Foundation raising in San Rafael, CA - solid concrete under your lifted house
Floodwater creeping toward your floors? Raising starts with an inspection, and we pour the new foundation that holds the house at its new height.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Can my San Rafael house be raised, and what does it take?
Foundation raising in San Rafael means separating a house from its foundation, lifting it on hydraulic jacks, holding it on temporary supports and building a new or taller foundation underneath, which can help keep floodwater out of the house. Our part is the concrete it comes down on.
Most people who call me about raising have seen water get close to the floor or found out their lot sits low, and they want to know if the house is a candidate before they pay for drawings. The price of our part moves with how much new concrete the design calls for, how deep and wide the footings go, and how easy it is to get a crew and a pump in under a house sitting on supports. The schedule turns on what happens before we pour, which is the inspection, the drawings and the permit, and the written estimate gives you your own figure, step by step.
How we handle the concrete in foundation raising
We don't do the lift ourselves, because jacking a house is a house mover's trade, and a design professional checks the structure and draws the new foundation before any of that starts. Once the house is up, our crew digs out under it and packs the subgrade, the soil the footings sit on, so it won't settle later. Then we set forms and rebar, the steel that holds concrete together when the ground moves, and pour the footings and walls to the engineer's drawings. I watch where the water runs the whole time, because a new foundation with the yard sloping toward it will have water sitting against it. Those footings disappear for good when the house comes down, which is why they're the last place I'd cut to save money.
Raising leaves the yard at the old level, so the concrete that used to meet your doors stops short. We pour a new concrete driveway up to the new height, and when an old step, porch slab or wall section is in the way, our concrete cutting takes it out without cracking what stays.
Extending the foundation you have
When the engineer finds the existing footings sound and wide enough, we build new concrete walls up from them to the new height. It keeps the digging down, so it usually suits a house whose old foundation is in good shape.
Pouring a new foundation
When the old foundation is cracked, too shallow or too narrow for the added height, we dig out and pour new footings and walls. It's more concrete and more digging, but I'd pick it over building tall on a base that's already failing.
Call while the design is still on paper, so the footings and drainage get planned with the lift instead of patched in after it.
What happens when you call us about raising your house?
Our part of a raise is the concrete under the house. Here's how that runs, from your first call to the point the house is ready to come down onto it.
Call or send a message
Tell us about the house and whether an engineer has looked at it yet, and we get back to you to set a time. If you have drawings or a report, send them along.
I measure and ask questions
I come out myself, measure, and ask what the new foundation has to carry and what sits on it, then send a written estimate that lays out each step. You see where the money goes on the concrete before you decide anything.
We settle permits, then pour
Before the pour we settle permits, layout and where the water goes, working from the engineer's drawings. I'm on site with our crew from forms to finish, until the walls are ready for the house to come down on them.
Get a written estimate for the concrete under your raised house
We reply within one business day to set a visit. I come out myself, the estimate is free and there's no pressure to book. Mention your foundation type, siding and any attached garage or porch.
(628) 234-2042Foundation raising rules and ground in San Rafael
San Rafael's list of permits that need plan review names remodels, additions, repairs and retaining walls, but not foundation raising, so that list doesn't settle whether your job needs a permit. I check with the city for your address, and when one is needed we handle the application and the inspections. The city also regulates building, filling, grading and digging in its flood hazard areas, and a raise involves digging and building. If your house is in a mapped flood zone and the work counts as a substantial improvement, the permit file has to show the house is properly elevated, and FEMA encourages its Elevation Certificate for that record, which you can also use to get flood insurance.
Liquefaction is when wet, loose ground loses its strength in a strong earthquake, and the state maps the areas where it may happen. If your lot is in one of those zones, the property may have to be investigated and the risk reduced as part of local permitting, which can change how deep and wide the engineer draws the footings. We run into the same questions about low ground and soft soil on jobs in Corte Madera and Larkspur.
Foundation raising questions from San Rafael homeowners
Can a house on a slab be raised in San Rafael?
Often not with the slab still attached, because lifting works best on houses built over a crawlspace, a basement or an open foundation. A slab house is a technically hard job, so plan for that before you choose raising, and I'll tell you plainly if the engineer's report points another way.
Does raising my house make it more likely to be damaged in an earthquake?
It can, because a house set up higher can be more open to earthquake damage. That's why it pays to weigh quake risk alongside flooding before you choose this route.
What is the best way to find out if my house can be raised?
Have a design professional inspect it for structural soundness before anything is lifted. Every framing member and connection has to take the stress of the lift, and lifting a house that isn't sound can lead to expensive damage. I'd rather wait for that report than price concrete for a house that shouldn't go up.
What license does a house raising contractor need in California?
Raising a house and its foundation falls under the state licensing board's building moving class. That class doesn't cover alterations, additions or repairs to the parts of the house that stay, so that work goes to other trades. We're licensed and insured, and our part is the concrete the house comes down on.
How much does it cost to raise a house in San Rafael?
The price comes from your house and the engineer's design, so I give it as a written estimate after I've seen the place, not as a number over the phone. A simple square or rectangular house is easier to lift than one with an attached garage, porch or addition, which often has to be lifted separately, and stucco or brick veneer has to be removed or braced so it stays put. Those drive the lifting side, and my estimate covers the concrete step by step.
How do I get my house ready to be raised?
Plan on the water, sewer, gas and electric lines all being disconnected before the lift and hooked back up at the end. Landscaping waits until the end too, so ask early what yard work the lift will need, and tell me about any patio or walk near the walls.
Concrete work that often follows a house raise
A raise can need openings cut for new utility lines or a clean break between old and new concrete, so cracks don't run into slabs you're keeping.
Once the house is up, the garage floor sits higher than the old drive, and a driveway poured to meet it keeps water running away from the door.
Get the concrete planned with your raise
We're based in San Rafael and take jobs from Petaluma down to Berkeley, so call (628) 234-2042 or use the form with your engineer's report handy, and I'll know what the footings have to carry before I come out.