to measure it, and the structural repairs. ### Planning - [Buying a house with structural issues: inspections, engineers, costs and negotiation](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/buying-a-house-with-structural-issues/): Buying a house with structural issues in Canada: what a home inspection can tell you, when to add an engineer, estimating repairs, negotiating and resale. - [Does insurance cover structural repairs? Home insurance, new-home warranties, tax and financing in Canada](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/does-insurance-cover-structural-repairs/): Does home insurance cover structural repairs in Canada? What policies exclude, when new-home warranties pay, CRA rules for rentals and how owners pay. - [Do structural repairs need a permit? How building permits work in Canada](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/structural-repair-permits/): When structural repairs need a building permit in Canada, how codes are adopted, when engineered drawings are needed, inspections and the risks of skipping. ### Roofs & damage - [Structural concrete and steel repair: spalling, repair mortars, rusted beams and posts](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/concrete-and-steel-structural-repair/): Structural concrete and steel repair for houses: why concrete spalls, what structural repair mortar really means, rusted beams and posts, and garage slabs. - [Fire, flood, leak and rot damage to house framing: how it is assessed and repaired](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/fire-water-and-rot-damage/): How fire, flooding, long-term leaks, rot and insects damage house framing, how an engineer decides what can stay, and how damaged structure is repaired. - [Sagging rooflines, truss and rafter problems, and snow load on Canadian roofs](https://structuralrepair.ca/guides/roof-sag-truss-and-snow-load/): Why rooflines sag: rafter spread, cut trusses and damaged gussets, truss uplift vs real sag, snow load warning signs, safe snow removal and roof repairs. ## Tools, costs and reference - [How much structural repair costs in Canada: 2026 planning ranges](https://structuralrepair.ca/costs/structural-repair-cost/): Structural repair cost in Canada for 2026: engineer fees, sistering, beams and posts, wall removal, bracing, piers, roof framing and shoring. - [Floor Sag Calculator](https://structuralrepair.ca/tools/floor-sag-calculator/): Enter the span between supports and the sag you measured to get a span-to-sag ratio (L/x), compared with the commonly cited L/360 and L/240 floor limits. - [Structural Warning Sign Triage](https://structuralrepair.ca/tools/structural-warning-signs/): Tick the structural warning signs you see, say how fast they changed and what happened recently, and get a band from Monitor to Urgent, with who to call. - [Structural repair in Calgary: permits, engineers, soils, snow and housing eras](https://structuralrepair.ca/calgary/): Structural repair in Calgary: when the City requires permits and engineering, finding an APEGA-licensed engineer, clay soils, chinooks, snow and house eras. - [Structural repair glossary](https://structuralrepair.ca/glossary/): Plain-language definitions of structural repair terms for Canadian houses: load paths, beams, joists, sistering, deflection, settlement, underpinning, P.Eng. - [Structural repair: frequently asked questions](https://structuralrepair.ca/faq/): Answers to common structural repair questions for Canadian houses: cracks, sagging floors, bearing walls, settlement, engineers, permits, insurance and cost. ## Network ## Optional - [Full text for language models](https://structuralrepair.ca/llms-full.txt) - [Editorial standards](https://structuralrepair.ca/about/)