Foundation raising in Azusa CA - a house that sits higher on support built to carry it

House sitting too low on a foundation that's seen better days? We check it first, then build the foundation it rests on, higher.

Request an estimate (626) 540-1248

A newly poured two-car concrete driveway with scored rectangular panels sits behind caution tape in front of a garage.

What does raising a house in Azusa involve?

Foundation raising in Azusa means lifting your house off its foundation and holding it up while a new or extended foundation goes in underneath, so the house ends up sitting higher than it did.

Most people asking about this have a house that sits lower than they'd like or a foundation that's done its time, and they want to know whether the house can go up at all. Price and schedule turn on the same few things: whether the house sits on a slab, a crawlspace or a basement, how much of the old foundation can stay, what the design checks call for and how long the city's reviews take. You get your own figure once we've looked at the house, because nobody can price a lift from a photo of the front porch.

How our crew handles foundation raising

Raising a house is careful work, so we start at the bottom and don't rush it. I look at the house and its foundation first and tell you up front what has to be checked before any lift gets planned, because the plan depends on what those checks find. Once the checks are back and the city has signed off, our crew protects the yard, trees and sprinklers around the work, and with the house lifted and held, we build the new or extended foundation underneath, then clean up. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you trim something you can see than the concrete under the house, because nobody admires a foundation once it's covered, but it's the part holding everything up.

A raise usually touches the concrete around the house too. A walk, porch slab or patio tied into the old foundation may need concrete cutting so it comes loose cleanly instead of breaking wherever it pleases. With the house sitting higher, the driveway may have to meet it at a new height, which is where concrete driveway building comes in.

Houses on a crawlspace or basement

These are the more workable lifts, because there's already room under the floor to separate the house and get supports in. Most of the effort then goes into the foundation underneath and how much of the old one can stay.

Houses on a slab

A house on a slab is harder to lift than most, because the floor has to come up with the house. If that's yours, look for a crew with a lot of experience lifting slab houses, and expect us to tell you plainly what has to be checked first.

Why Azusa homeowners call A&M Azusa Concrete for foundation raising

I write your estimate and run the job

I come out to look at the house and foundation and write the estimate myself, so the person who priced the job is the one who answers for it. Our own crew does the work, and I'm on site running it, not checking in by phone.

Working on lived-in homes since 2013

I learned on new construction crews pouring footings and slabs on empty lots, then started this business in 2013 to work on homes people already live in. That's 13 years of working around trees, sprinklers, neighbors and the dog that wants to help.

Fully licensed and insured on every job

We're fully licensed and insured, which matters on work that carries the weight of your house. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. When you're ready, call (626) 540-1248 or send the form on this page with your foundation type.

Get a raising estimate based on your house and foundation

Send the form with whether your house sits on a slab, a crawlspace or a basement, plus your EQ Zapp result if you've looked it up, and we'll get back to you within one business day. I'll come out for a free on-site estimate, look at the house and foundation, and tell you what has to be checked before a lift is planned. There's no obligation.

Phone: (626) 540-1248
Email: service@concreteazusa.com
Location: Azusa, CA 91702
Hours: Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM

Foundation raising in Azusa: the city steps and the ground under you

Plan on a building permit, because Azusa requires one whenever a structure is altered, repaired or moved, and raising a house isn't on the city's list of work that can skip one. Ask the Planning Division first whether your project needs Design Review, since that approval has to be done before the permit application goes in. After that the Building Division reviews the drawings, which it requires for most projects, so leave time for it, and the city's permit process page says to contact them to find out whether yours needs it. Expect city inspections of the structural work along the way. Before work starts, we check with the office that covers your address, and when a permit is needed, we pull it and handle the paperwork.

Before the earthquake review covered in the questions below, look up your address on the state's EQ Zapp map, which shows whether it's in a mapped earthquake hazard zone or in an area the state hasn't evaluated yet, and the county's Public Works flood zone website has flood zone information too. Around here we mostly work on lived-in houses with mature trees, sprinklers and fences close to the walls, so protecting the yard is part of the plan from day one. We're based in Azusa and do the same work in the cities around it, from Glendora and Covina to Pasadena and Pomona.

Questions about raising a house in Azusa

How is a house raised onto a new foundation?

Most frame and masonry houses are separated from their foundation, lifted on hydraulic jacks and held on temporary supports. While the house rests on those supports, a new or extended foundation is built underneath it. The house then sits on that foundation, higher than before.

How do I know if my old foundation can carry a raised house?

A design professional has to check it, so plan for that review before anything is lifted. National guidance says reusing as much of the existing foundation as possible is usually the most economical way to go, and most lifting methods allow it, but only once that check says the old foundation can carry the raised house.

What is the best way to raise a house safely in an earthquake area like Azusa?

Have a design professional confirm that the raised house and its foundation can stand up to the expected side-to-side and up-and-down forces, which is what the guidance calls for in earthquake areas. That review weighs the house's structure and condition, the soil, the lifting method and the hazards at your site. The EQ Zapp lookup mentioned above is a good place to start.

How much does it cost to raise a house near Azusa?

Raising a house in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $4,000 to $13,000 per job, and that's the going rate around here, not our quote. A slab house, an old foundation that can't be reused and whatever the design and city reviews call for all push the price higher.

Who is licensed to raise a house in California?

California's Contractors State License Board has a class for this work, the C-21 Building Moving/Demolition license, which covers contractors who raise, lower, underpin and move structures and their foundations. That class leaves out alterations, repairs or rehabilitation of the parts of the house that stay in place. If you're planning a remodel while the house is up, ask early who's handling that part.