Foundation raising in Duluth MN - a solid new foundation under your house
Foundation cracked, crumbling or settling under a house worth keeping? We lift the house and build a sound foundation underneath it.
The owner looks at every job
I look at every job myself, so the person who sizes up your foundation is the one who plans the work. I also work alongside our crew on the pour, so someone who walked your site is there when the concrete goes in.
In the concrete business since 2017
We've been at this since 2017, and I started out pouring small slabs and walks before learning the rest on job sites. That taught me to check what's under the concrete first, because it's hard to fix once it's in.
Licensed and fully insured
We carry both, because a house sitting on temporary supports is no place to find out a contractor wasn't covered. When you're ready to talk about your house, call (218) 241-4178 or use the form on this page.
How foundation raising works in Duluth
Foundation raising means we separate your house from its foundation, lift it on hydraulic jacks and hold it on temporary supports while a new or extended foundation goes in below. It helps Duluth owners whose house is sound but whose foundation needs more than patching.
Most calls about this start with a foundation wall that's bowing, cracking or letting water in, under a house that's still in good shape. Patching walls you can't get behind only goes so far, so lifting the house gives us room to build what it should have sat on in the first place. Before anything moves, I want to hear what you're after and see what's under the house.
The price mostly turns on how much of the old foundation we can keep, how deep and how big the new one is, the size of the house and how easy the site is to work around. The schedule turns on the permit, the pour date and the weather, since we don't pour into frozen ground. Your written estimate spells out what's included for your house.
Raising your house and the foundation work under it
Starting with what's under the house
First we look hard at what your house sits on now and the shape the old foundation is in, because that decides whether we extend it or rebuild under the house. A foundation that's still sound and strong enough to carry more weight can be extended. One that isn't has to be torn out and built again, which changes the whole scope. I'd rather spend extra time on this at the estimate than learn it with the house up on supports.
Picking the right new foundation
Once we know what stays, we weigh what the new foundation should be, because there's more than one way to carry a house. Piles, long supports driven or set deep in the ground, usually need more room to work and cost more than other types. Often the bigger question is how deep the footings, the wide concrete base the walls stand on, have to go. I'll lay out the option that fits your house and the reason for it before we start.
Cutting, digging and putting it back
Raising a house takes more than jacks, so we plan the work around it too. Steel beams usually go through the old walls, and our concrete cutting crew saws clean openings so the rest of the wall isn't cracked by a hammer. The dig and the equipment can chew up a drive, and we can pour a new concrete driveway when it's done. If the wiring has to be disconnected for the lift, the electrical permit on a Duluth house comes from the State of Minnesota, not the city.
A written estimate for raising your house
Tell us whether your house sits on a basement, crawlspace or slab, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free visit. I'll walk the site and send a written estimate, with no obligation to book.
(218) 241-4178What happens when you call us
A site visit and estimate
Call or send the form, and we'll set up a time to come out. I look at the house, what it sits on and how the site is laid out, ask what you're after, then send a written estimate that lists what's included.
Permit and pour date
Once you say go, we line up the permit and a pour date, and we'll go over what you need to clear out of the basement or crawlspace and away from the walls. The lift doesn't start until the permit is in hand.
Lift, pour and first-season care
We prep the base, place and finish the new concrete, and the house is set onto it once it's ready for the load. You get care steps for the first season, because new concrete keeps curing, slowly gaining strength, long after it looks done.
Foundation raising questions from Duluth homeowners
Can my house in Duluth be raised onto a new foundation?
Usually yes, if it sits on a basement, crawlspace or open foundation, like posts or piers, because those homes suit the method well. A house built on a concrete slab is the hard case, since lifting it with the slab in one piece is technically challenging and often not possible. Tell us your foundation type when you call.
Do I need a permit to raise my house in Duluth?
Yes, the City of Duluth requires a building permit for structural work, and its list of that work includes the foundation. The owner or the contractor doing the work is responsible for getting it, so settle early which of you will apply. When we're the contractor doing the work, we take care of the application.
What license does a house raising contractor need in Minnesota?
A company you hire directly for a one to four unit home needs a residential building contractor or remodeler license from the state when the job covers more than one trade. Local permit offices may refuse a building permit to an unlicensed contractor who should have one, so ask to see the license before you sign.
How deep does a new foundation have to go in Duluth?
In Duluth, footings need to go at least five feet down for frost, because Minnesota's rules set that minimum for St. Louis County unless an engineer who knows soil mechanics finds otherwise. The state codes also allow frost-protected shallow foundations, which sit shallower and, the state says, save on digging, concrete and forms. We weigh which fits your house.