Foundation raising in Owatonna MN - a house set back down on a new foundation
Old foundation walls failing or the house sitting too low? We lift it, build a new foundation underneath and set it back down.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to raise a house in Owatonna?
Foundation raising in Owatonna means we separate your house from its foundation, lift it, hold it on temporary supports and build a new or extended foundation underneath before setting it back down. It's a project measured in weeks, not a weekend job.
If you're reading this, your foundation probably has a problem you can't patch, or the house sits lower than you want it to. The price turns mostly on what the house sits on now, how big it is, how high it goes and how much footing work the new foundation needs, and the schedule turns on the permit, the inspections and good weather for pouring. Your own figures come from a written estimate that spells out the prep, the reinforcement and the finish, once I've seen the house.
How do you know your house needs a new foundation?
Foundation walls crumbling or bowing
You see block or concrete flaking, cracks running clean through, or a wall leaning in toward the basement. That usually means the old foundation is past patching, and every season you wait, the house above keeps moving with it.
Water getting in down low
Water pools against the house after a rain, or the basement or crawlspace stays damp no matter what you try. Usually the house sits too low for the ground around it, and waiting lets that moisture work into the wood framing above the foundation.
Floors sloping, doors sticking
A marble rolls across the kitchen, or doors that used to close fine now rub at the top. That's often the foundation shifting underneath, and the longer it goes, the more the cracks spread into drywall and trim.
What our foundation raising work covers
First I look at what the house sits on and how big it is, because that decides the whole plan. Then our crew digs around the foundation, separates the house from it, raises it on jacks and sets it on temporary supports so it's held steady while we work underneath. With the house up, we dig and pour the footings, the wide concrete base the walls stand on, then form and pour the new or extended walls and give them time to cure, the wait concrete needs to gain strength before it carries weight. Last, we set the house back down onto concrete that's ready for it. Still with me? Here's the part I care about most. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather it be the finish work than the footings, because nobody sees the footings once the house is down, and they're what decides whether it stays put.
Raising a house is a big project, so our bid spells out what it covers and what it leaves out, like the utility work or a place for you to stay, and you can compare it against other bids on equal terms. Some of the concrete work around the lift we handle ourselves. When an old slab or set of steps is tied into the foundation, concrete cutting frees it cleanly, and since a house that ends up higher rarely meets the old drive the way it used to, concrete driveway building gets you back up to the garage on a level slope.
Extending your existing foundation
This usually suits crawlspace and open-foundation homes, where the old walls can often be built up rather than torn out. It's generally the lighter of the two jobs, though I'll only know for sure once I've seen what's under there.
Rebuilding basement walls
Basement homes are the most expensive to raise, because the old below-grade walls usually have to be rebuilt or filled rather than simply extended. If yours has a basement, plan your budget around that extra wall work from the start.
Get a written bid for raising your house in Owatonna
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out for a free on-site estimate, look at the house and talk through your options, with no pressure to book.
(507) 599-0098- Based in
- Owatonna, MN 55060
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens after you call about raising your house?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the day your house sits back down on its new foundation.
Call or send the form
You call (507) 599-0098 or send the form, and we get back to you. We set a time that works for you, and I come out myself.
I come look at the house
I look at what the house sits on now, ask how you'll use the space and talk through your options. Bring every question you've got, because I'd rather answer it now than have you wonder later.
You get a written estimate
It spells out the prep, the reinforcement and the finish, so you can see exactly what you're paying for. From there we work out the permit side and a pour date together.
We lift, pour and finish
I'm on site with our crew from forming to finishing, and since the city books inspections at least a day ahead by 4 pm, with none the same day, we schedule each pour around them. Before we leave, I go over how to care for the new concrete.
Why Owatonna homeowners call Truegrade Owatonna Concrete to raise a house
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself to look at the house and write the estimate, and our crew does the work with me on site. The person who walked the job with you is the one standing there while it's built.
Running our own crew since 2017
I started as a helper on a small concrete crew, hauling forms and running the wheelbarrow, and started this business in Owatonna in 2017. That's where I learned that the part you can't see after the pour, the prep and the footings, decides how the concrete holds up.
Ask for our license number
We're fully licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask for the license number right along with the bid. Minnesota requires it on building permits and applications, so asking costs you nothing and tells you who you're dealing with.
Have your foundation type and a rough size of the house handy, then call (507) 599-0098, email info@concreteowatonna.com or send us your details, and I'll set up a time to come look.
Foundation raising and footing work in Owatonna
Start with the permit, because a new foundation under your house gets inspected as it goes in. The City of Owatonna takes building permit applications on its permitting website, and its list names residential building, moving and demolition permits but not foundation raising, so the list alone doesn't settle what your job needs and the city is the place to ask. We check with the city or county office early on each job, and when a permit is needed we help with the paperwork and plan the work around the inspections. On the city's list, those include footings, foundation, waterproofing, and setbacks from property lines and grading, which all come up when a house goes back down on new walls.
Then there's frost. Steele County sits in the state's frost Zone II, where the rule puts footings at least 3-1/2 feet deep in most cases, so the new footings under your house go below where the ground freezes and heaves. Winters hit just as hard on jobs in Faribault and Waseca, and we plan the dig and the pours around that cold ground.
Questions about foundation raising in Owatonna
How much does it cost to raise a house in Owatonna?
Raising a typical single-family house across the US usually costs about $20,000 to $80,000 per job, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where yours lands depends on the size of the house, how high it goes, what foundation it sits on and what the bid includes. I'll give you a written figure once I've seen the house.
How long will we be out of the house when it's raised?
Raising a house is usually a six-to-twelve-week project, and you'll be out of the house for part of it. Contractors' bids almost always leave out temporary housing, so set aside a separate budget for somewhere to stay.
What license should a contractor have to raise a house in Minnesota?
In Minnesota, anyone who contracts directly with you for work in more than one special skill needs a residential building contractor or residential remodeler license, and the state applies that to homes of one to four units. A city may not issue a building permit to an unlicensed contractor who's required to hold one, so it's worth checking before you sign.
What is the best way to compare bids for raising a house?
Line up what each bid covers before you compare the totals. A lift-only price assumes you'll arrange the utility disconnects, the new foundation and the reconnection through separate contracts, while a turnkey price folds all of that into one number, so the two only compare well once you know each one's scope.
What causes a house to need new footings when it's raised?
House size, lift height and loads like snow can mean the footings and foundation walls need reinforcing, and sometimes the original footings need replacing with stronger ones. I look at the old footings when I come out, and the estimate says plainly what reinforcement is in it.
Who handles the electrical when a house is raised in Owatonna?
In Owatonna, electrical work is permitted and inspected by the State Electrical Inspector, and that covers disconnecting and reconnecting the power to a lifted house. Utility work is one of the things our bid lists as left out, so you'll know to line it up, and we plan the lift around when your power goes off and comes back on.
Related concrete work around a raised house
A clean saw cut takes out a damaged section of slab or opens a doorway in a concrete wall without cracking the concrete you're keeping.
A new driveway poured on a dug-out, packed base gives you a level drive up to the garage that holds up to Minnesota winters and daily traffic.
Service areas for foundation raising around Owatonna
Truegrade Owatonna Concrete is based in Owatonna, MN, and works in the cities around it, including Albert Lea and Northfield. The 10 areas below each have their own page, and we work in other cities nearby too.
Owatonna, MN
Get your house raising bid in writing
The sooner I've seen the house, the sooner you'll have a written bid to hold up beside the others you're getting.