Foam jacking as alternative to piers?

Question

Brian Rossiter · Answer

I'm a structural engineer not affiliated with a foundation repair company.  $300 per pier sounds awfully low to me.  I usually see them around $750 per pier, and where I live is around the national average cost of living.  If the industry leader in your area is quoting $850, their service may be worth it despite the higher cost, especially if no one else in town is known for doing a great job.

Twelve piers, on the other hand, may be quite a few more than you need.  On a SFR, I usually find that five or six piers is typically the maximum number needed.    I recommend hiring your local structural engineer to determine how many you really need.  Foundation contractors will typically give you more than you need either (1) to make sure that the repair will work without any analysis to be on the safe side or (2) to make a bigger sale...or both.  The engineer might cost around $500 or so but usually can save you a couple grand in piers.

Foam jacking is a terrific alternative to helical piers.  It's econmical, and requires less demolition or excavation than the piers.  On a project the size of a SFR, the costs can be similar, and the piers can actually come out costing less at times.  Foam jacking can be far more economical on larger projects, like a high school in Montana that I worked on recently.  Foam jacking came out a lot less than helical piers on that one.  Find a local foundation repair company that does it and ask for a quote.  Compare it to quotes on the helical piers.

Scott Beck · Answer

Hi @Philip Hy

Have you considered reaching out to a structural engineer that is not affiliated with a foundation repair company?