Foundation repair cost.
Foundation cost ranges from cheap crack sealing to major structural piering. The driver is whether the foundation is just cracked or actually settling.
Foundation repair cost by repair type
| Minor: crack sealing / waterproofing | $500 – $3,000 |
| Settlement: piers / underpinning | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| Major: structural / hydraulic piers | $15,000 – $40,000 |
Typical installed range for a 30 lin ft project. Adjust the estimator for your own size.
Priced per pier, and the pier type is an engineering decision
Most structural foundation work is priced per pier, with typical homes needing 3 to 12. Steel push piers run about $1,800–$2,600 each, helical piers $2,100–$3,200, concrete bell piers $1,300–$2,000, and slab piers $1,500–$2,300. A typical job lands $2,200–$8,100, while major piering reaches $15,000–$30,000 and beyond. The per-pier number alone will mislead you, because pier count and site conditions vary more than unit price.
What actually moves the price
Which pier system your soil and structure actually require
This is not a preference. Push piers rely on the weight of the structure to drive and will fail on a light wood-frame addition, garage, or porch, where helical piers are required. Concrete bell piers risk shaft collapse in loose saturated sand or a high water table. Post-tension slabs without continuous perimeter footers need slab piers with shear brackets. A contractor offering one system for every situation is selling what they own equipment for.
Depth to load-bearing strata
Push pier pricing assumes standard depths of roughly 25 to 40 feet. If bedrock sits at 60 feet or more, expect roughly $40–$75 per additional foot for material and labor. Two identical-looking homes on the same street can differ substantially if the strata drops off.
Engineering and permitting, which are usually excluded
Most jurisdictions now require a licensed Professional Engineer to stamp the underpinning design. Budget $1,500–$3,500 for soil analysis and structural design, plus $300–$1,200 in permit fees and mandatory footing-exposure inspections. These are commonly listed as exclusions in a base contract.
Interior versus exterior work
Exterior perimeter piers are trenching. Interior slab piers require concrete saw-cutting, jackhammering through the slab, dust containment, and patching afterward, which drives the labor component well above the exterior equivalent.
The drainage that caused it
Expansive clay that swells and shrinks, poor drainage, plumbing leaks, tree roots, and uncompacted fill are the usual causes. Stabilizing the structure without correcting the water movement treats the symptom. Ask what the contractor believes caused it and what they propose to do about that.
What a complete quote names out loud
- Pier system type and count, with the engineering rationale for that system
- Driving criteria stated explicitly (the depth or resistance at which a pier is considered set)
- Steel specification including outside diameter and wall thickness, not just 'steel piers'
- Whether engineering, permits, and inspections are included or excluded
- Warranty terms, and specifically whether it transfers to a future owner
- Whether cosmetic restoration (concrete patching, drywall repair, landscaping) is included
The one to watch: A per-pier price notably below the others. The common way to hit it is thinner-wall steel, for example 0.188 inch instead of the standard 0.250 or 0.300 inch, which buckles under eccentric load and corrodes faster in acidic soil. Ask for the steel spec in writing, and consider $300–$600 for an independent structural engineer before you accept any contractor's own diagnosis.
Foundation repair cost: FAQ
How much does foundation repair cost?
A typical foundation repair runs $2,200–$8,100 with a national average near $5,150, while major piering reaches $15,000–$30,000 or more. Minor crack injection costs $150–$800. The method drives the range, and the method is set by what is actually wrong.
What is the cost per pier for foundation repair?
Steel push piers run about $1,800–$2,600 each, helical piers $2,100–$3,200, concrete bell piers $1,300–$2,000, and slab piers $1,500–$2,300 installed. Most homes need 3 to 12. Wide quote spreads usually reflect genuinely different engineering systems rather than price gouging.
What is the difference between push piers and helical piers?
Push piers are driven by hydraulic force using the building's own weight as resistance, transferring load to bedrock or dense strata. Helical piers are screwed in like a giant auger and carry load on their helical plates, so they work without needing structural weight to install. That makes helical the correct choice for lighter structures and for sandy soil or a high water table.
Do I need a structural engineer before hiring a contractor?
For anything beyond crack sealing, it is $300–$600 well spent. An independent engineer has no stake in how many piers get installed, and most jurisdictions require a stamped underpinning design anyway. It also gives you a document to compare competing proposals against.
Are foundation cracks always serious?
No. Hairline shrinkage cracks in poured concrete are common and often cosmetic. Stair-step cracking in brick veneer, doors and windows that bind, and floors sloping noticeably over a short run are the signs that point to differential settlement and warrant an evaluation.