11 Best Foundation Companies in Petaluma, CA

On average, Petaluma homeowners pay around $3,367 for foundation repair, although the cost will vary widely depending on several factors. The best way to get an estimate for the cost of your specific job is to solicit quotes from one or more local foundation repair companies. The amount you pay for a job will be determined by things like the size of your house and type of repair(s) needed.

The primary types of foundation repair are crack repair, leak repair, underpinning, stabilization, and waterproofing.

Crack repair and leak repair are exactly as they sound: your foundation repair expert will perform an inspection and take necessary measures to remedy cracks or leaks. The price will vary depending on the size and cause of the issue.

Underpinning, also called piering or leveling, is the process of leveling your foundation by underpinning it with large concrete piers. The amount you can expect to spend depends on how many piers are needed. The price of stabilization is also variable. This process involves fixing bowing walls by reinforcing them with carbon fiber or steel strips. The cost will depend on what material is used and how many strips are used.

Finally, waterproofing is an overarching term for a category of repairs intended to prevent water from getting into your foundation. This can involve exterior waterproofing, interior waterproofing, or both, and costs can vary widely. We recommend contacting a waterproofing specialist if you're planning to waterproof your foundation.

If you're building a new house, have a soil report completed. A soil report will contain information about how well the soil on a given piece of land can support a foundation, and can offer you a heads-up about potential future problems. If you have concerns about an existing house, for a few hundred dollars, you can get an inspection and report by a structural engineer. The engineer can point you to any issues that need attention, and give you advice on how to avoid future problems.

It's also important that the moisture around your foundation is at an appropriate level. Don't let the soil around your Petaluma home get too dry or too wet; at different times, you might find yourself having to reroute your gutters or water your foundation. Also, be on the lookout for leaky gutters or pipes and repair them promptly.

Your foundation repair professional should be the one obtaining the permits. You can ask the company to provide a detailed explanation of its process and to see the paperwork and permits it has assembled to make sure everything is properly authorized per Petaluma regulations.

Some signs that you need foundation waterproofing include discoloration or odors, hairline cracks, uneven floors, basement flooding, white powder or spots on your walls, or signs of mildew, fungus, or mold. Your contractor can inform you whether you need interior or exterior waterproofing.

Interior waterproofing can involve the use of sealants or the installation of sump pumps and drains and is generally less costly than exterior waterproofing. Exterior waterproofing can involve things like applying physical barriers to crawl spaces and basements, installing exterior drains, or making landscape changes.

We recommend that you do not put off a foundation repair project. A seemingly small issue may have an underlying cause that could potentially result in future problems, and it's better to get ahead of the issue as soon as possible. A small and moderately costly problem now could become a large and expensive one in the future if left untreated.