Foundation Repair Questions from Richmond, VA Homeowners

Richmond Foundation Repair is a lead referral service. We connect you with one independent local foundation contractor who works in Richmond. That contractor inspects your home, writes the estimate and does the work if you hire them. Your agreement for the work is with them.

Yes. The inspection and written estimate cost nothing, and there is no obligation to go ahead.

One cost guide puts minor Richmond jobs at about $2,100 to $4,200 and major jobs at $2,500 to $26,400. The national average is about $5,200. Piers run about $1,000 to $3,000 each. Your exact price comes in writing after the free inspection.

For many Richmond homes, yes. Summers here are humid, and a Department of Energy funded study in the humid Southeast found that sealed crawl spaces stayed much drier than vented ones and used about 15 percent less energy for heating and cooling. Most jobs cost $5,000 to $15,000. Not every crawl space needs the full job, and the inspector will tell you if yours does.

Stair-step cracks in brick, sticking doors, cracks over doors and windows, and floors that slope or sag are the most common signs. In Richmond, a musty smell or water under the house is another. The free inspection shows whether the house really moved.

Settling, soil movement and slow leaks are usually not covered. Some policies cover damage from a sudden event like a burst pipe. Flood damage needs a separate flood policy. Read your policy and talk to your agent before you file a claim.

The City of Richmond says repairs and alterations to a home need a building permit, other than ordinary repairs listed in the state code. Henrico and Chesterfield have their own building offices and rules. Your contractor should pull any permit the job needs.

Yes. Virginia requires a state contractor license for jobs of $1,000 or more. You can look up any contractor on the Virginia DPOR license lookup before you sign.

Most Richmond homes sit on a crawl space. Only about 4 to 7 percent of homes in the city have a basement, one study found. Rain falls all year, about 43.6 inches on average, and summer air is humid. Old vented crawl spaces pull that damp air under the house.

In parts of the area, yes. Henrico County requires a soils report before it permits a new home in areas it maps as moderate or high for shrink-swell soil. Chesterfield asks for a sealed soils report on every new single-family home. Clay that swells and shrinks can move a house.

Most pier and crawl space jobs take one to three days. Drainage, waterproofing and larger jobs can take longer. Your estimate should list the schedule.

Usually not. Most pier work happens outside, and crawl space work happens under the floor. The crew will tell you what to expect before they start.