Foundation raising in Bellingham WA - your house set higher on firm ground
Your house sits too low or its foundation is wearing out. We look first, tell you plainly if raising fits, then build beneath it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Can my Bellingham house be raised, and what does it take?
Foundation raising in Bellingham means separating your house from its foundation, lifting it on hydraulic jacks and holding it on temporary supports while a new or extended foundation is built underneath, so the house ends up higher on sound concrete.
Most people who call us about this have a foundation that's wearing out, a house that sits lower than the ground around it, or space underneath they can't use, and the first thing they want to know is whether their house is a good candidate. The price mostly turns on the type and condition of the foundation you have, the size of the house, how high it goes and the new steps or entry you'll need, while the schedule turns on the foundation work, the permit side and our wet weather. Your written estimate spells out the scope, so you can see what's included before you decide anything.
How do you know your house might need raising?
Foundation crumbling at the edges
Concrete that flakes, cracks through or breaks away at the corners usually means the foundation is near the end of its life. If it has to be rebuilt anyway, that's a sensible time to ask about raising, and waiting tends to let the damage spread.
House sits below the yard
When the yard or street is higher than your floor and rain runs toward the walls, the house is catching water it shouldn't. Water that sits against a foundation keeps wearing at it, so it's worth a look before another wet season.
Crawlspace too low to reach
A crawlspace you can barely get into makes every repair underneath slow and costly, so small problems tend to get left alone. Raising the house can give you room below, though whether that's worth it depends on the foundation, which we'll check for you.
How our foundation raising work goes
I start by looking at the foundation under your house, because whether a house can be raised well depends on it, and I'll tell you plainly whether raising makes sense before anything else is planned. If it does, once the house is up on its temporary supports, our crew digs out, packs the ground and forms and pours the foundation below it before the house is set back down. When the budget gets tight, I'd rather spend it on the ground under the new foundation than on the finish of the new entry, because nobody sees that ground once the house is down and it's the hardest part to put right later.
Raising a house usually touches the concrete around it. When an old stoop, a slab section or part of the old foundation has to come out cleanly, we handle the concrete cutting, and when the drive needs to be rebuilt to meet the house at its new height, we take on the concrete driveway building as part of the same plan.
Extend the foundation you have
This suits a foundation that's still in good shape and can carry the extra load, because we build up from what's already there instead of starting over. I'll tell you on site whether yours is a fit, and that's often the less disruptive path.
Rebuild the foundation
When the old foundation is worn out or can't carry more weight, it comes out and a new one is built under the raised house. It's a bigger job, but your house ends up sitting on new concrete from the ground up.
Get a written estimate for raising your house
Thank you for reaching out. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out, and the quote on site is free, written down and comes with no pressure to book.
Call (360) 312-3799- Based in
- Bellingham, WA 98225
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call us about raising your house in Bellingham?
Here's how a house raise runs with us, from your first call or message to the walk-through before we leave.
Call or write to us
Thank you for getting in touch. We'll answer your questions and set a time for me to come out to your house.
I look and measure
I look at the foundation, measure and ask how you'll use the house and the space below it. You then get an estimate in writing with the scope spelled out, so you know what's included and what isn't before you commit.
We sort out permits
Once you're ready, we take care of the permit side with the right office. Then our crew prepares the ground for the new foundation.
We pour and walk through
Our crew pours and finishes the foundation and entry work, and I'm on the job with them. Before we leave, I walk you through caring for the new concrete and we leave your property as tidy as we found it.
Why Bellingham homeowners call Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company to raise a house
The owner looks at every job
I come out to look at your foundation and give the estimate myself, and I work the job alongside our crew. The person who measured your house is there when it comes up, so nothing gets lost between the estimate and the work.
In business since 2020
I learned this trade pouring walks and patios for neighbors one job at a time before making it a full business. We're known for careful groundwork, which matters most on a job where the new foundation carries your whole house.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured, and I'm glad to go over those details with you before you sign anything. Because we're based in Bellingham, I'm close by if a question comes up while your house is up on its supports.
When you're ready, call (360) 312-3799 or send us a message, and I'll set a time to come look at your foundation.
Raising a house in Bellingham, from permits to the ground underneath
The City of Bellingham takes applications for building and land-use projects through its Permit Center, by email to permits@cob.org. We check with you first whether your property sits inside city limits or in the county, and we handle the paperwork with that office when the job calls for it, or give you what you need from our side if you'd rather apply yourself. Older houses need one more look. If yours already falls outside the city's current rules on lot coverage, yards, height, open space, density or parking, the city code still lets it be enlarged or renovated, but the work can't push it further outside those rules, and height is one of them. Since raising a house adds height, that's something we'll check for you before anything is planned.
Raising a home can leave it more open to earthquake damage, so earthquake safety belongs in the plan for the new foundation from the start. The state publishes earthquake hazard maps for every county showing where wet, sandy soil loses strength during shaking and where soil makes the shaking stronger, and we look at where your lot falls before we plan the foundation. We do the same on jobs in Ferndale and Sudden Valley, where the ground changes from one lot to the next.
Questions about foundation raising in Bellingham
Call (360) 312-3799How much does it cost to raise a house in Bellingham?
Across the US, one national cost guide puts raising a house at about $20,000 to $80,000 for a typical single-family home. Check what a price covers, because a lift-only price leaves you to arrange the utility disconnects, the new foundation and the reconnection yourself or through separate contracts, while a turnkey price includes all of that. Our written estimate spells out the scope, so you can see which kind you're getting.
Can a house on a concrete slab be raised?
Sometimes, but it's a harder case. National guidance says raising a house built on a concrete slab, with the slab still attached, is technically difficult and often not feasible, while houses on other kinds of foundations can be fairly straightforward to raise. I'll look at yours and tell you plainly whether it makes sense.
How long does a house raise take?
One national cost guide says most house raising projects run 6 to 12 weeks from start to finish. Where yours falls depends on whether the foundation is extended or rebuilt, which we'll know once I've seen it.
Who is allowed to raise a house in Washington?
Washington requires every construction contractor to register with the Department of Labor & Industries and to be bonded and insured. You can look up any firm with the state's Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson, or Business tool, found through the state's contractor registration page, before you sign.
How do I get in and out of my house after it's raised?
Usually through new steps, a ramp or sometimes an elevator, because doors that were at ground level end up higher once the house is raised. It's best to plan and budget for that new entry as part of the project, and we'll talk it through with you at the estimate.
What is the best way to prepare for a foundation raising estimate?
Have your address and your foundation type ready, whether that's a slab, a crawlspace or a basement, because the foundation shapes the whole job. It also helps to think about how you'd like to use the house and the space below it, since I'll ask about that when I come out.
Related services for a raised house
Concrete cutting
If an old stoop, slab or section of wall has to come out before the new foundation goes in, clean cuts keep the rest of the concrete sound.
Concrete driveway building
Once your house sits higher, the driveway may need a new pour that meets the garage and drains away from the house instead of toward it.
Service areas for foundation raising near Bellingham
Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company is based in Bellingham, WA, and we take foundation raising calls from Lynden and Blaine as well. The 9 areas below have their own page, and we work in other cities nearby too.
Bellingham, WA
Book a look at your foundation
The sooner I see what's under your house, the sooner you'll know whether raising it is worth planning for.