Foundation repair in Chico CA - fixing the soil movement behind the cracks

Swelling clay soil is a common cause around Chico, because soils with high expansion potential occur here and the most common soil in the area is a clay with high shrink-swell potential. On soils like that, foundations tend to rise in the wet season and shrink back in the dry season, which stresses the foundation and the utility lines tied to it, and cracked foundations, floors and basement walls are the typical result. That doesn't mean it's what's happening at your house, so I check before I say so.

One foam supplier says polyurethane foam reaches load-bearing strength in 15 to 30 minutes, compared with 24 to 72 hours for mudjacking, which is pumping a cement slurry under the slab. Keep in mind that figure comes from a company that sells foam. The same supplier says foam's injection holes are nearly invisible once patched, while mudjacking leaves larger plugs you can see, so if you need a slab back in use fast, that wait is worth weighing.

Yes, plan on open ground right along the foundation while the work runs. In one pier maker's guide, crews either dig a trench along the entire wall or dig a square at each pier until they reach the footing. Before we start, we'll talk through where the open ground will be and how you'll get around it.

I can't give you a fair number until I've seen what's moving, because a slab lift and a pier job are different work at different prices. On a pier job, the length of wall, the number of piers and anything in the way, like a deck or planters, all move the price, and so does finish work like waterproofing. Your estimate is free and written out, so you'll see each part of it before you decide.

Yes, contractors applying for a Chico permit for the first time need a California State Contractor's License number and a valid City of Chico business license number. It's a fair thing to ask any contractor about before they start digging beside your house.

In one pier maker's guide, the job wraps up with crack repair, waterproofing, a check of the drain tile, which is the buried pipe that carries water away, then backfill, cleanup and final readings of how level the house sits. The same guide has crews check all the doors and windows to make sure they work right. Ask any contractor, us included, what their finish covers, and look for it on the written estimate.