Floors that roll or slope
When a floor dips toward one wall or a ball rolls across the room, that side of the house has usually settled, and lifting the low points brings it back closer to level.
Foundation raising in Long Beach CA - floors brought back closer to level
Sloping floors, sticking doors or cracks over the frames? We check whether your house is still settling, then lift it back closer to level.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What raising a settled house involves
Foundation raising in Long Beach lifts the low parts of a house that has settled, so your floors sit closer to level again and the house stops feeling like it leans to one side.
Maybe a floor has started to roll underfoot, a door won't latch anymore or a crack keeps creeping up from a window corner, and you're wondering whether the house is sinking. Most of what moves the price and the schedule is whether your house sits on a raised floor or a slab, and on a slab, how many piers it takes to carry it. Once I've seen your house, you get the estimate in writing with the work spelled out clearly.
I look at every job myself
I come out to see your house and write the estimate myself, and our own crew does the lifting, so the person who sized up the job is the one answering for it.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. Raising a house puts a crew under your floors and around your foundation, so you should know who's working there and that they're covered.
A straight answer, or I'll check
If I can't tell you something for certain on site, I'll say so, find out and get back to you, or point you to the office that can answer it.
How we approach raising your house
The first thing I want to know is whether your house is still settling, so we look at that before we talk about lifting at all, because a house that's still moving can drop again after it's raised. Then we check the floors across the house to find the low points and see how the house is built. On a raised floor house, the usual fix is to jack up the low spots and set shims, thin steel or timber spacers, between the beam and the pier it rests on, which leaves the soil alone and can be adjusted later, so it's usually the first choice for minor settling. A slab house usually needs piering, where steel posts are driven down through the soft soil to firmer ground and hydraulic jacks lift the slab onto them. Either way, we aim to bring your floors closer to level without pushing so hard that plaster, tile or pipes crack somewhere else, which is why I'd rather lift part of the way than chase a perfectly flat floor.
Slab work means digging along the outside of the house to reach the foundation, and when a walk or patio is in the way, we use concrete cutting to make a clean, straight cut that patches neatly instead of a broken edge. If your driveway sank along with the house, our concrete driveway building work replaces it with a new slab on a base that's dug out and packed firm, since a base that's only raked level tends to settle with the dirt.
Signs that bring people to call us
Doors and windows that stick
Doors that won't latch and windows that bind usually mean the frame was pulled out of square as the house dropped, and they often work better once the floor is raised.
Before new flooring or tile
If you're planning new floors, it makes sense to level first, because a new floor laid over a dip still shows it, and tile over an uneven base is more likely to crack.
Rentals and managed buildings
Property managers call us as well as homeowners, and since I spent years on the upkeep side of buildings, I know you need a clear written scope you can pass to an owner.
Ask for a foundation raising estimate
Once you send the form, we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and done at your house, and there's no obligation to book.
Tell us your foundation type
Let us know whether your house sits on a raised floor with a crawl space or on a slab, because that decides the approach and most of the price.
Describe what you're seeing
Mention sloping floors, sticking doors or new cracks, and roughly when you first noticed them, since that helps me judge whether the house is still moving before I arrive.
Call or email instead
You can call (562) 269-3293 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays or 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends, or email projects@longbeachconcretecompany.com.
Concrete and foundation work examples
These example photos show foundations, slabs, piers and finished flatwork, so you can point to what looks most like your house when we talk.
Foundation raising questions from Long Beach owners
These are the questions I hear most when someone in Long Beach notices a floor sloping or a crack that keeps growing.
How do I know if my house needs foundation raising?
Not every house that's out of level needs raising, and the bigger question is whether it's still moving. A common industry line is about 1 inch out of level over 20 feet, but most older homes sit somewhat out of level and work fine. If the floors are getting worse over time, that's when it's worth a look.
How much does foundation raising cost in Long Beach?
Raising a house in the Los Angeles area usually costs about $12,000 to $68,000 per job for homes of 1,000 to 2,500 square feet. A slab home costs more than a raised floor home, because the slab is lifted on piers driven down to firm soil, while a raised floor is reached from the crawl space. Your estimate gives your own figure.
Do I need a permit to raise my foundation in Long Beach?
Most likely, because the city's Building and Safety Bureau requires permits and inspections for most residential construction, including alterations and repair work. Before we price your job, we check with the permit office on what it calls for, and when a permit is required, we handle the application and meet the inspector on site. Homes in historic districts or coastal zones may face added requirements.
How long does foundation raising take, and can I stay in my house?
One national cost guide puts shimming a raised floor house at 1 to 3 days and setting piers under a slab at 3 to 7 days, depending on how many piers it needs, and owners can usually stay home throughout. Slab work is the louder of the two, because it means digging around the outside of the house while the piers go in.
Is the ground in Long Beach still sinking?
Not citywide, by the city's account, which says ground sinking had leveled off by the mid-1960s and some areas have partly risen back since. The city still runs elevation surveys on a regular schedule, but those track the ground across Long Beach, not your house, so we check your own floors. We get this question across Long Beach and many of the cities around it.
What should I ask a contractor before raising my foundation?
Start with their license, because Long Beach issues permits to contractors with a valid California license or to the owner of a one- or two-family home, and the state licenses raising and underpinning houses under its building moving and demolition classification. Then ask whether they measure the beam height at every support before lifting and after the jacks settle, so the final level is recorded.
Find out whether your house is still moving
Call (562) 269-3293 or send the form with the signs you've noticed, so I know where to look first, and thank you for considering us.