Foundation raising in South El Monte CA - a house that sits level on solid support
Sloping floors, sticking doors or a house that needs to sit higher? We check what's under it and plan the lift to fit.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What's involved in raising or leveling a house in South El Monte?
Foundation raising in South El Monte comes in two kinds. We either lift the whole house on hydraulic jacks, hold it on temporary supports and build a new or extended foundation under it, or we bring a house that has settled back to level on piers.
Most people call me about one of two things, a house that has sunk out of level or a house they want sitting higher. The price moves with the size of the house, the kind of foundation under it and whether the old foundation can be built on or has to come out. The schedule turns on how much new foundation work that means and how long the city's permit review takes. I can't give you a real number until I've seen what's under your floors, which is what the in-person estimate is for.
How can you tell your house has settled?
Cracks that climb in steps
A crack that runs on a diagonal or zigzags up a foundation wall like a staircase usually means part of the house has dropped lower than the rest. Settling usually keeps going if nobody deals with it, so the crack and the repair both tend to get bigger.
Floors that slope or dip
If a marble rolls to one side of the room or you feel a soft dip near a wall, that part of the foundation has likely sunk. The longer it sits, the more it pulls on the framing, the tile and everything built on top.
Doors that stick, walls that crack
A door that drags, a window that won't slide or a fresh crack in the drywall over a door frame usually means settling has pulled things out of square. Planing the door or patching the crack only hides it, and it tends to come back.
How we handle foundation raising
Before any lifting gets planned, I look at what kind of foundation is under the house and what shape it's in, since that decides how much new work the job needs. We also talk about how the house will handle an earthquake once it sits higher, because raising a home can make it more likely to be damaged in one, and that's better talked through now than after. On a full lift, we separate the house from its foundation, raise it on hydraulic jacks and set it on temporary supports, then build the new or extended foundation underneath while it waits up there and set it down on the finished work.
Lifting or leveling a house usually touches the concrete around it. Where a walkway, patio or slab meets the house, concrete cutting lets us take out just the section that's in the way, and once the house sits higher, a new concrete driveway brings the drive back up to meet the garage.
Lift and extend the old foundation
This suits a house on a crawlspace, basement or open foundation where the old foundation is in good enough shape to carry the added height and weight. We build up from what's there instead of starting over.
Lift and rebuild the foundation
When the old foundation is in poor shape or can't take the extra load, it comes out and a new one goes in while the house rests on its supports. It's more work, but it's the right call when the old one won't hold.
Relevel on piers
If the house doesn't need to go higher and just needs to be level again, piers, steel supports set down under the foundation, can lift the settled side back up and help keep it from sinking again. This fits a house showing the signs above.
Get a free estimate on raising or leveling your house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a visit. I come out to look at the house myself, the estimate is free, and there's no pressure to book.
- Based in
- South El Monte, CA 91733
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call about foundation raising?
Here's how a foundation job runs on your end, from the first call to the walk-through at the end, and who you'll be dealing with along the way.
Call or send a message
Call (626) 719-0110 or use the form and tell us what you're noticing at the house, or what you'd like to do with it. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I come out and measure
I check what kind of foundation you have and what shape it's in, measure, and talk through whether you need a full lift or a relevel. Then you get your estimate for the work we talked through, so you know what's being done before you decide anything.
We handle permits and inspections
If you go ahead and the job needs a permit, we pull it and set up the inspections. South El Monte wants 24 hours' notice for an inspection, and Monday inspections are requested the Thursday before, so we plan the work around those dates.
We do the work together
My crew and I do the lifting and the foundation work ourselves. Before we pack up, I go over the finished job with you, and if anything doesn't look right to you, that's the time to say so.
Why South El Monte homeowners call us to raise a house
I come out to every estimate
I'm the one who walks around your house, looks at the foundation and answers your questions, and my crew and I do the work. You won't get one person selling the job and a stranger showing up to do it.
Licensed and fully insured crew
We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm happy to go over both at the estimate. That matters on a lift, where your whole house sits on temporary supports for part of the job.
In business since 2023
This started as weekend jobs for neighbors around South El Monte, and I learned the trade working next to finishers who'd been at it for years. Three years in, I still pick up the phone myself.
Concrete and foundation work are hard to undo once they're started, so I'd rather you ask me everything up front. Contact us and we'll set a time for me to come take a look.
Foundation raising and permits in South El Monte
In South El Monte, every building permit application, home or business, goes through the city's online permit portal, and the city checks plans against the current California Building Code, its own rules, and state and federal law before work starts. Whether your particular job needs a permit is the city's call, so we sort that out with them before we plan anything. When a job needs one, we pull it and set up the inspections, and we check with the right office for your address, since some cities nearby have their own permit counters and some areas go through the county.
Around here I see a real mix under people's floors, some houses on slabs and some on raised floors over a crawlspace, which is why the first thing I check is what's under yours. We run into the same mix on jobs in El Monte and Rosemead.
Questions about foundation raising in South El Monte
How much does raising a house cost near South El Monte?
Raising a house in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $12,000 to $68,000 per home, for homes of 1,000 to 2,500 square feet. That's the going rate for the work around here, not our price, and where your house lands depends on the things I covered up top, mostly its size and how much new foundation it needs. I'll give you your own figure after I've been out to see it.
Can a house on a slab be raised?
Sometimes, but lifting a house with its slab still attached often isn't practical. The other way leaves the slab where it is and builds a new, raised floor after the lift, and I'll tell you at the estimate which way makes sense for your house.
Who is licensed to raise a house in California?
In California, raising, lowering and moving a house, foundation included, falls under the state's building moving and demolition license. Repairs and changes to the parts of the house that stay in place fall outside that license, so if your job includes that kind of work, ask who's handling it.
What is the best way to level a house that has settled?
Piers are a common fix, because push piers or helical piers can bring a settled house back to level and help keep it from settling again. Push piers are driven down using the weight of the house itself, while helical piers screw into the ground like a big corkscrew. One pier maker's installation guide has crews call 811 first so buried utility lines get marked with paint or flags before any digging.
How do I find out which part of my foundation is sinking?
Ask whether the inspection uses measuring equipment that shows which parts of the foundation are sinking and by how much. It's a fair question for anyone who comes out to look, me included, because it tells you where the trouble is instead of leaving you guessing.
How do I check if my house is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Put your address into the state's EQ Zapp tool, which shows whether it sits in a mapped earthquake hazard zone. It also shows when the hazards for an area haven't been evaluated yet, which is worth knowing before you raise a house, since a raised house can fare worse in a quake.
Concrete work that often goes with a house lift
Concrete cutting
When a lift or relevel means opening up a slab, walkway or patio where it meets the house, we saw clean lines so only that section comes out.
Concrete driveway building
Once a house sits higher, the driveway may not meet the garage the way it should, so a new pour can bring it up to meet the house.
Service areas for foundation raising around South El Monte
South El Monte Concrete is based in South El Monte, California, and takes foundation raising jobs in the cities and county areas around it. You'll find pages for 12 cities below, including El Monte and Rosemead.
South El Monte, CA
Book a look at your foundation
Jot down your address, what's under the house if you know, and any cracks or sticking doors, then call (626) 719-0110 or use the form so I come out ready for your house.