House leveling often leaves homeowners questioning its worth. With numerous considerations such as the cost, the value it adds to the property, and the potential risks of ignoring an uneven foundation, deciding whether to level a house requires being well-informed.
In this blog article, we’ll go over the basics of house leveling including how it’s done, the signs that indicate a need for leveling, the difference between helical and push piers, and more.
What is House Leveling?
House leveling is a service that involves using foundation piers to raise a home. This service is usually necessary after a foundation has experienced differential foundation settlement. Following house leveling, your home will be more level than before and have more stability to prevent future settling.
How Much Does House Leveling Cost?
Leveling a home is an expensive process. The total price can vary depending on many factors. However, we estimate that most house-leveling projects will cost $25,000 or more on average.
What Are the Steps to House Leveling?
- Identify the areas of the house that require leveling.
- Insert foundation piers into the ground until they reach bedrock or firm strata.
- Connect the piers to the foundation.
- Use the piers to raise the house to the maximum practical level. This means the house will be raised as much as possible without causing damage.
Helical vs. Push Piers
When leveling your home, a professional foundation team will use either helical or push piers. Here is an explanation of the difference between the two:
- Push piers: These foundation piers come in segments. Your foundation team will drive each segment into the ground while connecting them to one another.
- Helical piers: These foundation piers are like giant screws. Your foundation team will insert helical piers into the ground by twisting them until they are fully embedded
Despite their differences, push and helical piers serve the same main purpose. Both pier types add strength to your foundation and help raise the home as much as possible without causing damage.
Why Do Some Homes Need Leveling?
The most common reason why a home needs leveling is that it has experienced differential foundation settlement. A small amount of uniform settlement is normal, especially in the first year after construction. In contrast, differential settlement is worrisome because it involves uneven foundation shifts. These shifts cause your home to be unlevel and lead to many other structural problems.
Signs Your Home Has Experienced Differential Foundation Settlement
- Foundation cracks: After differential settlement occurs, it is common for foundation walls to crack. These cracks can become wide and deep.
- Wall cracks throughout your home: Not only does differential foundation settlement cause foundation cracks, but it can also cause cracks to occur in any wall in your home.
- Sloping floors: If any of the floors in your home have a distinct pitch, there is a chance that the issue arises from differential foundation settlement.
- Jammed windows and doors: When your foundation becomes unlevel due to differential foundation settlement, the windows and doors in your home may become difficult to open and close.
- A separation between ceiling and wall: Along with cracks, differential foundation settlement can also cause separations to form between your walls and ceilings. Separations between the floor and the wall can also happen.
How Long Does House Leveling Take?
The total time required to level a house can vary greatly. However, we estimate that it will take about two to three days to level a smaller house, while it may take several more days to level a large home.
Do You Need to Leave Your Home During House Leveling?
Since house leveling involves significant changes to your home’s structure, you might expect that you need to leave your home while the process unfolds. However, one of the amazing aspects of this service is that you can remain in your home during the repair. In fact, you can remain in your home during most types of foundation repair projects.
Will My Home Be Completely Level After House Leveling?
Given the name, many people assume that house leveling will make your home completely level. In some cases, this is true. However, there are instances in which it is not possible to make a home completely level. During house leveling, your foundation team will raise your home as much as possible. At times, this means your home won’t become completely level, but it will be more even than it was before the house leveling service.
Can Differential Foundation Settlement Happen Again After House Leveling?
One of the most impactful aspects of house leveling is that the piers provide an immense amount of stability for your home. This increase in stability makes it far less likely that your home will experience differential foundation settlement in the future.
Can You Do DIY House Leveling?
DIY house leveling is not possible. The average person will not have access to the tools and equipment necessary to perform this project. Additionally, house leveling is incredibly difficult and dangerous, especially if you lack experience.
When your home requires leveling, you should not ignore it. Instead, you should contact a foundation professional as soon as possible to fix the problem. The correct team will understand your house leveling needs and provide the ideal service for you.
Do You Need House Leveling?
Foundation damage and differential settlement are serious structural concerns that you should address immediately. The best approach you can take is to contact an experienced foundation professional who can evaluate your unlevel home and provide house leveling services.
For anyone in the Triad, Triangle, or Eastern North Carolina, Regional Foundation & Crawl Space Repair is the company you can depend on for any foundation repair services. Contact us today to schedule a foundation evaluation and receive a repair estimate.
