Guide
Foundation repair cost: what moves the price
You won't find a price list here, because an honest one doesn't exist. Two houses on the same street can need very different work. What you can do is understand what a proposal is charging for.
What the number is made of
How many supports
Piers, anchors, beams and posts are priced by the unit. The count depends on how much of the house has moved and how far apart the design spaces them.
How deep
Piers go down until they reach ground that will hold. On upland clay over shale that depth is not the same as in the sandy valley, and it isn't known exactly until the first pier goes in. Ask how extra depth is charged.
Access
Digging beside an open lawn is quick. Working under a deck, behind a finished basement wall, beneath a driveway or inside a low crawl space takes longer, and may mean removing and replacing whatever is in the way.
Type of foundation
A basement wall, a slab and a crawl space are repaired in different ways with different equipment. A house with more than one type needs more than one approach.
Engineering
A structural engineer's inspection and stamped drawings carry their own fee where they are needed. Andover, for one, requires engineered plans for foundation repair.
Permit and inspections
The permit fee is small beside the work, but it should appear in the proposal, along with who applies.
Lift or hold
Stopping movement costs less than lifting the house back. Lifting takes more time and more care.
What comes after
Patching brick and drywall, re-hanging doors, replacing a strip of driveway, putting the garden back over the trench, fixing a pipe that moved. Ask which of these are included.
Comparing proposals
Line proposals up by scope before you look at the totals. Do they agree on the cause? On which walls? On how many supports, and of what kind? A lower total that leaves out half the affected wall is not the same job. If two companies disagree about the cause, an independent structural engineer who sells no repairs can settle it; see inspections.
Insurance and payment
Many homeowner policies exclude settling, earth movement and gradual cracking. Read your policy or ask your agent what yours says. A repair company can't answer that for you.
Ask each company how it schedules payments and what is due before work starts. Be wary of any request to pay the whole amount up front.
Cost questions
Why won't anyone give a price over the phone?
Because the price depends on things that can only be seen and measured at the house: how much has moved, where, and what is in the way. A company that quotes without looking is guessing.
Is there a charge for the inspection visit?
That varies from company to company, and an independent engineer may charge for an assessment. Ask when you call so that nothing comes as a surprise.
Ready to have it looked at?
Talk to a foundation repair company near Wichita
Call and describe what you are seeing. You will speak with an independent local company that can arrange to inspect the house and give you its findings and its price.
Foundation repair for houses
Basement walls, settling, cracks, crawl spaces and sloping floors in Wichita and nearby towns.
Call (316) 555-0119Calls may be recorded. See the referral disclosure and privacy policy.