Foundation raising in Lewiston ID - your house lifted and set down on new concrete
If your house sits too low or the old foundation is giving out, we lift it, build new underneath and set it back down.
Ask whether your house can be lifted
Tell us your foundation type and whether the walls are brick or stone, because those two things shape the lift plan from the first call.
Can my Lewiston house be raised onto a new foundation?
Foundation raising in Lewiston means separating your house from its old foundation, lifting it on hydraulic jacks, holding it on temporary supports and building a new or extended foundation underneath before we set it back down. It's how a house gets higher off the ground, or onto good concrete when the old foundation can't carry it anymore.
Most folks who call about this have a house that sits too low, a foundation that's wearing out, or both, and the first question is whether the house suits a lift at all, which comes down mostly to what it sits on. The price and the schedule turn on the same few things: your foundation type, whether the old foundation can be extended or has to come out, whether the walls are brick or stone, and how much plumbing and wiring has to be redone once the house is up. I come out and look before anyone talks numbers, and the written estimate I send afterward lays out the prep, the mix and the plan for your house.
Why Lewiston homeowners call Lewiston Concrete to raise a house
I look at the house myself
I'm the one who comes out, looks over your foundation and writes the estimate, and I'm on site running the crew when we form and pour. You won't get handed off to a salesman.
Building in Lewiston since 2017
I taught myself concrete on my own place here, then learned the rest on other people's job sites before starting this business. We're known for giving the work underneath as much care as the finish.
Permits checked with your office
Your address decides whether the city or Nez Perce County is in charge, so we check with that office before work starts and handle any permit application. We're licensed and insured.
On a lift, the plan made before the first jack goes in matters most, so call or send a message and I'll come take a look.
How our foundation raising works
Lifting a house is a big step, so before we settle the lift plan we want a qualified mover or engineer to look over the building. Then our crew separates the house from its old foundation, raises it on hydraulic jacks and holds it on temporary supports while we work underneath. Depending on the old foundation's condition and whether it can carry more load, we either extend it or tear it out and pour new, and that choice sets the size of the job. Once the new concrete has cured, which is the wait while it gains strength, we set the house back down. I'll be upfront that you'll need somewhere else to stay for part of this, while the foundation and utilities are rebuilt.
A lift usually brings other concrete work with it. When old walls or a slab have to come out in pieces, we do the concrete cutting ourselves, and once the house sits higher, the driveway often has to meet it at a new height, which is where concrete driveway building comes in.
Crawl space and open foundations
These houses usually suit a standard jack-and-support lift because the crew can reach underneath to set the jacks. It's the most straightforward kind of lift there is.
Basement homes
Basement houses also suit the standard lift, but there's more foundation wall to extend or rebuild below them. Expect more digging and more concrete than under a crawl space.
Brick, stone and masonry homes
One lifting equipment maker's guide says these homes can be lifted, but they need more careful load planning and often bracing inside. Tell us up front if your walls are brick or stone.
Homes with rot or heavy settling
The same maker's guide says rotted sills, failing framing or severe settling sometimes call for a lot of reinforcing before the lift. That's part of why we want a mover or engineer to look first.
How do you know your house needs raising?
Water reaching the house
Water pooling against the walls or getting under the house in heavy rain usually means it sits too low for its spot. Each wet season you wait soaks more of the framing.
Crumbling foundation walls
Foundation walls that flake, crumble or crack wide open often mean the old foundation is wearing out. The longer it goes, the less of the house it can carry.
Floors that slope or sag
A marble that rolls across the room or a floor that dips near one wall can point to a foundation that's giving way. Left alone, the framing starts to bend.
Doors and windows sticking
Doors that suddenly rub the frame and windows that won't slide usually mean the house is shifting on its foundation. Caught early, the old foundation may still be worth extending.
What happens after you call about raising your house?
Call and walk the house
You call or send a message, and I come out to look over the house and talk it through. My written estimate spells out the prep, the mix and the lift plan.
Plan, permit and lift
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit and pick dates with the weather in mind, since heat and cold both affect a pour. Then we lift and build underneath.
Cure, set down and finish
I stay with the job through finishing and curing before the house comes down onto the new concrete. Then we see the final inspections through with you.
Questions about raising a house
Here's what Lewiston homeowners usually ask before a lift. If your house raises a question these don't cover, call or send a message and I'll talk it through with you.
How much does it cost to raise a house in Lewiston?
Raising a typical single-family house usually costs about $20,000 to $80,000 per job across the US, and that's the national range, not our price. Crawl space and pier-and-beam homes tend to cost least because crews can get underneath, slab homes run higher and basements higher still. The written estimate I send after seeing your house spells out the work yours needs.
Can a slab home be raised?
Sometimes, but lifting a house with the slab still attached is hard and often not possible. Those slabs were built to rest on the dirt and may not carry the house once it's up, so a registered design professional should look at the slab before you choose this route. If a lift doesn't make sense for your house, I'll tell you.
Do I need a permit to raise my house in Lewiston?
Plan on one, because the city requires a building permit whenever a building is altered, constructed, enlarged, moved or repaired. The permit comes with the city's building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections, and the city issues a letter of completion once every inspector approves the work. We handle the application and work through the inspections with you, and if you want to ask the city yourself, use its Permit Portal, email cd@cityoflewiston.org or call 208-746-1318, option 1.
How long does it take to raise a house, and will I have to move out?
Plan on about 6 to 12 weeks of construction, and you'll be out of the house for part of that while the foundation and utilities are rebuilt. Line up a place to stay before work starts, and I'll walk you through when the move-out stretch is likely to fall.
What do I need to raise a house in a flood zone in Lewiston?
If your property is in the 100-year floodplain, the A Zone on FEMA's flood map, Nez Perce County requires a development permit before construction starts, and that covers the house and digging, filling and grading. The county also says renovating a home in an A Zone may need an Elevation Certificate before a building permit, and lenders often ask for one even when the county doesn't. Ask the city's permit staff which office handles your floodplain permit inside city limits, and if you need an older Elevation Certificate, your city or county floodplain administrator keeps those, not the state.
What causes extra costs when you raise a house?
Code upgrades are the big one, because raising a home can mean bringing plumbing, electrical and energy systems up to current building codes. Ask early which trades you'll need, so those costs are in your budget from the start.
Get a written estimate for your lift
Tell us where the house is and what it sits on, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out for a free look on site and send a written estimate, with no pressure to book.
Examples of foundation work
Work that often goes with a lift
Concrete cutting
When an old foundation wall or slab has to come out, clean saw cuts let us remove it in sections without cracking the parts that stay.
Learn moreConcrete driveway building
A raised house can leave the old driveway below the garage floor, and a new slab on a packed base meets the door at the right height.
Learn more