Foundation repair in West Palm Beach FL - a repair that deals with why it settled
A crack that keeps growing or a door that sticks? We find out why the house moved, then carry it down to firmer soil.
Does my house need foundation repair, or is it just a crack?
Foundation repair in West Palm Beach usually means underpinning, which moves the weight of a settled house off soft soil and onto piers or deeper, firmer ground below the original footing. It's the fix for a foundation that's still moving, not for every crack you find.
Most people call because a crack has gotten longer since they first saw it, or a door that used to close easily now drags. Before we talk about piers, I look at your drains, your downspouts and the way the yard slopes, because settling usually has water behind it. Cracked mortar in a brick wall can be a tuckpointing job instead, and a cracked chimney sometimes needs chimney repair more than piers.
The price and the schedule mostly turn on how much of the house has moved, how deep we have to go to reach firm soil, whether an engineer has to design the work and what it takes to stop the water. When the job needs a permit, we handle the application and the inspections. Your estimate lays out what we'd do and why.
What foundation repair involves, start to finish
Underpinning is a bigger job than patching a crack, so it helps to know the stages and what each one asks of your house and yard before we start.
Stopping the water
Piers don't do much good if water keeps soaking the soil under your house, so fixing the water source is part of the plan, not an extra.
An engineer's design first
One field guide advises having a structural or geotechnical engineer design how the load moves to the piers before any digging, and where your job needs that, we bring one in first.
Room to dig along the walls
We dig along the foundation down to the bottom of the footing, in a trench one guide puts at about 3 to 4 feet wide, so plan for that space along the walls.
Backfill and patching
Once the piers are carrying the house, we fill the trench back in, pack it down and patch the cracks, so the walls you see match the repair underneath.
Foundation repair questions we hear most
Does every foundation crack in my house need piers?
No, most don't, because thin hairline cracks from concrete curing are normal. Piers are worth paying for when a crack keeps growing, when doors and windows get harder to open, or when a crack monitor, a small gauge fixed across the crack, shows it's still moving. Watching a crack for a while is often the smartest first step.
What causes a house foundation to settle?
Water causes most of it, usually from a leaking line, a downspout emptying right at the wall or ground that slopes toward the house. That water softens the soil under the footing or washes it away, and the house sinks into the gap. That's why I check the water before anything else.
Can a settled house be lifted back up?
Often it can, using hydraulic jacks on the pier brackets that work together to raise the house back toward where it started. The lift goes slowly and evenly, so your drywall, tile and trim are less likely to crack along the way.
How much does foundation repair cost in West Palm Beach?
There's no set price, because each job is priced on what that house needs. The biggest swings are how many piers it takes and how deep they go, followed by engineering, permits, how easy the walls are to dig along, the water fix and whether we lift the house. The written estimate from our visit puts all of that in front of you for your own house.
Where do I get a building permit application in West Palm Beach?
The city's Building Division takes permit applications, and you'll find the form with the Building & Permitting forms on the city's forms page. If you can't find the form you need, the city answers at ds@wpb.org or 561-805-6700. If we're your contractor, that paperwork is ours to handle.
How do I check a foundation repair contractor's license in Florida?
Ask whether their license is certified or registered, because a certified license lets a contractor work anywhere in Florida, while a registered one only covers the cities or counties where they hold a certificate of competency. You can look up a contractor's license on the state's licensing portal.
Why West Palm Beach homeowners call BR West Palm Beach Masonry & Concrete for foundation repair
I want a foundation repair to hold up for years after we've packed up and gone, and I want you to feel at ease having us at your house while we do it.
I come out myself
I'm the one who looks at your foundation with you and writes up the estimate, so nothing gets lost between people.
Our own masons do the work
Our crew does the digging and the repair, and I check on the work as it goes.
In business since 2013
I learned the trade on new houses across Palm Beach County, and we've spent 13 years on homes people already live in.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and you're welcome to check our license before you sign anything.
Satisfaction guaranteed
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job is our promise, because a repair that only looks fine on the last day isn't finished.
Have your foundation cracks looked at
We're based in West Palm Beach and work in the cities around it across Palm Beach County, so if your city isn't on our list, call (561) 268-0285 and ask.
What happens after you call about foundation repair?
Every foundation job is planned around what your house shows us and when you can have us there, and you'll know what we plan to do before any digging starts.
You get in touch
Call or send the form, and if you can, note how the crack has changed, which doors or windows stick and where water collects near the walls.
I look at the house
I come out, walk the walls and cracks with you, and check the drains, the downspouts and how your yard slopes.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that explains what we'd do and why, including whether the job needs an engineer's design first.
The work and a final look
We take care of any permit the job needs, our crew does the work with me checking on it, and we look over the finished job together.