Does this crack need a professional evaluation?

If the crack is in a column or beam, goes through the wall, is diagonal, grows or comes with other signs, get an evaluation. If there is also considerable damage, do not go in. Everything else gets logged and monitored.

First rule out immediate danger before approaching a crack. Check in this order, starting from outside.

If you need to decide whether to go back inside after shaking, follow the full earthquake return guide before examining the crack.

1. Look at the structure from outside. Look for major cracks, leaning walls, damaged columns or falling pieces. If there is considerable damage, do not go in. Source: SINAPROC, step 1
2. Expect aftershocks. They can bring down more material or worsen existing damage. Source: SINAPROC, step 2
3. Look around. Poles, fallen cables, glass, trees, walls and façades that could fall. Never touch fallen cables or anything touching them. Source: SINAPROC, step 3
4. Smell before entering. If you smell gas or suspect a leak, do not enter, do not create flames or sparks and do not flip switches. Source: SINAPROC, step 4

For evident or imminent risks, the law says SINAPROC, as far as it is able, warns the relevant public and private institutions and, if it deems it appropriate, takes protective measures on works, projects or buildings that could pose a risk to people. Source: Ley 7 de 2005, art. 12, as amended by Ley 233 de 2021, art. 27 In other countries, inspectors post green, yellow or red placards after a rapid review of about 30 minutes per building, and the rule is not to enter obviously unsafe buildings. Source: FEMA P-2055, pp. 2-3 and 2-4 We did not find a Panamanian regulation that sets up that placard system for homes, so do not assume it exists.

If a wall crack appears with an area of floor that seems to sink, the guide to a sinking floor and cracked walls helps record both signs and request an assessment without assigning a cause from a photo.

Panama's structural code describes typical construction for one-story single-family homes. Placing the crack within that scheme is the first step to understanding it.

According to REP-2021, that typical construction has hollow concrete or clay block walls, reinforced concrete wall foundations, reinforced concrete tie beams and tie columns (vigas y columnas de amarre), a concrete slab on ground, a roof on purlins, a suspended ceiling and corrugated metal roofing. Source: REP-2021, 7.2.2, p. 52 Walls must be confined by those vertical (tie columns) and horizontal (tie beams) boundary elements. Source: REP-2021, 7.3.3, p. 58

Use it to decide the next step, not as a diagnosis. If you are torn between two rows, take the more cautious one.

Cracks inclined at about 45 degrees across an element indicate that it took significant shear forces; in columns, horizontal cracks are usually associated with bending. Source: CENAPRED, p. 72 Recent scrapes, cracked windows and crushed wallboard are evidence of interstory movement during the earthquake. Source: FEMA 306, p. 31 For moisture stains, our guide on efflorescence on walls explains how to find where the water comes from.

If a crack appears beside a door that changed, see the door that will not close and cracks guide. It separates a rubbing leaf, an out-of-square frame and a necessary exit that no longer works.

Just compare what the top search results say: each site gives a different number, and none of them is a Panamanian standard.

The third figure is the instructive one: the same millimeter means different things depending on the element. That Mexican manual is written for trained evaluators, within a complete procedure, and for construction similar to Panama's: block walls confined by columns and beams, called castillos and dalas in Mexico. It is not a Panamanian standard or a rule for homeowners.

FEMA 306, one of the reference manuals for evaluating earthquake-damaged concrete and masonry walls, classifies damage by combining several criteria at once: crack width, spalling, buckled or fractured reinforcement and residual displacement. Its guides are not meant for inexperienced observers. Source: FEMA 306, pp. 23-24 and 97

Many cracks are first noticed after an earthquake because that is when people inspect the house. That does not mean the earthquake caused them.

FEMA 306 adds that damage must be consistent with how the whole structure behaved during the earthquake; if it is not, the crack may have another cause. Source: FEMA 306, p. 23 In Panama, two causes the code itself mentions are expansive soils, which shrink and swell with moisture and can damage the structure, and settlement, which foundations must limit. Source: REP-2021, 7.3.1 and 7.3.1.5, pp. 55-57 Water and steel corrosion are another: a corrosion crack is not fixed by filling it, but by removing and replacing the damaged concrete. Source: USACE, p. 4-7

Knowing whether the crack predates the earthquake matters for the diagnosis, for an insurance claim or for a dispute with the condominium. That is why it pays to log it as soon as possible.

A good log saves visits, helps the engineer and shows whether the crack changes. Only do it from areas where it is safe to stand.

1. Locate it. Room, wall (north, patio side, the one with the door) and height. Draw a simple sketch.
2. Identify the element. Plaster, block, column, beam, slab, ceiling? If you do not know, write "don't know": it is a valid answer.
3. Photograph with a scale. A wide shot of the wall and a close-up with a ruler or tape next to the crack. Always repeat from the same spot.
4. Measure without guessing. Length with a tape. If you measure width, do it at the same points every time and write it down; do not estimate it from the photo. Source: FEMA 306, p. 31
5. Mark the ends. A thin pencil line with the date at each end shows whether the crack is getting longer. Professionals also use comparators and crack monitors, which must be read when installed because they do not always read zero. Source: USACE, p. 2-11
6. Check the other face of the wall and note whether the crack goes all the way through. Source: FEMA 306, p. 31
7. Note related signs: doors rubbing, uneven floors, new moisture, noises when walking, falling pieces.
8. Repeat on fixed dates and after every felt earthquake or heavy rain.

For a comparable series of readings, see how to track a changing crack.

Prefer Spanish? Hoja de registro en español.

This section records one crack. If other rooms, belongings or systems are affected, the whole-home file guide shows how to assemble the larger record for a professional, PH administration or insurer.

Each one answers a different question. Mixing them up is where many problems start.

When hiring, ask for the professional's full name and license registration number, which the law requires on their seal. Source: Ley 15 de 1959, art. 4 The municipal procedure described applies to the district of Panama: the current DOYC minor works guide excludes remodeling involving structural changes or changes to electrical, plumbing, mechanical or wet fire protection systems from the Visto Bueno. Those cases use Plano Misceláneo. Confirm your specific scope with DOYC. Source: Mayor's Office of Panama, FAQ In San Miguelito, Arraiján, La Chorrera, Capira or any other district, the procedure is set by that municipality; this guide did not verify it, so ask its municipal engineering office before repairing.

In Panama, the registry of disaster losses and damage is coordinated by SINAPROC on the DesInventar platform, and a UTP study proposes a new format for its Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (EDAN) form. Source: Montenegro, Hernández and Saavedra, UTP, 2021 That assessment serves the emergency response; it does not replace the diagnosis of your home that you need in order to repair it.

To locate your district authority and its publications, see the official routes for Panama, San Miguelito, Arraijan, La Chorrera and Capira. Provide the proposed scope so the authority can identify the applicable procedure.

Knowing what to expect helps you compare proposals and not settle for an "it's nothing" said from the doorway.

1. Safety review. As a reference for the United States procedure, FEMA describes a rapid review of about 30 minutes per building and a detailed evaluation of one to four hours. These are not Panamanian deadlines or a guarantee that a private visit will resolve your case. Agree its purpose, scope and deliverable. Source: FEMA P-2055, pp. 2-3 and 2-4
2. Field study. REP-2021 requires the evaluation to be based on the actual structure: dimensions, steel, loads and material strength taken from what was built. Plans, if any, are only a preliminary reference. Source: REP-2021, 15.3.1, p. 105
3. Measurements and, if needed, tests. Field checks include measurements, extraction and testing of material cores when required, and a survey of the damage. Source: REP-2021, 15.3.1
4. Damage classification by element. The professional identifies how each component behaved and how severe the damage is, not just how wide the crack is. Source: FEMA 306, pp. 23-24
5. Signed and sealed report with the diagnosis, likely cause, any use restrictions and the scope of the repair. Source: Ley 15 de 1959, art. 4

If your house plans exist, have them ready: they speed up the work. If you live in a condominium, Ley 284 requires the developer to hand a copy of the approved plans to the Board of Directors, so the administration is the first place to ask. Source: Ley 284 de 2022, art. 54

The repair follows from the diagnosis, not the other way round. These are the families of work a professional may recommend; they are not recipes.

Three rules the diagnosis should respect:

• Active and dormant cracks need different methods. Many active cracks "welded" with epoxy reopen next to the original crack. Source: USACE, p. 4-7
• Corrosion is treated by removing concrete, not covering it. Source: USACE, p. 4-7
• Structural strengthening is designed and inspected. REP-2021 requires strengthening systems to be backed by evidence, the calculation report to include that documentation and documented inspection by qualified staff during the works; if corrosion or other deterioration appears, it is reported to the design engineer. Source: REP-2021, 15.4, pp. 109-110

If the crack is in the finish or the diagnosis ruled out structural damage, the guide how to repair a wall crack without hiding the problem explains which method fits each case.

If the assessment finds extensive damage in a block wall, the guide repair or rebuild a block wall compares keeping it, replacing a section and rebuilding before requesting prices.

To estimate costs for work the diagnosis has already defined, see how much a block wall costs per m² or how much waterproofing costs if the problem was a leak. If there is a lot of damage at once, read whether to remodel or rebuild.

• Painting or patching before understanding the cause. It hides the evidence the engineer needs and, if the crack is still active, it reopens. Source: USACE, p. 4-7
• Blaming every crack on the earthquake. Some cracks are old, from the soil, from settlement or from water; the damage has to be consistent with how the structure behaved. Source: FEMA 306, p. 23; REP-2021, 7.3.1.5
• Going into areas with falling pieces to take photos or get belongings. Aftershocks can worsen the damage. Source: SINAPROC
• Asking a mason to "certify" the house. A mason can repair finishes, but the technical document is signed and sealed by a licensed professional. Source: Ley 15 de 1959, arts. 4 and 23
• Deciding from a photo in a group chat. A photo does not show the other face of the wall, the depth or whether the crack changes. Source: FEMA 306, p. 31
• Using a millimeter rule from the internet as if it were a Panamanian standard. It is not (see section 05).

Illustrative cases, not real client cases. They show how to apply the matrix.

Consulted on October 9 and 10, 2026. Scanned documents were read with OCR and checked against the original image. Panamanian titles are kept in Spanish.

Notice. This guide is general educational information. It is not a technical report, it does not declare any home safe and it does not replace an inspection by a licensed professional or the instructions of SINAPROC or another competent authority. United States and Mexican sources are used to explain technical criteria; they are not Panamanian standards. The municipal procedure described applies to the district of Panama. Content verified in October 2026. Prepared by Gallardía (gallardia.lat).