Cost Of Foundation Repair Pier

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know anything about foundation repair for a house?
   My house has had foundation repair done 8 years ago and the piers had to be re-adjusted recently because they failed. Now the house is cracking in more places after the “adjustment” and they told me I need to spend from ,000-,000 more for more piers. Do I pay for more piers or stand my ground and tell them they should have fixed it right years ago and now that they didn’t the foundation is even more messed up?

   There is a lawfirm specializing in attacking this specific company but they are asking for ,000 fee upfront and I wonder if it will cost me much more with their fees and stress, etc?

   Any help will be appreciated!

   • ANSWER:
     i would not hire the same company and would nver pay a lawyer. lawyers will take a case if they think they can win and make money. if he wants to charge you he just wants his money

2. QUESTION:
   What is the future of foundation that has been “repaired”?
   I am looking to buy a home that has had foundation repairs due to settling, common in north texas with the clay soil. I am wondering what further problems are possible with relation to the foundation. There is a lifetime warranty, but are there any problems that can arise that are not covered with the warranty?

   • ANSWER:
     It is good that you have a TRANSFERABLE warranty, right? If so, then that is good. Make sure Before you buy the house that if any foundation repair has been done that the foundation repair company is reputable, registered, and is affirmed as having the warranty that can transfer to ALL new owners that come along…not just you.

     That being said, it is possible that foundation issues to still continue for years to come. Slight changes folks say the house is “settling”, but extensive changes are foundation issues and you can’t just sit on it and do nothing. Foundation problems can be from the expansion and contraction of the clay soils or it can be caused by a plumbing break (even ever so slight), so that may need to be checked, as well. If problems still arise, and the weather has been “balanced”, do check the plumbing for leaks under the foundation.

     So, weird very wet and very dry weather (which we just got over a 4 yr drought) can cause foundation issues for slab homes and a break in plumbing can do the same. Sometimes one causes the other, too.

     You mentioned North Texas, well howdy! I’ve lived in Collin County since 1966, and have seen quite a bit when it comes to types of homes built, neighborhoods that have foundation issues up & down the street, and some areas that seem fine.
     We do have strips of soils that are sandy and even shallow of the clay [meaning that rocky limestone is very close to the surface, which helps with foundations, but makes it tough on plants which need deep roots] , which makes for less shifting (Allen). Homes that are on pier & beam actually still have foundation issues, but they are MINOR in cost of repair. The track builders like Fox & Jacobs (Centex today) found that laying concrete slabs for foundations were quick and cheap and that is how all of this started. Other than that, homes were prior to then variations of Pier & Beam. Then other forms of slab came along with tension wires that claimed that were effective in keeping the foundation sound, but they weren’t perfect either.

     KRLD radio – 1080am on your dial has a saturday program that is hosted by an area homebuilder called Tom Tynan, I believe at 2pm. He’s easy to understand and is laid back and seems very honest. You can probably call in and ask him some questions like the one you posted here.

     KRLD can also be found www.krld.com

     Another thing, too. Check with the city building inspector of the town you are interested in. Just for example, the town of Frisco had some mutiple huge issues with foundations a few years ago because it was growing very quickly and many unprofessional builders flew in, built homes with POOR foundations, and they split. Home after home was cracking up, and the city stepped in and put in some very strick building restrictions before that finally cleared up. So, check up on the history of building in the town you are considering. Did they have extreem growth spurts, or was it controlled? Can make a difference! Check around the neighborhoods and look for signs in the yard of foundation work done. If you see a few, its possible that it’s a bad area for homes. This clay was great for the cotton and corn farmers, but it reaks havoc on the slab foundation home. And don’t even think of mobile homes – the old ones were constructed with 2×2’s and are as safe as a matchbox to live in. Even if they are “hurricane tethered” to the ground, and they are constructed with a late model 2×4 beams, and even PLACED on a slab, they will – I repeat WILL blow away with any great gust of wind. Period! So avoid mobile or manufactured homes. Pre-fab may be better, but I wouldn’t put my money there either, even if they do throw in some acerage!

     Be smart. Do your research. Might consider building your own and monitoring the construction. We are in a tornado proned area, so do try to build a reinforced “safety” room in your home for such times that tornado warnings are present.

     Good luck and a TEXAS WELCOME to you!

3. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know how much home foundation repair cost is in Edmond or Oklahoma city, OK?
   I thinking about buying a REO home and would like to know the cost.
   I am thinking about buying a REO home. The home is 6-7 years old and the realtor says it has foundation problems. He does not think its a good buy but I am having a structural engineer come out to inspect the home. FYI I have not met any realtor in Oklahoma who thinks buying a REO property is a wise decision.

   • ANSWER:
     You’re on the right track by hiring a structural engineer. Years ago, I had a foundation problem with a home and did the same thing. The engineer came out and located the fault in the slab, then provided me with a scale drawing depicting how many piers and where they should be located. He recommended a foundation repair company that would do it at $X per pier.

4. QUESTION:
   What can be done for a house foundation which is settling unevenly?
   The foundation of my house seems to be settling unevenly. The garage area is sinking faster than the rest of the house, and it is starting to cause cracks in the walls. What can be done to stop or reverse this before it gets too bad? The house is about 40 years old.

   • ANSWER:
     Call a foundation expert to assess the problem and recommend repairs. You can’t do this yourself.

     There is a new process called hydro-jacking which may be an option for you as an alternative to having new piers placed under the slab. Hydraulic cement is injected in strategic locations under the slab to level out low spots, is less labor-intensive than trenching around the foundation and can be done for a fraction of what a typical repair job will cost. Ask the contractor who comes to see you about this.

     Once the foundation repair is complete you may have to address water problems that caused the slab to sink in the first place. Gutters/downspouts, french drains, etc. are cheap insurance.

5. QUESTION:
   How realistic is it to raise a house and redo/repair the foundation? A cost in extremely ball park figures?
   My has a very shallow basement, about 7ft from floor to ceiling, not counting plumping and duct work. There is also a large wooden support beam running half the length of the basement, held up by temporary jacks, that drops that down to around 6ft. Also there are many areas where the previous owner tried to fix the basement ceiling with pieces of sheet rock. I have a mild moisture problem. I will be installing rain gutters. The floor is not well leveled. One wall of the foundation also has a slight bulge to it, and it seems that there may have been cracks or breaks in the walls that they tried to cover up. I may also have a problem with settling, I dont know. The home is built on an extremly narrow lot, 31ft face, with only a couple feet to the property line, and less than 10 feet between my house and the homes to the next. How feasable would it be to redo the entire foundation, raising the house (or lowering the basement floor)?

   • ANSWER:
     I had my house done about 5 years ago they had to put piers in the front of it. And my house was brand new with wood floors throughout the house. It worked wonderful had to make some drywall repairs but it was nice to have it right. The cost was 6000.00 or a little more

6. QUESTION:
   How much does it cost to repair cracked foundation?
   I’m looking into buying a house, but the garage floor is cracked. The house is on a hill, and one corner is definitely sloping down the hill. The room upstairs is sloping down, as well as the garage. Other than that only the garage floor has a noticeable crack. How much does it cost to get it replaced?

   • ANSWER:
     All the advise above is pretty much on the mark, apart from anyone mentioning trying to ascertain what’s the cause of the failure. Fixing the foundations only to have the problem raise its ugly head again because you haven’t fixed the cause of the failure could be devastating. You say the house is on the side of a hill, how would you know if the hill isn’t prone to landslides which could be the cause of the failure and no matter how well you fix the foundation one day the whole house could slide away? If the problem is that the original foundations were only under size, go for it if you can get it cheap enough.

     Fixing foundations isn’t as big a job that most in the industry would have you believe, after all the harder you believe it is, the more they can charge. Most of the time it’s as easy as digging a hole alongside the problem section of foundation, about 3 to 4 feet deeper than the bottom of the foundation, allowing you to dig out underneath the problem area, so as to be able to jack that section up to level with the rest of the house. Then pour a concrete pad say 1 ½ foot to 2 foot deep and 2 foot square then install a pier much like in this picture, but hopeful neater than the picture seeing trying to find a better picture could of taken some time.

     It woud only be a guess giving you a rough price to repair your foundation without knowing what’s the problem.

     TEX my red neck friend and which school of building did you spend 3 years studying at? Plus I didn’t say it was always an easy fix if you can even read and for your information that’s not my picture, I did say it was a poor example seeing I did feel up to searching for a better example.

     And that picture in some way proves my point seeing the person who did the repair was the owner not a professional!

     I suppose to a pencil pusher who’s never did a hard days work before, it would be hard and maybe a pig farmer might find it difficult, just where do you sit in that mix, pig farmer or pencil pusher?

     http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/1052257997016067599AQCvGW

7. QUESTION:
   Where can I find information to repair my pier and beams on island?
   I live in texas on a coastal island Every rain and my yard floods I need to replace and repair posts beams in silt and sand. If I have to hire it done I still need to know how because most foundation companys around here are less than honest. While at it should I just raise the house up a level?

   • ANSWER:
     Greetings!

     What you really need to do is consult with a structural engineer. Having a contractor without using an engineer, or doing it yourself may void your insurance policy should there be a mishap.
     Also it is not a cheap undertaking. The engineer will also give you an reliable estimate as to what the work would cost.
     Also he would be able to answer questions you have not even thought about yet.

     Good luck

8. QUESTION:
   house with foundation problems,is it savalable or is there no hope once a house has foundation problems?
   The seller reduced the asking price to ,000 today. The house has a foundation crack, with some damage to the bathroom walls. A repair inspection was done and the cost to repair the foundation totaled about ,800 – ,000.

   Other than that, the house is in good condition, with original hardwood floors. I know the seller is anxious to sell the house.

   • ANSWER:
     How do you know the foundation has problems? Foundation cracks and stair-stepping on walls can be signs of “settling” just as often as a sign of a foundations with questionable structural integrity. Settling is easy and generally inexpensive to fix. Is most the cosmetic damage in one place in the home? if so, are there huge trees nearby or lots of bushes that have extensive root systems that ‘suck’ the water in the ground under the foundation causing it to settle? Did the company that quoted ,800 to ,000 determine the cause of the settling or just how much it would be to put their 12 piers (i’m guessing here, 5 a piece or so???) to (temporarily) stabilize the foundation?

     if you haven’t answered the WHY of the settling you shouldn’t consider the HOW of the fix. get a structural engineer out.

9. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know the average cost of repairing the foundation of a 1911 craftsman house (1,549 sqft)?
   The house is located in Los Angeles, CA. and I think the house is being held up by a pier and beam foundation. The floor areas are sinking and some doors and windows are starting to stick. Do we go with a contractor or structural engineer? Has anyone used Servicemagic.com?

   • ANSWER:
     Usually they’ll just put your home up on jacks…it shouldn’t be that much. We got under my house and did it ourselves. The kitchen floor wasn’t even when we moved it and it bothered me!

10. QUESTION:
    How bad is the foundation?
    I had a foundation repair company come over and they told me part of the house was level at 0 and the other part especially the front was at -.5 or 7. The guys said it was not bad but the front house needs to be lifted with peers. What I want to know is do I really need to fix the foundation? Are the numbers that bad? I wonder if adding soaker hoses around the house if it will raise the house without having to spend too much on repair.

    • ANSWER:
      Some maybe all of the differential settlement is due to the dry weather conditions which caused the movement. The part that doesn’t appear correct, but it is, the addition of water will not allow the structure to settle back to the original location. There is no way the structure will rise. In fact the settlement issue may get worse. It would not be positive to try the soaker hose remedy. A tremendous amount of water would be required and it would not work.
      As far as the .5 to 7 differential is hard to determine if it is even significant or critical. If the dimension is feet, it is time to get out of the house. If it is centimeters it may not be an issue depending on the size of the house. If it is inches the .5 is not an issue, the 7 inches is an issue that would require corrective measures. At 7 inches you should be seeing significant cracks appearing on the inside and outside walls. The house should be jacked up in the area, very slowly over an extended period of time, and additional supplemental supports (piers) should be added to support the floor at the corrected height. If the settlement was really .7 inches and not 7 inches, depending on the size of the house, corrective work may not be required. A 7 inch settlement would be very noticeable when you walk on the area. Although I am not aware of the formal guide lines any area that exceeds 1″ in 20′ should be considered for corrective action.
      You should check with other reputable foundation companies regarding the need for and method of corrective actions suggested. Before authorizing any corrective work have at least 3 or 4 cost proposals including estimates of how long the action will take. If an area is off 7″ you do not want it lifted in one day or more damage may be done to your house. Question the contractors on this point.

11. QUESTION:
    Can almost any house foundation problems be fixed?
    It has wood peirs and 2 of them are broken, the house has some cracks and crack in the brick, can this be fixed? does it cost a ton of money? are wood piers good or should they be replaced? can you fix wood piers easily? any info would be very helpful thanks!!

    • ANSWER:
      I have to disagree with Mike M. Any problem can be repaired, It’s just a matter of how much it will cost. Older foundations, such as the one your describing, can be under pinned. This is done by digging next to your foundation, pouring a footing under it, and strengthening the walls you have. It can get costly.

12. QUESTION:
    Which type of foundation is better for a home, a concrete slab or crawlspace? Why?

    • ANSWER:
      Slab foundations depending on the area if you are far south the ground temperatures may not effect you that much. I do prefer the pier and beam or crawl space as worded here because in the imperfect world in which we live there is ground shifting, some areas worst than others. It is more costly to have a foundation repair company go out and level a slab foundation.
      With the pier and beam they can go in with a jack to level the home.
      I would say the pier and beam is the best choice because of future repair and accessibility of plumbing and HVAC lines. but it normally cost more.
      hope this helps

13. QUESTION:
    who to talk to about your house foundation?
    In my basement I have cracks in the wall in different areas and I recently noticed that I have a vertical crack out on the back side of my house in the foundation. I was told to just fill the cracks with caulking and paint with water proof paint but I need to know if that will be enough or do I need to talk to a professional.

    • ANSWER:
      If you have broken concrete and cracks are running up and down or sideways on your walls you may have a foundation problem. There are a lot of companies out there that offer repairs. I recommend you talk to a licensed structural engineer and find out what he or she will charge to come out, look at the situation, and offer recommendations. I did that on a previous home with great results. The engineer surveyed the level of the entire house, reported where it was high and low, and provided a scale drawing of how many piers it would take to level the structure and where they should be placed. At the time, it cost a couple of hundred dollars but it’s probably slightly higher now. A structural engineer with no direct affiliation with a repair company will give you an honest answer to your questions because they work on a fee basis and are not getting paid by the number of piers they install.

14. QUESTION:
    How do you repair a stone foundation on a 150 yr. old house?

    • ANSWER:
      This is not an easy task, but, it can be done and save you a lot on labor costs. You may need some 12 Ton Hydraulic Jacks. Maybe about 4. First, I would find my level I need and mark with Sticks all around. Then you have to lift the house using the jacks and do the Concrete repair and any leveling required either with concrete or treated wood. After the Concrete has set then lower that section and move to the next. This way you can replace Rocks/Bricks and re-level the house. Remember, this has to be done on the Piers under the house also. Actually this is a fun project that may require time depending on your work schedule. BUT, you can save much money and say you did this yourself. Heck, if, we were close enough, I could come show you some of what you need to do. I never charge for this stuff, just Room and Board while I around. I make my money, not have to do it off others, just help. Makes life a Blast and make many friends this way.

15. QUESTION:
    Can we build a larger house on a 50-year old foundation?
    We got a 50-year old house. There is evidence that there was foundation shifting. The house itself is in a pretty bad condition so it is possibility that we will tear the one floor house down and build a two-floor house. Now I wonder, if it is possible/desirable to preserve or fix the foundation so we can save some building cost. The house is in Dallas, TX and the old foundation is pier and beam

    • ANSWER:
      Funny you should ask … that is our situation exactly. We bought a new, two-story home that was built on the foundation of a 1950s ranch. We are getting a LOT of settling and buckling of floors. The builder used all the original beams and floor joists and they’re just groaning under all of the additional wait. Plus there was a lot of termite damage that they “repaired” but I’m not sure they did a thorough and strong enough job. As far as I know, the cinder block walls are holding up ok, but the builder finished the basement so there may be some shifting that I can’t see. If I were you I just would not proceed without a competent structural engineer at your side. Best of luck!

16. QUESTION:
    To level or not to level?
    My home has been refurbished since Katrina left her stripes and sunken soils. However I realize now that the “re”setting of the concrete block foundation was an important process that was overlooked in the refurbishing phase to my home. The blocks (2 high) now look as though they want to calaspe on one side of the house. I inquired into the cost of leveling and setting additional blocks to support the house which is a small stucco 650 sq ft home and found that the price was way out of range. Now I am considering simply setting additional blocks close to the pre-existing blocks without the “leveling” process. I think this is someting that can be done by less than the usual experts and at minimal cost. The house seems level enough at this time. I need some opinions and suggestions from those of you who know. Is it wise to place reinforcement blocks close to the exisitng blocks for a fix or do I need to have the entire house leveled and reinforced? Thanks for your input.

    • ANSWER:
      I would recommend leveling the house now. This is something that you can accomplish yourself, since your house is on the small side. Work on one pier at a time, by placing temporary shoring (Blocks) under each side of the sunken pier. Use a bottle jack to lift that section of your house off of the old blocks and use the temporary shoring to hold the house. Remove the old blocks and make whatever repairs are necessary to the footer that the blocks sit on. This may range from no repairs, to breaking up the footer and replacing it. Once the footer is repaired, set the blocks back up and allow them to carry the load of the house. Once all of your piers and footers have been repaired, you can start to jack up sections of your home to get them leveled off. Use a 6′ level on the floors of your home to know when you are level. Once it is level, use steel shims or concrete blocks to build up your piers to the new height. Don’t go crazy on lifting the house, go with small lifts. You may have to go back and adjust as you go.
      Even if this is something that you don’t want to take on, I would recommend fixing the level issue now. The next hurricane will only double your troubles if it is left as is.
      Good Luck

17. QUESTION:
    Repairing Foundation help. How much?
    We live in a 800 square foot home and it has had additions put onto it. We realized that our bedroom (about 12×12) does not have any foundation under it. We have our crawlspace but it seems there is no foundation. This has cause half of our house to sink nearly 6 inches. We are planning on gutting the place and redoing the drywall in the spring and we want to pour foundation for that area and fix the floor.

    How much would it cost to jack the corner of the house and pour a new foundation?

    • ANSWER:
      It’s going to take more than that to correct the problem, the addition more than likely will have to be razed and rebuilt. Apparently no thought was given by the dangerous user who did this that a slab or pier-&-beam substructure needed to be built first, and truss/buttresses to support the additional load being placed on the existing structure were needed as well.

      Find a general services contrator to provide you with an estimate, sight unseen you aren’t going to get accurate information on Yahoo Answers. Of course get references and permits before you do anything.

18. QUESTION:
    roughly how much would it cost to build a small 3 bedroom pier and beam home in texas?

    • ANSWER:
      While I am not sure of the price here is a company that can tell you a huge amount of information.
      http://www.bedrockfoundation.com/pier-and-beam-foundation-repair-dallas-tx.html
      These people repair pier and beam houses. They can tell you what to build and how to build it. Based on what repairs they do, it seems that houses fail later on because they build with cheaper products in the beginning. By this I mean they use small timber supports where larger ones are recommended. This company has good answers on repairing and based on that they sound like they can offer you great information on building.
      I live in Australia and until I read this question didn’t know anything about the company I am telling you about.

19. QUESTION:
    Advise on home foundation?
    I had a couple of foundation repair companies come out and look at my home that is on concrete slab and they told me the front and left side of the house needs to be lifted with peers. What I want to know is if the house is not lifted all the way around will the sides that do not have peers give one day?

    • ANSWER:
      What’s happened is that the soil base below the area of the slab that’s sunk has been compromised.

      Search in your area for a contractor that performs a process called hydro-jacking, which entails injecting hydraulic cement below the slab to level the house. This can be done without trenching below grade to install piers, is less labor-intensive and costs less than traditional pier installation.

      Good luck.

20. QUESTION:
    Can we get FHA financing on a home that needs foundation repair?
    The seller has disclosed on the MLS that they will pay for the minor foundation repair at closing. I am willing to pay over what the current seller will pay for the repair to make sure it is right (concrete pilings vs. steel piers). Will this be a major issue to get the loan? The foundation issues are very minor, and there is only one noticable crack. I would, however, prefer the steel piers instead of the concrete pilings that the owner is willing to pay for. I need help on this because I can’t find anything on the HUD website regarding repairs pre- or post-purchase, and I really want this house!!
    I have been speaking with my lender, but we are unsure due to the foundation. I cannot get approval unless I go FHA because I cleaned up my credit and wiped out two scores by doing so. It looks as though FHA is my only option. I am hesitant going to the seller and saying that I want the house repaired before I buy it…

    • ANSWER:
      If your seller is willing to provide the repairs necessary to get the HUD approved appraiser to not condition the foundation, then you can close the loan on that basis, and then come back and repair the foundations any way you like after closing. FHA will require all appaiser conditioned repairs to be complete prior to closing. There is never an exception to this rule.

      If you need additional monies to correct the foundation after closing, then that is a different issue as well. FHA has a 203K loan that allows you to get up to ,000 without an inspection after closing to make any repairs. The rehab monies are funded to escrow and you can take them down after 30 days without an FHA inspection. To get the extra monies on the loan, you need a signed cost estimate from a contactor before the loan is approved. It’s really no big deal these days, and I do this loan all the time. There’s not even a premium with most lenders for this loan. In other words, the interest rate is the same as the standard 203B loan. Not all lenders do this loan, but most FHA approved lenders have the product.

      For that matter, FHA even came out with a streamline rehab loan this year. That’s a different question, but it’s a fantastic loan when you need repairs and have an existing FHA loan.

      There’s a bit more to it than I can write in this answer, but it’s fairly simple and straight forward as I presented.

      Good Luck.

21. QUESTION:
    Are fixer-uppers worth it?
    There’s a house and barn on 15 acres for ,000. The property is fenced and has two ponds. From what I’ve seen in the real estate world, this is a good price. There has to be a catch…and there is. The home is only 780 square feet. That’d be fine if it was just my husband and me, but we have three kids and hope to be blessed with more. Of course, we could always do an addition later. There is another catch…the house needs “repair and updating”. It was built in 1940 and has the original carpet, linoleum, windows, etc. The electric has been updated. The biggest “problem” is that the original foundation was stone or something and the floor is starting to sag. The Realtor said that she bought a house a few years back that was having a similar problem and that they hired a contractor to go in and correct it. It cost her about 0. I would imagine it’d cost a little more than that now. Anyway, are fixer-uppers worth it?

    • ANSWER:
      1) Sounds like the property is being sold for the value of the land only. 15 acres for ,000 is ,000/acre which is incredibly inexpensive in many parts of the country.

      2) Are fixer-uppers worth it? To me, absolutely; however, this is what my husband and I do for a living. If you have the funds or are handy and can do many of the repairs yourself, it could definitely be worth it. Depending on the zoning, you could have alot of different possibilities with this property, ie: a) buy a used mobile/manufactured home to live in while you repair the old house to your liking, then move into the old one and rent the mobile, b) build new and rent out the old one, c) build new and demo the old one, d) live in the old one and repair it while you live in it.

      3) The biggest problem I see is the size of the house. That’s an incredibly small house for 5 people, especially when you’re trying to fix it up.

      4) The repairs. The house probably has pier foundation. It’s not necessarily a difficult fix but it can be costly as the house will need to be jacked up while the contractor is under it resetting the broken piers and adding new ones as necessary. In rural Florida, it’s a minimum of ,000 to do a repair like this. The windows will likely also be a costly repair. Most older houses have ‘odd’ sized windows and those will be a special order item if you choose to keep the same size. The plumbing will also have to be updated, another costly repair. The well and septic should be checked, and if you choose to add-on in the future, the existing septic may not be large enough to handle another bathroom so you’d have to put in a larger septic. Other big considerations are AC and heat, roof, any structural that broken piers may have caused in the load-bearing walls, and termite or wood-boring organism damage if it’s a frame house and you live in a warm area. You’ll also want to look out for mold. Everything else is pretty much cosmetic.

      5) If you really think this is a house you want to get in to, you may want to put the property under contract with an as-is clause that gives you an inspection period. Do your homework during this time period and hire a home inspector, well & septic inspector, contractor, and pest inspector. Make sure you know exactly what repairs will be needed and how much they will cost before your inspection period runs out. In Florida, the as-is contract gives the buyer an “out” through the inspection period and a max amount for repairs. If estimated repairs are more than what’s on the contract, you can cancel the contract. Hire a reputable buyer’s agent who will work for you and can guide towards reputable inspectors and contractors, negotiate for you, and make sure all of the inspections are performed in the given time period.

22. QUESTION:
    Cost of foundation repair?
    We have a house we are in love with. When we got a home inspection done, the house which was built in the 1900s and added onto in the 50s had some foundation problems. When they added on they just built the sillplate and set the house in piers(Blocks, one corner is a wooden piling driven into the ground. The house is high and dry. There is no rot in the floor joists, sill plate or wood of the house. It is off the ground, but the house is slipping and some of the piers are tilting and the house is starting to pitch. Can anyone give me ideas of repairs, and cost of having the house jacked up, and a new foundaton put in. We had planned to gut the house anyway so interior problems(sheetrock flooring)is no concern, We live in upstate NY. Anyone have and ideas?
    I should add that of course the price of repairs is coming off the the price of the house. If our sale falls through she is just going to relist the house as a cash only sale.

    • ANSWER:
      sounds to me there is a serious problem with the construction of the 50’s add on,.the badly designed extension is causing the whole structure to become unstable, if it was me I would look elsewhere because to get this house safe and secure is going to cost a lot of money and a long construction time

23. QUESTION:
    Cost of foundation repairs?? ?
    We are looking to buy a house… it is a foreclosure and the best house we could get for the money we are approved for.. but it has some vertical cracks in the walls… we are having someone look at the foundation and tell us whats going on. But I didnt know if anyone out there had experience with this… our realtor said they might need to jack it up and put piers under it to keep it from shifting anymore… when you stand on the 2nd story hall wall you can feel yourself kind of lean…. not bad but if you think about it you notice it. Just wondering how much it would cost to repair?
    it has a few diagonal cracks like at the corner of the door… and then the others are along the seems of walls one on the seem of the ceiling.. and then a couple around the fire place…

    • ANSWER:
      I am a general Contractor in residential renovations and I will tell you honestly I would not buy that house.

      Foundation repairs of the type you describe are very costly if you need to jack up the house you are talking multiple thousands of dollars.

      Sometimes the damage and surrounding ground are so bad that the house itself must be held in the air temporarily while 100% of foundation is removed and replaced.

      Seriously keep looking there are tons of foreclosures there will be a better deal. Your realtor is not being honest with you i would not trust anyone trying to sell me this house.

24. QUESTION:
    House Foundation Cost?
    I’m going to have my brick Foundation replaced. It’s only the back half of the house that really needs it but I’ve been told that any brick foundation should be replaced. How much should I expect to pay for a new foundation? I will also need to have the house & foundation seimic retrofitted. I’m the the Bay Area (northern California). Also, one contractor that I spoke with said that they would put a new foundation down in two sessions, the back first then the front. I thought I read somewhere that all the concrete should be poured at one time.

    • ANSWER:
      Foundations are usually concrete, even pier an beam, or crawl space homes. If your home is brick and built above the ground with brick around the perimeter of the house it is often called foundation, but a true foundation supports the house, not hides it, even in San Francisco.

      A home built with a covering of brick hiding the underside of the home is pier and beam or crawl space foundation so the brick doesn’t really support it, it just covers up what’s hidden underneath.

      The type of problem you describe is common for many homes built on piers. The mortar holding the bricks together will deteriorate over time and gradually the bricks hiding the underpinnings of your house will fall apart exposing the underside of your home to anyone who cares to look.

      This can be repaired or it can be replaced and you can do the work yourself if you don’t mind learning a new skill. If the missing brick is still around you can clean it up and get yourself some mortar mix or mix up your own with a little cement, sand and water. All it takes is time and you’ll learn how to do it best as you go.

      If the brick on your home’s foundation is all that concerns you, it can be done in stages or all at once. But, if it truly is concrete being poured, it should all be done at once to avoid weakness in the finished product and seams where it should be smooth.

      If it’s brick work and you’re willing to do it yourself, the cost can be as little as with you doing all the brick cleaning and re-mortaring, but if you hire it done this can cost several thousands of dollars, depending on the honesty and integrity of who you hire.

      No one can put a price on someone else’s work and without dimensions, height and perimeter or length of distance to cover, it would be impossible for anyone to give you an exact figure, and then only if they were doing the work.

25. QUESTION:
    Foundation repair on house – how much does it cost per pier?
    If you had it done, how much did it cost per pier? What is the price range per pier? Also – how many piers are typically needed for a given square footage.

    For example, the foundation of my house is about 1500 sqf and about half of it seems to have sunk about 3/8″. I have a company coming to give an estimate, but I want to know if they are in the ballpark.

    • ANSWER:
      You are proceeding in the correct manner. After you have the one company out have another. Try to get at least 3. It is almost impossible to determine what needs to be done from here.

      Possibilities may include just jacking the house up and adding shims to redoing the foundations. In any event the main concern is to determine what is the cause of the settling. That must be corrected first. This is especially a concern if this is not a new home. I have almost never seen settlement on an older home that did not have a water issue. So of concerns will be roofs, plumbing, and drainage. Another factor is if you live on a hill.

26. QUESTION:
    Repairing my front porch?
    i Just bought my home and attached to the front of the house is a concrete porch that is the same height of the house on its pier and beam foundation but its slowly moving away from the front of the house. there is a 1 inch gap in between the porch and the house and the front right corner is badly sloping towards the ground, the previous owners attached an additional 3 support beams to the existing two that connect the porch to the roofthat extends out over the porch for more support. anyhow is there a way i can repair this and how much it would cost? any ideas? thanks in advance.

    PS – should i rip it out and replace it or repair it? PRICES PRICES

    • ANSWER:
      The ground is sinking on the end not at the house from the weight. The entire thing would sink a little but the end towards the house is sitting on the footers of the house so it will not sink. The only things you can do is leave it alone, replace it, or put some quikcrete in the gap.
      You can not just lift the porch up if it off the ground and has steps because it is filled. But if it is a slab that is on the ground. it is possible to use a bottle jack and raise it up. But then you have the daunting task of getting more concrete under the slab which is a real big pain in the azz.

      Personally, I would replace it with a wood porch.

      Pictures would help explain if it could be fixed or not.

27. QUESTION:
    I need law advice in texas about if I am able to sue the previous owner of my home regarding foundation?
    So my husband and I purchased our home about 4 months ago. We knew the home had foundation issues going into it but it came with a lifetime waranty on the majority of the piers inside the home and a 2 year warranty on the piers on the extension at the back of the home so we werent concerned. We specifically asked if the waranty on both would be transferable and valid via email and the sellers realtor said it was (I have this email). Now we had some cracking in the walls at the back of the house near where the extension was and we called the repair company. They come out and say that it is because the extension is sinking however (all the piers in question should of been covered), so I think its fine because we still have a year left on the waranty with the other company. However the foundation guy says that if we have the other company do the repair it will Null the waranty on the house, and that in fact there is very good chance since the foundation work done on the extension happend after the original work was done on the house that our waranty may already be nulled. So essentially I have two options to keep my house fully covered under waranty, both places offer the option to absorb the others waranty for a large price per beam, but in order to get the house fixed I have to pick one, and either pay to absorb the whole house warranty and have the repairs for free under my warranty or pay to have the repairs done from scratch (which would actually be cheaper) and the company will overlook the previous error on the part of the previous owner. This all being said my house needs to be fixed, Can I go back to the original owner for the cost based on the fact that he sold me the home when the warranty was no good because of how he did the repairs? He never lived there and does these home renovations for a liveing, so I am assumeing he knew that by getting the repairs from some one else instead of the original foundation guy he would void the warranty. The fact that I specifically asked if all my warrantys were good- and purchased the home based on this, do I have a case to sue him? And should I take the cheapest route to just redo the repair, when my whole basis for the lawsuit would be that he nulled the other waranty? PLEASE HELP! Either way Im looking to be spending in the thousands which I dont think is fair since this part of the home was promised to be covered when we purchased.
    I did have a home inspection, includeing a specific founcdation inspection. At the time there were no ongoing issues. As for prooveing the owner knew that it would void the waranty it is stipulated on the back of the waranty that if any work is done that it would void it. So by this right he should have known
    I also have an email confirming (as stated above) from my realtor to his asking that all warrantys are valid. And they confirmed, I wouldnt have been allowed to confirm with the companys as the warrantys werent in my name until the house was sold. That being said the first company didnt know about the second pier repair until I mentioned it not knowing myself that this would void the first.

    • ANSWER:
      A couple of points and neither of them are in your favor as far as a successful suit goes.

      You should have had a home inspection done prior to purchase.

      You should have confirmed with what every company was providing a warranty that it was in good standing and that nothing had been done that might void that warranty. An email from the realtor isn’t proper due diligence.

28. QUESTION:
    Should I let the bank foreclose? I have a very high credit score, but the house has a huge foundation problem.
    I owe ,000 and the house would sell for about 0,000. The foundation fix (with helical piers) will cost close to ,000. I might be able to scrape the money together to pay for the repairs. This is a rental house. I own 3 other properties and I don’t think I’ll be looking for a mortgage in the near future. How long does a foreclosure stay on your credit score?
    Note: The piers to which I refer are an expensive “fix.” They are large, substantial poles literally screwed into the ground until they hit bedrock. I had this done to one corner of the house 6 years ago. They went down over 40 feet, but that corner of the house hasn’t moved. The house, itself, is a large, 2 story all brick, no siding…very heavy.

    • ANSWER:
      You would be foolish to permit foreclosure. It would ruin your credit record. Sell the house as is, or fix it and then sell it. Even if you sell it for the amount you owe, you would be better off.

29. QUESTION:
    How to repair sinking house foundation?
    My mom’s house is built on a concrete slab (no basement or crawl space). We’ve noticed for quite a few years now, that around the perimeter of the inside of the house, there is about a 1 to 1 1/2 inch ‘ledge’. I diagnosed it as a sinking foundation.

    We had a contractor out (he was extremely cocky), and he confirmed, with a ,000 price tag to have the house pumped up (approx. 17 plugs). My mom was angry with this guy’s attitude, and now won’t have any work done until she has an engineer confirm what’s already been said.

    I’m getting desperate here! The chimney is pulling away from the house, one of the exterior walls is starting to bow. The walls are cracking, and one can only imagine what’s going on with the ceilings–they’re all suspended. Selling the house for what the land is worth is NOT an option. This needs to get fixed-the right way-and I need some advice. What kind of an engineer do I look for? How much ‘should’ this cost? Any other ideas?

    • ANSWER:
      Depending on what your soil conditions are this could be expensive to fix. Unless bedrock is within a few feet of the surface it could cost at least ,000.00.

      You don’t say what your location or square footage is so I will answer in general terms.

      It isn’t unusual to see perimeter and loadbearing footings settle more than the floor. The buildings weight is concentrated at these places. If the foundation is weak then the footings will plunge leaving the floor higher, usually a crack appears around the perimeter at the walls.

      If new piers are improperly placed on the same inadequate foundation (for example not deep enough) the new piers only add weight to the structure. You could spend a lot of money and only make things worse.

      Your mom has good instincts. You should contact a “structural engineer”. The cost to repair the resulting damage to the structure if allowed to progress could be major.

      There should be a geo-technical or soils report done to determine the soil conditions and depth of suitable foundation.

      Based on the soils report the structural engineer can draw up plans to do the job properly.

      good luck

30. QUESTION:
    Is it worth buying a property to demolish the house for salvage and resell the land?
    I am in the process of buying a property in a residential area with a recently condemned house on it.
    It was listed for ,000 but I’ve talked the price down to ,000 and put down earnest money but have not signed the contract yet.

    It’s a pier & beam 1/5 acre lot with a 1265sf timber/wood plank siding (no brick) home built in 1960. The city does not require asbestos abatement for residential properties and it’s definitely beyond repair.

    The whole back of the house is starting to collapse and it has no wiring, limited plumbing, mold, water damage, half destroyed interior, falling ceiling and sagging roof line as well as a faulty unleveled foundation.

    The house is scheduled for a hearing with the city in March (for demolition review…city demo would be 30 days after the review at the soonest) and the only taxes due on the property are last years (00) which I worked into the final price.

    Land in this area seems to go for around k-k for similar sized lots (1/5 acres) and homes sell for anywhere from -0k depending on the condition and size.

    I’ve never done this before and would like to hear from someone who has experience with similar situations – either flipping condemned properties or demolition or salvage.

    Are there common pitfalls involved in buying a condemned property and knocking it down?
    Does it seem like a good deal?
    Is there any money in attempting to salvage the lumber?
    Is there anything else I should be aware of when dealing with condemned properties?

    • ANSWER:
      Well since you know the front and back end of the deals (k to buy and k to sell, the only question is the economics of the demo.

      Unless there is a market for used wood in your area, and if there is sufficient space around the area, have you considered donating the BUILDING to the fire department for training? You can condition the donation to a complete ‘burn’ and possibly even the cleanup.

      That would cover a bunch of permits and reduce your demolition costs significantly…

      PLUS.. you prob. could write off the cost of the building on your taxes against your profit since it is a donation.

31. QUESTION:
    Is leaving a home, that was affixed to property and on a crawl space, up on blocks legal?
    We live in a manufactured home on a wood foundation. Our crawlspace is collapsing and the soil has stress cracks in it due to a neighboring construction project that has vibrated our home for a few months. We were told by our insurance company that because it didn’t happen in some freak accident in one day….that it is considered a long term problem and they may not cover all of the damage. They said that they might just pop the home up on blocks and that is all they may be able to do for us. There are other people and insurance companies involved…but for our company, due to the fact that the damage to our home happened over a period of a few months instead of say…a tractor plowing into our home in a freak accident..that we may be left with a home that is affixed to our property but popped up on blocks and not sitting on a foundation at all! Is this even legal? We just found out that the cost of repairing that total situation may cost one half of what our home is worth. We don’t know what to do. I am having a hard time looking up laws and zoning regulations to see what can be done…if anything can be done. Anyone have any advice or directions to an internet link that can help?

    • ANSWER:
      Depends upon the zoning and building codes of the state, county, and city you live in. They are all different all the way across the US.

      In my area, a Mobile Home has to meet the same requirements as a Site Built Home. It must have a solid concrete / re-bar reinforced footing, and a stem wall of concrete or cement blocks holding it up. Wood Pier Blocks can be used if they are 8 inches above the soil level and have a moisture barrier between the Pier block and the concrete holding the pier block up.

      Sounds like it is time to hire an attorney and go after the Insurance Company.

32. QUESTION:
    What could cause cracks in my ceiling and wall?
    I recently purchased a 23 year old home 2 months ago and paid to have an inspector check it out before I moved in. He noted on his report the foundation looked good and there were no signs of cracks on the outside of the slab foundation ( I also did not see any). He also stated the insulation in the attic was in good condition. The original roof is on the home and he did state it only had a few years left before I needed it repaired or replaced. For the past couple of weeks new hairline cracks have appeared in one section of my house. 2 are on the ceiling, 1 above a doorway and 1 below a window. All but one of the cracks actually changed directions. Can I sue the inspector for a faulty report if this actually turns out to be a foundation issue? Could it be an issue with the old roof of the home instead? Thanks

    • ANSWER:
      Foundation IS shifting. It may have been OK when he checked it, but I doubt it. If there were no visible signs, he would not be able to tell. Should have had an engineer out to check it. My foundation dropped 1″ on one corner Cost me 00 for 5 piers to raise it. Had to get it repaired before I could sell the house. Good Luck!

33. QUESTION:
    Basement Wall stabilization..?
    I would love some input from anyone here who has had to repair damage on a load-bearing basement wall…

    Mine has developed a long horizontal crack in it and I fear that it is only a matter of time before that wall become too unstable to support the weight of the house above it. So now I am looking into having it repaired.

    I have done my homework and it looks like I probably have 2 options in order to accomplish this, Fortess Stabilization from AquaGuard or a Wall Anchor System. Has anyone here had to have anything like that done?

    If so what sort of costs did you accrue? Was it destructive to your basement or landscaping? Have you noticed any problems since having it done?

    Thanks in advance!

    • ANSWER:
      I used to work for a waterproofing company, and this is a common problem, especially in the clay belt region where the ground swells and contracts. A good contractor (and I suggest you contact several before settling on one) will provide a solution that does not damage your landscaping when the work is done, is not ultimately destructive to your basement (beyond rearranging while the work is being done) and is able to provide a long-term guarantee on the work.

      The work can be expensive, because it is intrusive and labor-intensive. However, without getting the work done, as you noted, the damage will only increase and can become dangerous as well as being detrimental to the value of your house.

      My former employers used Helical Piers to provide foundation support for the load-bearing wall (check out the link below for more info). Deep stabilization techniques are the best solution for this situation, because the shifting of the land is what causes the problem to begin with. Usually, the work requires digging several holes around the foundation of the wall, and drilling the piers down until they hit solid, hard rock.

      What the other poster is referring to, about digging a trench around the perimeter of the foundation (can be done inside or outside, depending on circumstances) is a real waterproofing/de-watering job. It is crucial that groundwater have a place to go when it is absorbed after the rain. If the water is not collected and drained away from the house, it swells the earth and causes the kind of shifting and foundation issues you are having now. So, although the cost may be significant, I suggest that you have your current drainage system appraised and possibly upgraded if necessary. The good news is that a GOOD system (not necessarily just built to code) will not break down or stop working over time. It will protect your house and be a valuable asset should you ever decide to sell.

      Good luck!

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