We get it – the cost of foundation repair is already stressful enough. You’re wondering if there are various costs you need to accommodate. After all, you shouldn’t have to pay more than you already are. And what foes into your home? Well, utilities, of course.
Worrying too much about utilities shouldn’t be a major concern for you. While utilities could be affected by your foundation repair, it isn’t something that can drain up your savings or impact your home.
Dalinghaus Construction has been in the foundation repair business since 2015, having over 100 years of combined experience from our experts. While the vast majority of our foundation repair projects don’t result in utilities being impacted, there are those rare occurrences. We want you to know how your utilities can be affected by foundation repair. That way you can have more peace of mind.
Does foundation settlement or heaving usually affect utilities?
Sometimes.
It depends on how much your home has experienced lift or settlement. It also affects where the utilities are located. So if one area of your home is settling while the other side has the utilities, those utilities shouldn’t be affected.
If you have a gas meter in the area where settlement has occurred the most, it might be affected.
How does foundation repair affect certain utilities?
Again, it depends.
Gas
We’ve done lifts where stuff such as gas meters have been perfectly fine. There have been other instances where lifting the home has tweaked a gas meter. If your gas meter is tweaked, you’ll want the gas company to come out and take a look. That way they can readjust and check for any leaks.
This is rare, but it can happen.
Gas shouldn’t be affected during the repair. So if you’re home and you want to have a good home-cooked meal, you should be able to use your gas lines.
Again, to stress this point, gas may be affected during or after the lifting process. This comes at the tail end of your foundation repair.
Water
The same goes for water. Typically there isn’t a problem with water lines coming back up. They’re being put back to how they were when they were initially installed.
However, water can affect repair based on location. We’ve had water mains come into the house or haven’t come up as they should. If they’ve been readjusted over the years as your home settles, they may not come back up as they should.
Water may need to be shut off in certain areas
It depends on where the water main runs. There are also sprinkler systems that run along the house that might need to be broken. It depends on if the sprinkler line is in the way of an installation point.
Water lines might also be in the concrete footings. We’ve had instances when we install a bracket pit to a concrete footing and find water lines. This isn’t to code and is rare to find.
Sewage lines
Sewage is a little bit different.
The ABS pipe can become brittle over years from being underground and separate your glue welds for your sewer outlets. So your toilet or shower can develop cracks. If the glue is old enough, it can slip out of that joint.
You’ll want a plumber to come out to check and see if everything is connected before void-filling a slab-on-grade foundation so that sewer lines won’t be filled with polyurethane foam.
The foam will get into every nook and cranny like a curious puppy looking for something to chew on.
If sewer lines aren’t addressed, foundation repair can affect them.
Sometimes lifting your home can cause some compression load on the sewage pipes that result from settling, but pipes are usually designed to absorb that load.
Any damage can happen during the lift, whether from slip joints, cracking pipes, or the glue is practically nonexistent.
Sewage lines are gravity fed, meaning there shouldn’t be too much pressure with something in it 24/7.
Electrical
We haven’t had many issues with electrical not coming back into place.
And your electricity bill should not skyrocket during your foundation repair. Foundation repair companies – at least Dalinghaus Construction – will bring their own generators. And installation equipment is all hydraulic. So you shouldn’t be impacted by all that stuff.
Will utilities need to be shut off during my foundation repair?
Turning off utilities shouldn’t be something you have to worry about.
It depends on the unknowns. On the rare instances water lines are run into and need to be moved, water might need to be temporarily shut off.
Your house will still be livable, of course. However, you won’t have access to water until that issue is corrected or fixed.
If you’re worried about utilities, should you lift or stabilize your home?
The decision is ultimately up to you. There are risks to lifting, but they are small.
There is next to no risk with stabilizing.
What if I don’t repair my foundation? Will it affect utilities?
The one that might suffer if your settlement has been substantial is sewer lines. If the slope isn’t great enough, you could have drainage issues. If pipes are disconnected or cracked, you can have that disgusting water under your home.
But affecting your utilities isn’t a major concern with not repairing your foundation. Foundation settlement typically doesn’t help your home; it usually causes damages to be worse and more expensive.
Recommendation: Have an expert check utilities before and after lifting your home.
The whole point of foundation repair is to make you more comfortable in the place you live. Having inconveniences won’t bring you closer to your peace of mind.
You now know how foundation repair affects utilities.
You’ve learned how foundation repair can affect utilities and what certain utilities have to endure. Now, you’ll want to utilize these resources to bring you closer to your Peace of mind.
Foundation repair shouldn’t be stressful. The whole point is to help your home; not cause more problems.
It costs you nothing to read How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost? (by Mark Cook).
Foundation repair isn’t where it may end. Read What to do After Your Foundation Repair.
For additional questions, call Dalinghaus Construction at (877)360-9277.
