Seattle’s wet climate makes homes in the area particularly vulnerable to foundation issues, including mold and settlement. If you notice cracks in your walls or uneven floors, it may be time for repair. The This Old House Reviews Team has researched the best foundation repair companies in Seattle, Tacoma, and the surrounding area. This guide breaks down the costs and services of our top seven recommendations.
Top Foundation Repair Companies in Seattle
1. Best Overall in Seattle: R&R Foundation Specialist
Based in Everett, Washington, R&R Foundation Specialist provides top-quality foundation repair in Emerald City. The company maintains working relationships with local structural engineers to supply accurate, detailed, and free foundation elevations. R&R Foundation’s background and regional expertise equip it to handle various Seattle-specific foundation issues, such as herbaceous deposits in nearby soil depressions. Free Quote: Get your quote from R&R Foundation Specialist today
R&R Foundation Specialist Services & Pricing
R&R Foundation Specialist offers a comprehensive selection of foundation repair services ranging from $3,000–$8,000. The company works with 1st Security Bank to provide financing options. Here are some of R&R Foundation’s popular service options:
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer: R&R Foundation uses unique carbon fiber applications to strengthen, support, and preserve your concrete structures and masonry. This method is incredibly powerful, cost-effective, and quick. Chimney repair: The company fixes leaning or cracked chimneys by using a hydraulic machine and helical piers to stabilize the chimney and maintain the foundation’s structural integrity. Foundation repair: R&R Foundation uses helical piers or steel piers to fix uneven floors and foundation settlement. Its piers reach all the way to solid bedrock, pushing your foundation back to its original level.
2. Most Accessible: TerraFirma Foundation Systems
Though founded by a sixth-generation Oregonian, TerraFirma Foundation Systems understands Seattle’s environment and foundation issues well. The company offers earthquake retrofitting services as well as a convenient online portal for payments. TerraFirma customers receive financing through its partnership with EnerBank USA.
TerraFirma Foundation Systems Services & Pricing
TerraFirma offers a comprehensive selection of foundation repair, basement waterproofing, and crawl space repair services. Though the company does not post cost data online, we suggest you expect the overall cost of TerraFirma’s services to run between $3,300–$5,700, which is the average price of foundation repair in Seattle. Read over some of TerraFirma’s service options here:
Foundation Pier Systems: TerraFirma offers pier installation services for crawl space, basement, and concrete slab foundations. The company will use either helical or push piers, depending on your foundation issues. TerraFirma does have the unique option for a grouted micropile pier for homes with steep slopes, deep sand, and rocky and/or wet soil. Earthquake Retrofitting: This refers to a preventative process that improves your home’s ability to act as shelter after an earthquake. It can also help reduce earthquake insurance premiums and deductibles. Wall Stabilization: If you have crumbling, bowed, and/or cracked basement walls, TerraFirma provides a few permanent solutions to stabilize your walls. It offers both EverBrace, a high-strength steel wall system, and Shotcrete, a fiber reinforced concrete mixture that is sprayed onto walls and troweled to provide a smooth surface.
3. Best Warranties in Seattle: Ram Jack
Ram Jack is a large nationwide foundation repair company. It has a branch based in SeaTac, Washington, that services the Seattle area, and it offers some of the best warranties for foundation repair products and services on this list. Ram Jack offers transferable lifetime warranty that is backed by a warranty trust on its services. Similar to TerraFirma, Ram Jack also partners with EnerBank USA to offer comprehensive financing options.
Ram Jack Services & Pricing
Ram Jack offers a wide range of service options for foundation repair, including the unique option for timber pile support. The company claims that its pier-and-beam repairs cost around $1,000 to $3,000 for piers that are six-to-eight feet apart. Piers that focus on a single corner or have to be closer together may cost between $3,500 and $5,000. Learn about some of Ram Jack’s services below:
Timber Pile Support: Ram Jack provides additional support to any large back porch or structure you have being held up by wooden piers. It does so by connecting the wooden posts with brackets and raising them with a hydraulic machine. Wall Tie-Back Services: To fix bowing walls, the company provides helical tie-back anchors and soil nails. These products are similar to helical piers, but they extend horizontally rather than vertically to reach stable soil. Crawl Space Dehumidifiers: Ram Jack offers crawl space dehumidifiers for mold and mildew problems. These devices help circulate air, improve air quality, and reduce the relative humidity to below 50 percent. They also deal with any musty odors that can seep into your home.
4. Best for Structural Moving in Seattle: Robbins and Co. Foundation Systems
If you are thinking you require your entire house to be lifted or require another large structure to be moved, we recommend Robbins and Co. Foundation Systems. Robbins & Co. is a family owned and operated local foundation repair company that started in 1952. The company offers flexible solutions for heavy lifting through its Heavy Rigging and Moving Division which provides professional services for relocating extremely heavy or fragile products.
Robbins and Co. Foundation Systems Services & Pricing
Robbins and Co. offers industry-standard foundation repair services, as well as financing options. Services with the company will most likely cost around $3,300–$5,700. Below are some of Robbins and Co. service options:
Push Pier Installation: The company offers push pier installation as an option for its foundation stabilization service. These piers are attached to your home by steel brackets and driven below your home into the soil with high-pressure hydraulic equipment to drive the support of your home to solid bedrock or proper load-bearing soils. Leaning Chimney Repair: If you notice cracking in your chimney or it is leaning, Robbins and Co. provides custom solutions to remedy this issue. One option is the company’s Grip-Tite. This is high-carbon steel that features a thermoplastic coating specifically designed to be long-lasting and environmentally friendly. Structural Moving: If you require a portion of your home to be lifted or require a large item like a boat to be moved, Robbins and Co. will create a custom solution to make sure your structural moving needs are met.
5. Best for Concrete Services in Seattle: Seattle Foundation Repair
With more than 50 years of experience, Seattle Foundation Repair strives to bring the latest technology available in steel push piers and helical piers, waterproofing, and concrete lifting and leveling. The company offers some of the most comprehensive concrete services we have seen in the Seattle area. Concrete solutions range from epoxy and urethane injection to helical piers.
Seattle Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
Seattle Foundation Repair offers a wide variety of industry-standard solutions. The company also offers custom financing solutions through Enhancify, and its services will most likely cost around the average price of foundation repairs in Seattle, $3,300–$5,700. Learn about some of Seattle Foundation Repair’s popular solutions here:
Micropile Underpinning: Similar to other helical pier installations, Seattle Foundation Repair’s micropile services are able to mend cracked concrete and uneven floors. Unlike other pier repair options, micropiles are easy to install, require only small pieces of equipment, and feature low overhead costs. Polyfoam Concrete and Slabjacking: The company fills holes from the inside or from the outside of concrete structures using epoxy and urethane. These materials help prevent leaks, lift sinking foundations, and increase the structural integrity of the wall. Brickwork and Masonry Repairs: If you notice cracks in your brickwork, Seattle Foundation Repair will execute a detailed assessment and create recommendations based on your specific situation. Solutions may include underpinning or the use of cement or epoxy.
6. Best for Crawl Spaces in Seattle: Innovative Foundation Solutions, LLC.
Innovative Foundation Solutions is a family owned and operated business located in Washington that provides a variety of services for foundation, waterproofing, and concrete-related projects. The company offers some of the most comprehensive crawl space repair and preventative maintenance services on this list. The company also provides comprehensive financing options through GreenSky.
Innovative Foundation Solutions, LLC. Services & Pricing
The company provides a wide range of foundation repair solutions. Though it does not share pricing information online, you should expect the overall cost with Innovative Foundation Solutions to range between $3,300–$5,700. Check out some of the company’s services below:
Crawl Space Encapsulation: Innovative Basement Solutions offers a variety of crawl space repair and encapsulation solutions. In addition to using crawl space support jacks, the company also installs vapor barriers and interior drainage systems for crawl spaces. Pumps and Dehumidification Systems: The company offers custom-made pumping and dehumidification systems to assist with waterproofing foundation integrity. Solutions may include sump pump installation or crawl space dehumidifiers. Basement Waterproofing: If you are experiencing leaking wall cracks, sump pump issues, joint seepage, leaking floor cracks, and/or leaking windows, Innovative Foundation Solutions offers custom basement waterproofing options based on its detailed evaluation. One impressive offering includes a customized interior subfloor drainage system.
7. Best for Real Estate Evaluations in Seattle: Matvey Foundation Repair
Matvey Foundation Repair has serviced the Seattle area since 1997. We find the company to be an excellent option for real estate evaluations and repairs. Matvey customers are also able to receive customized financing options through Hearth.
Matvey Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
The company provides plenty of industry-standard foundation repair services. You can expect the company’s pricing to come in around the average cost of foundation repairs in Seattle, $3,300–$5,700. Read about some of Matvey Foundation Repair’s service options here:
Structural Real Estate Evaluations: Matvey Foundation Repair provides onsite home evaluations with a structural engineer for both home buyers and sellers. Its evaluations include an exterior assessment, interior assessment, crawl space assessment, consultation, custom repair solutions, and cost estimates. Mudjacking and Slabjacking: If you have sinking concrete structures, such as your driveway, then you may need mudjacking. This cost-effective service has the company lift concrete slabs with a mortar-based mix that is pumped underneath it. Wall Anchors: To help fix bowing walls, Matvey Foundation Repair offers wall anchors services. The company claims that its wall stabilization services can be executed gradually or immediately, depending on the strategy you select.
Foundation Repair Terms
Foundation repair can be a confusing and complicated process. There are many terms that you will come across that you are not familiar with from day-to-day home maintenance. Below is a list of common foundation repair terms you may encounter:
Crawl Space Dehumidifiers: These devices work to reduce the amount of humidity in a crawl space. They also help maintain an optimal level of moisture, which helps combat mold and mildew. Crawl Space Encapsulation: This refers to the process of sealing off a crawl space from environmental factors. This may be done through vapor barriers, as well as the installation of plastic sheets and insulation. Downspout Extensions: This refers to when a company installs extensions on your gutters’ downspouts to allow water to travel farther away from your foundation. Epoxy and Urethane Injection: This service has a company use polyurethane to fill voids underneath. This is an eco-friendly approach to slabjacking and lifts settling foundations. French Drains: This refers to a drain consisting of an underground channel made by filling a trench with loose stones and covering it with earth. Grouted Micropile Pier: This is a pier that is smaller in diameter than a standard pier. It is then reinforced through grouted concrete. Interior Drains: This term can refer to a wide variety of drains that are installed inside your home, but it typically refers to floor drains that contain a channel-shaped body. They often connect to a utility line. One example would be footing drains, which connect to your home’s perimeter to drain water away from the foundation’s footing. Mudjacking: This is a service that raises concrete by pumping mud or other material under it through drilled holes. It is also often called slabjacking. Piers: Piers are large beams that are installed vertically beneath a home’s foundation. They are most often used when a foundation experiences settlement. They are raised by using a hydraulic machine in order to position a foundation at its proper level. Some types of piers you will come across include push piers, which are used for smaller homes with concrete slab foundations, and helical piers, which are used for large homes or projects and feature a screw-like design. Slab Foundation: This is a type of foundation that consists of 4”–6” thick concrete that the home rests on, and it does not include a crawl space or basement. The concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage and to act as a cushion. Sump Pump: This refers to a device installed in a home’s crawl space or basement to collect water. They work to redirect the standing water from leaks to an exterior drainage system. Timber Pile Support: This refers to when a company reinforces timber piles, such as wooden posts beneath a porch, with brackets or other reinforcing products. Underpinning: This term refers to when a solid foundation is laid to support or strengthen a home’s foundation using piers. Vapor Barrier: This refers to products used to create a barrier of sealant between your basement or crawl space and the home’s exterior in order to control the amount of moisture entering the foundation. Wall Anchors: This refers to when a steel helical pier fastens to the end of a plate in a bowing wall. They provide lateral support for bowing walls. These are sometimes called wall anchors and soil anchors.
Our Conclusion
If you’re searching for the most comprehensive foundation repair company in Seattle, we recommend R&R Foundation as ‘Best Overall in Seattle.’ If you want to receive a transferable lifetime warranty on foundation products and services, look into Ram Jack for the ‘Best Warranties in Seattle.’ Overall, we recommend that you request a quote from each company you’re considering to compare each provider’s services and pricing. Use the online tool below to get a free quote from foundation repair companies in your area. Free Quote: Get your foundation repair quote from a local installer today.
Our Rating Methodology
This Old House aims to provide objective, well-researched reviews of foundation repair companies through a transparent and detailed methodology. We rate each foundation repair company on a 100-point scale in order to back up our findings and recommendations. Learn more about our rating methodology below:
Foundation Repair Services (20 Points): Does the company provide comprehensive foundation repair services from the following options: pier installation, soil nails, leaning chimney repairs, mudjacking, stabilizing/retaining walls, cracked brick or block repairs, new construction piers services, timber pile support, wall anchors, or carbon fiber reinforcement? Basement Waterproofing Services (12 Points): Does the company offer comprehensive basement waterproofing services, such as drainage system installation, sump pumps, basement dehumidifiers, vapor barriers (wall coverings), window wells, or emergency waterproofing services? Crawl Space Services (10 Points): Does the company provide comprehensive crawl space services including crawl space support jacks, crawl space encapsulation, dehumidifiers, vapor barriers, or insulation services? Concrete Services (8 Points): Does the company provide industry-standard concrete services for both slab foundation and concrete structures, such as new construction concrete services, sinking concrete slabs repairs, concrete leveling, or concrete caulking for cracks? Financing Options (18 Points): Does the company offer financing options that include desirable plans such as a reduced interest loan or same-as-cash option? Does it customize the payment plan for each customer? Warranty Options (15 Points): Does the company include or not include a transferable lifetime warranty? Does it only provide a manufacturer’s warranty? Additional Benefits (17 Points): Can customers expect additional benefits or resources from the company, such as commercial services, a blog, online videos, an online gallery, an online customer portal, or eco-friendly options?
What is the average cost of foundation repair in Seattle?
Based on our research, the average cost of foundation repair in Seattle ranges from $3,300–$5,700. There are a variety of factors that impact the overall cost of your foundation repair job. Factors include the severity of foundation damage, the services and products required for the repair, the need for mudjacking, and the overall resale value of the home.
What are signs of foundation problems?
There are a few universal signs that you should pay attention to for foundation structural issues. Signs include cracks on walls, a cracking or leaning chimney, uneven gaps on doors and windows, and uneven or sagging flooring.
What are some common causes of foundation issues in Seattle?
Seattle features a lot of deep, yet poorly drained organic soils due to herbaceous and woody deposits in depressions in river valleys and glacial till plains around it. When this is paired with the city’s wet weather patterns and possibility of earthquakes, homes’ foundations experience a lot of shifting and settlement.
How much does it cost to repair a concrete foundation?
Some concrete slab foundation repairs involving pier installation cost $10,000 or more. If the company is able to simply fill cracks, then the repair may cost as little as $500. However, we expect most homeowners to pay between $3,300–$5,700.
Does foundation repair hurt a home’s resale value?
Without proper foundation repair services a home’s resale value may decrease. Once the foundation is repaired, though, the home’s value returns to its previous value. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
