Foundation raising in Longview TX - a house set back level on solid support
Doors sticking, cracks running up the drywall, floors that roll? We find out why your house moved and lift it back level.
Movement checked first
We find out if the house is still moving.
Piers or fill
We match the repair to whether the ground has settled.
Plumbing before lifting
We ask about your pipes before anything gets lifted.
Engineer inspection explained
We tell you what kind of engineer inspection a quote covers.
How do you fix a house that's sinking in Longview?
Foundation raising in Longview lifts a house whose foundation has moved and sets it back level on mechanical support, like concrete or steel piers, and Superior Longview Concrete Construction does it for homes in Longview and the cities around it.
First I figure out whether your house is still moving, because that decides between piers and fill. Piers carry the house on supports set down into the ground, while fill packs the empty space under a slab that's done settling. I'd rather spend an extra hour on that question than sell you the wrong fix.
The price moves with how much of the house has to come up, how many supports it takes, what they're made of and whether any go under inside rooms. The schedule mostly waits on the engineer inspection, any permit the city wants and the weather. Your written estimate says what's in it and what isn't, so you can line it up against other bids.
- A straight answer on piers or fill
- Plumbing questions asked before any lifting
- Written estimate listing what's included
- The owner working alongside the crew
How do you know your foundation needs raising?
A few of these at once is worth a look, though seeing one doesn't always mean the foundation is in trouble.
Cracks in outside walls
Stair-step cracks in brick or long cracks in siding usually mean something under that wall has shifted.
Drywall cracks that come back
Cracks running off the corners of doors and windows, or reopening after you patch them, are worth a closer look.
Doors and windows out of square
When the frame gets pushed out of square, doors rub or won't latch and windows stick halfway up.
Flooring pulling apart
Tile cracking in a straight line or gaps opening between boards can mean the floor underneath has moved.
Trouble under a raised floor
On a house resting on beams and posts, look for standing water, tilted posts or rotten or termite-damaged wood.
Gaps at trim and ceilings
Baseboards pulling away from the wall or a gap opening along the ceiling line usually points to movement too.
Get a foundation raising estimate
Tell us what you're seeing. We reply within one business day, and it's usually me who calls to set a free, no-obligation estimate.
What we check before raising a foundation
Before I recommend piers, fill or nothing at all, I walk the house inside and out and look at what's actually moving it.
Whether it's still moving
This decides piers or fill, so I look at the cracks, the floors and the doors for signs of fresh movement.
Water around the house
Downspouts, flower beds and the slope of the yard tell me how wet the ground under your house stays.
Your plumbing
I ask about the pipes, how old they are and any past leaks before anything gets lifted, so nobody's surprised halfway through.
Slab or beams and posts
A house on beams and posts gets checked underneath for the wood and the posts, not just the floor you walk on.
What to expect on a foundation raising job
We plan the job around your house and your schedule, and I'm the one you talk to from the first call to the walk-through.
You call us
Call or send the form, and I call you back to set a time to look at the house myself.
I come out
I measure, look the house over inside and out, and ask what you need the repair to do.
Written estimate
It says what's in it and what isn't, including which kind of engineer inspection the quote covers.
The work
If you go ahead, we take care of the permit side for our work, set a start date, and I'm on the job with the crew.
Cleanup and walk-through
We clean up, then walk the house with you, opening the doors and checking the floors that sent you looking.
Why Longview homeowners call us to raise a foundation
I'd rather tell you a straight no than sell you a job you don't need, and on a foundation that means fixing what's actually moving, not just what looks bad.
The owner does the measuring
I come out, measure the house myself and then work alongside our crew, so the person who bid it is there doing it.
In business since 2017
I learned the trade on another contractor's crew, then started this business in Longview in 2017.
Fully licensed and insured
Fully licensed and insured, and happy to show it before anyone puts a jack under your house.
Satisfaction guaranteed
That's our promise on the work. Call (903) 331-0147 or send the form and I'll set a time to come see what your house is doing.
Foundation raising in Longview and the ground under it
Texas has a lot of clay that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, and that ground can move a foundation, with leaky plumbing and the way a yard is watered and planted playing a part too. We see it on slab houses and older homes on beams and posts alike, in Longview, Kilgore, White Oak and the cities around them.
When the city requires a permit for our work, we handle the application and inspections with Longview's Building Inspection Department, the office to ask if you're unsure. For a homestead exempt permit you pull yourself, contact Development Services in person or by phone, and we'll tell you what we need from it. Work in or next to a floodplain also gets reviewed and inspected by the city's Floodplain Administrator.
Seeing cracks or sticking doors in your Longview house?
(903) 331-0147Foundation raising questions
How much does foundation raising cost in Longview?
The price comes down to how many piers your house needs, whether they're concrete or steel and how many have to go inside, so I don't give a number until I've seen the house. The level of engineer inspection and a pressure test of the plumbing also change a bid, and one repair company calls that test a necessity because lifting can stress aging pipes, so ask whether each bid includes it. Our written estimate lists what's in and what's out.
What is the best way to choose between concrete and steel piers?
Weigh cost against how permanent you need the fix to be. One repair company calls concrete pressed piers a popular, cost-effective standard that holds by friction against the soil, and says steel piers give a more permanent fix in shifting clay because they reach past the layer that moves. We'll lay out both on your estimate and tell you which one fits your house and why.
Can mudjacking fix my sinking slab instead of piers?
It can if the slab has already stopped moving. One repair company says mudjacking or foam injection fills empty space under a porch or driveway, but it doesn't hold anything up, so where the clay still shrinks and swells the fill moves right along with it. If a driveway is too far gone to lift, a new concrete driveway may be the better use of your money.
What does a Level A engineer inspection cover?
Texas engineering guidelines call a Level A inspection a "report of first impressions," and some homeowners have hired one without understanding that. Ask which level of inspection a quote covers before you hire anyone. Our estimates say which kind is included.
Can I stay home while my foundation is being raised?
Usually, yes. One repair company says most of the digging and pier driving happens outside, but piers under the house mean the crew needs into certain rooms, and that part is noisy and dusty. When piers go inside, we cut through the slab floor to reach the ground, so we'll tell you ahead of time which rooms to clear.
How do I keep my foundation from moving again after it's raised?
Keep water away from it. Texas engineering guidelines advise running downspouts well past the foundation, putting planting beds where the ground drains well and, where you can, sloping the ground near the house away from it. Clay that isn't soaked one month and dried out the next usually gives a foundation less trouble.
Have us look at your foundation
Call or send the form with the cracks you've noticed and whether the house sits on beams and posts, so I know what I'm walking into.