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LI
/// Service

Settlement Repair

Foundation settlement happens when the soil beneath footings compresses, erodes, or was never properly compacted during original construction. On Long Island, the most common triggers are poorly consolidated fill, clay shrinkage during dry seasons, sandy south-shore soils that wash out under storm conditions, and tree root systems that extract moisture from beneath footings. Homeowners notice sticking doors and windows, sloped floors, stair-step cracks in block or brick, and gaps between walls and ceilings. We quantify settlement with a laser elevation survey, then bore the soil to identify the failure layer. The engineered repair uses helical or push piers sized to structure load and soil conditions, followed by synchronized hydraulic lift back toward original grade. Most settlement repair projects on Long Island run $8,000 to $25,000 depending on pier count and lift complexity, with work completing in two to four days.

/// What's included

Engineered. Documented. Warrantied.

  • 01Elevation survey at every footing corner to quantify settlement
  • 02Soil boring to identify the failure mode
  • 03PE-signed pier plan sized to actual structure load
  • 04Hydraulic lift of the structure back toward original grade
  • 05Lifetime, transferable warranty on the pier system
Settlement Repair
/// Typical investment
$8,000 – $25,000 typical
Exact number after on-site assessment.
/// Process

4 Steps. No Theatre.

01

Survey

Laser-leveled elevation readings at all exterior corners. Interior floor slopes noted.

02

Bore

2–3 test borings to understand what the original footing is sitting on and where competent strata are.

03

Design

Pier count, type, and depth engineered to the actual load and soil.

04

Lift

Synchronized hydraulic lift. Doors close, cracks tighten, floors level over 1–2 days.

/// Questions

FAQ.

01Can you fix the cracks in my drywall too?+
The structural lift closes most cracks as the house returns toward level. Cosmetic drywall/paint/tile is typically done separately by your finish trade, but we coordinate with them.
02Will settlement come back?+
Not through the piers — they transfer load to load-bearing strata below the problem soil. The lifetime warranty covers it.
03How much does foundation settlement repair cost on Long Island?+
Foundation settlement repair on Long Island using helical or push pier systems runs $1,800–$3,000 per pier installed. Most residential settlement jobs in Nassau and Suffolk County require 4–10 piers depending on the affected section. A typical 6-pier settlement repair project — including PE-signed engineering, hydraulic installation, synchronized lift, and lifetime warranty — runs $12,000–$22,000. Exterior excavation and yard restoration are included. We provide a fixed written quote after the soil boring and laser elevation survey. Complex jobs with severe settlement or large commercial-adjacent structures run toward the higher end.
04How do I know if my Long Island home has foundation settlement?+
The clearest warning signs: doors and windows that stick in their frames or no longer latch properly, sloped or uneven floors (a marble rolls on its own across the room), stair-step cracks in brick or block at exterior corners, gaps developing between walls and ceilings or walls and floors, and cracks in the floor slab that are growing. Long Island's sandy south-shore soils and clay-heavy north-shore soils both settle under specific conditions — south shore sandy soil washes out under storm saturation, while north shore clay shrinks during dry seasons. A laser elevation survey at footing corners quantifies exactly how much movement has occurred.
05Do I need a permit for foundation settlement repair on Long Island?+
Yes. Helical and push pier installations are structural repairs that require a building permit in Nassau and Suffolk County. The permit application requires a PE-signed engineering plan, which we prepare for every job. Nassau County Building Department, Town of Hempstead, Town of Islip, Town of Smithtown, Town of Huntington, and Town of Brookhaven all have specific requirements for structural foundation work. Our permit coordinator handles all filings and inspection scheduling. Typical permit turnaround is 3–6 weeks before work can begin.
06What types of soil cause foundation settlement on Long Island?+
Long Island has two distinct soil settlement scenarios. On the south shore (Nassau's coastal plain and Suffolk south shore), sandy glacial outwash soils that were poorly compacted during post-war construction compress under load and wash out under storm saturation — this is why post-Sandy settlement is still being repaired in Babylon, Lindenhurst, and coastal Nassau. On the north shore, clay-heavy glacial till soils shrink during dry seasons and lose bearing capacity beneath footings. Tree roots extracting moisture from clay soils are a specific settlement trigger in older north shore neighborhoods. We identify the specific mechanism at the soil boring visit, which shapes pier type and depth selection.
/// Book

Free Assessment.
Engineered Report.

A LI Foundation Co. tech will be on-site within a week. Assessment is free, report is included, no pitch at the end.

(516) 529-6996
/// Request

Assessment Request

No sales pitch. No “today only” nonsense. We call back within 4 business hours. Prefer to talk? (516) 529-6996