Foundation raising in Gardena CA - a level house, after we find out why it moved
Floors sloping, doors sticking or cracks opening up? We check first whether the slab sank or rose, so we only lift when lifting will help.
When does raising a foundation in Gardena actually help?
Foundation raising lifts a settled house or slab in Gardena back toward level, and it only makes sense when the slab actually sank rather than rose.
Most people call us after a floor starts to slope, a door stops closing or cracks keep opening in the walls. Before we talk about lifting, I check whether the slab settled down or pushed up. That decides everything, because lifting a slab that rose pushes it further out of level, and there's no bringing it back down.
The price moves with the size of the house, what the walls are built of, how much digging it takes to get under it, whether a walk or concrete driveway has to come out and be poured back, and whether the soil needs its own fix. The schedule mostly turns on the city's permit review. I measure the job myself and put the work in writing, so your estimate shows where yours lands.
What goes into raising a foundation
Most of a lift happens out of sight, under the house and in the trenches around it, so it helps to know what the crew is doing and why.
How a house gets lifted
A Miami-Dade County flood guide describes the most common method as steel I-beams placed under the slab, with jacks lifting the house on them.
Digging comes first
In that guide, crews trench along the foundation walls, cut openings in them and tunnel under the slab, so the ground beside your house gets opened up.
Block houses are the hardest
The same guide was written about raising Florida homes above floodwater, and it rates houses with reinforced block walls on a slab as the hardest to lift.
Concrete next to the house
A patio or walk poured tight against the wall may need concrete cutting so we can reach the foundation, and we pour that section back once the lift is done.
Questions about raising a house in Gardena
How much does it cost to raise a house near Los Angeles?
Raising a house in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $4,000 to $68,000 per job, and that's the market's range, not a quote from us. Where your house lands depends on the price drivers above, so I'll measure it and put your number in writing.
Do I need a permit to raise my house in Gardena?
The City of Gardena issues building permits for most residential work, including repairs and alterations, and we check with the city for your address before anything gets lifted. Plans go to the city as PDFs, the review looks at structural and earthquake safety, and the city may ask for structural calculations from a state-licensed professional or a soils report on a major remodel. Work done without a required permit is illegal, can cause trouble when you sell and can void your insurance coverage for that work.
Will slabjacking fix bad soil under my slab?
No. Slabjacking pumps material under a sunken slab to bring it up, and it will level the slab but won't correct poor soil underneath. When the soil is causing the problem, it needs its own fix, and if that's what I find under your house, I'll tell you at the estimate.
Who is licensed to raise a house in California?
A state contractors license in the building moving and demolition class covers raising, lowering, cribbing and underpinning a structure and its foundation, with cribbing meaning stacked timbers that hold the house while it's up. In Gardena, only licensed contractors or people exempt under state law can pull permits, and a contractor also needs a current City Business License. That class doesn't cover repairs to the parts of the house that stay in place, so ask who will fix drywall, tile or door frames after the lift.
How do I check if my Gardena house is in a liquefaction zone?
Look up your address on the state's EQ Zapp map, which shows whether it sits in a mapped earthquake hazard zone, including liquefaction zones. Liquefaction is when soil briefly turns to something like quicksand and can't hold a building up, so it's worth knowing before anyone plans a lift.
How do I tell if my slab sank or rose?
You usually can't tell by looking, so I measure the floor at points across the house to find the high spots and the low ones. Cracks and sticking doors show up either way, and a slab that pushed up in the middle can look a lot like one that dropped at the edges.
Why Gardena homeowners call H&J Gardena Concrete Contractors to raise a house
We're based in Gardena and work in Gardena and the cities around it, and on every job you get a plain answer about what your house needs.
I check your house myself
I come out and measure the job, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done.
Doing concrete since 2017
We've been in business since 2017, and we're best known for driveways, patios and walks that drain the right way.
Fully licensed and insured
Ask me about either one when I'm out for the estimate, and I'll go over it with you.
Straight answers up front
I'd rather tell you something you don't want to hear at the estimate than have you find out a year later.
Your satisfaction, guaranteed
To get started, call (424) 528-1322 or use our estimate form, and I'll set a time to see your house.
Find out if lifting will help
Call with your address, whether your walls are block or wood frame and your EQ Zapp result, so we know what to look for before I get there.
What happens after you call about raising your house
We plan a lift around your house and the city's review, so you know what gets dug, when our crew is there and what gets put back.
You get in touch
Call (424) 528-1322 or use the form, and tell us what you've noticed, like sloping floors, sticking doors or new cracks.
I look at it
I come out, look at the house and measure it myself, including how we'd get under it and what concrete is in the way.
Estimate and permit
You get a written estimate spelling out the work. If a permit's needed we pull it and schedule around city plan check, which should take about 10 business days on a first submittal.
The work and walkthrough
Our crew preps, lifts and pours back what we opened, with me on the job, and before we leave I walk it with you.