Foundation raising in Liberal KS - a steadier house and floors closer to level
Sloping floors or sticking doors usually mean the house has settled. We find out why, then lift it partway and hold it steady.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Does my settled house need to be leveled or raised?
Foundation raising in Liberal brings a settled house back toward level. On a pier-and-beam house that means shims or new piers underneath, and on a slab house it means lifting the slab on piers driven down to firm ground. The bigger version of the job lifts the whole house to set it higher.
Most homeowners call us because a door has started to stick or a floor feels like it runs downhill, and they want to know how serious it is and what it will take. The price and the schedule turn mostly on three things: whether the house sits on a slab or over a crawl space, how many piers it needs, and whether we're leveling it or lifting the whole house. On a full lift, permits, inspections and the weather add time. Every visit ends with a written estimate that explains what we'd do and why, so that's where you'll see your own figure. We're based in Liberal and work here and in the cities around it.
How do you know your house has settled?
Doors that stick or swing
A door that used to close easily now drags, or a cabinet door drifts open on its own. That usually means the frame has been pulled out of square because part of the house dropped, and the longer it keeps moving, the more trim, drywall and tile end up needing repair too.
Cracks over doors and windows
Diagonal cracks running up from the corners of doors and windows, or gaps where a wall meets the ceiling, usually show the house is pulling one way. Patching them without finding the cause only hides whether they're still growing.
Floors that slope or bounce
If a ball rolls across the room or a floor feels soft over the crawl space, the slab or the piers under it have likely shifted. Waiting lets the movement and the water underneath keep working, which usually makes the fix bigger when you finally call.
How we handle foundation raising
Before we lift anything, I want to know why the house settled, because a lift without that answer often has to be done again. I look at where the water runs around the house, how the floors slope and whether the movement is still going on. On a pier-and-beam house we work from the crawl space, shimming the beams or setting new piers where the old ones have failed. On a slab house we drive piers down to load-bearing soil, the firm ground that can carry the weight, and lift the slab on them. We usually raise a house partway and steady it, because forcing the floors perfectly flat can crack plaster, tile and plumbing elsewhere in the home.
Some jobs need work beside the lift. If a pier has to go in under the middle of a slab, we use concrete cutting to open a clean section of floor rather than breaking it out by hand. When the settling or the digging around the outside has left a cracked drive along the house, our concrete driveway building work can replace it so it sheds water away from the foundation.
Leveling a settled house
This suits most houses where one corner or one side has dropped and the frame is starting to show it. It brings the floors back toward level and steadies the house where it already sits.
Raising the whole house
This suits a house that needs to sit higher, not just sit level. It's a much larger job with more preparation, permits and inspections, since the whole structure comes up at once.
Get a written estimate for leveling your house
We reply to every call and message within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your house, and comes with no pressure and no obligation. You'll get it in writing, with what we'd do and why.
(620) 482-9704Foundation raising rules and conditions in Liberal
The City of Liberal requires permits for a range of building, construction and demolition work, and its Building and Code Enforcement Department answers permit questions at (620) 626-2261. The city's list doesn't settle on its own whether a particular lift needs a permit, so we check with the department about what your job needs, take care of the permit when one is required, and tell you what we learn. Seward County has rules of its own. The county requires building permits for each project, with its Planning and Zoning office reviewing plans before a permit is issued, and it requires a Floodplain Development permit before any development in the floodplain, which includes changes to buildings and excavation. Whether those county rules reach a house inside city limits isn't something I'd guess at, so it's worth asking before work begins.
On jobs around Liberal and the cities near it, we meet both slab houses and pier-and-beam houses, and many calls begin with a sticking door rather than anything seen outside. The first thing I check is where the roof and yard water go, because a house can settle again if water keeps soaking the ground beside it.
What happens when you call about foundation raising in Liberal?
Call or send the form
Tell us whether the house sits on a slab or over a crawl space, and what you've noticed changing. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look at the house
I ask how the house has changed, check the floors inside and the ground outside, and look for why it settled. You get a written estimate that explains what we'd do, why, and what's driving the price.
We sort out paperwork and timing
Once you decide to go ahead, we look into the city paperwork and plan the work around the weather. For a whole-house lift, the crawlspace or basement gets emptied and every utility disconnected, though your belongings inside can stay in place.
We lift, steady and clean up
I'm on site with our crew from setup through cleanup. We bring the house up in stages, check the floors as we go and stop where it sits steady.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to level or raise a house in Liberal?
Leveling or raising a house across the US usually costs about $3,500 to $40,000 per job, which covers everything from a simple leveling to a whole-house lift. A slab house usually costs more to level than a pier-and-beam house, because the slab has to be lifted on piers driven to firm ground while pier-and-beam framing can be reached from the crawl space. Your written estimate gives your own figure.
How do I know if my house needs foundation leveling?
One cost guide treats a floor dip of about 1 inch over 20 feet as a common point to consider leveling. The same guide says it matters more whether the house is still moving, so check the slope more than once and note whether it changes before you decide.
How long does house leveling take?
By one cost guide's figures, shimming a pier-and-beam house takes 1 to 3 days, and setting a slab on new piers takes 3 to 7 days depending on how many piers it needs. Another guide puts a whole-house raise at 4 to 8 weeks on average, with the lift itself taking 2 to 7 days, because preparation, permits, lift height, repairs, weather and inspections all add time.
Can I stay in my house while it's being leveled?
You can usually stay home while a house is leveled, though slab work is noisy and means digging around the outside. Staying inside during a whole-house lift isn't recommended, so plan somewhere else to stay for that job.
Will my house need leveling again after it's fixed?
A properly leveled house on stable soil shouldn't need leveling again. When a house settles a second time, the cause, such as drainage still soaking the ground or a footing that's too small, usually wasn't fixed, so ask any contractor what caused yours.
Who answers permit questions in Liberal?
The city's Building and Code Enforcement Department answers permit questions in Liberal, at the number in the section on local rules above. When you hire us, we check with that office for you, so you know what it requires before we start.
Liberal, KS
Tell us how your floors have changed
If you know whether the house sits on a slab or over a crawl space, and whether the slope has changed lately, we can plan the visit around the right job.