When the ground gives way

Foundation Settlement and Pier Support

Settlement is the foundation moving down because what was holding it up no longer does. Fixing it means reaching ground that will.

Call 321-684-9144Talk it through on the phone. No visit needed to start.

Every house settles a little in its first years. That's normal and it stops.

Settlement becomes a problem when it's uneven, when it keeps going, or when it starts again years after the house was built. That means conditions under the foundation changed, and the fix has to reach past whatever changed.

What causes settlement in Brevard County

Loose or poorly compacted fill is the most common. The soil under the foundation compresses over time under the weight of the house, and rarely does it compress evenly.

Water is the accelerant, as it usually is here. Sand that stays put in normal conditions moves readily when water runs through it in volume, and a wet season can undo years of apparent stability in a few weeks.

Large trees close to a foundation pull significant moisture out of the soil during dry months. The ground shrinks on that side of the house and not the other, and the foundation follows.

Stair-step crack following the mortar joints of a painted concrete block wall

What settlement looks like

One corner or one side of the house visibly lower than the rest
Stair-step cracking in block or brick, following the mortar joints
Cracks wider at the top than the bottom, or the reverse
Doors and windows out of square rather than just sticking
Separation where an addition or a porch meets the main house
Cracks that keep coming back after being patched

How pier support works

Establish how much and where. Elevation readings around the foundation show the shape of the problem, which usually points at the cause.
Find competent soil. Piers only work if they reach ground that will actually carry the load, which means going past the layer that failed.
Install piers at the load points. Piers are placed along the footing where the structure bears, then the load is transferred onto them.
Stabilise, then decide about lifting. Stopping further movement and returning the foundation to its original elevation are two different goals with different risks.
Bring in an engineer where warranted. Structural repairs of this size often should have an engineer's assessment, and we would rather say so than not.

Being straight about scope

Pier work is the most involved foundation repair there is, and it's genuinely expensive. It's also frequently sold to people who don't need it.

Plenty of what gets called settlement is old, stable movement that stopped years ago and needs nothing beyond cosmetic repair. Some of it's a drainage problem that costs a fraction of underpinning to solve.

If that's what's going on at your house, that's what we'll tell you.

Describe what you're seeing

It usually takes a couple of minutes on the phone to work out whether this is something that needs attention now or something to keep an eye on.

Call 321-684-9144

Serving Melbourne and Brevard County.