Foundation raising in Mason City IA - your house back on solid, level support
Cracks, sloping floors or a house sitting too low near water? We'll tell you which lift it needs and do it right.
What does foundation raising involve for a Mason City house?
Foundation raising in Mason City means one of two jobs, lifting a settled, cracked foundation back toward level on steel piers, or jacking the whole house up so a new or taller foundation can be built under it.
Most calls start with a crack in the foundation wall, a door that won't close or a floor you can feel slope, and some start with a flood map that puts the house too low. If the sinking is in the slab out front and not the house, that's usually a new driveway job, not a raise. The price moves with which job it turns out to be, how many piers or how much new foundation it takes, and how much digging and floor cutting it needs to get there. The schedule turns mostly on permits and weather, and when a house sits near water we start on the permit questions early, since they can hold up the start. Your on-site estimate gives you your own figure in writing.
Why homeowners call us for foundation raising
What you can count on is the same on a pier lift as on a full raise, from who shows up to where the effort goes.
I write your estimate
I'm the one who comes out, looks at the foundation and writes up what the job needs.
Our own crew does the lift
The work is done by me and our own crew, so everyone on site answers to me.
In business since 2020
I learned the trade on someone else's crew before starting this business in 2020.
Fully licensed and insured
Iowa requires contractors to register with the state before any construction work, so it's fair to ask anyone you're weighing.
Time spent under the house
We put our effort into the piers and footings holding your house up, not into dressing up the patch on top.
Two kinds of foundation raising we do
Which one fits comes down to what's wrong. A foundation that's sunk or cracked usually needs support under it, and a house that sits too low needs to go up.
Have us look at your foundation
Call (641) 548-3348 or use the form, and I'll come look at the house and write up an estimate.
Why homeowners trust Mason City Concrete with foundation raising
I'd rather lose the job than sell you more than your house needs, so when I look at cracks, sloping floors and sticking doors, I'm working out whether piers will do it or the house really has to go up. If a smaller job fixes it, that's what goes in the estimate.
Once the house is resting on its new support, we fill the digging back in, patch the floor where we cut it and clean up, because you shouldn't be left with a trench in the yard or a hole in the floor. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Questions about raising a foundation
How much does it cost to raise a house in Mason City?
The price comes from which job your house needs, and on a full raise the usual way to save is keeping as much of the old foundation as you can. The same federal guide calls reusing it generally the most economical approach, and most methods allow it, but a design professional has to check that the existing foundation can carry the raised house first. Your estimate puts your own number on it.
How do I know if my foundation needs piers or a full raise?
If the house has cracked or sunk but sits at a height you're fine with, it's usually a pier lift, and if the whole house needs to sit higher, it's a full raise. Water that's reached the house before usually points to raising, and I'll tell you which job it is once I've seen it.
What does a helical pier lift do to my yard and basement floor?
Expect some digging, because one maker's installation guide has crews dig down to the footing outside, either a trench along the whole wall or a pit at each pier. Piers set from inside mean squares of the concrete floor come out first, which is a concrete cutting job in its own right.
Do I need a floodplain permit to raise a house in Mason City?
Yes, if the house is in the mapped floodplain and your city or county is in the National Flood Insurance Program, because those places require a local floodplain permit for that work. Mason City sits in the Winnebago River watershed, which deals with runoff, flooding and streambank erosion, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says federal, state and local permits are needed before building in the floodplain or near a river or stream. Its online permit system walks you through whether you need a state application, and outside city limits, Cerro Gordo County Planning and Zoning handles floodplain development. We handle the permit paperwork for our work, tell you up front which office it goes through and check with them on each job.
How deep does a new foundation footing need to go in Mason City?
It needs to sit below where the ground freezes, and one frost-depth reference says Iowa frost routinely reaches three and a half feet down, deeper in the north of the state where Mason City sits. If your job includes a new footing, ask anyone bidding it how deep it goes, us included.
How do I get in and out of my house after it's raised?
Through new stairs, a ramp or an elevator, because doors that used to be at ground level end up higher once the house goes up. It's worth planning and budgeting for that alongside the lift itself so it isn't a surprise at the end.
What happens when you call about foundation raising in Mason City?
A foundation job runs on paperwork and weather as much as on our crew, so we plan the lift around your permits and how you use the house.
Call or send the form
Call (641) 548-3348 or send the form and tell us what you're seeing, whether that's cracks, sloping floors or water getting close.
I look at the house
I look over the foundation, ask how you use the house and take the measurements the estimate needs.
Estimate and paperwork
Your estimate lists what's in and what isn't. Say go and we file the paperwork. If the state reviews it, replies can currently take up to three months.
The lift and walk-through
We set the work date once permits clear and the weather suits it, and I walk the finished job with you before we pack up.
Foundation raising in Mason City and nearby cities
We're based in Mason City and take foundation work in Clear Lake, Charles City and plenty of other cities around it. Pick your area below, or call if you're not sure we come out your way.
Get a foundation estimate in Mason City
Call (641) 548-3348 or send the form, and you'll know which job you're dealing with before you spend anything on it.