Foundation raising in McAllen TX - your house lifted and set down on new concrete
Cracked walls, sticking doors or a house sitting too low? We check what it sits on, then lift it and build a new foundation under it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does it take to raise a house in McAllen?
Foundation raising in McAllen, TX means lifting your house off its foundation, holding it on temporary supports and building a new or extended foundation underneath before we set it back down.
Most people call me because something about the house has changed, like a crack that keeps growing or a door that won't close, or because they want the house sitting higher than it does now. The price and the schedule mostly turn on what your house sits on, how high it has to go and what repairs turn up once it's off the ground, along with the permits, inspections and weather around the work. Some of that I can only judge after I've seen the house, so your own figure comes in the written estimate after my visit.
What signs make people ask about raising a house?
Cracks across the walls
Cracks in the drywall inside, in the brick or siding outside, or in the concrete of the foundation itself usually mean the house has moved, though not always enough to need a lift. Left alone, they tend to widen, and the repair that follows usually grows with them.
Doors and windows that stick
When a door that used to close easily now rubs or won't latch, a shifting foundation has often pulled the frame out of square. Waiting can mean cracked glass, split trim and frames that need resetting after the real fix is done.
Gaps at ceilings and floors
A line opening up where a wall meets the ceiling or the floor usually means one part of the house is moving differently from the rest. It's worth a look early, because I can tell you a lot more while that gap is small than after it's spread.
How our foundation raising work is done
I start with what the house sits on, because whether a lift makes sense depends on the foundation type, and I'll tell you plainly what I see even if the answer is that it doesn't. If it does, our crew separates the house from its foundation, raises it on hydraulic jacks and holds it on temporary supports while we build a new foundation below or extend the one that's there. The part I won't cut corners on is the ground and the concrete under the house, because nobody sees them once it's set back down and they decide how well the whole job holds up. That's usually the first place people want to save money, and it's the one place I'll talk you out of it.
A lift usually touches the concrete around the house too. Where a patio, walk or porch slab is tied into the foundation, we use concrete cutting to make a clean break before anything moves, so the lift doesn't tear it apart. If the house ends up higher, the driveway often has to meet it again, and concrete driveway building can be planned into the same job.
New foundation under the house
This suits a house whose old foundation is too worn or too low to keep, because we build a fresh one underneath while the house is up. It's the bigger job, but you're no longer working around old concrete nobody can explain.
Extending the foundation you have
This suits a house whose foundation is sound but needs more height, since we build up from what's there instead of replacing it. I'll only suggest it after checking that the old foundation can carry the extra height.
Get a written estimate for raising your house
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to look at the foundation and measure, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
- Based in
- McAllen, TX 78501
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about raising your house?
Here's how a lift runs from your side, from the first call to the walk-through once we're done.
Call and set a visit
You call or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out to the house. It helps if you can be there, since I'll have questions only you can answer.
I look, ask and measure
I check what the house sits on, ask a lot of questions and take my own measurements instead of guessing from photos. You get a written estimate, and I'll tell you plainly anything I can't know until the house is up.
Line up permits and inspections
If the job needs city paperwork or inspections, we help you line them up and plan the lift around them. That's often where the calendar moves, so we sort it out before the crew starts.
Lift, build and walk through
Our crew does the work with me on the job, from separating the house to setting it back down on the finished foundation. When we're done, I walk it with you so you can see what was built under there.
Why McAllen homeowners call Craftsman McAllen Concrete Construction to raise a house
I'm the one who comes out
I come to look at your house myself, and I'm on site with our crew while the work is done. You deal with the same person from the first visit to the last walk-through, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the lift.
Building in McAllen since 2017
I learned concrete on a crew here in McAllen, pouring driveways, patios and foundations, before I started this business in 2017. We're best known for the jobs with a catch, like an odd slope or an old slab nobody can explain.
Licensed and insured on our end
We're licensed and insured, which matters on a job where your whole house sits on temporary supports for a while. Our promise is short and plain: satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
Call (956) 331-0213 or use our contact page to set up a time for me to come look at your foundation.
Foundation raising, permits and ground conditions in McAllen
The City of McAllen, as a general rule, requires a permit when you build, alter, repair or improve, and it issues them through its permit portal. A lift changes the house and what it sits on, so I'd plan on needing one, and we check with the city for your address before the schedule is set. We help you line up the permit and the inspections and plan the work around them. If you'd rather ask yourself, the city's permits and inspections office answers permit questions at 956-681-1300 and takes inspection requests at 956-681-1328.
The soil McAllen is named for is deep, well drained loamy ground with lime in it, on nearly level land, while large parts of Texas sit on clay that shrinks and swells as it dries and wets and can move a foundation. Leaking plumbing, how a yard is watered or a foundation that wasn't designed or built right can do the same, so I check what's actually under your house instead of assuming. We're based in McAllen and work in the cities around it, and we look at the ground the same way on jobs in Pharr and Edinburg.
Questions about raising a house in McAllen
How much does it cost to raise a house in McAllen, TX?
House lifting, just to raise the structure, usually costs about $10,000 to $40,000 per job across the US. That's a national figure for the lift alone, and what moves your number is the foundation type, how high the house goes and what we find underneath. Your own price comes in the written estimate after I've seen the house.
How long does it take to raise a house?
On average the whole process takes 4 to 8 weeks, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep work is done. Permits, the foundation type, how much height you're adding, repairs, weather and inspections all push that one way or the other, so I'll go over what's likely for your house at the estimate.
Can I stay in my house while it's being raised?
No, living in or even being inside the house during the lift isn't recommended, so plan another place to stay for the lifting days. You can leave your furniture and belongings where they are, and we'll help you plan the dates so you know when you need to be out.
Can a slab-on-grade house be raised?
Sometimes, but raising a slab-on-grade house, one built on a concrete slab at ground level, with the slab still attached is hard and often not feasible. Houses on other kinds of foundations can be fairly straightforward to lift, which is why the first thing I check is what your house sits on.
Do I need an engineer's plans to raise my house in Texas?
Unless the work is exempt, Texas engineering law makes an engineer responsible for a building's engineering plans, and those include foundation design. Ask whether your job comes with engineered plans, and I'll ask about them at the first visit too, so we know where we stand before anything is priced.
How do I keep my foundation from shifting after the work is done?
Keeping the soil moisture about even on all sides of the foundation may help, according to guidelines from Texas civil engineers, as long as you don't overwater. Their advice may include watering a small area, concentrating water where the ground is drier, or simply watering less.
Concrete work that often goes with a house lift
Concrete cutting
When a patio, walk or porch slab is attached to the house, a clean saw cut lets the house rise without cracking the concrete around it.
Concrete driveway building
A raised house can leave the driveway meeting the garage at the wrong height, and a new driveway sets that slope right for cars and rain.
Cities we work in around McAllen
Craftsman McAllen Concrete Construction is based in McAllen, Texas, and works in McAllen and the cities around it. These 12 have their own pages, from Mission to Weslaco, and they're not the only places we go.
Book a look at your foundation
Have your address, what kind of foundation the house sits on and any cracks or sticking doors ready when you call, and the first visit gets further.