Limited crack repair
A bounded crack-repair scope. The proposal should state the material, preparation, accessible length and finish work—and must not use price alone to classify the crack.
Scope dictionary · July 2026
Foundation repair methods, explained.
A method name is the beginning of a comparable scope—not a diagnosis, design or complete price. Use this guide to translate proposal language into measurable questions.
No. 01 — Direct answer
Method, unit and objective must travel together.
Foundation proposals often use a recognizable method name while leaving out the measurable scope. Before comparing price, ask what the method is intended to do, how much work is proposed, which unit controls the price and what remains excluded.
A familiar repair label can still hide a non-comparable scope.
No. 02 — Method dictionary
Seven terms worth translating.
Mudjacking or slabjacking
Material is introduced beneath a slab to lift or support a defined area. Ask for the area, material, void assumptions and intended objective.
Push or hydraulic piers
A driven support system commonly priced per installed pier. The system, layout, count, termination criteria and included site work should be written.
Helical piers
A screw-like support system with its own design and installation assumptions. Do not silently substitute a combined national pier range for a method-specific bid.
Bowed-wall reinforcement
Carbon-fiber, steel or anchor-based proposals may use different units. Ask for wall length, number of strips, beams or anchors, preparation and water-management boundaries.
Underpinning
A broader structural scope that adds or extends support beneath an existing foundation. The term should resolve into a system, quantity, sequence and project boundary.
Foundation replacement
Temporary support, demolition and rebuilding of affected foundation elements. Utilities, waterproofing, inspections and restoration need explicit ownership.
No. 03 — Units
The unit tells you what can be compared.
Per project
Useful only when two proposals describe the same bounded work, inclusions and restoration.
Per pier or item
Requires a documented system, quantity and definition of what installation includes.
Per wall section
Must define wall length and the number of strips, beams or anchors. A section is not automatically a single item.
No. 04 — Proposal test
A method is specific enough when you can answer:
What was observed?
Ask for documented conditions without treating a sales label as an independent structural conclusion.
What is the objective?
Stabilization, lifting, water management and finish repair are different outcomes.
What is measured?
Pier count, wall length, strip count, area or project boundary should make the quantity auditable.
What happens afterward?
Inspections, utility checks, cleanup, restoration and monitoring should not appear only after work starts.
The calculator estimates a method you select. It never selects the method for the house.
For a major structural commitment, consider review by an appropriately licensed professional who does not sell the repair.
No. 05 — Evidence
Method and technical references
- International Code Council. 2024 International Residential Code, Chapter 4
Source date 2024-01-01; verified 2026-07-26. Evidence class: official-code; family:
icc. Technical context for foundations, soil, drainage and waterproofing. It does not publish repair-cost multipliers; local adoption varies. - International Code Council. 2024 International Building Code, Chapter 18
Source date 2024-01-01; verified 2026-07-26. Evidence class: official-code; family:
icc. Technical context for underpinning design and sequencing. It does not publish repair-cost ranges. - This Old House. How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost? (2026 Pricing)
Source date 2026-03-06; verified 2026-07-26. Evidence class: editorial-market-data; family:
angi-homeadvisor. Editorial presentation derived from Angi cost data. It is not an independent price-data family. - HomeGuide. How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost? (2026)
Source date 2026-02-06; verified 2026-07-27. Evidence class: market-data; family:
homeguide. Independent proprietary cost-database comparison. Several scopes differ from the runtime claims, so overlap alone does not make a range supported.
For prices, units and evidence grades, use the full foundation cost guide.
No. 06 — Questions
Foundation repair method FAQ
What are the main foundation repair methods?
Common proposal terms include limited crack repair, slabjacking, push or hydraulic piers, helical piers, bowed-wall reinforcement, underpinning and full replacement. These labels describe work categories; they do not establish which method a property needs.
Are helical piers and push piers the same?
No. They are different support systems even when both are priced per installed pier. Ask the proposal to identify the system, design assumptions, layout, quantity and included work.
Does wall reinforcement fix a water problem?
Do not assume it does. Structural reinforcement, crack repair, drainage and waterproofing are separate scopes unless the proposal explicitly combines and itemizes them.
Can a cost calculator choose a repair method?
No. The calculator estimates a method and quantity selected by the user. It does not inspect the property, determine a cause or design a repair.
No. 07 — Keep reading
Related foundation guides
Use the calculator for a method-based range, then use these guides to make the scope comparable.
GUIDE / 01
Slab Foundation Repair Cost
Compare method-specific slab repair units without treating every slab problem as one repair.
Read the guide →GUIDE / 02Foundation Repair Cost per Pier
Understand the installed per-pier unit, engineered quantity and local permit-valuation context.
Read the guide →GUIDE / 03Foundation Replacement Cost
Separate temporary support, demolition, rebuilding and restoration in a full replacement scope.
Read the guide →