Foundation repair in Tuscaloosa AL - a fix matched to how your house is built
Cracks in the walls, a slab that's lifting or a corner pulling apart? We find out why and fix the cause, not just the crack.
- See what I see I point to each crack and explain what it tells us.
- Fix the cause once We'd rather fix why it moved than patch it twice.
- Plain talk, no pitch You hear what the wall is doing and why, nothing more.
- Walk the job together We go over the finished repair with you, crack by crack.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
How can you tell your foundation needs a look?
These are what homeowners usually notice first. Each one is a reason to have someone look, because a problem caught while it's small leaves you more ways to fix it.
A slab that's lifting
If a floor slab, patio or garage floor rises or cracks, the ground under it may be swelling. Left alone, the crack widens and the floor gets harder to fix.
Cracks running through brick
Stair-step cracks in brick or block usually mean part of the foundation moved. Waiting lets water into the joints, so a foundation job turns into brick repair too.
Walls pulling apart at a corner
A gap where two walls meet, inside or out, is a sign the ground may be moving. The longer it opens, the more trim and drywall it drags along.
Doors and windows that stick
When a door that used to close easily starts rubbing or won't latch, the frame around it has usually shifted. Trimming the door hides it but won't stop it.
A floor that slopes
A ball that rolls across the room or a floor that dips near one wall usually means the support underneath has settled. What matters is whether it's still going.
Cracks above doors and windows
Diagonal cracks running up from the corners of a door or window often mean the wall below has moved. Patching them only lasts until it moves again.
How we approach foundation repair in Tuscaloosa
Before I suggest any foundation repair in Tuscaloosa, I want to know two things about your house. Has it stopped settling, and is it brick or wood frame? A house that's done moving may only need its cracks dealt with, but one that's still going needs support underneath. A wood frame house can often be jacked back toward level, while brick and block don't take movement well, so pushing a masonry house around usually cracks more than it fixes and it gets a different repair. When it looks like a bigger job, I get an engineer's opinion before we price it, because a large repair needs someone to look at the soil and the structure together. If the house needs new support, helical piles, steel shafts turned down into firmer ground, are one way to do it, and one maker says they go in with portable equipment, even in tight spots indoors. Outside, one maker's guide has crews dig down to the footing, along the whole wall or at each pier, and call 811 first so buried lines get marked. Price and schedule both come down to what we find: whether it's still moving, how much of the foundation needs support and whether an engineer weighs in first. Your own number comes from the written estimate I give you after I've seen the house.
A house that moved usually leaves damage above ground too. Cracked mortar lets water into the wall, so once the foundation is steady we can do tuckpointing, cutting out the broken mortar and packing new in its place. If the chimney cracked or pulled away as the house shifted, chimney repair is worth doing while we're already there.
What happens after you call about your foundation?
From the first call to the final walk-through, here's who does what and what you get at each step.
Call or send a request
Tell us what you're seeing, and I come out to look at the cracks with you and show you what they tell me.
Get a written estimate
I write up the repair I'd do and why it fits your house. If you go ahead, we take care of any permit questions before work starts.
Our crew does the work
The city processes most residential permits within 24 to 48 hours. After that, our crew starts and I check in on site.
Walk the finished job
We clean up and go over the repair together, so you can see what we did and what to keep an eye on afterward.
Why Tuscaloosa homeowners call D&L Tuscaloosa Concrete and Masonry
I look at it myself
I come out to see the job and write the estimate, so the person pricing it has seen the cracks.
In business since 2017
That's 9 years of masonry work, and we're best known for brick and mortar repair on older homes.
Covered while we dig
We're licensed and insured, which matters on foundation work because we're digging right beside your house.
Based here in Tuscaloosa
We're based in Tuscaloosa, so I'm close by when you have a question. Call (205) 579-1102 to set up a visit.
Get your foundation looked at and priced in writing
Send a few crack photos, when you first noticed them, the home's age, whether it's brick or wood frame and the address. We reply within one business day to set up a free, no-obligation estimate at your house.
Foundation and masonry work
Look through these examples of foundation and brick repair to get a feel for what the work involves and how a finished repair looks.
Foundation repair questions
These are the questions I hear most about cracks, settling and what the repair involves. If yours isn't here, send a photo and ask about your own house.
How much does foundation repair cost in Tuscaloosa?
The cost depends mostly on whether your house is still moving and how much of the foundation needs new support, so there's no honest number before someone sees it. A house that's done settling may only need its cracks and joints repaired, which costs far less than adding support under a wall, and indoor work or an engineer's review adds to it. Call (205) 579-1102 and I'll come out and put a figure in writing.
Are some foundation cracks normal in an older house?
Yes, some cracks and some tilt in an older house can be acceptable, as long as the settling has stopped. That's why it's the first thing I check. A crack that's stopped growing may only need its joints repaired, while one that keeps opening means the house needs support.
What causes a foundation to move?
Usually it's the soil under the house, either settling down or swelling up and pushing the slab and walls with it. On some soils, rain, lawn watering and runoff dumped in one spot can cause a lot of swelling after a house is built. That makes your downspouts and watering near the house worth a look as part of the repair, and I'll point out what I see.
How do I know if my house is still settling?
Watching the cracks over time is the simplest way, and marking each end with a pencil and the date shows you whether they're growing. Maps won't answer it, since the county's soil survey says its information isn't site specific and doesn't replace testing on your lot by experienced people. That's part of why bigger jobs get the engineer's look I mentioned above.
Can we stay in the house during foundation repair?
Usually, yes. One maker of helical piles says they go in without vibration and without heavy equipment near the foundation, so the people living there face little inconvenience. I'll tell you at the estimate if anything about your job changes that, such as work inside a room.
What if my house is in a Tuscaloosa historic district?
Extra rules may apply to work in a Tuscaloosa historic district, so we check whether your home might sit in one before we schedule anything. If you'd like to ask yourself, the city's Planning & Zoning office answers questions at hpc@tuscaloosa.com.
Permits and where we work
Tuscaloosa's Building and Inspection Division issues permits, and its list doesn't settle foundation repair, so we ask and handle any application. We also work in Northport and McCalla.
Get that foundation crack looked at in Tuscaloosa
Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and a call to (205) 579-1102 is how you find out what that crack actually means.