Foundation raising in Seymour IN - a level house back on a sound new base
Water getting under the house or a foundation giving out? We plan the raise with you and build the foundation it comes down on.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What's involved in raising a house and rebuilding the foundation under it?
Foundation raising in Seymour means lifting your whole house on steel beams and jacks, repairing or replacing the foundation while the house is up, then lowering it back down onto the new work. It usually comes with excavation, disconnected utilities and visits from a plumber and an electrician, and the project runs for weeks, with the lift itself a short stretch of that.
Most people who call about this have water getting under the house or a foundation that's past patching, and they want to know how big a job they're in for. The price turns on what happens underneath, because the lift is only one piece, and setting the house above the flood zone on piers or pilings, the posts or columns a raised house stands on, replacing the foundation or adding a basement all add to it. The schedule depends on the prep work, the permits, the kind of foundation you have, how high the house goes, what needs repairing, the weather and the inspections. Before we schedule anything, I check with the city or county office that covers your property and tell you plainly who's taking care of the paperwork, and my written estimate spells out what's included so you can see where the money goes.
How do you know your house might need raising?
Water under the house
After heavy rain you find standing water in the crawlspace or basement, or a damp smell that won't clear out. When it keeps happening, the house usually sits too low for where the water goes, and every wet season works on the framing and whatever's stored down there.
Cracked or crumbling foundation walls
Wide cracks, loose block or mortar that turns to powder when you rub it usually mean the foundation is wearing out under the house. Patching can buy time, but once the walls are giving way, fixing them means getting the house off them first, and that job tends to grow the longer it waits.
Floors and doors out of line
Floors that slope, doors that stick and cracks running from the corners of windows often mean part of the house has dropped. Sometimes that's a smaller repair and sometimes the foundation needs rebuilding, which I can usually tell you once I've looked from underneath.
Concrete work that often comes along
Concrete cutting
Getting beams and jacks under a house can mean opening a slab, a step or a walk, and clean saw cuts keep that damage to what's needed.
Concrete driveway building
Lifting equipment, tunnels and excavation are hard on a driveway, so once the house is back down it's often the right time to pour a new one.
How we handle foundation raising as a team job
A house lift is a team job, and I'll tell you up front which parts we handle and which belong to the lifting crew, the plumber and the electrician, so nobody's guessing who's responsible for what. The lifting crew digs tunnels under the house, sets steel beams in them and puts a hydraulic jack under each beam, and the jacks go up slowly and evenly through the day so the house comes up level without damage, which I'm glad to walk you through before anything moves. While the house is up, our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, the ground the new foundation sits on, then forms and pours the concrete. If the budget gets tight, the base is the last thing I'd trim, because nobody sees it once the house is down and it's what decides how the foundation holds up. We'll also help you sort out where to stay while the house is in the air.
The concrete around the house usually needs attention too. When a walk or a slab is in the way of the work, we open it with concrete cutting instead of breaking out more than we have to, and when the house ends up at a new height, the drive often has to be redone to meet it, which is where our concrete driveway building comes in.
Lift and replace the foundation
This suits a house that sits at a fine height but has a foundation that's cracked or crumbling. The house goes up, the foundation is repaired or replaced, and the house comes back down about where it started.
Raise it higher than before
This suits a house where water keeps getting underneath, because setting it on piers, pilings or a taller new foundation puts the floors above the water that's been reaching them. It's a bigger job than a straight lift, so it's worth deciding early.
Get a written estimate for raising your house
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, there's no obligation, and calling (812) 271-8146 works too.
Call (812) 271-8146Why Seymour homeowners call Seymour Concrete about raising a house
I walk the job myself
I come out to look at your house and write the estimate, and our crew of experienced finishers does the work with me on site. You're talking to the person who'll be there when the house comes back down, not someone passing notes along.
In business since 2017
I started on concrete crews every summer in high school and opened this business in Seymour in 2017. We're best known for careful flatwork like driveways, patios and walks, and the same habit of getting the base right goes into every foundation.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. In Seymour, any electrician working on a job site needs a current license registered with the city, so it's fair to ask whoever handles your wiring to show you theirs.
On a house raise, what matters most is that everyone knows their part before the first jack goes under, and I'd rather go over it twice. Tell us about your house and I'll come take a look.
What happens after you call about raising your house?
Call and tell me about it
I ask a few questions about the house, the foundation and what's been going on, then set a time to come look at it with you. Have your address handy so I know which permit office we're dealing with.
Walk the house together
I walk the site, talk through your options and send a written estimate that says what's included, down to which parts are ours and which belong to the other trades. That way you can see where the cost goes before you commit to anything.
Build the new foundation
Once you say go, I'm on site with the crew from forming to finishing while the house is up. The concrete has to cure, the wait while it gains strength, before the weight of the house goes back on it.
Walk the finished job
When the house is back down, we walk the finished work together before we leave. If anything doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Common questions
How much does it cost to raise a house in Seymour, IN?
Across the US, lifting a house just to raise the structure usually costs about $10,000 to $40,000 per job. That covers the lift alone, so the foundation work and any extra height come on top, and your written estimate lists each piece.
How long does it take to raise a house and replace the foundation?
The whole process usually takes 4 to 8 weeks on average, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the preparation is done. Plan for a project that runs for weeks, with only a short stretch where the house is actually moving.
Do I need a permit to raise a house in Seymour?
The city's Department of Planning and Zoning issues building permits for all construction work in the city limits and the two-mile area around the city, so that's where a house raise there starts. If any part of your property sits in an identified special flood hazard area, you or someone you authorize also has to get a floodplain development permit from the city's Floodplain Administrator before work begins. Once the lowest floor is set, an elevation certificate, a record of how high that floor sits, goes to the same office, and skipping it can bring a stop-work order.
Can I stay in my house while it's being raised?
No, living in or even being inside the house during the lift isn't recommended. You can leave everything inside right where it is, so you only need somewhere else to sleep for the lift days.
Who should I hire to manage a house raising project?
One cost guide suggests a general contractor to run the whole project, because house raising contractors specialize in the lift and usually leave repairs to others. In that guide's view, the general contractor manages surveying, engineering, permits, utilities, excavation, the new foundation and landscaping, so ask anyone you talk to which of those they cover.
How do I get my house ready to be lifted?
Start by emptying the crawlspace or basement so the crews have room to work. After that, every utility gets disconnected, including plumbing, electric, gas, heating, cooling, phone and internet, and a plumber removes any pipes or ductwork below the floor joists while an electrician tacks up or removes the wiring under the house.
Start planning your house raise with a call
Have your address, your foundation type and any flood map result from Indiana DNR's Floodplain Information Portal ready when you call (812) 271-8146 or send the form, so we can get right to the questions that shape your plan.