Foundation repair in Yuma, AZ - cracks traced to the cause, then repaired
Stair-step cracks, sticking doors or a floor that slopes? We find out why your house moved, repair it and check the drainage around it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does foundation repair in Yuma involve?
Foundation repair in Yuma, AZ means finding out why part of your house has settled or shifted, fixing the spots that moved, and dealing with what moved them, which is often water collecting around the house.
Most people call us after a crack shows up in a block wall or a door starts to stick, and they want to know how serious it is before anyone starts digging. At J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry, the price mostly turns on how many spots along the foundation need repair, how deep and how easy they are to dig out, and whether the drainage around the house needs work too. The schedule turns on whether your job needs a permit and plan review, and on the inspections between stages. Your own figure comes in the estimate, after I've walked the house with you.
How do you know if your foundation needs repair?
Stair-step cracks in block
A crack that zigzags up a block or brick wall along the mortar joints usually means one part of the wall has dropped a little below the rest. Left alone, it tends to open wider as the ground keeps moving, and more of the wall ends up needing work.
Doors and windows that stick
When a door that used to close fine starts rubbing at a top corner, or a window won't slide, settling has often pulled the frame out of square. Planing the door fixes the rub, but the cause keeps working underneath.
Gaps and sloping floors
A gap opening where the floor meets the wall, or a floor you can feel running downhill, often points to a corner or edge that's sinking. The longer it goes, the further the cracks spread into drywall, tile and the masonry above.
How we handle foundation repair
Before any digging, I want to understand why your foundation moved, because a repair that ignores the cause just gives the same problem a fresh place to start. So we read the cracks first. Then we look at how water moves around your house, from gutters and downspouts to sprinkler and drip lines and the way the yard slopes, and I walk you through what we find. Once we know where the trouble is, we dig out beside the house at each spot that needs work and make the repair. Then we put the soil back and pack it so it doesn't settle into a low spot that holds water. Before we leave, we talk through what to change so water stops collecting against your walls, and we clean up the yard.
Foundation movement rarely stays in the ground. A chimney is heavy masonry sitting on its own base, so when the soil shifts it can crack or pull away from the house, and chimney repair often comes up on the same visit. Settling also cracks the mortar between bricks and blocks, and once the foundation is steady, tuckpointing clears out the cracked mortar and packs fresh mortar into those joints so water can't work its way into the wall.
One spot that has settled
This suits a house with a single cracked corner or one section that dropped, where the digging and the repair stay in a small area. We still check the drainage near that spot, because a single low corner often has water feeding it.
Settling along a wall or several corners
When cracks show up in more than one place, the repair covers more points along the foundation, and the planning matters more before anyone digs. Looking at the drainage around the whole house pays off most here, because the water problem is usually bigger than one downspout.
Get a free foundation repair estimate at your Yuma home
Send your address and a note on what you've noticed, and we'll reply within one business day. I'll come out, walk the house with you and write up a free estimate, with no pressure to book.
(928) 271-5129- Based in
- Yuma, AZ 85364
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call us about your foundation?
Here's how a foundation job runs with us, from your first call to the cleanup, so you know who you'll talk to and what comes next.
Call or send us a note
Call (928) 271-5129 or use the form, and give us your address and a short note on what you've noticed. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
Walk the house together
I come out myself, look at the cracks and how water drains around the house, and explain what I see before I write anything up. Then you get a written estimate, so the price is in front of you before you decide anything.
Sort out the permit first
If your job needs a permit, my crew and I take care of those steps and tell you what to expect before work starts. The City of Yuma says residential plan review generally takes 5 work days, so plan for that wait.
Dig, repair, inspect, clean up
My crew and I dig out each spot, make the repair and put the ground back. On a permitted job in Yuma, all work has to be inspected before it's covered and before the next step starts, so we tell you what comes next as each stage wraps up.
Why Yuma homeowners call J&L for foundation repair
The owner walks every job
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and I work alongside my crew once the digging starts. The person who explained your foundation to you is the one working beside your house.
Thirteen years in business
We've been in business since 2013, and I learned the trade laying block and brick on new homes before I moved to fixing houses people already live in. That background helps me explain why a wall cracked where it did.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. Arizona only lets people without a contractor license take minor jobs under $1,000 in total contract price, and none that need a local building permit, so it's fair to ask any contractor to show you a license, us included.
The first step is having someone look at what's moving and why. Call (928) 271-5129 or send us a note with your address and what you've noticed.
Foundation repair and drainage work in Yuma
In Yuma, permits go through the city's Building Safety office. Its list says permits are generally required for new construction, remodels, and electrical, mechanical or plumbing work. It doesn't name foundation repair, so that list alone doesn't settle whether your repair needs one. We check with the city for your job before we plan the work, and when a permit is needed, we handle the application and set up the inspections.
What we see most around Yuma is water put down close to the house by sprinklers, drip lines and turf kept green through the heat, so on a settling corner that's the first place I look. We see the same thing on jobs in Somerton and San Luis, and we work in Fortuna Foothills and the other cities around Yuma too.
Questions about foundation repair in Yuma
How much does foundation repair cost in Yuma, AZ?
Foundation repair in Yuma usually costs about $500 to $1,800 per pier or repair point, so the total depends mostly on how many points your house needs. The depth and access at each spot, any drainage work and permit steps move it from there, and I'll go over the points with you when I come out.
Who handles permits for foundation repair in Yuma?
The city's Building Safety office handles building permits, and you can reach its permits line at (928) 373-5163. Inspection requests go to (928) 373-5170, so ask your contractor who books each visit. On our jobs, we make those calls.
Should an engineer review my foundation repair plan?
It's worth asking about, because one pier maker recommends that a registered professional engineer review all final site-specific analyses and solutions. Ask whoever gives you a plan whether an engineer has reviewed it for your house, and expect a plain answer from us when you ask.
What causes foundation problems in a dry place like Yuma?
Added water around the house is one of the common causes, even in the desert. An Arizona study of homes on expansive clay soil found site drainage extremely important to how foundations held up, whether the yard had well-watered turf or desert landscaping, and researchers report that collapsible soils, the kind that shrink as they get wetter, lose volume mainly as moisture rises and that building up dry areas raises soil moisture. That's why drainage is part of how we look at a foundation, whatever your yard looks like.
How do I get ready for foundation repair digging around my house?
Expect digging right beside the house, so clear plants, pots and anything stored along the walls that need work. On helical pier repair, one maker's install guide has the crew dig a pit at each pier, working away from the wall down to the footing, and the same guide says to call 811 first so buried utilities get marked with paint or flags. If you see those marks in your yard, leave them in place, since they show where the lines run.
Can I do my own foundation repair in Arizona?
Yes, Arizona's licensing law exempts owners improving their own property to live in themselves, not to sell or rent. You can do the work alone, with your own employees or with licensed contractors, and it's worth asking the city's Building Safety office about permits before you dig.
Masonry work that often follows foundation repair
Chimney repair
A chimney is heavy and rests on its own base, so a crack, lean or gap at the roofline can show the ground has moved under it too.
Tuckpointing
Once the settling is fixed, cracked and crumbling mortar joints still let water into the wall, and fresh mortar packed into them seals it again.
Service areas for foundation repair near Yuma
J&L Yuma Concrete and Masonry is based in Yuma, Arizona, and we take foundation calls across the cities around it, including Somerton and Fortuna Foothills. Four cities have their own page below, each covering the work we do there.
Yuma, AZ
Get your foundation cracks looked at
If you note how wide a crack is now and show me when I come out, it's easier to tell whether it's still moving.