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Foundation problems can leave you feeling caught between a rock and a hard place, with costly repairs on one side and danger to the structural integrity of your home on the other. You may even be anxious about starting the process at all, fearful that your Charlottesville home has more extensive damage than you can see.
Make use of our guide to Charlottesville's best foundation repair companies to ease your worries. The experts on our list are reliable and will get the job done right the first time.
Groundworks, founded in 1986, is currently headquartered in Virginia Beach. Groundworks is focused on continuously growing and improving and changing the industry for the better. This includes providing their employees with comprehensive and ongoing training at Groundworks University. Their services are customizable and backed by a long-term warranty.
Basement Systems was founded in 1990. Founder Larry Janesky had noticed problems with basement leakage in a house he was building, and sought to discover a permanent solution to the problem. The company later designed the first crawl space encapsulation system. It has now served more than half a million customers, providing basement repair, waterproofing, and finishing services across the U.S. and Canada.
For more than 60 years, '58 Foundations has been in the business of foundation repair. The company always puts customers at the center of everything it does. '58 Foundations offers several types of services, including mold removal, foundation repair, crawlspace encapsulation, and waterproofing. The company has had an A+ BBB rating since 1991, and provides life-of-the-structure transferable warranties for its work.
Ram Jack boasts over 40 years of foundation repair experience across the U.S. They have over 10 patents in the industry, and use American-made steel and specialized pile systems to create strong foundations. The company offers transferable warranties, and boasts a comprehensive inspection process and high customer satisfaction across its more than 50 locations nationwide.
Olshan, founded in 1933, can complete repair and waterproofing jobs on foundations, basements, and crawl spaces. They offer free and convenient in-person or video evaluations for customers. Their patented Cable Lock™ ST Plus System combines the benefits of steel and concrete, and comes with a lifetime transferable warranty.
There are many different types of foundation repairs. Your local foundation repair professional can inform you exactly what solution(s) your foundation needs.
Not every company that does basement repair also does waterproofing, but this measure is often necessary and goes a long way towards mitigating future problems. A waterproofing contractor will determine the source of the problem and identify ways to fix it. Simple solutions may involve rerouting a gutter system, while more thorough solutions may necessitate waterproofing the entire basement or foundation. Interior waterproofing can involve the use of such devices as drains or sump pumps. Exterior waterproofing tends to be more expensive but more effective, and may involve things like landscape work or rubber foundation coating. The total cost is highly variable based on the size of your basement or foundation and the type of work that is done. Basement or foundation waterproofing in Charlottesville can cost in the thousands of dollars, even over $10,000 if the repairs are extensive.
Some other kinds of foundation repair are:
Without a professional inspection, it can be tricky to determine if foundation repairs are in order. However, you might notice certain signs of foundation damage around your home. You should get in touch with your local Charlottesville foundation repair expert for an inspection if you notice:
Some specific factors can clue you into whether you've chosen a trustworthy Charlottesville foundation repair company. Some of these include:
Only the best foundation repair experts in Charlottesville should be working on your foundation, as this part of your house is so important. When you choose one of the experts on our list, you guarantee that the job will be taken care of quickly and competently by local pros who have all the right experience.
If you're building a new home or an extension on an existing house, you can get a soil report before beginning construction. This will inform you as to whether the soil in a certain location can support a structure without leading to shifting or sinking. For your current home, you can pay a structural engineer (usually a few hundred dollars) to perform an inspection and report if there are any signs of damage or deterioration to your foundation. And of course, if you notice any problems yourself, contact one of your local foundation repair experts in Charlottesville to learn about what can be done about it.
If the weather in Charlottesville gets particularly hot and dry, you may need to water your foundation. This prevents the soil around it from drying out, crumbling, and increasing the risk of foundation shift. (How often you need to do this in Charlottesville will depend on the weather in recent weeks.) On the other hand, you'll want to avoid overwatering, as having excess moisture can cause as many issues as not having enough.
In most cases, yes. During most foundation repairs you can remain at home. Be sure to check with your Charlottesville foundation repair professional so that you're aware of all details before you sign a contract.
Your foundation repair company should be the one to get the permits. You can ask them for a detailed explanation of the steps in their process, and to see the permits and paperwork that they have to make sure everything is properly authorized per Virginia law.
Successful foundation repair will improve your home's value. Depending on the extent of the repair, it might be classified as a capital improvement by the IRS. This might allow you to deduct the cost of repairs from your taxes. A capital improvement is an improvement that will "enhance the property's overall value, prolong its useful life, or adapt it to new uses," per Investopedia.
If you are looking at purchasing a house that you suspect or know will need foundation repairs, it is worth it to figure out the extent of the problem and how much repairs might cost. One of Charlottesville's foundation repair professionals can provide a free inspection and estimate, which you might be able to factor into price negotiations for the property.
