A structural engineer has done a thorough analysis of our problem with settlement and foundation cracks. He has indicated that from the west side of the house to the east side, our house slopes down by 3 inches. He claims the reason for the settlement is that our house is on a small man-made hill and the area was not filled in correctly. Two droughts--one in 1998 and one in 2005--put stress on the foundation. The foundation cracked in 4 places and the house settled. The only solution propsed is piering. Does any other solution seem feasible? Is piering truly a solution, or can piering cause more problems? Does piering bring down the value of the house? Does piering have to be declared at resale time?

Probably, another structural engineer would be best to comment on the technical aspects of the piers.

As far as resale goes, if the piers solve the problem, and nothing bad happens after they are done, I don't see how they would affect resale value. I am quite sure they must be disclosed when offering the house for sale, but that's a question for an attorney in your state, not an architect in another state.