We get it – You’re already concerned about your house being damaged from foundation settlement or heave, especially when you’re able to put a quarter in the cracks of your walls like you’re trying to play an arcade game you can’t win. So you have to find a proper solution. With how much foundation repair costs, you want to make sure the solution you choose is permanent.
While foundation repair methods aren’t like the immortal Valar on Valinor from the Lord of the Rings mythos, they’ll last generations if done properly. Any decent foundation repair company will make sure the job is done properly the first (and last) time. That way there’s nothing to worry about for the rest of your days.
Dalinghaus Construction doesn’t want you to worry about if a foundation repair method will be a permanent fix. We’ve repaired over 2,000 homes for homeowners in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada, ensuring their foundation repair lasts well past their lifetimes. We understand what will fix your home and methods that can further damage your foundation, forcing you to fork up another huge cost to have your foundation repaired properly.
Are foundation repair methods permanent?
For the most part, foundation repair methods are considered permanent. The products will have a life expectancy that is indicated in ICC reports.
An ICC report provides code requirements or acceptance criteria to evaluate a product. It validates that the building products used are up to code.
There are corrosive soils that can eat away at certain products to deteriorate the material used for your foundation repair. So foundation repair is permanent depending on your soil.
Technically speaking, nothing is “permanent.” The Earth always wins. But if the foundation repair is done right, it is the last time in your life you’ll ever have to repair the foundation of your home.
What should I expect from my foundation repair?
That the job should be done right the first time. You should expect the first time to also be the last time you need to worry about foundation repair.
The goal is to stabilize your home so there won’t be any more damage caused by foundation settlement or heave.
Are there foundation repair methods that don’t work well?
Any repair method can work if it can hold the weight of your home and is deep enough in competent soil or bedrock.
If the foundation repair method isn’t going into the competent soils below, you’re throwing more weight onto your home, which can cause the foundation settlement to be worse.
It would be like lifting a 100-pound weight, only to have another 100 pounds added without having something below to support the additional weight you’re carrying. You’re more likely to drop those weights in a shorter timeframe.
Or you’re adding a second anchor to a sinking ship. You can expect the ship to be underwater in an accelerated timeframe.
You want the foundation repair method you choose to go past the active zone – the area under the home where expansive soils are prone to movement due to the presence of moisture, whether that’s through expansion or contraction.
Be active in your learning and read What is an Active Zone? to see how this area causes foundation settlement or foundation heave.
Are there foundation repair methods that do work?
Again, it all depends if the method reaches competent soil or bedrock. For instance, Dalinghaus Construction uses galvanized steel push piers and helical piers for stabilizing your home.
Push piers are hydraulically driven into the ground into competent soil and attached to brackets installed to the concrete footing of your home.
Helical piers use helices to be hydraulically screwed (like using a screwdriver) into the ground into competent soil. Think of it like how you would use a screw in a piece of wood or machinery. Enough torque is built up to where your home isn’t moving anywhere after the piers are attached to the brackets on your concrete footing.
Deep caissons are concrete cylinders dug deep into the ground to competent soil or bedrock to hold up your home or another structure. While this method is also effective, you’re paying by foot and size, meaning a caisson can be pricey. Double what it would be to do a galvanized steel push pier and helical pier underpinning.
So if a push pier and helical pier underpinning project costs you $50,000, expect a project with caissons to be at least $100,000.
To learn more about methods that do and don’t work, read our article Push and Helical Pier Underpinning vs Concrete Underpinning.
What to look for in a foundation repair contractor
Third-party review sites
Look at online reviews, whether it’s through Google reviews, Yelp, or Agni (Formerly Angi’s List).
Look at third-party review sites. If companies post reviews on their own website, they can manipulate the reviews to be only positive.
Read the customer testimonials. Ask for a reference list.
License and insurance information
Any company you look for should be licensed and insured. You can find this information on a government state contracting board’s website.
You can look up this information by a company’s name or license number. Most companies will provide their license number on their website.
So you can understand how to look for licensing and insurance information, we’ve provided state license board websites for California, Arizona, and Nevada, as well as licensing numbers.
Dalinghaus Construction licensing information:
- California Department of Consumer Affairs Contractors State License Board
- CA Lic. #983851
- Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- Arizona ROC #330307
- Nevada State Contractors Board
- Nevada Lic. #0089738
If you’re looking for anything on a company, you can find it online. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Be sure your foundation repair has some type of warranty
Almost all foundation steel suppliers will have product warranties. Our supplier ECP has a 25-year warranty.
If you need someone to come back out for repairs, not only do you need to make sure you have the product warranty, but you also need to have the “labor warranty,” which not all companies offer. Dalinghaus construction does offer a lifetime warranty if someone needs to come back out for your repair.
Not all companies offer warranties for products or labor. Many companies that install cheaper and shallower concrete underpinnings won’t offer warranties. If their installation doesn’t go past the active zone and causes your house to sink more, you will have to pay to hire a company to come out and fix the previous company’s job.
Now that you know if your foundation repair will fix your home permanently, you might as well have someone come out to inspect your foundation.
You’ve learned what you should expect from your foundation repair, the types of foundation repair methods, and if foundation repair is a permanent fix. Now get free evaluations for different opinions on your foundation and repair methods. Might as well if they’re free.
You’ll want to have multiple opinions on your foundation repair from as many contractors for different opinions, they’re methodologies, costs, and to see if you have a good feeling from the company that comes out to your home.
You can start with Dalinghaus Construction to come out and evaluate your home. We won’t push you to do a project you don’t want, and we won’t surprise you with hidden fees. We will contact you within 24 hours during business days.
Learn more about other repair methods with our article Concrete Pier Underpinning VS Push/Helical Pier Underpinning (Pros and Cons).
For any questions, call Dalinghaus Construction at (877)360-9277, or click the button below to schedule your free foundation evaluation today!
