HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE FOR AN ESTIMATE?

Estimates for lifting, leveling, moving, or raising a home in the Acadiana area are free.  I stick with my crew most days during the week, and give my family Friday nights and Saturday mornings, so it is hard to schedule during most week days, but it can happen.  I'll try to accommodate you as much as possible, and hope that you will be flexible with my schedule as well.  If I think that the scheduled time that you are requesting is far fetched for me to be able to make it, I will let you know.  If you filled out a form and don't hear back from me in the first 24, shoot me a text on my cell at 337-451-1162!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LEVEL MY HOUSE?

It usually runs between $1.50 and $2.50 a square foot to level most homes with a pier and beam foundation.  There are a number of things to consider when bidding a leveling project.  One of the first things that we look at is the height of crawl space on the home.  There are times when we have to dig to get under the home, others that require us to army crawl, and others that are 20 to 36 inches off the ground allowing us to easily move equipment in and out.  We can perform the work in any of these scenarios, but the time that it will take us to move around under your home will affect the price.  If we have to dig to get under, we may not even consider bidding the job.  The crawl space plays a big factor in pricing the job, as a crawl space to low will really slow down the crew when jacking up the low spots of your home, and a crawl space too high will cause us to bring lots of equipment on the job.

But to give you a reasonable scenario, a 1200 sqft home with no porches that is easily accessible, say 16 to 20 inches off the ground and no major foundation issues like rotten sills, rotten floor joists, etc. would run around $2400.00 to level the existing piers on the existing sills.

The $2 range is where most of the house leveling projects start to get a good base line. 

Not all houses are built the same, and not all houses react to the leveling of the existing piers the same.  Knowing this, we as professionals will let you know that this is the price for this specific scope of work.  Once the bottom of the finished floor near each pier is brought to an even plane, +/- 1/4" we will have a great idea about what can be done to resolve any other foundation issues.  

Possibly more blocks and beams need to be added under the load bearing walls to try to straighten out the 100 year old subfloor.  Or perhaps, we noticed that some of the floor joists weren't able to support the weight of the home in a particular area, so we suggest reinforcing them with more blocks and sills or floor joists, etc.  

Most problems can be addressed, but we are not magical.  If your floor was wavy for the past 30 years or so, you shouldn't expect them to ever be flat like a newly constructed home again.  

Nevertheless, if there are still problem areas when we finish the initial scope of work, we will discuss possible solutions and create a new scope of work with another price tag on it.  We will continue to work on the project as long as you will allow us.  

If you have any major concerns about this, we shall discuss this on the phone.  Give me a shout at 337-451-1162!

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO LIFT AND LEVEL A PIER AND BEAM HOME IN ACADIANA?

Well, it really depends.  It's so hard to give a cost estimate without looking at the job first.  But to lift a home and remove and replace it's foundation to place it between 22 and 26 inches off the ground would run between 4 and 6 dollars a square foot lifted plus material.

Most often homeowners count their square footage as living area, but as house lifters we need to count everything that we are lifting. So the porch, the carport, the awning, the anything that is attached or that needs to be detached by the crew affects the cost.  In addition to the square footage, we look at how easy it is going to be get under the home, how low it is to the ground, how many additions, how much bracing will be required, the shape of the home, the size beams, floor joists, and general construction of the home all effect the price as they effect the amount of work that is involved in the house lifting process.

The best thing that you can do is schedule a site visit with Justin at 337-451-1162 and let him write you up an estimate.  The prices are good for a while and we usually honor them even past the standard 30 or 45 days.  If you are curious about the cost, let us go out there and meet with you to talk about the project.

WHAT IS A UNIFIED HYDRAULIC JACKING MACHINE?

A Unified Hydraulic Jacking Machine is used by house and building movers to lift structures uniformly to minimize the stress put on the structure during the lift.  The system produces a common volume going to each jack, allowing the unified jacks to move at the same speed no matter the weight being raised. i.e. a porch at 500 lbs travels the same speed as the brick fireplace at 15000 lbs. 

There are many different sized unified hydraulic jacking machines ranging from the smallest being a 4 outlet unified hydraulic jacking machine and some of the largest having more than 30-50 outlets unified.  12 outlet unified hydraulic jacking machines are commonly used by the house lifters in Acadiana, while many house movers still use smaller 6 outlet jacking machines or power packs to lift houses to be moved, as the stress put on the homes during the moving is often greater than the added stress that the smaller machines put on the structures during the lifting process.  If you want to lift your home, then you should call a house lifter.  If you want your home moved, then you should call a house mover.

It's really simple, a big jacking machine can lift a big house with low stress, where as, a small jacking machine can lift a small house with low stress.  The more jacks you have moving in unison, the less stress is put on the house.  We are a house lifting/foundation repair company and have invested heavily in our unified hydraulic jacking machine. You can only lift your house for the first time, once.  Why not lift it with the better equipment?

WHAT IF ONE OF MY BEAMS IS ROTTEN?

Often when the home is too low to the ground, structural members like sills and floor joist are either insect eaten or rotted because of poor ventilation causing the house lifter to repair and replace them before moving forward with the leveling.  We can't inspect what we can't see, so a lot of times rot replacement is an extra charge on top of the original estimate.  All of the rot replacement is paid for as the work is completed with the homeowner supplying the material. 

More often than not, the homeowner and the house mover have discussed a fair price to replace a 12 foot section of sill, or floor joists. (We generally charge $35/lineal foot changing 12 ft sections at a time, and about $150 for a 12 ft floor joist replacement with the homeowner paying for the material) . 

If the sill is on the outside wall and it is noticed that the rim joist is rotten, we will change this out as well.  The rim joist is changed and a $200 charge is added to the change order.  When changing out structural members on the outside wall, the homeowner often must hire a siding contractor to replace the siding where the sills/rim joist were repaired as the siding must be removed to properly replace the members. 

Floor joists are leveraged between the sill and subfloor next to the old floor joists.  The rotted floor joist is not removed from the flooring system as some of its integrity may still be helping support the floor.  If the homeowner wants the old joists removed the labor prices will be adjusted accordingly. ​

DO I NEED A PERMIT TO LEVEL MY HOUSE?

If we are just leveling your home and we are not replacing your foundation then you probably won't need to get a permit.  On the other hand, if we are lifting your home, there is a process that needs to be followed. 

Most often it starts with a call to your town's codes and zoning department.  They will have an updated flood map and will be able to let you know if you are in a flood zone or not.  If you are in a flood zone, but have not ever flooded it is very important to at least comply with the new flood zone regulations and order an elevation certificate from a licensed surveyor. 

Once the surveyor has set up a bench mark for your property, the house lifter can check out the elevation certificate and properly price the job.  So, you don't necessarily have to get a permit for leveling a home, but may need to get one if the foundation is getting replaced as in a lift and level.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE OF THE MATERIAL?

In the written estimates, the costs of the job will be broken down into 4 or 5 price points with Material being one of them.  The material price includes the blocks, pads, termite shields, shims, braces, and temporary poles to get the scope of work completed.  If material isn't included in the price, the homeowner shall pay for all materials used on the job generally ranging between $800 and $1500 with tax and delivery charges.  We add $200 delivery to all jobs that we deliver the blocks and pads.

WHAT ABOUT MY CARPORT, PORCH, OR AWNINGS?

The carport, awning, or porch will be braced properly to be secured throughout the entire lifting process.  Once the home is placed on its final foundation and the jacks/equipment is removed the poles that once supported the carport, porch, or awning will be just a bit too short.  We will place temporary strong-backs where the original posts weren't so that the carpenter or homeowner can set up the permanent posts. 

No jacks or jacking should be needed if the carpenter cuts the posts just long enough to be beaten straight with a sledge hammer, allowing the temporary brace to free as the post is tapped into its final position.   

DO I NEED TO GET A PLUMBER OUT HERE TO DISCONNECT MY SEWER, WATER, AND GAS?

Most often, We can handle the disconnect, but a plumber is required to handle the reconnect.  A $300 charge will be added for the disconnection if the a plumber is not scheduled and the disconnect is required to make the lift.  So it is a good idea to touch base with a plumbing company and let them know about your project so that they can be on board with you and understand our schedule.  No one wants to go without water, sewer, or gas for a long period of time after we have left with our equipment.  If you are a do-it-yourselfer or know exactly how you want to cut the plumbing, we always recommend the plumbing professional cut the pipes where he feels he wants to cut them. 

When replacing or adding structural members to help support the foundation, some plumbing water lines, sewer lines, gas lines may get stressed in ways that they haven't before.  For the homeowner/customer to not expect some leaks or breaks in some of the plumbing, it would be unreasonable.  We cannot be held responsible for sewer, water, or gas leaks caused by the lift or the level.

Be aware that sometimes the gas needs to be checked by a professional and permits need to be pulled for the reconnects in almost every town in the state no matter if the homeowner or a licensed contractor is performing the work.

DO I NEED TO DISCONNECT MY POWER TO GET MY HOUSE LIFTED?

It depends.  If your house has overhead service, then most often you do not need to disconnect your power.  However, if your home is serviced from an underground power source, then coordination between the power company, your electrician, and the lifting crew will need to be organized.  Most good electricians have relationships with the power company, and if you don't have an electrician the power company or your permit office can recommend one.  It is a good idea to let the power company know about your project and your plans at least 3 days before we actually start the project. 

It is also good to note that underground cable, satellite, internet, phone, and other utilities attached or buried in the ground may need to be disconnected or reconnected prior to the lift.  If you have these systems and still use them, we recommend speaking with your service provider.  We cannot be responsible for wires that must be cut or dug up to perform the lift.

In addition, when replacing or adding structural members to support the foundation some electrical, cable, tv, satellite wires may be in the way of our work.  We do our best to remove/move the wires from the work piece or work space but we are not responsible for damages caused while performing the foundation repair.

What about the flower beds around the home?

When we are lifting your home, we are in and out the underside of your home several times.  The flower beds around the home will likely get walked on and trampled.  We do our best to be mindful but cannot be held liable for your gardening.  Our job is to safely and efficiently lift your home.  The roses and other bushes cannot be our concern.  We are there to do the job.   

How long does the job take to perform?

Most often the house leveling projects can be completed in a day with a small crew.  When the home is releveled, we will need access to the interior of the home to make sure that the doors are ajar and see what our work is doing.  We run our laser from underneath the home, but it is always a good idea to see what it going on at the interior of the home.

Lift and Level projects are generally scheduled with the homeowners in mind.  If you are currently living in your home and need to get it lifted, we often figure to set the jacks up and stage the material on day 1.  Day 2, we are ready to lift the home.  Day 3 we are picking up equipment, touching up everything, and letting the other trades reconnect your utilities.  Our goal is to be on the blocks at the end of Day 2, but sometimes find rot or run into difficulties and must finish the morning of Day 3.  Every house is different, but these are typical scenarios for houses lifted to 20-24 inches off the ground.  The homeowner should plan to not re-enter the home on Day 2 after the lift has begun, with a place to stay the night of Day 2.  Figure on being out of the house for 1 night, unless stated otherwise in the estimate.  

WHAT ABOUT THE STEPS TO MY HOUSE?

Well if we are raising your home, then the steps probably aren't gonna work anymore.  We do not place slabs underneath the steps to make them taller so that you can use the old steps.  Have a carpenter build you a proper set of steps and get rid of your short concrete steps.

HOW HIGH DO YOU RECOMMEND A HOUSE BE OFF THE GROUND?

Some FHA loans and the international residential code recommends a minimum ground clearance of 18", but we recommend getting your house at least 20" above grade.  I'm 6'0" tall and can easily crawl on all fours under a home that is sitting on 20" piers and 3.5" pads.  If you do your own plumbing then 20" piers or a combination of 2 cinder blocks and a cap block is generally recommended unless you have to be taller due to base flood elevations.

Should I expect interior damage to my drywall, paneling, doors, windows, etc.?

I'm not trying to really sugar coat anything and the simple answer is yes!

If your home is out of level and it has been remodeled or drywalled while it was out of level, then you can guarantee that you will have wall damage and some of your doors and windows may need to be rehung.  If additions were made to the home while the home was out of level, you can expect that the walls may want to open up at the roof line or the floor when we attempt to bring the floors to a level plane.

Most often we inform the homeowner/customer of the what ifs and worst case scenarios before the project starts, so that expectations are set early on.  If any of this stuff scares you about lifting or leveling your home, then you may want to reconsider.  If its gonna crack when we do the lift or the level, it will definitely crack when "they" do it.  Our equipment and our technique is safe and efficient.  If you have any further questions or want to see some of our past projects, I would like to share some of our experiences with you.

Thanks for the opportunity to earn your business