Holding the house where it is
This suits a house that has dropped a little, where the doors still work well enough and you mainly want the movement to stop. It puts less strain on your walls and trim, because nothing gets pushed back up.
Foundation raising in Redmond WA - a settled house held steady or lifted toward level
Sticking doors, new cracks or a floor that tilts usually mean the house has settled. We find out why, then hold it or lift it back.
Does your Redmond house need foundation raising?
Foundation raising in Redmond, WA means setting piers, steel posts that reach down to firmer ground, under a house that has settled, so it stops sinking or comes back toward level.
You usually notice it inside first. A door that used to close now sticks, a crack runs up from the corner of a window, or a marble rolls across the kitchen floor. Outside, there may be a crack in the foundation wall or a gap where the porch has pulled away. Those signs tell me the house has moved, but not why, so the first job is working out what the ground under it is doing. The price mostly comes down to how many piers your house needs, whether any go inside under the floor, how far down firm ground sits and how much finish work follows. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspections and what we find once the ground is open, and the estimate gives you your own number before anything starts.
Why Redmond homeowners call us about a settled house
I come out to the house myself
When you call, I'm the one who comes out to look at the cracks, walk the outside and ask a lot of questions. Our own crew does the digging and the piers, and I run the job, so the person who made the plan is there when the ground opens up.
Working out why concrete fails since 2013
I learned this trade by asking older finishers questions and breaking up old slabs to see what went wrong underneath. Usually it's the ground or the water, not the concrete, and on a settled house that's where I look first. Old concrete rarely lies about it.
Licensed and insured for work beside your house
Groundbreak Redmond Concrete Company is licensed and insured. That matters more than usual on this job, because it puts people and equipment right against your foundation, and you want that settled before the first shovel goes in. I'm happy to show you the paperwork.
Cleanup and finish work spelled out first
Before we start, I tell you which cleanup and finish work is part of the job and which isn't, so you're not surprised by a yard that's still a trench. Your satisfaction, guaranteed. Call (425) 285-8618 or use the form to set up a visit.
Get a free on-site look at your settled house
Send the form or call (425) 285-8618 with your address and a few notes on the cracks or sticking doors you've noticed, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out for a free estimate, look at the house and the ground around it, and tell you whether I'd hold it or lift it and what the job includes. There's no obligation.
- Phone
- (425) 285-8618
- Location
- Redmond, WA 98052
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Foundation raising in Redmond: permits, inspections and the ground
The City of Redmond requires a building permit for projects that aren't on its list of permit-free work, and that list names things like decks and retaining walls, not foundation raising, so ask the city about your house before anyone digs. The city also wants inspections requested as the work goes and before anything gets covered up, which matters on a job like this where the trench gets backfilled at the end, and a missed one can hold the project up. If the job touches plumbing or wiring, each of those is its own permit application. Before we set a date, we find out which city or county office covers your address and what your project calls for, then tell you plainly who'll handle the permit and the inspections.
Around here, a lot of our settling calls come from houses where water has run toward the foundation for years, or where one corner sits on softer ground than the rest. We're based in Redmond and do the same work in the cities around it, including Kirkland and Sammamish. If your city isn't on our pages, just ask.
Questions about raising a settled foundation
Will foundation raising stop my Redmond house from settling or lift it back up?
It can do either one. In one pier maker's system, the piers attached to the foundation either stabilize the house against more settling or lift it back to near where it started. Which one fits your house is the first thing we sort out on site, based on how far it has moved and why.
Will the crew have to dig up my yard or floor to raise my foundation?
Yes, plan on both being torn up for a while. One pier maker's guide calls for digging outside down to the footing, either a trench along the whole wall or a hole at each pier, and piers set inside mean cutting out a square of floor next to the wall. That guide's last steps are checking doors and windows, repairing cracks and waterproofing, checking the drain tile, the pipe that carries water away from the footing, and replacing bad sections, then backfilling and adding topsoil. Compare quotes by which of those each one includes, and ask for the final elevation readings when the work wraps up.
How much does foundation raising cost in Redmond?
The price turns on how many piers your house needs, whether any go inside, how deep we have to go to reach firm ground and how much finish work follows, so there's no honest number until I've seen the house. Lifting usually costs more than holding a house in place, since it takes more care and more patching afterward. The estimate is free and on site, and I'll walk you through what's in the price before we start.
What causes a house foundation to settle in Redmond?
Most settling comes from the ground under the footing giving way, usually because it's soft, was never packed well or stays wet. Redmond's code maps seismic hazard areas and says earthquake settlement and liquefaction, where wet ground turns soft, happen on loose, low-density soils, typically where groundwater sits close to the surface. That's why I look at the soil and where your water runs before I talk about piers.
What changes if my Redmond home is in a flood area?
The city won't let a structure in its frequently flooded areas be altered unless the work fully meets its flood rules, so that check comes before any digging. Work that temporarily affects the floodplain between October 1 and April 30 may need extra analysis, which can push your start date. If your house is in one of those areas, we look at the season before we set a date.
How do I check that a foundation contractor is licensed in Washington?
Ask for their state registration and proof of bond and insurance before you sign. Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the Department of Labor & Industries and to be bonded and insured. If the job touches plumbing or wiring, the state has extra licensing requirements for whoever does that part.