Foundation raising in El Monte CA - your house set down on a new foundation
When your house needs a new or extended foundation, we lift it on jacks, build underneath and set it down on the new work.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What's involved in raising a house in El Monte?
Foundation raising in El Monte means lifting your house on hydraulic jacks and holding it on temporary supports while a new or extended foundation is built underneath, then setting the house back down so it rests on that new work.
Most people who call about this have an older house whose foundation is wearing out, or plans that need more under the house than it has now. The price mostly turns on how big the house is, whether the old foundation comes out or gets extended, how high the house has to go and what repairs turn up once it's open. The schedule turns on the engineer, the permit and the city's inspections more than on the lift itself, and I put all of it in a written estimate that says what's in the price and what isn't.
How do you know your house needs a new foundation under it?
Concrete crumbling at the base
You see the foundation flaking or breaking away along the bottom of the walls, usually on an older house. It often means the foundation is near the end of its life and the real fix is a new one underneath, and every season you wait, more of it goes.
Cracks through the foundation
Wide cracks that run right through the foundation wall, not just across the face, need a look from someone qualified. Some are old and harmless and some mean the foundation can't carry the house much longer, and water working into an open crack only makes it worse.
Plans that need more foundation
You're planning an addition or a bigger remodel, and the plans call for more foundation than the house has now. Raising the house onto an extended foundation is one way to get there, and it's far cheaper to learn that before the design is finished than after.
How we handle foundation raising
Before your house goes up on jacks, I want an engineer to look it over, because a weak spot in the frame shows up fast once the house is in the air. If your home sits on a slab, the engineer comes in before we even talk numbers, since the floor has to come up with the walls and someone has to say whether that's worth doing at all. Once the plans and permit are in place, our crew sets hydraulic jacks under the house, lifts it and holds it on temporary supports while we build the new or extended foundation underneath, then we lower the house onto it so that's what carries it from then on.
A lift usually touches the concrete around the house too. If a patio slab, a set of steps or a piece of old footing has to come out in clean sections, we handle it with concrete cutting instead of breaking it out by hand. And if your driveway meets the house or garage, I look at it during the estimate, because sometimes a new concrete driveway makes more sense than patching the old one after the house comes back down.
New foundation under the house
This suits a house whose old foundation is crumbling or cracked past saving, which is the engineer's call. The old one comes out and a new one goes in while the house is up, so nothing old is left carrying the weight.
Extended existing foundation
This suits a house where the engineer says the existing foundation can stay but the house needs more under it, often for an addition. We build onto what's there, so less comes out and less goes back in.
Get your house lift priced, in writing
We get back to you within one business day to set a time for me to come out and walk the house with you. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no pressure and no obligation.
(626) 416-2123Foundation raising in El Monte comes down to permits and soil
In El Monte, plan review, permits and inspections for a house lift all go through the city's Building Department, which takes applications in person at the counter with no appointment. We pull the permit and line up the inspections for you. The city also sets an earthquake design category, which decides how strong the foundation design has to be for shaking, and a soils report on your own property can set it instead. If the city or your engineer wants that report or a set of plans first, I tell you at the start and help you get them, because they have to be done before the foundation design is.
On jobs here and in Rosemead and Monterey Park, we mostly see older single-story houses, some on raised foundations and plenty on slabs, which is why the engineer's first look decides so much of the job.
What happens when you call about foundation raising in El Monte?
Call and set a visit
You call or send the form, and I call you back to set a time to come see the house. I'll ask a few questions about the house first so I show up knowing what to look for.
Walk it and get it in writing
I walk the house with you, ask what you need it for and give you a written estimate that says what's in the price and what isn't. On a lift, the things left out, like repairs or the engineer's fee, are where surprise costs come from, so those get written down too.
Permit, lift and final walk
We line up the permit and reports, lift the house, build underneath, set it down and walk it with you again when it's done. El Monte inspections need 24 hours' notice and run only Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with none on Fridays or federal holidays, so we plan each stage around those days.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to raise a house in the Los Angeles area?
Raising a house in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $12,000 to $68,000 per job, mostly depending on the size of the home. That's the going range around here, not our price. Lifting the house and replacing its foundation costs more than lifting it alone, so the foundation plan shapes the budget too, and your written estimate spells out which one you're paying for.
How long does raising a house take?
Across the country, the whole process takes 4 to 8 weeks on average, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep is done. Most of that time goes to getting ready, the permit, the foundation work and inspections, and how high the house goes, any repairs and the weather can stretch it.
Can I stay in my house while it's being raised?
No, being in the house during the lift isn't recommended, so plan on staying somewhere else for those days. I tell every owner that straight at the estimate. The good news is your furniture and belongings can stay where they are, so you're packing a bag, not the whole house.
Who pulls the permit to raise a house in El Monte?
We do, and we handle the inspections that come with it. Other city departments can take part in approving a project like this, and El Monte's counter staff say which ones apply to yours, so you're not chasing sign-offs on your own.
How do I get my house ready to be raised?
Plan for every utility to be disconnected before the lift, including plumbing, electric, gas, heating and cooling, phone and internet. That happens during the prep, before anything goes up, so set up where you'll stay and anything you need online, like work, for those days.
Do I need a soils report to raise my house in El Monte?
You may, and you will if your lot sits inside a state-mapped liquefaction zone, ground that can go loose and soft when it shakes. Inside those zones the foundation soils have to be investigated and the design has to account for it, and state law makes the city use those zones when it issues permits. That's why I want the engineer and any report finished before we set a lift date.
El Monte, CA
Plan your house lift with us
Have the property address, the kind of foundation your house sits on and any soils report you already have ready when you call, and the first conversation gets a lot further.