Foundation raising in Petaluma CA - a steadier house and floors closer to level
Floors that slope, doors that stick, cracks over the doorways. We find what's moving the house, then lift it back toward level.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does foundation raising do for a house with sloping floors?
Foundation raising in Petaluma lifts your house, or adds support beneath it and its foundation, so the structure stops moving and your floors come back closer to level.
Usually it starts small, a door that won't latch or a floor you can feel leaning in one room, and you want to know if it's serious before you spend anything. The price turns mostly on what's causing the movement and how much of the house has to come up, and the schedule turns on finding that cause and on any city review the job needs. After I've seen the house, I send a written estimate that lists what's included, so you know what you're paying for.
How do you know if your house needs foundation raising?
Floors that lean or roll
A marble rolls to one wall, or a table rocks no matter where you set it. That usually means part of the house has dropped, and the longer it keeps moving, the more of the house moves with it.
Doors that stick or swing
A door rubs at the top, won't latch, or drifts open by itself because the frame has gone out of square. Planing the door buys some time, but if the floor under it keeps shifting, it comes back.
Cracks above doors and windows
Drywall cracks that run up from the corners of doors and windows often show the framing is moving with the floor. Patching them hides the sign without telling you whether the movement has stopped.
How we handle foundation raising
I start by measuring where the floors slope and how far, then look for what's moving the house, because leveling a floor without fixing that won't hold. Once the cause is dealt with, we lift the house or add support beneath it, aiming for a steady structure and a better floor rather than a perfectly flat one, since pulling an older house dead flat can do more damage than leaving a little slope. Before any of it starts, I tell you about the drywall cracks and sticking doors that can follow, so they don't come as a surprise.
Work around the house sometimes comes along with it. If a patio, walk or slab section next to the house has to come out, concrete cutting takes out just that piece. If the driveway has settled along with the house, we can replace it through our concrete driveway building work, starting with a base we dig out and pack instead of raking it level.
Get a free written estimate for your sloping floors
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to see the house. The on-site estimate is free, you get it in writing with what's included, and there's no pressure to book.
- support@petalumaconcretecontractor.com
- Based in
- Petaluma, CA 94952
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about foundation raising in Petaluma?
Here's how a foundation raising job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll have in hand after my visit.
Call or send the form
Give us your address and a note on which rooms slope. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I look at the house
I measure the slope, look for what's moving the house and ask how you use the rooms. Then I send a written estimate that lists what's included and says plainly what we won't know until the work is open.
We sort out city steps
Some Petaluma permits are issued over the counter or within a few days, but most take a few weeks and some take several months. We set your start date around the city's approval and inspections.
Our crew works, I walk it
Our crew does the work on the date we set. Before we pack up, I walk the finished job with you.
Why Petaluma homeowners call Allied Petaluma Concrete for foundation raising
On a lift, what matters most is finding the cause before anyone touches the floor. Send us your address and where the floors slope, or call (707) 283-3110.
The owner looks at every job
I come out to see each house and write the estimate myself, and our own crew does the forming, pouring and finishing. The person who measured your floors is the one answering your questions.
In business since 2013
We've been at this for 13 years, and I came back to concrete because I wanted to build things meant to last. On a lift, that shows in knowing when to stop short of flat.
Licensed in California, fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured. Raising a house is serious work on the biggest thing you own, and you shouldn't carry the risk of the crew working on it.
Backed by our satisfaction guarantee
Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee. I'd rather tell you plainly at the estimate what a lift will and won't do than promise more than the house can give.
Foundation raising and city permits in Petaluma
The City of Petaluma issues building permits here, and its permit list names foundations and demolition but not foundation raising, so the list alone doesn't settle whether your job needs one. We check with the city through its building permit process before we plan anything, and when a permit is needed we help with the application, which means a fee and, in most cases, engineering or architectural plans for city staff to review. We're based in Petaluma and work in the cities around it across the North Bay, including Santa Rosa and Novato, and since each city sets its own steps, we check with that city the same way.
Some Petaluma homes sit in the city's Flood Plain-Combining or Floodway zones, and there a house is altered only after it gets a development permit from the city. If the work counts as a substantial improvement, the lowest living floor and the equipment have to end up at least 12 inches above the base flood elevation, the flood level shown on the flood insurance map, and a registered engineer or surveyor certifies the height once the work is done. The city's General Plan update also proposes holding significant remodels to city flood standards wherever those are higher than the map's, so I ask about your zone at the first visit.
Questions about foundation raising in Petaluma
How do I know if my sloping floor needs a foundation assessment?
One remodeler's guide says a floor that drops more than 2 inches over 20 feet, or a slope that's visibly getting worse, calls for a structural assessment. The same guide calls under 1 inch over 20 feet normal and says 1 to 2 inches is worth a closer look before anyone plans a lift. I'll measure it with you at the estimate so you know where your floor stands.
Will raising my house crack the walls?
It can, because moving a floor toward level moves everything attached to it. You may see new drywall cracks, doors that need rehanging, cracked tile and sometimes plumbing changes, and I'll point out what's likely in your house before we start.
Do I need a permit to raise my house in Petaluma?
The City of Petaluma makes that call, so we check with the city before we set a start date. If your house is in one of the city's floodplain zones, altering it takes a city development permit first. Either way, the city expects all work to meet the California building code and city rules, whether or not it needs a permit.
Who is licensed to raise a house in California?
California's contractor license board puts raising, lowering and underpinning houses and their foundations under its building moving and demolition contractor license. That license doesn't cover repairing the parts of the house that stay in place, so fixes to walls, doors or tile after a lift are worth asking about at the estimate.
How much does foundation raising cost in Petaluma?
I can't give you a fair number until I've seen the house, because the cost comes down to what's making it move and what it takes to stop that. Beyond the cause, the price goes up with how much of the house needs lifting, how far the floor has dropped, whether the city wants engineered plans and what repairs follow. My written estimate lists each part so you can see where the money goes.
What is the best way to keep floors from sloping again after leveling?
Find and deal with whatever made them move, because leveling only treats the symptom and the floor moves again if the cause is still active. That's why we make the cause part of the job and part of the estimate, not something we bring up afterward.
Related concrete work around a raised house
Concrete cutting
When a cracked walkway or slab section beside the house has to come out, clean saw cuts remove just that piece and leave the rest in place.
Concrete driveway building
If your driveway has sunk, cracked or held puddles for years, a new one poured on a dug-out, packed base gives you a level surface that lasts.
Foundation raising across Petaluma and the North Bay
Allied Petaluma Concrete is based in Petaluma, California, and works in the cities around it across the North Bay. Twelve of them have their own page on this site, including Rohnert Park and Sonoma, and we work in other nearby cities too.
Petaluma, CA
Get your sloping floors looked at
Send your address and a note on which rooms slope, and I'll come out already knowing where to start looking.