Crawlspace Jacks (Installation & Cost)

Crawlspace Jacks, otherwise known as Smart Jacks or Foundations Jacks in the foundation repair industry, are the perfect solution for bowing, bouncy floors.

If you’re ready to put the oilcan away, there’s a better way to deal with squeaky floors.

Crawlspace Jacks are utilized in homes with raised foundations – post and pad and California Basement homes. In short, if there is a crawlspace, crawlspace jacks can be utilized.

I know – who would’ve thunk.

Now – crawlspace jacks are much stronger than their anemic brother Screw Jacks. If you’re going to lift a significant amount of weight, it’s best to utilize Crawlspace Jacks.  

Check out our article on What is a Cripple Wall (Components, Problems, Solutions).  

Crawlspace Jacks are comprised of 4 basic parts:

1. Top Plate (attaches to girder beam via screws or nails)
2. Spindle with a threaded metal rod (is housed in the 3.5″ Pipe)
3. Pipe (which houses the threaded rod)
4. Bottom plate (planted securely on the post)

The top plate and load are lowered or raised via a nut that is welded to the spindle/threaded rod. The nut is manually turned with a wrench until the desired height is attained.

These are easily adjustable and could even be adjusted by the homeowner a year or two after installation if there is any extra settling/compaction that needs to be addressed.     

These bad boys can hold 40 thousand pounds each. The load capacity is based on the 3.5″-pipe rating. In other words, crawlspace jacks are not going to bend, snap or concave.  

Crawlspace jacks are generally installed with 3-man crews and the entire process can take 1-2 days.  

Here is the crawlspace jack installation process –

1. We remove any loose debris that could impede our work. We need clearance, Clarence. In order for us to even take on a crawlspace jack installation project, we need 2 feet of clearance to ensure we have enough room to maneuver.

2. We prepare the pad base by digging a hole 18 inches by 18 inches wide and 12 inches deep.

3. We fill and compact the excavation with gravel and level it so that we can fit the pad right beneath the girder beam.

The gravel distributes the weight evenly into the soil. The pads themselves are one square foot – ergo, without the gravel, the load would be concentrated on one square foot of soil.   

4. We measure the space between the precast pad and the girder beam and cut the 3.5″ pipe to size.  

5. We fit together all of the pieces of the crawlspace jack and place the whole jack securely on the pad.  

6. We install all of the crawlspace jacks prior to the lift. The jacks are typically spaced 6 feet apart and at girder beam joints. It’s imperative to support major joints so that both sides of the girder beam have support and are level – not a step up or down.  

7. During the lift, we lift each jack a little bit at a time to ensure no single jack takes the bulk of the load of the lift. There are usually two workers in the crawlspace manually wrenching the crawlspace jacks while a third worker is in the home monitoring floor levels with a Ziplevel.

 It’s important to note that the digging and setup alone easily account for 80% of the project time. Crawlspaces are small and difficult to maneuver in. The cramped space adds time to the digging, transfer of equipment, and leveling process.  

Occasionally push piers and/or helical piers may need to be utilized to address foundation settlement before the jacks can be installed. In addition, sometimes sections of rotten girder beam need to be replaced. 

Both scenarios can add significantly to the final price.  

Crawlspace Jack Installation Price

The average price for Crawlspace Jack installation is $10,000 to $15,000. Here at Dalinghaus Construction Inc., all of our jobs have a 5k minimum in order to ensure we don’t lose money on product, labor, and mobilization.

And, don’t worry, we offer financing: