What Determines Foundation Repair Cost?
We’ve all searched for it. How much does (insert here) cost? In this case, the question is how much foundation repair cost? It feels like searching for lost treasure because consumers cannot seem to get a straight answer from anyone. Various websites like Angie’s List (Home Advisor), This Old House, and other sites have tried to provide price ranges for how much foundation repair costs, but none have been very effective in providing an accurate estimate.
The national average cost of Foundation Repair is $18,000-$60,000.
Foundation Repair costs can have a large variance depending on a few important factors.
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- Area of the Project & Foundation stabilization and/or lift
- The Type of Repair – Underpinning method(s) used (helical pier, push pier, polyurethane deep injection, pressure grouting)
- The Engineering & Permitting
- The Overall Severity of the Issues
The average cost for Foundation Repair in the SouthEast is $21,000.
The Area of the Project
This is the most important factor in determining how much your foundation repair project may cost. The Area of the Project is defined in this context as how much of the home or building is affected, not just the overall footprint of the structure itself. For example, a corner of a home that is in need of repair will be significantly cheaper than half or an entire perimeter of a home that needs repair.
The affected area of the project is determined by a floor elevation survey and visual inspection of interior/exterior factors.
The floor elevation survey is conducted with a Zip Level altimeter that provides information regarding where (if any) settlement is occurring in your home. These elevation readings are recorded on a drawing and checked against the Benchmark to determine deviations.
There are also some very prominent interior/exterior signs and symptoms to look for when inspecting the integrity of the homes’ foundation.
Ask for floor elevation readings if your inspector does not already make them readily available to you.
A floor elevation survey helps to ensure that the repairs recommended coincide with the data that the floor elevation survey is reading. It gives the inspector information regarding where the repairs need to be made, the severity of the problem, and the type of repairs that need to take place. Floor elevation surveys also ensure that you aren’t being lied to when a company recommends repairs (be wary if a company inspects your foundation without a floor elevation survey).
The Type of Repair:
The type of repair (underpinning method) is the next most prominent factor when it comes to the foundation repair cost.
Helical Pier
Helical Piers cost around $1,800-$2,800 per pier installed in the SouthEast. Cost varies depending on the access to installation, depth, and the size of the helical pier needed to support the intended load.
Helical Piers come in square and round shafts. A square shaft is a better penetrator than a round shaft (it is better for harder soils), but a round shaft has better resistance to buckling. We often install a “combo pile”, which is a square shaft lead with an adapter that transitions to a round shaft.
Helical piers are a great repair method for stabilizing and lifting settling foundations. Helical Piers are a bit more expensive than Push Piers because of the equipment needed to install them and the higher cost of steel. Helical Piers are basically large steel screws.
Push Pier
Push Piers, sometimes called “Resistance Piers”, cost around $1,600-$2,600 per pier installed in the SouthEast. Push piers to come in 4’ pipe sections, with the lead section containing a collar to reduce “skin friction” (pipe friction with the soil). The pipe sections (piers) are hydraulically pushed into the earth until load-bearing strata (soil) is reached and then the remedial bracket is shimmed tight. Push Piers look like a flag poles but underground.
Polyurethane Deep Injection
Polyurethane Deep Injections cost around $1,200 to $1,600 for each Deep Injection location (Deep Injection location covers approximately 10 square feet). Polyurethane Deep Injection is used when the settlement is not as drastic or when utilities and other obstructions hinder the ability of steel piercing methods (helical or push piers). Polyurethane Deep Injection is typically less expensive than helical piers or pushes piers. The process includes drilling small quarter-sized holes into the concrete, hammering in a Deep Injection rod, and then injecting high-strength polyurethane foam at various depths.
Engineering & Permitting
Engineering fees cost around $1,000-$3,000. Foundation Repair projects in the state of North Carolina require a licensed professional engineer to sign off on the repair plan and method used, so you can expect an engineering cost for all foundation repair projects in North Carolina. However, it is necessary to have a licensed professional engineer involved in foundation repair projects no matter the state laws. Permitting fees usually cost around $250-$3,000 depending on where the project is located (some are flat rates, and some are a percentage of the overall value of the project). These costs are based on the investigation, recommendations, design, and sign-off upon completion of repairs. If a homeowner presents an existing engineering report to us, then a sign-off letter is all that needs to be completed prior to closing the permit of the project.
Summary
Now that you have a better understanding of the cost of foundation repair and the factors that affect it, you can know what to expect when getting multiple bids on the project. We recommend getting more than one bid.
Step 1 – Determine the affected area, using the signs/symptoms and floor elevation survey that your inspector should give you.
Step 2 – Measure the linear footage (perimeter) from where the problem area is.
Step 3 – Multiply the number in Step 2 by $300-$450 for a rough estimate of the repair cost.
Step 4 – Add $3,000 for an average of engineering/permit fees.