Foundation raising in Thousand Oaks CA - sunken floors brought back to level
Sticking doors, cracked corners or a floor that slopes? We find where your house has settled and lift the low spots back to level.
Is my Thousand Oaks house settling, and can it be raised?
Foundation raising in Thousand Oaks brings the parts of your house that have sunk back up to level, either with a light re-level of a raised floor or with steel piers driven down to firm ground and the foundation lifted onto them, so your floors sit level again.
Most people call us after a door starts sticking or a crack opens at the corner of a room, and they want to know whether it's serious and what fixing it involves. The price and the schedule turn mostly on whether your house is raised or sits on a slab, how many spots have dropped, and whether the city wants a permit or soils work first, and I'll give you your own figure when I come out to look. In Thousand Oaks the city's Building Official issues permits, and each application goes in with construction documents, so we check with the city's building division before we schedule and take care of the application and inspections when a permit is needed. We're based in Thousand Oaks and work in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura, Malibu and many other cities around it.
How we handle foundation raising
I start by walking the house with you and noting where the cracks, sticking doors and low spots are, because that pattern tells us whether a lighter re-level will do or the house needs deeper work on steel piers. Patching the cracks is the cut people reach for first, and I'd put that money into the support underneath instead, because a crack filled over a house that's still moving just opens again. Once we've agreed on the method, our crew brings the low points up a little at a time and checks level as we go. When we're done, I'll explain how to keep the ground around your house evenly moist, because even expansive clay usually won't cause foundation trouble when its moisture stays steady.
Raising a foundation often means getting through concrete that's in the way, so when a walk or slab sits over the spot we need, we open it with concrete cutting rather than breaking it out by hand. If the same settling has cracked or tipped your driveway, we can pour a new concrete driveway once the house is back to level, so the new slab starts out matching the house.
Why Thousand Oaks homeowners call us for foundation raising
I write the estimate myself
We've been in business since 2013, and I still come out to look at the house and write the estimate myself, while our crew lead runs the work on site. You hear the plan from the person who priced it, so the job matches what we talked about.
Insurance in place before we lift
We're licensed and fully insured, and we'll show you both before any work starts. Raising a house puts real weight on jacks and supports, so you should know who's covered if something shifts.
Hillside and footing rules checked first
Thousand Oaks bars building on a slope greater than 5:1 until the Building Official finds the site safe, and it bars digging that takes support from your foundation or a neighbor's unless that foundation is underpinned or protected first. We look at the grade and the house next door before we plan any digging, since on a hillside lot the city may ask for a geological investigation, a soil engineer's report or a foundation designed by a state registered civil or structural engineer.
What matters most on this job is finding why the house moved before anyone lifts it. Send photos of the cracks or sticking doors and a note on whether your house is raised or on a slab through our contact page, or call (805) 413-5506 from 7 AM to 10 PM on weekdays and 6 AM to 11 PM on weekends. The work we do is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Book a free on-site foundation check
We reply to every call and request within one business day, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation to book. Send photos of any cracks or sticking doors and tell us whether your house is raised or on a slab, and we'll set a time for me to come out, look at the house and write the estimate myself. Thank you for thinking of us.
Foundation and slab work up close
What to know before foundation raising
How do I know my foundation is settling?
The usual signs are cracked or bowed concrete foundation walls, cracks in plaster at the corners of rooms, doors and windows that stick, and soil pulling away from the foundation. Write down or photograph where each one shows up, because that map gives us a clear place to start when I come out.
How do I level a raised house without digging?
On a raised house with minor settling, the low spots can usually be jacked up and set on steel or timber shims between the beam and the pier cap, which re-levels the floor without touching the soil. One repair guide calls shimming fast, clean and reversible and the first choice for minor settlement in raised foundations, so it's worth asking about before anyone talks about deeper soil work. If what I see points to deeper trouble, I'll tell you so on the spot.
Will you have to break up my floor to raise the foundation?
Sometimes, when the piers go in from inside, because one pier maker's installation guide calls for removing a square of concrete floor away from the foundation wall. We'll mark that spot with you before we cut, so you can clear the area ahead of time, and we pour it back once the work there is done.
How much does foundation raising cost in Thousand Oaks?
It depends on how much of the house has dropped and which fix it takes, so I give you a figure only after looking at the house. Shimming a few low spots under a raised floor is a much smaller job than setting steel piers along a slab, and the number of piers, how deep they go to reach firm ground, any concrete we open and pour back, and permit or engineering work all add to it. Send us photos first and I can tell you which way it's likely heading.
Will Thousand Oaks require a soil report before foundation work?
It can, because the city's Building Official may require more soil tests where the soil type is in question, and a report from a state certified engineering geologist before issuing a permit. If the city asks for a soils report or engineered plans, we'll tell you early so it doesn't catch you off guard later.
Who is allowed to raise a foundation in California?
California licenses raising, lowering, cribbing and underpinning houses and their foundations under the building moving and demolition contractor classification. That classification doesn't cover alterations, additions, repairs or rehabilitation of the parts of the house that stay in place, so ask any contractor which license covers each part of your job and check it with the state.
Related concrete work
- Concrete cutting
When a pier has to go in through a patio, walk or garage floor, a saw cut leaves a clean, square opening that's easy to pour back.
- Concrete driveway building
If the same movement has left your driveway cracked, tilted or pooling water, a new slab on a packed base can go in once the house is level.