Foundation raising in Forest Lake MN - a house lifted back to level on solid support
Sticking doors, cracked walls or a floor that slopes? We lift your house back to level and set it on support that carries it from below.
How do you fix a house that's sinking in Forest Lake?
Foundation raising in Forest Lake lifts a settled house back to level, either with hydraulic jacks under the beams that carry it or with steel piers set beneath the footing to hold it up from below and help keep it from settling again.
Most people call us after they notice doors that stick, cracks running out from the corners of windows or a floor that rolls toward one side, and those usually mean part of the house has dropped. At Forest Lake Concrete, the price moves with how big and heavy your house is, what the walls are built of, what kind of foundation it has, how far it's settled and how many piers it takes. The schedule turns on what the permit check turns up and on how much bracing the house needs before we lift. When I come out, I walk the job with you and write down what the price covers, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
How we handle foundation raising
I start by looking at what your house sits on and what it's built of, because a brick or stone house needs extra support while it moves. Then I explain the pier options in plain words before you decide, since you're the one paying for them and you should know why one fits your house better than another. Once you've chosen, our crew digs out where the supports go, sets the jacks and raises the house a little at a time, letting the weight down onto cribbing, the stacked supports that hold the house steady between lifts. When it's back where it belongs, we set it on its permanent support, fill the holes back in and clean up. If the budget's tight, spend it under the house before you spend it on patching cracks, because a patch over a house that's still moving just cracks again.
Sometimes the only way to reach the footing is through a basement floor or a garage slab, and our concrete cutting work opens it along straight saw lines so it patches back clean. A settling house often pulls the driveway down with it, so once the house is level we can also price a new concrete driveway to go with it.
Why Forest Lake homeowners call Forest Lake Concrete to raise a house
The owner walks your house first
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and then I work on the crew that does the lift. The person who explained the plan to you is the one there when we carry it out.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. Ask any contractor bidding your lift to show you both, because nobody should put a jack under your house without them.
In business since 2023
I came to concrete later than most, learned the trade on a local crew and started this business in 2023. I still remember not knowing the words, so I'll take the extra half hour to answer your questions.
Ask who's digging under your house
Forest Lake's building permit form says excavators have to be licensed by the city, so ask whoever digs on your job whether they hold that license. I'd rather you ask every contractor that question, us included, than not ask it at all.
On a lift, what matters most is the part you won't see later, what the house sits on and how it's held while it moves. Have your foundation type, what your walls are made of and whether you're in the flood fringe handy, then call (612) 448-0764 or send us your project.
Get a written estimate for raising your house
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free, done at your house and comes with no obligation. Once you send the form, I'll set a time to come out, walk the job with you and write down what the price covers.
Foundation lifting work up close
What to ask before raising your foundation
How do I know if push piers or helical piers are right for my house?
It usually comes down to your foundation, since a house with a basement or a frost foundation tends to suit push piers, and one on a shallow footing or a slab with a thickened edge may need helical piers. Push piers are driven in with hydraulics that push against the weight of the house, so a lighter house can start lifting before they reach firm soil, while helicals are screwed in with a hydraulic motor and work no matter what the house weighs. Once they're in, both do about the same job.
Can you raise a brick or stone house in Forest Lake?
Yes, a solid brick, stone or masonry house can be raised, but it takes more cribbing points, more careful planning of where the weight goes and often bracing inside the house. Masonry cracks easily when one part moves more than another, so plan for that extra support work in both the price and the schedule.
How much does it cost to raise a house in Forest Lake, MN?
Raising a house in Minneapolis usually costs about $10,000 to $60,000 per project, and there's no Forest Lake figure I can point you to, so treat that as a rough guide here. The spread is wide because houses are so different, which is why your own number comes from walking yours and writing down what it covers.
Do I need a permit to raise my house in Forest Lake?
Check with the city before any lifting starts, because its building permit form lists separate permits for plumbing, HVAC, utility connections and electrical but doesn't name foundation raising, so the form alone doesn't settle it. The City of Forest Lake helps homeowners with permits at 651-464-4349. Before we set a date, we check with the city and any other office the job touches, and if you need a permit we help you sort it out and tell you who we've talked to.
How do flood fringe rules in Forest Lake affect raising a house?
If your house is in the city's flood fringe district, structures there have to sit on fill, with the lowest floor, basement included, at or above the flood protection height the city sets. A house that isn't on fill or flood proofed to the district's standards is allowed only as a conditional use, one the city approves case by case, so plan your lowest floor height around those rules before anything gets lifted. Tell me when you call if you think your house is in that district.
Does a contractor need a license to raise a house in Minnesota?
Often, yes, because the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry requires a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license from anyone who contracts directly with a homeowner for work in more than one special skill. Ask whoever bids your job which license they carry and how it covers the work, and get that answer before you sign.
Other work that often goes with a lift
- Concrete cutting
When the piers have to go in through a basement floor or garage slab, a clean saw cut opens just what's needed and leaves edges that patch back neatly.
- Concrete driveway building
If years of settling have tipped the driveway toward the garage or broken it up, a new one poured on a packed base gives you a level approach again.