Guide
What affects the cost of foundation repair
This page gives no prices, because a figure with no house attached to it would mislead you. What it can do is show where the money goes, so that you can read a proposal item by item and compare two of them fairly.
What drives the price
How many supports
Piers are priced each. The count depends on how long a stretch of footing has moved and how closely the piers are spaced.
How deep they go
In Orlando, loose sand can run deep before a pier meets firm resistance, and the depth is often unknown until installation. Ask what depth the price assumes and what each extra foot adds.
Lifting or holding
Raising a house takes more time and care than stopping it where it is.
Access
Pool decks, screen enclosures, AC units, mature planting and narrow side yards all slow the digging. Piers inside the house mean cutting through floors.
Foundation type
A slab edge, a stem wall and a row of crawl space piers each call for different work.
Engineering and soil testing
A structural engineer's drawings, and borings by a geotechnical engineer where the cause is unclear, are separate fees. Some companies include them and some leave you to hire the engineer.
The permit
Structural repair needs a building permit. Check that the fee, and the contractor's time to obtain it, are in the price.
Putting things back
Stucco, tile, flooring, planting, irrigation pipes and a plumbing test after a lift are often outside the base price.
Comparing two proposals
- Are both repairing the same length of wall, with the same number of supports?
- Is the assumed depth stated, with a rate for going beyond it?
- Is the aim the same: hold in place, or lift to a stated level?
- Which permit and engineering costs are included?
- What is left for you to arrange and pay for afterward?
- What does each warranty cover, and does it pass to a buyer?
A smaller number is not always the same job
A proposal can come in lower because it covers a shorter stretch, assumes shallow piers or leaves out the permit. Ask each company to explain, in its own words, how its plan differs from the other one. A useful answer talks about your soil and your structure.
Many homeowner policies exclude settling, so read your policy or ask your agent before you count on insurance. Repair companies set their own deposits, payment stages and any financing. Have them written into the contract.
Cost questions
Can I get a price over the phone?
Not one you can rely on. The company you reach will ask questions and arrange a visit. Its price follows its own measurements at the house.
Is the inspection charged for?
That is up to each company, so ask when you book. An independent structural engineer normally charges a fee, because the engineer is selling an opinion and not a repair.
Ready to have the house looked at?
Only someone standing at the house can tell you what is going on under it. Call, explain what you have noticed, and ask for an inspection.
Describe the problem, book an inspection
Say where the cracks or dips are and when you first saw them. The independent local foundation repair company you reach can set a time to look at the house.
Call (407) 598-8829The call may be recorded. See how referrals are paid for and what happens to your details.