House Raising & Stabilization
Expert house raising and stabilization services that restore your home to a safe, level position. Using precision hydraulic systems and Ram Jack steel piers, we lift and stabilize settled structures with engineering accuracy and a 20-year warranty.
There comes a point where foundation settlement goes beyond a few cracks and sticky doors. When your entire home has dropped on one side, when the floors slope noticeably, or when the structural damage is affecting your daily life, raising it back to position may be the right answer.
House raising is exactly what it sounds like: using hydraulic systems to carefully lift your home back to its correct position, then installing permanent supports to keep it there. It sounds dramatic, but it’s actually a well-established process.
The need for house raising often stems from significant or long-standing foundation settlement. In BC, this is commonly caused by expansive clay soils that shrink and swell with the seasons, fill material that wasn’t properly compacted during development, or older foundation systems that have simply reached the end of their useful life. Sometimes it’s the result of changes to the property’s drainage after nearby construction or landscaping work.
What makes lifting your house different from standard underpinning is the degree of correction required. While underpinning stabilizes a foundation in its current position (with some lift possible), raising actively returns the structure to its original elevation. This can close gaps, realign door frames, restore floor levels, and reverse much of the visible damage that settlement has caused.
Our process begins with an assessment to determine exactly how much movement has occurred and develop a precise lifting plan. Ram Jack® steel piers are installed first to create a permanent support system. Then, using calibrated hydraulic jacks, we raise the structure in carefully controlled increments, typically just millimetres at a time. This slow, measured approach prevents any stress or damage to the building during the lift.
House raising is particularly common for older homes in established Lower Mainland neighbourhoods, where original foundations were built to different standards than what we require today. It’s also used for homes affected by seismic activity, significant drainage changes, or major soil events.
Signs You Need This Service
Watch for these warning signs that indicate you may need professional foundation support:
Plumbing problems from structural movement
Pipes that crack, leak, or lose proper drainage slope because the house has shifted are a sign of significant settlement. Plumbing connections weren't designed to flex with foundation movement, and repeated plumbing repairs suggest the root cause needs addressing.
Our Process
0
Comprehensive Structural Assessment
We bring in a structural engineer to conduct detailed measurements of your home's current position, including elevation surveys, crack mapping, and soil analysis. This data drives the entire lifting plan.
1
Custom Engineering Design
Based on the assessment, we develop a precise plan that specifies pier locations, lifting points, target elevations, and the sequence of operations. Every detail is calculated to protect your home during the lift.
2
Pier Installation
Ram Jack® steel piers are installed around the perimeter and, where needed, interior of your foundation. These create the permanent support system that will hold your home at the corrected elevation. Each pier is tested individually.
3
Controlled Hydraulic Lifting
Using calibrated hydraulic jacks, we raise your home in small, carefully monitored increments. The process is slow and precise, typically lifting just a few millimetres at a time to prevent any stress on the structure.
4
Lock-Off and Verification
Once the target elevation is reached, the piers are permanently locked in place. We verify final positions against the engineering design and ensure everything meets the structural requirements. Your property is then restored and cleaned up.
Systems & Solutions
Ram Jack® Driven (Push) Piers
For house raising, driven piers provide the high load capacity needed to support the full weight of the structure during and after the lift. The piers are pushed to stable bearing soil using your home's weight as reaction force, then fitted with lifting brackets that allow hydraulic jacks to raise the foundation in controlled increments.
Ram Jack® Helical Piles
In situations where soil conditions or access limitations make driven piers impractical, helical piles provide an effective alternative. Their screw-in installation generates less vibration and works well in softer BC soils. Helical piles can also be installed at angles to provide additional lateral stability during the lifting process.
Precision Hydraulic Lifting System
Our hydraulic lifting systems use multiple synchronized jacks to raise your home evenly and safely. Digital monitoring tracks the position of each lifting point in real time, ensuring the structure moves as a unit. This precision prevents stress concentrations that could cause new damage during the lift.
Featured Projects
See how we've helped homeowners with similar foundation challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. House raising is a well-established engineering process that we perform regularly. Using hydraulic systems and permanent steel piers, we can restore your home to its original elevation in most cases. The degree of correction depends on the structure’s condition and how far it has settled. We’ll give you realistic expectations during your assessment.
In most cases, yes. The lifting process is gradual and controlled, and daily routines can continue with minor adjustments. We’ll discuss specific logistics during the planning phase, but most homeowners stay in their homes throughout the project.
The pier installation typically depends on the amount of correction needed. Most residential projects are completed within two to three weeks from start to finish.
Returning the structure to level will close many of the cracks and gaps caused by settlement. Some cosmetic repairs, like patching drywall or regrouting tile, may still be needed afterward, but the structural cause will have been addressed. Many homeowners are surprised at how much visible damage corrects itself once the house is level again.
Absolutely. In fact, older homes in the Lower Mainland are among the most common candidates for this service. Our engineering team designs lifting plans specifically for the construction type and condition of your home. The slow, incremental lifting process is gentle enough for even heritage-era structures.
Our Ram Jack® steel pier systems come with a 20-year warranty against future settlement. This covers the permanent support system that holds your home at the corrected elevation. The warranty is also transferable if you sell your home, which adds real value to your property.
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Why Professional Support Matters
Temporary measures like shimming floors, adding extra posts in the crawl space, or mudjacking the exterior only mask the real problem. These approaches don’t address the failing soil underneath and need to be repeated as settlement continues. Engineered house raising with permanent steel piers corrects the damage that’s already occurred and prevents it from happening again.