Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
Expert Advice On Improving Your Home
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Written By Todays Homeowner Local Pros
Last Updated May 2023
When there is a problem with your home's foundation, you could be concerned on the one hand about the short-term cost of repairs and on the other about the long-term cost of delaying them. You might even be worried about beginning the process at all, worried that your Grimes home has more extensive damage than is first apparent.
Our guide to the best foundation repair companies in Grimes will help reduce your stress by connecting you with qualified experts who can take care of any foundation repair job.
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Good customer service
Transparent pricing
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Helps educate customers
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Helps educate customers
Free quotes
Award-winning
Transparent pricing
Good customer service
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Good customer service
Transparent pricing
Free quotes
Helps educate customers
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Transparent pricing
Free quotes
Good customer service
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Good customer service
Transparent pricing
Free quotes
Helps educate customers
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Helps educate customers
Free quotes
Good customer service
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Punctual service
Helps educate customers
Award-winning
Transparent pricing
Good customer service
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Transparent pricing
Good customer service
Services Offered
Our Rating
User Rating
Helps educate customers
Good customer service
Services Offered
Today's Homeowner looks at dozens of datapoints on foundation companies to come up with our data-driven rankings. It's not possible for a company to pay for preferential treatment in our rankings. We look at the following key factors in determining who should top our list:
If your foundation is in need of repair, it may manifest in a number of ways. Outside, you might notice a crumbling or cracking foundation or a cracked driveway. Your ground floor or basement might have floors that are cracked or uneven. You may notice windows and doors sticking in their frames, or that the frames are skewed. You may also notice buckling, cracking, or bowing walls.
On average, Grimes homeowners pay around $3,398 for foundation repair, although the total cost will vary widely depending on several factors. The easiest way to get an estimate for the cost of a specific project is to ask for quotes from a handful of local foundation repair companies. Your total cost will be affected by things like the type of the repair(s) and the size of your house.
Click here to see a more thorough breakdown of foundation repair costs in Iowa.
The primary types of foundation repair are crack repair, leak repair, underpinning, stabilization, and waterproofing.
Crack repair and leak repair are what they sound like: your foundation repair expert will perform an inspection and complete any repairs necessary to remedy cracks or leaks. Costs will vary depending on the size and cause of the problem.
Underpinning, also called piering or leveling, is when a contractor levels your foundation by underpinning it with large concrete piers. The price will be based on how many piers are required. The price of stabilization is also variable. This process involves fixing bowing walls by reinforcing them with carbon fiber or steel strips, and the total cost will depend on the material chosen and how many strips are used.
Lastly, waterproofing is an overarching term for a category of repairs that help prevent water from getting into your foundation or basement. 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.
When building a new home, make sure that a soil report is done. A soil report will contain information regarding how well your soil can support a foundation, and can give you a heads-up about any potential future issues. If your concerns are about an existing home, for a few hundred dollars you can get an inspection and report by a structural engineer. The engineer can alert you to any issues that could use some attention, and advise you on how to avoid future problems.
You also want to make sure that the moisture around your foundation is appropriate. Don't let the soil around your Grimes home get too dry or too wet; at different times, you might find yourself having to reroute your gutters or water your foundation. You should also stay vigilant for leaky gutters or pipes and repair them quickly.
Most of the time, your foundation repair expert will be licensed as a general contractor. Contractors in Iowa earning over $2,000 a year from a trade must register with the Iowa Division of Labor. There aren't any state-level license requirements; licensing is handled by specific cities or municipalities. There may be additional requirements for contractors to do certain work with concrete.
Generally, foundation repairs will positively affect your home's value. In some cases, you may be able to consider foundation repair a capital improvement, which might help you qualify for tax breaks. A capital improvement is generally defined as one that adds to your house's overall market value, prolongs its life, or adapts it to new uses. Talk to your Iowa tax professional to learn more.
