A foundation does two jobs: it spreads the weight of the house over the soil, and it holds back the earth around the basement. When either job fails, you see it as cracks, settling, sticking doors or water on the floor. Our new foundations and repair services in New Jersey cover both ends of the job, from building new footings and walls to fixing foundations that have been in the ground for a century.
This service is part of our broader foundation and waterproofing work, and it is often the first step before any water control can succeed.
New foundation construction
We build foundations for home additions, detached and attached garages, porches, sunrooms and new homes. Every project starts with approved plans and the permits your town requires.
Footings
Footings are the wide concrete base that the walls sit on. They have to rest on solid soil and sit below the frost line so winter freezing cannot heave them. We excavate to the required depth, check the bearing soil, set reinforcement as shown on the plans, and pour. The footing inspection happens before any concrete goes in.
Foundation walls
Depending on the plans, we form and pour concrete walls or build them with concrete block. Walls are tied to the footings, anchor bolts are set for the framing, and the outside face gets dampproofing or waterproofing before backfill. Where a drain is specified, we install footing drains at the base of the wall to carry water away.
Slabs and crawl spaces
We also pour basement and garage slabs and build crawl space foundations, with the gravel base and vapor barrier the plans call for.
Foundation repair for existing homes
Repairs start with figuring out why the foundation is damaged. Common problems we see on New Jersey homes include:
- Shrinkage cracks in poured walls that let water in but are not structurally serious.
- Stair-step cracks in block walls, often from settlement or soil pressure.
- Horizontal cracks and bowing where wet, frozen soil has pushed a wall inward.
- Settled corners caused by poor soil, leaking downspouts or old footings that were never deep enough.
- Deteriorated sill areas where the top of the wall has crumbled and the wood sill has rotted from water and insects.
- Crumbling parging and mortar on older block and stone foundations.
Crack sealing
For leaking cracks in poured concrete walls, we inject the crack from inside with a flexible polyurethane or epoxy material that fills it through the full thickness of the wall. Polyurethane stays flexible and is suited to stopping water; epoxy bonds the concrete and is used where the plan calls for a structural repair. Cracks in block walls are handled differently, usually by repairing the mortar joints or replacing damaged block. For cracks in slabs, steps and exterior concrete, see our crack repair service.
Wall and footing repair
Damaged sections of block can be cut out and rebuilt, crumbling stone foundations can be repointed and parged, and deteriorated sill areas can be rebuilt with new masonry under the framing. When a footing has settled, underpinning extends it down to firmer soil.
When an engineer is involved
Bowing walls, active settlement and any repair that changes how the house carries its load call for a licensed structural engineer. We are a construction contractor, not an engineering firm, so when an engineer’s design is needed, we build the repair from their plans and coordinate inspections with the town.
What we look at during your estimate
- The width, direction and length of each crack, and whether it shows signs of recent movement.
- Whether walls are plumb or leaning inward.
- The condition of the sill, the top of the wall and the slab.
- How water reaches the foundation from outside: grading, gutters, downspouts and nearby concrete.
- Access for equipment if excavation is needed.
Foundation damage and water often travel together, so once the structure is stable, many homeowners also need basement waterproofing to keep it that way.
Repair or rebuild?
Most foundations can be repaired. Rebuilding a section only makes sense when the wall is too damaged or unstable to save, or when an engineer recommends it. We will explain what we see and give you the options honestly. Schedule a free estimate to get started.
