Foundation raising in Bend OR - a careful lift with the house supported at every step
Sloping floors or a tired old foundation? We raise your house carefully so it can be leveled or set on a new foundation.
Is raising your house in Bend the right fix?
Foundation raising lifts your whole house on jacks, either to set it higher or to hold it up while the old foundation comes out and a new one goes in, and Masterwork Bend Concrete does that work in Bend and the cities around it.
Most people who call us are looking at sloping floors, a cracked or crumbling foundation, or a crawlspace too low to work in, and they want a straight answer on whether a lift is worth it. The price and the schedule mostly come down to what the house sits on, how high it has to go, whether you're only raising it or replacing the foundation too, and what weather and inspections do to the calendar, and my written estimate spells out what's in it and what isn't. Concrete poured tight against the house may need concrete cutting to free it first, and a house that ends up higher sometimes needs a new driveway to meet it. Oregon law generally requires anyone paid for construction work on a house to be licensed, and we're fully licensed and insured.
How do you know your house might need lifting?
These are the things homeowners usually notice before they call about a lift. Some tilt and a few cracks can be fine in an old house if the settling has stopped, so what matters is whether it's still moving.
Floors that slope enough to roll a marble usually mean part of the foundation has settled.
Doors and windows that stick or won't latch often point to the frame shifting with the foundation.
Foundation cracks that keep getting wider suggest the settling hasn't stopped and the support underneath is failing.
Gaps opening between walls and ceilings, or trim pulling away, usually follow a corner that's dropped.
A crawlspace too low to get into makes plumbing and foundation repairs hard, and lifting opens it up.
An old foundation that's crumbling or patched over and over is often easier to replace with the house raised.
If cracks are still growing or doors keep getting worse, call (458) 256-4015 rather than wait, because settling that's still moving only adds to what has to be fixed.
What happens when you call us about raising your house?
I come out myself to look at your house and write the estimate, and our crew does the lifting with me running the job. Here's how it goes from your first call to cleanup.
Call or send a request
You call or fill out the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. Tell us whether the house sits on a crawlspace, a basement or a slab, because that changes what I look at first.
I come out and look
I start with whether your house suits a lift at all, then ask what you need from it and write up an estimate that says what's in it and what isn't. That way you can see whether we're raising only or replacing the foundation too, and what that does to the price.
We plan permits and dates
Once you say go, we sort out any permit and set lift dates with the forecast in mind. We also help you plan where you'll stay on lift days, so you're not scrambling the week before.
We lift, set and clean up
Our crew does the work and I'm on site running it the whole way. When the house is down on its new support, we clean up before we call it done.
Get an estimate for raising your house
We reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to look at the house and write up a free estimate on site. There's no obligation to go ahead.
- Call
- (458) 256-4015
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
Jacks, cribbing and what goes under the house
Jacks do the lifting, but they aren't what holds your house up. We stack cribbing, heavy timbers laid in crossing layers to build towers, under the house, and each time the jacks get reset, the cribbing carries the weight. That's what keeps a lift safe, so it's fair to ask any crew you talk to how they crib the house between lifts.
What goes under the house afterward depends on why you're lifting. Some jobs only raise the house and set it on taller support, and others hold it up while the old foundation comes out and a new one goes in. If the new foundation uses steel helical piers, one maker's guide starts outside with a trench along the foundation or a dig at each pier spot, so expect some digging around the house.
The trade-off I'd name is the part you'll never see versus the part you will. Once the house is back down, nobody looks at the footings or the packed ground under them again, and that's usually the first place a budget gets squeezed. I'd put the money there and wait on new steps or trim, because a nice-looking house on a weak base just starts settling again.
House lifting questions we hear in Bend
How much does it cost to raise a house in Bend?
Across the US, lifting a house just to raise it usually runs about $10,000 to $40,000 per job, and that's a national figure, not our price. Replacing the foundation while the house is up costs more than the lift alone, so the scope is the biggest swing in what you'll pay. The written estimate I bring you shows your own number and exactly what it covers.
How long does it take to raise a house?
On average the whole process takes 4 to 8 weeks nationally, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep is done. Prep, the foundation type, how high the house goes, repairs, weather and inspections all move that, so I'll tell you what's likely for your house when I come out.
How do I know if my house can be lifted?
A crawlspace house on piers or beams is usually the easiest to lift, which tends to mean less labor and a lower cost. One university extension guide says jacking often works for wood-frame houses, but masonry is often sensitive to movement and shouldn't be jacked or leveled. If your house is brick or block, mention it when you ask for an estimate, because that question gets settled before anything else.
Can I stay in my house while it's being raised?
No, living in the house or being inside it during the lift isn't recommended, but your furniture and belongings can stay right where they are. Plan somewhere else to sleep for the lift days, and I'll help you work out when those days fall.
How do I get my house ready to be raised?
You empty out the crawlspace or basement, and every utility gets disconnected before the lift, including plumbing, electric, gas, heating and cooling, phone and internet. We go over that list with you when we set dates, so nothing's still hooked up when the jacks go under.
Do I need a permit to raise a house in Bend?
We find out at the estimate, and if your lift needs a permit, we either pull it ourselves or tell you plainly who has to before anything goes on the calendar. In Bend, permits go through the city's Permit Center at City Hall, at 541-388-5580 or permitcenter@bendoregon.gov. If the house gets a new foundation, the state maps snow load, earthquake and frost depth values by exact location, and Deschutes County also lists soil bearing capacity as a design criterion, so the plan gets built for your address.
Concrete work that often goes with a lift
Concrete cutting
Saw cutting lets us open a clean path through a garage slab or patio for jacks, piers or new footings without cracking the concrete you're keeping.
Concrete driveway building
A house that sits higher after the lift can leave the driveway meeting the garage at an awkward angle, and a new slab fixes the transition.
Send us your address and crawlspace photos
With your foundation type and a few photos of the crawlspace or basement, I can come out already knowing what to look at, so call (458) 256-4015 or use the form.
Mon–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM