Foundation raising in Medford MA - your house set back down on a sound base
Settling, cracking or failing foundation? We lift the house so the foundation can be repaired or replaced, with the plan set first.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What does it take to raise a house and fix its foundation in Medford?
Foundation raising in Medford means lifting your whole house on beams and jacks set under it, holding it there while the foundation is repaired or replaced, and lowering it back onto the finished work. It's a job measured in weeks, and most of that time goes into planning and prep, not the lift.
If you're here, your foundation is probably cracking, settling or letting water in, and you're wondering whether the house has to come up to fix it right. The price turns on what kind of house it is, what shape the framing and sills are in, how high it has to go and whether new foundation work is part of the job. The sills are the wood that sits right on top of the foundation. The schedule moves with those same things, plus the paperwork and the weather. Your written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't, so you can see where your own number comes from.
How do you know your foundation might need the house raised?
Cracks in the basement walls
Long cracks, or ones that step through block or get wider each season, usually mean the foundation is moving under the house. Left alone, they let water in and let the settling keep going, and every bit of that adds to the repair list before anyone can lift.
Floors that slope or dip
When one corner of a room sits lower than the rest, the foundation under that side has usually dropped. The longer it goes, the more the framing bends to follow it, and bent framing has to be braced or fixed before the house can go up.
Doors and windows that stick
Frames that used to close fine and now bind, or show a gap at the top, often mean the house is shifting out of square. Waiting tends to bring cracked plaster, and on a brick house cracked masonry, which is harder and slower to repair.
How we handle foundation raising, start to finish
Before any plan goes on paper, we want the house looked at by a qualified mover or engineer, because the condition of the framing decides how it can be lifted. With that review in hand, I write the estimate, and every estimate we write says plainly whether the new foundation work is in it. Then the permit, the materials and the dates get lined up in order. Once the house is up on its supports, our crew forms and pours the foundation work that's in the job, the house comes back down onto it and we clean up the site.
Two other jobs often ride along with a lift. Concrete cutting opens a clean path for beams through a basement slab or takes failed sections of old wall out without cracking the rest, and concrete driveway building puts back a driveway the equipment had to cross.
Lift and repair the foundation
This suits a house where most of the foundation is sound and the trouble sits in one section, like a cracked wall or a settled corner. It keeps more of what's already there, so the concrete work is smaller.
Lift and replace the foundation
This suits a house where the foundation is failing all the way around or was never built to carry the house. It's the bigger job, but you end up with a new foundation instead of a patched one.
Get a written estimate for raising your house
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I come out, look at the house and send you a written estimate, free and with no obligation.
(781) 628-7780- estimates@medfordconcreteconstruction.com
- Based in
- Medford, MA 02155
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about raising your Medford house?
Here's how it goes from your first call to a cleaned-up site, and who handles each part along the way.
Call or send the form
Tell us the address and what you've been noticing in the basement or upstairs. We get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look at the house
I walk the site, ask what you're after and send a written estimate with what's included and what isn't spelled out. That way you know what your money covers before you decide anything.
We line up permits and dates
If you go ahead, I handle the paperwork, order materials, set the dates and tell you the order things happen in. The building official has up to 30 days to act on an application, though most reviews come back sooner, depending on how big the job is.
Lift, foundation, then cleanup
The house goes up, the foundation work gets done and the house comes back down, and I keep you posted the whole way. We're finished when the site is cleaned up.
Why Medford homeowners call Formcraft about raising a house
The person who quotes leads the crew
I'm the one who comes out to look at the job and write the estimate, and a small crew I lead does the forming, pouring and finishing. The plan you agreed to at the kitchen table is the one we build.
Planning habits from years of scheduling
I spent years running crews, trucks and inspections for a busy concrete company before I started this business in Medford in 2023. I'd rather move a date than pour into a problem, so nothing goes on the calendar with a loose end.
Licensed and insured, open to checking
We're licensed and insured, and you can ask to see it before you sign. On a job that lifts your whole house, that's worth settling first.
On a house lift, the planning matters more than the lift day. If you've got cracks, a sloping floor or a foundation you don't trust, send us the details or call (781) 628-7780 and I'll come out and look.
Foundation raising in Medford, from permit to pour
Medford requires a written application to the building official and a permit before anyone alters, repairs, reconstructs or removes a building, and a house lift does that kind of work, so plan on one. We handle the application with the city's office and tell you up front that we're the ones pulling it, and because the final call on what a job needs is the building official's, we check with that office before anything goes on the schedule. Massachusetts also requires a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional to oversee construction on one- and two-family homes, and the city asks homeowners to confirm a contractor's construction supervisor's license and workers' comp coverage, so ask for both. If you live in the house and it has one to four units, the state requires the contractor to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor too, which is separate from the supervisor license. If your house is in one of the city's Historic Districts, the Historic District Commission has to review changes visible from the street, walls included, before work begins, and a lift can change how both look. It's also worth putting your address into the state's Flood Zone Mapping Tool to see whether the home sits in a FEMA flood zone or floodplain before the plan is set.
We're based in Medford and work in many of the cities around it. Most of the houses we meet here are older and wood-framed, set close to the neighbors, with a driveway running right along the foundation, so getting equipment in and protecting the lot next door are part of every plan. We see the same kinds of houses on jobs in Somerville and Malden.
Questions about foundation raising in Medford
How much does it cost to raise a house in Medford?
Lifting just the structure of a house usually costs about $10,000 to $40,000 per job across the US, and that covers the lift, not the foundation. Replacing the foundation as part of the job costs more than lifting alone, so when you compare estimates, check whether each one includes the foundation work.
How long does raising a house take?
Raising a house takes 4 to 8 weeks on average, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep is done. Permits, repairs, how high the house goes, weather and inspections are what stretch it, so plan your time around the whole span, not just the days the house is up.
Can a brick house be lifted?
Yes, a brick, stone or masonry house can be lifted, but it needs more careful planning of how the weight is carried and often bracing inside. Masonry cracks easily when one part moves more than another, so expect more planning before the lift than a wood-framed house needs, since wood framing is well suited to lifting.
How do I know if my house can be raised?
Have a qualified structural mover or engineer look at the building before the lift plan is final. Houses with rotted sills, failing framing or severe settlement sometimes need a lot of reinforcing before they can go up, and that review is where you find out.
Can I stay in my house while it's being raised?
No, staying in the house during the lift isn't recommended, but your furniture and everything else inside can stay where it is. The jacks go up slowly and evenly through the day to keep the structure from getting damaged, and you'll want somewhere else to sleep while that happens.
Do I need a permit to raise my house in Medford?
Yes, plan on a building permit before the house goes up, and we handle the application with the city's office. The Medford section above covers the Historic District review and the license checks that can come with it.
Related concrete work that often comes with a lift
Concrete cutting
When beams need a path through a basement slab or an old wall comes out in sections, clean saw cuts protect the concrete you're keeping.
Concrete driveway building
If equipment access tears up the driveway beside your foundation, a new pour after the house is back down leaves the lot finished, not patched.
Cities we work in around Medford
Formcraft Medford Concrete Construction is based in Medford, Massachusetts, and works in many of the cities around it, including Arlington and Winchester. The 12 cities below each have their own page, and we work in others nearby too.
Medford, MA
Book a look at your foundation
Have your address, the house type and any signs of rot or settling ready, and tell us whether you live there and whether the house is in a Historic District, so the first visit covers what your job needs.