11 Best Foundation Companies in Birmingham, MI

On average, Birmingham homeowners spend about $3,404 on foundation repair. The total cost of foundation repair will vary greatly depending on a number of factors. Things like the type of repair needed, the extent of the damage, and the size of your home will all play a part. The fastest way to determine how much a job might cost is to contact a local foundation repair expert and schedule a free inspection and estimate.

The main 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 take necessary measures to remedy cracks or leaks. Costs will vary depending on the size and cause of the problem.

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

Lastly, waterproofing is an overarching term for a number of jobs designed to stop water from getting into your foundation or basement. This can involve exterior waterproofing, interior waterproofing, or both, and costs can vary greatly. We recommend contacting a waterproofing specialist if you're planning to waterproof your foundation.

If you're building a new home, have a soil report completed. This report contains 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 alert you to any current problems that need attention, and give you advice on how to avoid future problems.

You also want to make sure that the moisture around your foundation is at an appropriate level. Don't let the soil around your Birmingham 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.

Permits are needed for most foundation repairs, but applying for one should not be your responsibility. Your foundation repair professional should put together all the permits and other documents required in Birmingham, and should be able to provide the documents and/or explain the process before starting work.

You may be able to take care of small hairline cracks on your own, but in most cases, you should consult a professional before you start any sort of foundation work. Although you may not want to pay someone for work you feel like you can handle yourself, foundation repair mistakes can cost you much more in the future.

Although some foundation problems may seem small and not worth the cost to repair, when left untreated, they can lead to larger and more expensive problems later on. Foundation issues can also have underlying causes which are not clear until after a professional inspection. It's important to identify and fix these underlying issues as soon as possible. For these reasons, we advise against procrastinating on foundation repairs.