Foundation raising in Hoover AL - a settled house brought back toward level
A floor that slopes, doors that stick, a crack that keeps growing? We find out how your house moved, then lift or steady it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
How do you fix a foundation that's sinking in Hoover?
Foundation raising in Hoover means lifting a house that has settled back toward where it started, or holding it where it is so it quits dropping. The two usual ways are steel piers, which are posts set down to firmer ground, and a dense foam pumped under the slab that fills the gap and pushes it up.
Most folks call us when something about the house feels off and they want to know how serious it is before they spend a dime. The price turns on how much of the house moved, how deep the trouble goes and which method fits. The schedule turns on that same choice, plus the permit and the city's inspections. I'll give you your own figures on site, in an estimate that spells out what's in it.
How can you tell if your foundation is settling?
Doors that stick or swing
A door that closed fine last year now drags at the top corner or swings open on its own, because the frame has gone out of square as one side of the house dropped. Left alone, the gap usually keeps growing, and you end up with drywall and trim to fix on top of the foundation.
Cracks over doors and windows
Diagonal cracks running out from the corners of doors and windows, or stair-step cracks in brick, usually mean one part of the house is moving differently from the rest. A hairline crack that stays put is one thing, but one that keeps getting longer or wider tells you the house hasn't stopped.
Floors that slope or hump
If a ball rolls toward one wall, or a room feels like it rises in the middle, part of the slab has moved, and it isn't always downward. Either way it's worth a look before tile starts cracking and cabinets pull away from the wall.
How we handle foundation raising
The first thing I find out is whether the floor sank or got pushed up, because lifting a slab that rose only makes it worse. Once I know that, we talk through piers or foam, based on whether the house is still moving and how deep the trouble goes. On a pier job our crew digs out along the part of the house that settled, sets the piers and lifts a little at a time while I watch the cracks and doors inside. On a foam job we drill small holes through the slab, pump the foam under it and patch the holes once it's set. Before we pack up, I look at where your gutters and grading send the water, since water sitting against a foundation keeps working on the ground under it.
Some foundation jobs reach the concrete around the house. If a pier has to go where a patio or walk sits, our concrete cutting work gives us a clean opening instead of a busted slab. If the driveway dropped along with the garage, concrete driveway building on a properly dug-out base can make more sense than trying to lift it.
A free look at your foundation and a straight answer on piers or foam
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come walk the house. The estimate is free, done at your place, with no obligation.
- estimates@concretehoover.com
- Based in
- Hoover, AL 35216
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about foundation raising in Hoover?
Here's how a job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (205) 325-9006 or use the form, and we'll get back to you to set a time for me to come out. If you can, send your address, which side of the county line you're on and a few photos of the cracks or low spots.
Walk the house together
I walk the site with you, inside and out, and check where the water runs so I can tell how the house moved. Your estimate spells out the method and what's in the price, so you know the cost before anything's decided.
Permit, lift and final walk-through
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit with the building office, leave room in the plan for the city's inspections and do the work with our own crew. Before we pack up, we walk the finished job with you.
Why Hoover homeowners call A&B Hoover Concrete Construction about a settling house
The owner on every job
I come out myself to look at the house and talk it over with you, and I'm on the job with our own crew while the work gets done. The person who told you what's wrong is the one watching it get fixed.
In business since 2020
I started as a helper on a concrete crew, learned the trade one pour at a time, and opened this business here in Hoover in 2020. That's where I learned to care most about the ground under the concrete, because good concrete on bad ground won't hold up.
Licensed and insured, ask to see it
We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm glad to show you before any digging starts. On work that holds up your house, that's the first thing to check with anyone you call.
On a house that's moved, everything starts with knowing whether it sank or rose, so book a visit and I'll come find out.
Foundation raising and the permit side in Hoover
Hoover requires a building permit before any construction work starts, whether a homeowner or a contractor is doing it, so before we schedule a foundation job we check with the city's building department about what yours needs. The city reaches across the Jefferson and Shelby county line, but one building department issues permits on both sides, so it's the same office no matter where your house sits. City inspectors then inspect and approve the work. When a permit is called for, we handle the paperwork and plan the job around those inspections.
We're based in Hoover and work in Birmingham and many of the cities around it. A lot of what we see is houses on sloped lots with downspouts emptying right at a corner, so drainage gets a look on every job, the same as on jobs in Vestavia Hills and Homewood.
Questions about foundation raising in Hoover
What is the best way to raise a sinking foundation, piers or foam?
Piers are usually the better choice when the house is still moving or the ground near the surface can't be trusted, according to one foam maker's own guide. That guide points to piers for deep settling and for clay that swells and shrinks over the seasons, and leaves foam for slabs where those problems aren't in play. I'll tell you which way I lean once I've seen your house.
Can lifting a concrete slab make it worse?
Yes, if the slab rose instead of sinking, lifting it pushes it further out of level, and it can't be brought back down afterward. A floor that humps in the middle can mean it was pushed up from below, so sorting out which way it moved has to come before any lifting.
How long does foundation raising take?
Foam lifting is usually done in a day, while pier work takes days because the crew has to dig around the outside of the house, according to the foam maker's guide. Pier digging disturbs the ground along the house, so plan on some landscaping repair afterward. The schedule also has to leave room for the permit and the city's inspections.
How much does foundation raising cost in Hoover?
There's no honest number until someone sees the house, because the price turns on which method fits, how much of the house needs lifting and how hard it is to reach. The foam maker's guide says foam work is priced by how much material goes in and how easy the area is for the crew to get to, and pier work turns on how many piers it takes and how much digging. Our estimate spells out what's in the price before you decide.
Do I need a permit to raise my foundation in Hoover?
Yes, Hoover requires a building permit before any construction work starts, on either side of the county line. When a permit is called for, we handle it and plan around the city's inspections, as covered above.
What license does a foundation contractor need in Hoover, AL?
Every general contractor and subcontractor working in Hoover needs a license from the City of Hoover plus the state license their work calls for. Alabama treats anyone repairing or improving a home where labor and materials run over $10,000 as a residential home builder, and a state rule names a foundation contractor hired directly by a homeowner to build a home's foundation for over $10,000 as someone who needs that license, because the work affects the house's structure. Ask whoever you call to show you both.
Concrete work that often comes with foundation raising
Concrete cutting
When a section of slab has to come out, or repair work needs an opening, a saw cut leaves a straight, clean edge instead of a busted one.
See the service Concrete cuttingConcrete driveway building
If your driveway has sunk, broken into pieces or sends water toward the garage, a new pour on a dug-out, packed base can fix what lifting can't.
See the service Concrete driveway building
Cities we serve for foundation raising
A&B Hoover Concrete Construction is based in Hoover, Alabama, and works in Birmingham and many of the cities around it. The 12 cities below, Pelham among them, each have their own page, and they aren't the only places we work.
Hoover, AL
Find out if your house sank or rose
Call (205) 325-9006 or send the form with a few photos of the cracks, and I'll come out already knowing where to look.