Settling shows up in predictable ways: doors and windows that stick or won’t latch, floors with a noticeable slope, diagonal cracks over doorways, and gaps opening up between the wall and the ceiling or floor trim. It rarely happens overnight – most of the settling we’re called out for has been building for years, often tied to the clay-heavy soil common across parts of Ottawa expanding and contracting with the seasons.
Helical piers are screwed down to load-bearing soil or bedrock beneath the settled section, then used with hydraulic jacks to lift the foundation back toward level before locking it onto the pier system. It’s the standard approach for a settling foundation wall or corner, and can often recover a meaningful portion of the lost elevation without a full underpinning job.
Helical piers are mechanically screwed into the soil to a load-bearing depth and work well in a wider range of soil types, including the clay found across parts of Ottawa. Push piers are driven hydraulically using the weight of the structure itself as resistance, which typically means they need a heavier structure above to seat properly. Both systems attach to steel brackets at the footing and can lift a settled section back toward level, and we choose between them based on soil conditions and the load involved rather than a default preference.
Slab piers support a sunken interior slab separately from the perimeter foundation.
Concrete flatwork that has sunk relative to the house can be piered or re-poured.
We aim for a realistic, stable lift rather than forcing a slab back to perfectly flat.
Helical or push piers typically run $1,200 to $2,500 per pier, and most homes needing this kind of stabilization require somewhere between 8 and 15 piers depending on the size of the settled section and the load being supported. Soil conditions at the specific pier locations, depth to load-bearing strata, and access for the equipment used to install the piers all factor into the final count and price, which is confirmed after a site assessment rather than estimated from a phone call.
A properly leveled foundation should hold its new position, but it is still worth checking door and window operation and floor slope over the following year, especially through the first spring thaw. Minor seasonal movement of a few millimetres is normal in Ottawa’s clay soil and is not a sign the leveling failed. If a section that was leveled starts sloping again in the same spot, that points to an unresolved drainage or soil issue underneath rather than a problem with the piers themselves, and is worth a follow-up assessment.
Doors and windows that stick or won’t latch, floors with a noticeable slope, and gaps forming between a wall and the ceiling or floor trim are all signs that a foundation has settled unevenly rather than simply cracked. Patching a crack on a foundation that’s still settling only addresses the visible symptom. Leveling corrects the underlying elevation problem, which is why we check for these signs during any crack or wall assessment, not just when leveling is the reason for the call. Leveling is typically done gradually, in small increments over multiple visits for a larger lift, since raising a foundation too quickly can crack finishes, plumbing, or the structure itself.
A section that has settled for decades won't fully reverse, but movement can be stopped and partially recovered.
Stopping further movement is the priority; lift is a secondary benefit where the soil allows it.
We give you a realistic expectation before any work starts, not an inflated promise.
Tell us what you're seeing and where it is on the property.
We inspect the affected area, confirm the cause, and check whether it's still active.
A specific scope of work and price in writing before we schedule anything.
Work is carried out to the agreed scope, then we review it with you and confirm it matches the quote.
Sticking doors and windows, sloping floors, and diagonal cracks over openings are the most common signs. An assessment confirms whether it's active or historical.
Some elevation can usually be recovered, but a foundation that has settled unevenly for years rarely returns to perfectly level. Stopping further movement is the main goal.
No. Leveling uses piers to lift and stabilize a settling section; underpinning adds depth to the footing. Some jobs use both.
A typical residential job takes one to a few days per affected section, depending on the number of piers needed and site access.
It depends on how much settling has occurred and the soil conditions, but the goal is meaningful improvement toward level, not necessarily a perfect return to original grade in every case.
Usually just the settled section – piers are placed where settlement has actually occurred, confirmed by the on-site assessment, not the full perimeter by default.