You found the right house in Tolland, Ellington, or Manchester. Then your agent says the words every buyer in north-central and northeastern Connecticut learns fast: "We should check the foundation for pyrrhotite."
Pyrrhotite is an iron sulfide mineral that expands when it meets water and oxygen, so concrete that contains it cracks and swells over time. In Connecticut it traces back to stone aggregate from Becker's Quarry, used by the J.J. Mottes concrete company in Stafford Springs. The state's assistance program pays toward replacing the whole foundation, which tells you how serious it is.
The short version: if the home is in an affected town and the house or any addition (including an attached garage) was built in 1983 or later, get a visual inspection by a Connecticut-licensed professional engineer or a CFSIC-certified home inspector before you close, and a core test if the walls look clean. That exam, done before the sale, is what preserves your right to apply for help from the Connecticut Foundation Solutions Indemnity Company (CFSIC) later. Read the seller's disclosure, and talk to your lender early, because a foundation with structural problems has to be dealt with before most loans can close.
The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) keeps the official map of towns that are affected or potentially affected for real estate transactions. Its current map (updated September 28, 2023) lists:
Off the map doesn't mean safe. The state's testing reimbursement program uses a 20-mile radius around the Stafford Springs plant, with waivers for homes outside it, so ask the question anywhere in this part of the state.
Age matters most. A Department of Consumer Protection investigation found no failing foundations reported that were poured before 1983 or after 2010, but noted the range could expand. CFSIC only helps with buildings or additions originally built in 1983 or later.
Before you offer, find out:
There are two kinds of evidence, and CFSIC treats them differently.
A Connecticut-licensed professional engineer or a CFSIC-certified home inspector examines the walls and assigns a CFSIC severity class:
Core samples are drilled from the walls and sent to a lab that looks for pyrrhotite. They matter most when the walls look fine, since the damage develops over years. A Class 1 claim needs a lab to find pyrrhotite in the core; Classes 2 and 3 don't need one.
Two points buyers miss:
The state has a testing reimbursement program, run by CRCOG for the Department of Housing at foundationtesting.org. It covers homes and additions built in 1983 or later, and buyers can apply once they own the property, even when the test was done before closing. Each home can be reimbursed only once per type of test, and the program doesn't publish whether funds remain, so confirm with CRCOG before you count on it.
CFSIC is the nonprofit captive insurance company the legislature created in 2017 to help owners replace crumbling foundations. It is not homeowners insurance. It pays toward the concrete work, up to a cap.
What that means for a buyer: the "pay for it yourself and get reimbursed later" path is effectively closed for new projects. If you buy an affected home and plan to replace the foundation, plan around a Type 1 claim, with its bids, timeline, and paperwork.
For a home bought on or after February 1, 2019, if the buyer knows the house or any addition was built in 1983 or later, the buyer can apply to CFSIC only if the buyer or seller tested for pyrrhotite, or had a visual exam by a Connecticut-licensed professional engineer or a CFSIC-certified home inspector, before the date of sale. Skip the inspection, find cracking two years later, and you may have no state help at all.
Two more CFSIC rules:
Under the Uniform Property Condition Disclosure Act, most sellers of homes with four units or fewer must give you the Residential Property Condition Report before you sign a binder or contract. A seller who doesn't provide it owes you a $500 credit at closing. The current form (effective July 1, 2025) asks whether:
Homes in CRCOG's affected or potentially affected towns that were acquired by a town or through foreclosure come with a separate Residential Foundation Condition Report. Buyers can sue for actual damages if a seller knew of significant defects and didn't disclose them. Still, the form says the seller's answers are not a warranty or a substitute for an inspection, so "unknown" is not a clean bill of health.
This is where deals slow down. Under Fannie Mae's guidelines, for example, the appraiser must report problems that affect a home's safety, soundness, or structural integrity, and the appraisal is then completed "subject to" the repairs or an inspection by a qualified professional. A home given the poorest condition rating (C6) isn't eligible for sale to Fannie Mae until it is repaired.
In practice, expect lenders and appraisers to ask:
A known problem can also push the appraised value below your contract price. If that happens, see our guide on a low appraisal in Connecticut. Whether you're comparing conventional loans or FHA and first-time buyer programs, raise the foundation question with your loan officer before the appraisal is ordered, not after.
Refinancing an affected home raises the same questions. A replaced foundation with the town's sign-off is a very different file from an unrepaired one, so know where the foundation stands before you look at refinance options.
Have your Connecticut real estate attorney review the disclosure, the inspection contingency, and any claim transfer paperwork. For an older home, see what to check on a historic home for the rest of the inspection.
Before you fall for a house with a question mark under it, know your numbers. Our quote flow takes about two minutes, with no Social Security number and no hard credit pull. Start here, then bring us the address and the inspection report, and we'll walk through how the foundation affects your file. You can also run payments in our mortgage calculator.
We're a family-owned Connecticut lender, based in Monroe, CT, lending since 1998, with a 4.9-star rating across 450+ Google reviews. We lend in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
Check whether the house or any addition was built in 1983 or later and whether it is in or near one of CRCOG's affected towns. Then have a Connecticut-licensed professional engineer or a CFSIC-certified home inspector do a visual inspection. If the walls show no cracking, a core test sent to a lab is the way to look for pyrrhotite.
Yes, if they know. The Residential Property Condition Report asks about foundation problems, testing, repairs, and any knowledge of pyrrhotite. A seller who doesn't provide the report owes the buyer a $500 credit at closing, and buyers can sue for actual damages if a seller knew of significant defects and didn't disclose them.
Possibly, but only if the buyer or seller had the home tested for pyrrhotite, or had a visual exam by a licensed engineer or CFSIC-certified inspector, before the date of sale. For homes bought on or after February 1, 2019, skipping that step can make you ineligible. CFSIC pays up to $205,000 per building ($82,000 per condo unit) on proposals submitted on or after January 20, 2026.
The Type 2 reimbursement category is winding down. CFSIC won't accept new Type 2 claimants with a construction contract dated September 15, 2026 or later, and the category ends at 5:00 PM on March 15, 2027. Type 1 claims, where CFSIC helps pay for a replacement that hasn't happened yet, remain open, with new applications accepted until June 30, 2030.
It depends on the foundation's condition and the loan program. Appraisers must report problems that affect a home's structural integrity, and on many conventional loans the appraisal is then made subject to repairs or a professional inspection. A home with a replaced foundation and the town's certificate of completion is a much simpler file than one with an unrepaired foundation. Share the engineer's report with your lender early.
Written by Gaetano Ciambriello, CEO of AFC Mortgage Group (NMLS #1783508).
AFC Mortgage Group LLC | NMLS #2801 | Monroe, CT | Equal Housing Lender.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend. It does not quote or guarantee any rate, term, or approval, and it does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Program guidelines, terms, and availability vary and are subject to change. All loans are subject to credit approval, property approval, and Approval Team review.
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