Older brick homes
A lot of our calls come from older brick homes, where settling usually shows in the brick before anywhere else. We look at the foundation and the wall above it together, since they tell one story.
Foundation repair in Columbia MO - fixing what's moving, not just the crack
Seeing a crack that keeps getting wider or a wall starting to bow? We find what's moving and pick the repair that fits your house.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What foundation repair means for your Columbia house
Foundation repair in Columbia means one of two things. Either we set piers down into firm soil or bedrock under your house so it stops settling, or we treat cracks in the foundation walls and slab so they're strong again or stop letting water in.
Most folks call after a crack shows up in the basement wall or a door that used to close fine starts to stick, and they want to know how bad it is and what it'll cost. The price mostly turns on how many piers your house needs, which kind fits its weight, how much digging it takes to reach the footing and whether the crack needs its own repair afterward. The schedule turns on those same things, plus how easy it is to get at the footing around porches, driveways and landscaping. The estimate I write on site gives you your own figure.
I come look at it myself
I come out to look at your foundation and write the estimate myself, so the person sizing up your house is the same one deciding the repair. We've been in business since 2013.
Cause first, then the fix
I want to know what's really pushing on your foundation before anybody picks up a shovel, because a repair that misses the cause just comes back and you end up paying for it twice.
A small fix when that's enough
If a smaller repair will do the job, I'll tell you so rather than sell you more piers than your house needs. We're licensed and insured, and every job is satisfaction guaranteed.
How we handle a foundation repair job
We start by asking how your cracks have changed over time and looking at how heavy your house is, because that decides which kind of pier makes sense. If a crack keeps getting wider, something under it is still moving, so we deal with that first by digging down along the footing, the wide concrete base your walls sit on, and setting piers that carry the house on firmer ground. Once the house is holding steady, we repair the crack, backfill what we dug and clean up. Our lead mason runs the crew day to day, and I stop by to check the work and walk the finished job with you.
Settling rarely stops at the foundation. When a house moves, the brick above it often cracks along the mortar lines, and once things are stable, tuckpointing, grinding out the old mortar and packing in new, closes those joints so they match the rest of the wall. A chimney that's cracked or pulled away from the house usually needs chimney repair once what's under it is solid, so we look at both while we're there.
Houses and problems we see most
Basement walls letting water in
We figure out whether a wall is only leaking or actually moving, because a crack that just lets water in needs sealing, while one that's shifting needs something holding the house up first.
Sticking doors and sloping floors
Doors that start to bind and floors that slope toward one corner often point to a section of foundation that's dropped. We trace it back to the spot that's settling before talking about any fix.
Homes around Columbia and beyond
We're based in Columbia and do the same foundation work in Jefferson City, Fulton, Moberly, Boonville and plenty of other cities around them, so you get the same careful look wherever you live.
Get a free on-site foundation estimate
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look over your foundation and write you a free estimate, with no pressure and no obligation.
Photos of the cracks
Snap a few pictures of each crack, close up and from a step back, so I can see how long it runs and where it sits on the wall before I come out.
Notes on whether they've grown
Check your cracks now and then and jot down what you see, because a crack that gets wider between checks is a warning sign and tells me a lot about what's moving.
Single story or slab
Let us know if your house is single story or sits on a slab, because the weight of the house shapes which repair fits and I'll come ready to talk it through.
Examples of foundation and masonry work
These photos show piers, repaired foundation walls and freshly pointed brick, so you can point to what you'd like to talk through when I visit.
Foundation repair questions from Columbia homeowners
Here are the questions people ask me most about foundation cracks, piers and what the work usually costs around Columbia.
Which foundation cracks in Columbia need a professional look?
Cracks wider than about an eighth of an inch, horizontal cracks in a wall, stair-step cracks in brick or block that keep spreading, water coming through a crack and walls that bow are all good reasons to have someone look. Any one of them is reason enough to book a visit, and I'll sort out what's behind it on site.
Should I get push piers or helical piers for my house?
Push piers usually suit heavy houses sitting over dense ground or bedrock they can reach, and helical piers suit lighter houses, mixed soils and ground with no bedrock close enough. Single-story and slab-on-grade houses, porches, stoops, chimneys and additions often don't weigh enough to drive a push pier down, but a helical pier gets its force from the drive head instead.
How much does foundation pier work cost in Columbia, MO?
Putting in four foundation piers in Columbia usually costs about $4,500 to $12,000 for the job. That's what this work generally runs around here, not our price, and your number depends on your house's weight, the pier type and how hard the footing is to reach. I write your estimate on site at no charge.
Will patching a foundation crack fix the problem?
A patch alone won't fix it if the crack is still moving or soil problems caused it, because surface repair doesn't hold over ground that's shifting. Epoxy injection, which pushes a structural adhesive into the crack under pressure, can bring back the concrete's strength, but it works best on cracks that are dry and have stopped moving.
What usually causes foundation cracks and settling?
Poor drainage is the most common cause you can actually fix, because it piles water up right beside the footing. On the visit I look at where your roof and yard water end up, since steering it away from the house is often part of a repair that lasts.
How can I tell if foundation piers were installed right?
Ask how each pier's capacity gets checked before you hire anyone. On a helical pier it's verified by installation torque, the turning force it takes to screw the pier into the ground, so a contractor should be able to tell you what they measured and what it means for your house.
Call or send photos of your cracks
Call (573) 530-1031 or use the form, and we'll check which office covers your address and handle any permit paperwork the job needs.