Expert Foundation Repair Services In Tucson, AZ

Arizona homeowners are plagued with property damage related to foundation movement. Home foundations in Tucson, Marana, Sahuarita, Vail, and other nearby cities experience structural damage more regularly than many areas throughout the United States.

The soil and hot, arid climate in Tucson are the main culprits responsible for the frequent foundation problems. We’ll explain each of the causes below and the negative impact they have on the concrete beneath your house.

Expansive Soil

Most homes in Tucson are built on top of expansive soil. The Tucson soil series is defined by its abundance of clay, one soil constituent that is especially problematic for construction.

Generally speaking, there are two significant problems with building on the clay-rich soil found in Southern Arizona.

First, clay particles are very small and maintain tiny gaps that can easily absorb and hold water. Although groundwater is sparse in Arizona, any moisture from precipitation can cause the ground to expand, placing undue pressure on your concrete foundation.

The swelling earth can create enough movement to cause fissures in your slab, often creating severe structural problems that are costly and time-consuming to repair.

A more prominent issue in the arid Arizona climate occurs when the soil dries and becomes less voluminous. The clay soil shrinks and pulls away from your foundation, causing the concrete to settle further into the ground.

Settlement is typical, but differential settling is a widespread problem due to how quickly the clay soil can dry under certain parts of your foundation.

Uneven drying causes erratic ground movement and can lead to instability under your home. Over time, variances in support can crack your foundation and contribute to structural issues.

High Temperatures

One of the most appealing aspects of living in Tucson is the abundance of hot, sunny weather throughout most of the year.

Temperatures in the summer regularly reach over 100 degrees, and the humidity is generally low, creating ideal weather for enjoying the outdoors.

Unfortunately, these conditions also contribute to differential settling. High air temperatures and abundant sun contribute to dry soil, as they cause any water that does accumulate in the ground to evaporate rapidly.

When rain falls in Tucson, the soil expands and pushes against your foundation. The extreme temperatures and intense sun cause the earth to lose its moisture content quickly, thereby leaving it to shrink away from your foundation.

The rapid fluctuations of moisture in the soil create excessive ground movement that is hazardous to rigid concrete foundations that are unable to flex with the earth.

Below-Average Rainfall & Drought

Another benefit of homeownership in Tucson is the lack of rainy days. The city experiences just 10 inches of rain annually, which is about one-third of the national average. The infrequent and minimal precipitation contributes to the extreme risk of drought for extended periods throughout the region.

The excessively arid desert conditions in the city lend themselves to differential settling, as they often leave the soil to dry completely and shrink to its minimum volume.

This occurs quickly and often unevenly, which is dangerous, and it also means that expansion will be excessive when the rain eventually does fall and replenishes the soil’s moisture content.

Monsoons

From July through September, Tucson experiences a surge in rainfall as Arizona monsoons rush through the area. These months can bring up to ten times the monthly average rainfall as the dry season.

The passing monsoons, thunderstorms, and frequent precipitation saturate the ground and cause it to expand.

The hydrostatic pressure on your foundation during this time can cause structural problems and fissures to form in your slab, especially as the soil goes from entirely dry to abundantly wet in a short amount of time.

Once the monsoon season is over, the ground quickly reverts to its minimal volume, once again contributing to uneven and hazardous settlement.

Earthquakes

Finally, earthquakes in Tucson can promote foundation instability and damages over time. Luckily, the major fault lines along the Pacific coast are far enough from the city that major earth movement is rare. However, small quakes occur on a regular basis in Southern Arizona.

The earthquakes in the region alone are likely not enough to cause significant damage to your foundation. However, when combined with the excessively dry soil and the already high risk of differential settling, they can contribute to instability and structural problems.

Additionally, ground shaking and the resulting foundation movement can damage plumbing lines that run through your slab, causing dangerous underground leaking.

Foundation problems in Tucson can present themselves in many different ways, and the symptoms you notice in your home can often help identify the cause of the issue. Below, we’ll discuss the most prevalent signs of under-home damages in the area and what they usually indicate.

Foundation Cracks

Concrete foundations crack under normal circumstances, so fissures in your foundation don’t always suggest that you have a significant problem. The different crack types can be generally categorized as follows.

Hairline Surface Cracks

Narrow fissures appearing on the surface of your concrete slab are very common and likely appear on your foundation. These cracks can be challenging to locate unless you’re removing or replacing flooring in your house, but they luckily don’t pose any significant threat to your home.

In areas with regularly moist soil, they could lead to water intrusion and humid air in your living space, but water and water vapor problems are rare in the arid climate of Tucson. Still, some homeowners opt to have grouting applied over the cracks to be safe.

Wide or Unlevel Surface Cracks

The cracks in your slab’s surface can widen over time or exhibit one side of the concrete lifting above the other.

These more substantial gaps indicate that differential settling is a problem beneath your home. They usually require stabilization, which can be quite expensive.

Cracks on Foundation Corners

Cracks on the outside edges of your foundation are more accessible and noticeable in most cases. If they span the corners of your foundation, they often signify differential settling.

You’ll most often see diagonal gaps meeting at one point on the corner of your structure. These cracks should be inspected by a structural engineer, but they most often suggest a severe issue.

Vertical Slab Cracks

Finally, vertical cracks can appear on the concrete visible outside your home, called the stem wall. You can be reasonably confident that these fissures formed from normal concrete settling and compaction after your foundation was poured.

They typically pose no threat to your foundation’s stability.

High Water Bills

Lastly, unusually high water bills can sometimes indicate foundation instability or dangerous foundation movement. Most homes in Tucson don’t have crawlspaces or basements and instead are built slab-on-grade because the frost depth is often less than 12 inches.

Builders opt for more affordable slab foundations because minimal excavation is required to run plumbing lines below the frost depth, which is a crucial building practice.

Your plumbing lines likely run through your concrete slab, which means the foundation movement that is prevalent in the area can rupture your water pipes and cause under-home leaking.

Plumbing leaks are dangerous because they contribute to differential settling and uneven hydrostatic pressure from localized ground swelling, but they also continuously call for water and run up your utility bills.

As such, unusually high water charges can signify foundation damage and predict further problems under your home.

Foundation damage regularly goes unnoticed until it becomes severe because the majority of your slab is hidden from view by your structure. Unfortunately, foundation problems worsen over time and eventually leave you with severe issues.

You can potentially save thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in repair costs by carrying out the below home and foundation inspection every three months or so and addressing issues as quickly as you discover them.

Inspect Your Foundation

You should always start your examination at your foundation, as symptoms will first be evident there. If you’re able to expose the top surface of your concrete slab easily, or if you’re carrying out a home improvement project that calls for the removal of flooring, inspect it for fissures.

Thin, hairline cracks that are even from one side to the other typically pose no issues, but broader or unlevel gaps could suggest structural problems.

In most cases, you’ll only be able to inspect the sides of your slab, which are partially visible from the exterior of your home. Look for cracks that span corners or are wider than ⅛”, and consult a foundation contractor to determine the cause and decide if structural repairs are necessary.

Inspect the Interior of Your Home

Your slab provides support to the framing behind your walls and either acts as the floor or keeps the floor joists beneath your home level. As such, foundation movement will often result in changes throughout your living space.

Walk through your house and look for sheetrock cracks around doors and windows, multiple doors or windows getting stuck, nail heads bulging out of the drywall, gaps developing between your walls and your cabinets or countertops, walls that aren’t plumb, and sloping or uneven floors.

It’s a good idea to compare your recent water charges to previous bills to identify any unusual increases that may result from a plumbing leak in your slab or under your home.

Check Your Home’s Exterior

Changes to your framing, floor joists, or rafters can also bring about damages evident on the outside of your house. Check for cracks in the siding or chimney and wavy or sagging roofing.

Your landscaping will often exhibit signs of uneven movement that could promote differential settling or foundation damage from hydrostatic pressure.

Check for unevenness on your property, leaning or crumbling retaining walls, large gaps forming between the dry soil and your concrete, and particularly wet areas of your land during rainfall that can signify uneven moisture in the ground.

Tucson foundation repair contractors charge an average of $5,000 for their services. However, many homeowners pay significantly more or less, depending on the specific repair they need.

We’ll include some pricing information for typical foundation solutions in the Tucson service area below.

Cost to Correct Differential Settling or Sinking Foundation

Underpinning is the most common and effective solution for correcting differential settling. This concrete leveling technique brings your slab back to its original position and helps resist further settlement by providing additional support with push piers.

Steel piers and helical piers are both commonplace in Tucson, and they cost $1,000 and $3,000 each, respectively.

Foundation repair specialists in Tucson charge an average of $10,000 for this service, but you can expect your total to be anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000. You may pay more for a contractor with years of experience and positive testimonials, but this will often result in a more appropriate foundation repair.

Mudjacking is an alternative solution for leveling your foundation. A repair expert will drill a hole through the slab and pump a cementitious solution underneath the recessed section. The solution lifts your slab and hardens, forming a level base beneath your structure.

This foundation repair solution generally costs around $2,500, but it’s not a permanent solution and typically doesn’t include a warranty. It’s best used for non-load-bearing slabs, like patios and driveways.

Cost for Foundation Crack Sealing

Some property owners in Tucson choose to have settling cracks sealed with a waterproofing material to keep water, moisture, and radon out. This concrete repair service is generally very affordable, often totaling between $250 and $750.

If you have a basement or crawlspace in Tucson, cracks can be more expensive to repair. Horizontal or stair-step cracks in your basement wall can cost several thousands of dollars to repair.

Earth anchors and underpinning are the two most popular solutions, totaling around $4,000 and $10,000, respectively.

Cost for Seismic Retrofitting

A seismic retrofit can help protect your house from the ground shaking that results from the small earthquakes prevalent in Tucson.

This process can involve a number of solutions, including bolting, rebar installation, tiebacks, and bracing. The typical setup to keep your home safe costs around $4,000.

Cost to Repair Plumbing Leaks

Plumbing leaks in or under your slab can be quite costly because they sometimes require extensive excavation to reach the damaged pipe. Small, easily accessible leaks will often cost around $500. Pipe breaks that are more challenging to access can reach prices around $5,000.