If your neighbor excavated his or her property and you started noticing cracks in your foundation, there are a few important things you need to do. 

Hire a Structural Engineer & a Concrete Contractor 

The most important thing to do is to hire a structural engineer as soon as possible to inspect your home's foundation to determine if it is still has structural integrity. If it doesn't, you may need to repair your foundation by shoring up the foundation with pilings, which are concrete footings that get installed directly underneath the foundation. 

If the damages are limited to cracks in the foundation and the foundation is structurally sound, hire a concrete contractor to repair the cracks and seal them so no further damage occurs. It's important to get these repairs done as quickly as possible because the cracks can worsen each time your area has a heavy or prolonged rainfall. Of course, the worse the cracks get in the foundation, the more likely your basement will flood each time it rains in the future. 

Other Damage in Your Home to Look for 

If the foundation of your home was damaged from the excavation on your neighbor's property, you will probably start to see cracks form in the drywall, especially in the corners where the ceilings meet the walls. You might notice cracks around your windows and doors. The doors may no longer close properly and windows may get stuck when you try to open them. 

The excavation may also have damaged some gas lines and/or the plumbing in or around the home. Therefore, you'll need to check all connections, pipes, and hoses throughout the house. You can hire a home inspection service to do these checks for you. 

Covering the Costs of Inspections & Repairs 

You'll need to report the damages to your homeowner's insurance company. Since your neighbor and the excavation company he or she hired caused the damages, you and/or your homeowner's insurance may file a claim or file a lawsuit against your neighbor as well as the excavation service he or she used to perform the work.

Ask your neighbor for his or her homeowner's insurance information. However, if they are unwilling to cooperate, you can find your neighbor's homeowner's insurance information on county permits. To do this, go to the local building code authority and ask to see the application permits for the excavation and/or changes to the property. The application will list the homeowner's insurance information as well as the insurance information of the excavation company who performed the disastrous deed that caused your foundation to crack. 

For more information, contact a company like Gateway Insurance.