Foundation repair in Auburn AL - a fix that matches what moved your house
Cracks over doors, sticking windows or a sloping floor? We find what's moving your house first, then fix that, not just the crack.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What's involved in fixing a foundation that's moved?
Foundation repair in Auburn, AL starts with finding out why part of your house has moved, which nearly always traces back to the soil under it, and then fixing that cause before we patch any of the cracks it left.
Usually you've noticed a crack that's getting longer, a door that won't latch or a floor that's started to slope, and you want to know how bad it is. Soil that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries can rise or fall by a lot at the surface, so the first thing I want to know is which part of the house moved and why. The price turns on how much of the house has moved, how many supports it needs, how easy the work area is to reach and whether an engineer should weigh in first, and the schedule turns on that engineer's review, any permit the job needs and the weather. The estimate I send after seeing your house says what we'd do and why.
How can you tell if your foundation is moving?
Stair-step cracks in brick
A crack that climbs the mortar joints like steps, often near a corner or under a window, usually means part of that wall has dropped or lifted. Left alone it tends to keep opening, and once water gets into it, a foundation job turns into a brick job too.
Doors that stick or won't latch
When a door that used to close fine starts dragging or a window binds, the frame has usually been pulled out of square by the wall around it moving. Planing the door hides it for a while, but the gap comes back if the house keeps moving.
Floors that slope or dip
A floor you can feel running downhill, or a gap opening under the baseboard, usually points to the foundation settling under that part of the house. The longer it goes, the more the walls, trim and brick above it crack to follow.
How we handle foundation repair
Before we talk about any repair system, I work out what's moving the house. That means looking at the cracks inside and out, where the roof and yard send water, what's growing close to the walls and whether the movement looks old or still going, because a patch that doesn't match the cause usually ends up needing the same work again. On bigger jobs I'll tell you plainly when an engineer should look first. When we do the work, our crew digs out at the section that moved, sets the supports it needs, puts the soil back and cleans up after itself.
Once the house has stopped moving, the cracks it left still need closing. Cracked and loose mortar gets raked out and refilled through tuckpointing, matched to the old joints so the repair suits the house, and a chimney that split or leaned with the house gets its own chimney repair. We do those last, because patching them while the ground is still moving just means doing them twice.
Supporting a section that settled
This suits a house where one corner or one wall has dropped because the ground under it can't hold it up. We set supports under that section down to firmer ground, and the questions below cover which kind fits which house.
Masonry repair after old movement
Some houses moved years ago and have sat still since, and then the honest fix is repairing the cracked brick and mortar, not digging. We go that way when what I see on site says the movement has stopped.
Get a free foundation repair estimate at your house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look the house over and send a free estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
(334) 780-0060- Based in
- Auburn, AL 36830
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about your foundation?
Here's how a foundation job runs from your first call to the walk-through at the end, and what you'll have in hand before any digging starts.
Call us or send the form
We get back to you and set a time for me to come out. Tell us what you've noticed and where, because it helps me know what to look at first.
I come out and look
I check the cracks, the floors and where the water goes, and I ask a lot of questions. The estimate I send says what we'll do and why, so you can weigh the price against the work it covers.
We fix it and walk it
We take care of the permit paperwork when the job needs it, then do the work. When we're finished we walk it with you, so you see what was done before we leave.
Why Auburn homeowners call United Auburn Concrete and Masonry for foundation work
The owner looks at every job
I come out to look at every job myself and work alongside our crew on it. The person who worked out what moved your house is the one making sure the fix matches it.
In business since 2020
We've been at this for 6 years, and I learned the trade handing brick to my dad on his jobs long before that. Most of our calls come from owners of older brick homes, so we're used to repairs that have to suit the house they're on.
Licensed and insured, and we'll show you
Licensed and insured. Alabama ties licensing for foundation work to the size of the job and whether it touches the structure, so it's worth asking any contractor about theirs before you sign.
On a foundation, the fix has to match the cause, so send us the form or call (334) 780-0060 and let me take a look.
Foundation and brick repair in Auburn
Inside Auburn's city limits, the city's plan reviewers and inspectors review submitted plans and inspect new and remodeled buildings, so they're the office that decides what a foundation job at your address needs. We check with the office that covers your address before we start and take care of the permit paperwork when the job needs it. If your house is in one of the city's designated historic districts, exterior work you can see from the street in front needs a Certificate of Appropriateness unless city staff call it routine maintenance, which matters when we're rebuilding brick near the foundation, so tell us up front and we'll plan around it.
A lot of the houses we work on are older brick homes, where a settled corner shows up as stair-step cracks and a porch or chimney that's pulled away from the wall. We see the same thing on jobs in Opelika and Tuskegee, and the approach doesn't change, which is to find what's moving first and keep the repair looking like it belongs on the house.
Questions about foundation repair in Auburn
How much does foundation repair cost in Auburn, AL?
Foundation repair in the Auburn area usually costs about $2,500 to $15,000 per project, a broad area figure for the whole job and not our price. Where your house lands depends mostly on how much of it has moved and how many supports it needs. The estimate after I've seen it gives you a price for your own house.
What is the best way to choose between push piers and helical piers?
Go by the weight and build of your house, because that usually decides which of these two kinds of in-ground supports fits. One pier maker's guide says push piers suit heavy structures over dense soil within reach, while helical piers suit lighter structures, soils that vary and sites with no bedrock in reach. The same guide says single-story homes, slab homes, porches, chimneys and additions often aren't heavy enough to drive a push pier down to firm footing, and that helical piers suit jobs where each pier's capacity needs checking as it goes in.
Should I get an engineer to look at my foundation before hiring a repair company?
On a large repair, it's a good idea. One pier maker's own engineer says no single repair method is better in every case and suggests consulting a registered professional engineer before spending heavily on foundation repair. That's why I tell you early when I think an engineer should look first.
Does a foundation contractor need a license in Alabama?
Often, yes. A state licensing rule gives the example of a foundation contractor hired directly by a homeowner to build a foundation, who needs a residential home builder's license because the job costs more than $10,000 and affects the home's structural integrity. Ask any contractor about their license before you sign.
Can I act as my own contractor for foundation repair in Alabama?
You can claim the homeowner exemption, but any subcontractor you hire still needs a license when their part of the job costs more than $10,000.00. Claiming it also puts your protections under the state's Home Builders Licensure Law at risk, including filing a consumer complaint and payment from the Homeowners' Recovery Fund.
How do I keep the soil around my foundation from shrinking and swelling?
Water evenly all the way around the house rather than heavily, because engineering guidelines written for Texas say keeping soil moisture near uniform on every side may help, and they warn against overwatering. The same guidelines say trees or large shrubs near a foundation may shrink the soil under it, and that removing them can let the soil rise as it gets wetter, especially with trees older than the house. Talk it through before you cut down a big tree next to your foundation.
Related services that often follow foundation work
Chimney repair
A chimney rides on the same ground as the house, so when it leans, cracks or pulls away from the wall, it may need its own repair.
Tuckpointing
Worn or cracked mortar lets water into a brick wall, and fresh joints that match the old ones keep the wall tight once the movement underneath has stopped.
Service areas we cover from Auburn
United Auburn Concrete and Masonry is based in Auburn, Alabama, and works across the cities around it. Seven of them have their own page here, Valley and Lanett among them, so pick yours to see the work we do nearby.
Auburn, AL
Find out what's moving your foundation
Tell us your address, what kind of house it is and whether it's in a historic district, so I know what the city will ask for before I come out.