West Jordan's Fire Station No. 55, which is located a half-mile from The Maples neighborhood on 7800 South and about 6700 West, started sinking in 2004. Although the fire station is in the general proximity of the neighborhood, Bailey called the common foundation problem a fluke.

The fire station was reinforced with helical piers and has not had additional problems.

"If I was looking at a home and I found out it had helical piers under it, I would have every confidence in it," Bailey said. "It's probably less likely to settle than the home I live in."

Still, as cracks begin to form and doors start to mysteriously creak open — the telltale signs of a sinking foundation — some residents are worried that they might soon have to spend months in a hotel while the floorboards of their living room are torn out. The homes don't have basements, so a pit for the piers is dug right beneath the first floor, making the house uninhabitable for a time.

"It's frustrating and a little nerve-wracking," said Ellis Christensen, a retired homeowner whose doors started swinging open about a year ago. "We just hold our breath and say a little prayer."

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