Foundation repair in El Dorado Hills CA - a fix matched to how your house moved
Cracks spreading, doors sticking or a floor that slopes? We find out why your house moved and pick the repair that fits it.
Get your foundation looked at in person
Call (916) 260-2151 or send the form with your address and a note on the cracks you're seeing, so I know what to look at before I come out.
Does my house need foundation repair, and what will it take?
Foundation repair in El Dorado Hills gives a sinking or shifting house firm support again, either by setting piers down past the weak soil so they carry the weight, or by lifting the concrete with polyurethane foam pumped underneath.
Most calls start with something you've watched get worse over a season or two, and you want to know how big a job you're in for. The price turns mostly on which fix fits, piers or a foam lift, then on how many piers your house needs, how much digging and yard repair come with them and whether the plan needs an engineer's review. The schedule follows the same choice, because foam is a short job and pier work runs longer, and it also depends on whether the work needs a permit. I look it over with you on site and follow up with a written estimate that spells out the fix and the number.
Why homeowners here call P&J El Dorado Hills Concrete & Masonry for foundation repair
I write the estimate myself
I come out, look the job over with you and write the estimate, then check in on site while our lead mason and crew do the work. The person who priced it sees it built.
Trained where footings get inspected
I learned masonry on a city public works crew, where nothing got signed off until it passed inspection, and we've worked that way since 2013. Under a house, the hidden parts decide how it holds up.
Licensed, insured and close by
We're fully licensed and insured. We're based in El Dorado Hills and work across El Dorado, Sacramento and Placer counties, so a site visit is a short drive for us.
On foundation work, the diagnosis matters more than the hardware, so have someone look before anybody sells you piers. Get in touch with your address and what you're seeing.
How we handle foundation repair
I start by working out whether your house is still settling or moved years ago and has held since, because that points us toward piers or a quicker lift. On the bigger repairs we have an engineer look over the plan before anyone digs, which is also what one pier maker recommends for a final repair plan. When piers are the answer, I'll be straight with you about the yard, because our crew digs along the outside of the foundation for days rather than hours and the landscaping usually needs putting back afterward, so we plan for that from the start. Then we set the piers or inject the foam, backfill and clean up.
Foundation movement rarely stops at the foundation. A chimney usually sits on its own footing and can lean or pull away when the ground shifts, so we often pair this work with chimney repair. Once the house is steady, mortar that cracked in a brick wall can be ground out and replaced with fresh mortar through tuckpointing, so the joints close up and shed water again.
Steel piers down to firm ground
Piers suit a house that's still settling or sits on soil that can't be trusted near the surface, because they carry the weight on firm ground instead. They can lift the house back up or just hold it where it is, and sometimes stopping the movement is the smarter goal.
Polyurethane foam lift
Foam suits concrete that settled a while back and has held still since, because the setup is small and there's no trench around the house. It's the lighter option when the problem is mostly in the past.
Helical piles for tight spots
Helical piles are screwed into the ground rather than driven, so they suit work close to the house or inside it. One helical pile maker says portable equipment can install them in confined, interior spaces without vibration or heavy machinery near the foundation.
How can you tell your foundation is moving?
Cracks that keep growing
A crack in the drywall or the slab that's wider this year than last usually means the house is still moving. Waiting lets it spread and adds to what has to be patched.
Doors and windows that stick
When a door that used to swing fine starts rubbing or won't latch, the frame has usually gone out of square because one corner settled. The longer it goes, the more trim and drywall get pulled along.
Floors that slope
A marble that rolls to one wall, or a floor that dips near an outside corner, usually means a footing has sunk. Catching it sooner can keep the repair smaller and the drywall damage down.
Chimney pulling away
A gap opening where the chimney meets the siding often means its footing is settling apart from the house. Left alone, it keeps leaning and can take flashing and brick with it.
What happens after you call about foundation repair?
Call or send a message
Call (916) 260-2151 or send a message, and I come out myself to look at the cracks and talk it over with you. You get a written estimate afterward.
Permits first, then the work
If the job needs a permit, we get it before we start and handle the inspections. Our lead mason and crew do the work, and I stop by to check on it.
Walk the finished job together
When the work's done, you and I walk it together, and I'll point out what went in under the house and why.
Foundation repair questions we hear
Here's what homeowners usually want to know about piers, foam lifting, permits and cost. If your question isn't here, call and ask about your own house.
How do I know if piers are the right fix for my foundation?
Piers are usually the right fix when the soil near the surface can't be trusted, as with deep settlement, expansive clay that swells and shrinks over a long seasonal cycle, or a house that's still moving rather than one that moved years ago. A pier is driven or drilled down past the weak layer to ground that can carry the load. If your cracks are still growing, that's a strong reason to look at piers first.
How long does polyurethane foam lifting take?
Foam lifting often finishes within a day, depending on the size of the job, because the setup is small. It may not work for a house that has sunk badly, so how far yours has dropped decides whether it's on the table. I'll tell you which side of that line your house is on when I see it.
How much does foundation pier repair cost near El Dorado Hills?
Foundation pier installation in the Sacramento area usually costs about $4,500 to $12,500 for a 4-pier job. That's what the market typically charges, not a quote from us, and a house that needs more piers or more yard repair lands higher. I'll give you a written estimate after I see the house.
Does foundation repair need a permit in El Dorado Hills?
Often, yes. El Dorado County's building guidance says structural changes typically need permits, and putting piers under a house is structural work. We find out which office covers your address and handle the application and inspections as part of the job, not something left for you.
Will digging for foundation piers need a dust plan in El Dorado County?
It can, because the county's air quality rules say an earth-moving project may need a dust plan. Outside the county's Asbestos Review Area, a job that needs a grading permit also needs a Fugitive Dust Plan, and inside it, disturbing 20 or more cubic yards of soil calls for an Asbestos Dust Mitigation Plan, since breaking serpentine and volcanic rock can release naturally occurring asbestos into the air. I check where your address falls when we plan the digging.
What license does a foundation repair contractor need in California?
The state licensing board's C-21 building moving class covers raising, lowering and underpinning a house, including its foundation. Its D-30 pile driving and pressure foundation jacking class covers injecting concrete or mortar into a foundation to stabilize it, so those are the classes that line up with this kind of work.
Get a foundation repair estimate
Send your address and a short note on the cracks or movement you're seeing, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come look it over with you, then follow up with a free written estimate and no obligation.
Foundation and masonry work
Work that often goes with it
Chimney repair
When the ground shifts, a chimney can lean, crack or pull away from the wall, and fixing the masonry keeps water and drafts from getting in.
Learn moreTuckpointing
Settling often leaves stair-step cracks in brick mortar, and grinding out the damaged joints and packing in fresh mortar closes them so the wall sheds water again.
Learn more