Foundation raising in Aurora CO - your house set back down on new concrete
Foundation failing, or the house sitting too low? We lift the house, build a new or extended foundation underneath and lower it back down.
Foundation raising puts new support under your house
Foundation raising in Aurora, CO is the job of lifting your house off its foundation so a new or extended one can be built underneath it. At Form & Finish Aurora Concrete, I learned this end of the trade on foundation crews. It's a different job from the driveways, patios and other flatwork we're best known for, because the house above is part of the work.
It's not the same as foundation installation, where the lot is empty and we pour before anything is built. Here the house is already standing, so we work in tight space under a structure that has to stay supported and level until the new foundation is ready for it.
Price and schedule both turn on the house itself, how much new foundation it needs and what the engineer finds when they look it over. The schedule also waits on the licensed trades who disconnect your utilities. My written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't, so you can see where your number comes from.
What foundation raising can do for your house
A foundation that's given out
When a foundation has cracked or shifted past the point where patching makes sense, lifting the house lets us take out what failed and build new concrete underneath. The engineer's review tells us whether that's the right call for your house.
A foundation that needs more under it
Sometimes the old foundation is mostly sound but too shallow or too small for the house it carries. If the engineer agrees, raising lets us extend it with new concrete below instead of tearing everything out.
A house that sits too low
Some houses sit lower than they should against the ground around them or where water collects. Lifting the house onto a taller foundation puts it at a better height, and it comes back down onto concrete built for it.
Is raising the house the right job
Raising a house is a big step, and it's not always the one you need. If the cracking and sinking you see is in the slab out front and not in the house, a new concrete driveway may be the whole fix, and that's a much smaller job.
If you need an opening in a wall or slab for a door, a window or a pipe, that's concrete cutting, not a lift. If nothing has been built yet, you want new concrete footings or a fresh foundation instead.
When it really is the house, I'd still have an engineer look before you commit. If they say your foundation can be saved some other way, I'd rather tell you that than sell you a lift.
What to settle before we lift your house
Who handles each part
I come out, look the house over and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site while our crew does the lifting, digging and pouring. The utility disconnects go to licensed trades, and we'll tell you which ones before work starts.
Whether the floor inside gets opened
One pier maker's installation guide calls for cutting out a square of concrete floor beside the foundation wall, so ask whether your job includes that step. It changes what you move away from that wall inside and what gets patched afterward.
What comes away from the walls
Anything attached to or tight against the house, like steps, a deck, plantings or the edge of a driveway, may have to come out so the crew can reach the foundation. Settle up front what gets removed, what goes back and who does it.
Licenses and soil for raising a house in Aurora
The City of Aurora requires a city license to build, alter, repair or move any structure, and its remodeling license excludes load-bearing parts like beams and columns, so ask any contractor which city license they hold for structural work. We're fully licensed and insured, and whoever disconnects your plumbing and electrical needs a state license on file with the city.
Some clay soils swell when dry ground gets wet, and Colorado's seasonal moisture swings make that far more common here than in the rainier eastern half of the country. Houses can sit on lightly loaded foundations that are especially prone to damage when that ground moves. We're based in Aurora and work across the cities around it, including Centennial and Parker.
Questions Aurora homeowners ask about raising a house
How is a house raised onto a new foundation?
Most houses are separated from their foundations, lifted on hydraulic jacks and held on temporary supports while a new or extended foundation is built underneath. Our crew handles the digging, forming and pouring below, and once the new concrete is ready, the house comes back down onto it.
Does my house need an engineer before it's raised?
Yes. National guidance says a design professional should inspect a home before it's lifted to make sure the structure is sound enough to move. We want an engineer to look over the house before any lift we do, so plan on that as the first step.
Can you raise a house that sits on a concrete slab in Aurora?
Sometimes, but that decision starts with a structural engineer, not with us. National guidance says to get a structural engineer's help before you even consider raising a slab-on-grade house, one poured right on the ground with no basement or crawlspace. On a slab home, we want the engineer in before you decide.
Do the utilities have to be shut off to raise a house?
Yes, every line has to be disconnected before the house goes up, including water, sewer, gas, electric and telephone. Licensed trades handle that part, and we'll tell you which ones before the job starts so nothing is still connected when the house moves.
How much does it cost to raise a house in the Denver area?
Raising a house in the Denver metro area usually costs about $3,100 to $12,500 per job, and that's the market's range, not our quote. In general, a bigger home with a more complex shape is harder to lift on jacks, so it lands higher. Your written estimate gives your actual number.
Tell us about your foundation raising job
Send your home's size and shape and whether it sits on a slab, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free on-site estimate with no obligation.
(720) 500-8526Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM