What to expect during foundation repair
Most homeowners have never seen this done and picture something more dramatic than it is. Here’s the realistic version — timeline, disruption, and whether you have to leave.
A typical residential slab pier job takes two to five days, and the house stays livable throughout in almost every case. Crews dig access holes around the perimeter (and occasionally inside), install piers, hydraulically lift the affected sections back toward level, then backfill and clean up. You don’t normally move out; the biggest disruptions are noise, torn-up landscaping along the work side, and — if interior piers are needed — some flooring being opened and reset.
Before work starts
The sequence that protects you happens first: an independent engineer’s assessment establishing the scope, a plumbing test to rule an under-slab leak in or out, and a permit pulled where your city requires one (most WilCo cities do for structural work). Make sure the pier plan in your contract spells out count, type, and target depth — not a lump sum — so what happens on site matches what you paid for.
A typical job, day by day
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 1 — access | The crew marks pier locations and digs access pits around the perimeter (about 2–3 ft square) and any interior points. Landscaping and a strip of sod along the work side come up. |
| Day 1–3 — install & lift | Piers are pressed or driven at each point, then hydraulic jacks lift the settled sections in small, monitored increments toward level. Elevations are re-shot as they go. |
| Day 2–4 — backfill | Pits are backfilled and compacted, concrete is patched, and interior floors that were opened are closed back up. |
| Day 3–5 — cleanup & sign-off | Site cleanup, a final elevation check, and — the step to insist on — a third-party engineer’s post-repair verification that the lift met the plan. |
The disruption, honestly
- Do you move out? Almost never for a standard pier job. Bigger structural or full-perimeter work can be the exception — ask up front.
- Noise and access. Expect jackhammering if interior piers are involved, and a crew moving around the exterior. Plan around it like any noisy trade day.
- Your yard. The work side takes the hit — sod, shrubs, and beds along the piered wall get disturbed. Most contractors backfill and re-lay sod but don’t replace mature plantings; move anything you care about first.
- Cosmetic aftermath. Lifting a house can open or close existing cracks and stick a door or two — normal, and usually touched up after. Clarify who handles cosmetic repairs in the contract.
- Flooring and slab. Interior pier locations mean opening flooring; hard tile over those spots may not survive and may need replacing.
The step people skip — and shouldn’t
Have the same independent engineer verify the finished lift against the plan, in writing. It costs a little more and it’s the difference between “the contractor says it’s done” and documented proof the house was brought where the engineering called for. That report is also what you hand a future buyer, and what makes a warranty claim stick.
After the work
Keep the full packet — engineer’s reports (before and after), the pier plan, the invoice, and the warranty — and confirm the warranty is transferable and what voids it. Then protect the repair the same way you’d prevent the problem: even moisture around the slab, good drainage, and watering through droughts. Piers stop the settling; moisture management keeps the next corner from doing the same thing.
Ready to get quotes from crews who’ll walk you through it?
Tell us what you’re seeing and your city. We’ll match you with up to three independent local contractors — free, no obligation, and you contract directly with whoever you choose.
Related: Is repair worth it — now or wait? · Repair methods compared · How repair works & how to hire