Foundation repair in Springfield IL - a fix that matches what your house is doing
Bowing basement wall, cracks that keep growing or a porch pulling away? We find out why and fix it with the method your house needs.
Does my foundation need repair, and what will it take?
Foundation repair in Springfield, IL stops a house from settling further or a basement wall from bowing further. It's done with piers driven down to dense soil or bedrock, or with strips bonded to the wall to hold it. At Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry, we match the fix to what your house is actually doing.
Most calls start with something you can see, like a basement wall leaning in, a crack that's wider than it was last spring or a corner of the house that's dropped. The price comes down to which problem you have, how many piers or repair points it takes, how hard the wall or footing is to reach and whether water has to be dealt with too. The schedule turns mostly on whether the wall needs an engineer's look first and how much has to be dug or cleared before we can get to it. If the cracks run up through the brick above, that's brick repair we can do once the house underneath is steady. I'll come out, tell you what I see and write it up so you have a number for your own house.
How we handle foundation repair
I start by finding out what's moving and how far, so I measure the bow, check whether cracks are still opening and look at where your water goes. If a basement wall is bowing badly or still moving, I'll tell you to get a structural engineer's opinion before you pay anybody, us included, because an engineer who doesn't sell repairs can tell you whether the wall can be saved and what it needs. One repair guide puts that line at a bow past about 2 inches, one that's still growing, or any time you're not sure. When there's an engineer's report, we work from what the engineer finds. Then we pick the method that fits, and our crew does the digging, the install and the cleanup.
Movement rarely stops at the foundation. A settling house can crack mortar joints up the wall and work a chimney loose, so once the base is steady we can do the tuckpointing to replace the cracked mortar and any chimney repair the movement left behind.
Foundation and basement wall work on Springfield houses
Plenty of the houses we're called to around Springfield are older, with block or brick basement walls. Plenty of others are single story ranches, slab houses or homes with a porch that's settled away from the rest. That mix matters because a heavy two-story over a full basement and a light ranch don't take the same pier, which I get into in the questions below. We see the same range of houses on jobs in Chatham and Taylorville, and we size up each one the same way before we pick a fix.
Yard space decides more than people expect. Wall anchors need open ground set back from the foundation, so a driveway, property line or neighbor's garage close to the wall rules them out and we look at a fix from inside. Where anchors do fit, plan on some lawn repair once we're done.
How foundation repair works with us
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing, whether it's a bowing wall, a crack or a dropped corner, and what kind of house it is. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look it over myself
I measure the wall, check whether it's still moving and tell you what I see while I'm standing there. You get a written estimate with the fix I'd use, why I'd use it and what it costs, so you know the number before you decide anything.
We check, schedule and start
Once you say go, we check with the city or village office for your address and set a date. Our crew does the work, and I'm on the job working right alongside them.
Walk the finished job together
Before we pack up, we walk the job with you so you can see what was done and where. Ask anything you want while we're both standing there.
Get an estimate on your foundation or basement wall
We reply to every form within one business day. I come out myself, look the job over and write up a free on-site estimate. There's no obligation to go ahead.
What people ask about foundation repair
How much does foundation repair cost in Springfield, IL?
Foundation repair in Springfield usually costs about $500 to $1,950 per pier or repair point, and that's the going rate around here, not our price. Your total depends on how many points the house needs, which method fits, how hard the wall or footing is to reach and whether drainage work is part of it. You get your own number from the estimate once I've seen the job.
Do I need helical piers or push piers for my house?
Push piers suit heavy houses over dense soil we can reach, and helical piers suit lighter houses, mixed soil and sites where bedrock is out of reach. Push piers are driven down by the weight of the building, and a single story home, a slab house or a porch often doesn't have enough of it, so helical piers are the standard there. They're also the pick when each pier's load has to be checked one at a time as it goes in.
What is the best way to fix a bowing basement wall?
If the wall has moved less than about 2 inches, carbon fiber straps are the usual fix. They're strong fabric strips glued to the inside of the wall with epoxy, and they keep it from bowing any further. A wall that's past that or still moving should get an engineer's look first.
Can a bowing basement wall be straightened, or only held in place?
It can be straightened, but not with every method. Carbon fiber straps hold the wall where it is and don't pull it back. If you want it straight again, you're looking at wall anchors, helical tiebacks or adjustable steel beams, which can bring back lost position over time.
How do I get my basement ready for foundation repair?
Clear the wall we're working on so we can reach its full height, because carbon fiber straps run straight up from the basement floor to the sill plate, the board the house framing sits on. Shelves, stored boxes and anything hung on that wall need to come away from it. I'll tell you which walls at the estimate.
Should I fix drainage when I get my foundation repaired in Springfield?
Usually, yes, because a full repair generally pairs the structural fix with getting water away from the house. That can mean regrading so surface water runs off, gutters and downspouts that let out well clear of the foundation, and often a drainage system to take water pressure off the wall. I'll point out what I see at your house so you can plan it into the same project.
Why Springfield homeowners call Artisan Springfield Concrete and Masonry for foundation repair
I look at every job myself
I come out to every job, look it over and write the estimate myself, and I'm on the job working next to our crew once it starts. The person who told you what's wrong is the one making sure it gets fixed that way.
A straight answer, even a small one
If your wall can wait, or the fix is smaller than you feared, I'll tell you so. I'd rather lose a sale than sell work your house doesn't need.
In business since 2013
I learned brick under an older mason and started this business in 2013, and we're best known for brick and mortar work on older homes. Old basement walls and the brick above them are work we know.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured. That means you aren't the one carrying the risk while our crew is digging next to your house.
On a foundation, the right fix depends on what the house is doing, so it starts with me seeing it. Contact us and we'll set a time.
Other masonry work that often goes with it
Chimney repair
A chimney that's leaning, cracked or dropping brick can come from movement below or from years of weather, and it's worth fixing before it pulls away.
Tuckpointing
If your mortar joints are crumbling, cracked or washing out, fresh mortar keeps water out of the wall and holds the brick tight before it loosens.
Send photos of your foundation or basement wall
Photos of the wall, whether the bow is getting worse and what kind of house it is, single story, slab or full basement, tell me a lot before I pull up, so call (217) 210-0722 or send the form with them.
