Maybe you spotted a crack near a doorway.
Maybe you spotted a crack near a doorway. Then a door started sticking, or one part of the floor began feeling a little lower than the rest. At this point, it’s natural to wonder whether your house is showing its age or something is happening underneath it.
At KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair, we’ve been repairing foundations throughout the Kansas City area since 1985. We know how local soil conditions can affect homes over time. If you’re looking into foundation settlement repair, this guide breaks down what causes foundation settlement, the signs to watch for, repair options, costs, and when to call a professional.
You probably won’t see the soil moving beneath your house, but you can often see what that movement is doing above it. One isolated change may not mean much, but several symptoms appearing together or worsening deserve your attention.
Common warning signs of slab settlement include:
Before selecting a foundation settlement repair service, you need to know what caused the settlement:
Settlement isn’t limited to houses. Commercial and industrial properties are also susceptible to soil support loss, but larger slabs, heavier loads, and equipment can raise the stakes when movement starts. We handle commercial foundation work across Kansas City, including projects that require dozens of piers to stabilize the structure.
Foundation settlement happens when changes in the soil beneath your home cause the foundation to move downward. With a slab foundation, one area may settle differently from another, forcing the structure above to adjust.
The difference between normal and problem settling comes down to whether the movement stabilizes or keeps progressing. Limited movement may not cause structural problems, but ongoing or uneven settlement can add stress to the home, often showing up as growing cracks or worsening floor slopes.
Areas throughout metro Kansas City have clay-rich soils that react to moisture changes. During a long dry stretch, clay can shrink and reduce support beneath portions of a slab. When moisture returns, the soil expands again.
Not every small crack requires immediate repair. You can photograph an isolated hairline crack and monitor it, but widening cracks, sloping floors, shifting walls, or doors and windows moving out of square deserve a closer look.
If the movement isn’t clear, schedule a foundation inspection to determine what’s happening. Depending on the situation, that may include documenting cracks, checking floor elevations, or creating a Benchmark Report to track changes over time.
Once settlement shows up, the obvious question is how to stop it. The right answer depends on where the soil stopped providing reliable support and what it takes to stabilize that area.
Steel push piers transfer the weight of a settling foundation to stronger soil or bedrock below. Foundation underpinning extends support through unstable soil and connects the piers to the foundation with steel brackets.
Push piers can stabilize a settling foundation and, when conditions allow, help lift the affected area closer to its original position. They work best when the structure is heavy enough to drive the piers.
Helical piers use screw-like plates to advance through unstable soil until they reach soil that can support the structure. The choice between push piers vs. helical piers depends on the structure, soil conditions, access, and type of settlement. Unlike push piers, installation doesn’t depend on the building’s weight, making them useful for lighter structures and certain slab applications.
Polyjacking uses expanding polyurethane foam to fill voids beneath settled concrete and help lift the slab back into position. It works well for certain sunken areas, such as sidewalks and driveways, that need additional support beneath the concrete.
Mudjacking pumps a cement-based slurry beneath settled concrete to fill voids and raise the slab. If deeper soil instability is causing the movement, however, the slab may need a repair that addresses its underlying support.
Before you put money into a repair, you should know what you’re actually fixing. The right slab settlement repair depends on what’s happening beneath your home and how much the foundation has moved.
At KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair, we know the value of clear answers. Call us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about your slab settlement repair options.
| Uniform Settlement | Recommended |
|---|---|
| The foundation moves downward relatively evenly. One section settles farther or faster than another. | |
| Structural stress may be limited if movement stabilizes. Uneven movement can contribute to cracking, uneven floors, and misaligned openings. | |
| Changes may be less obvious inside the home. Symptoms often show up around walls, floors, doors, and windows. |
A free inspection. A written repair plan. The recommended work explained before you decide.
We inspect the concern and the conditions around it.
We explain our findings and prepare your written repair plan.
Our team completes the agreed work with care for your home.
We explain the completed work, care and written warranty.
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Great job on my steps and back concrete pad. They came out. Gave me an estimate. Took care of business. Very professional. Thank you
Excellent service and work! I’ve worked with KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair twice now (for foundation work and most recently window well/waterproofing work). I have been satisfied with their work both times. Always easy to schedule and Recently Riley helped with a quote and was not pushy about moving forward; which was my experience a few years ago too. They don’t take up hours of time to give a quote which I appreciate. The team that did the recent work (main contact was Schuyler) were easy to work with and talk too, very kind. You can tell this group of people works together and works together well. They had a lot of hand digging and they did it very quickly. When an unexpected issue arose (removing some sidewalk) Schuyler laid out the what/why/how plainly in an easy to understand way. They did replace the sidewalk concrete. It was a big job and they got it done in a day and a half and were in high spirits throughout. They cleaned up a lot after the project too, which is appreciated. Schuyler did a final walk-through and answered any questions I had. Pricing was good too, I got another quote that was astronomical for pricing and the other company wasted 3 hours of my time to provide a quote. If I need anything in the future I won’t bother with a second quote as I’ve always had excellent experiences with KC Waterproofing. The support staff is very kind and helpful too, as well as prompt. Overall, excellent experiences; highly recommend!
We had a leak in what we thought was our foundation. Water coming in under our basement floor. Francis Heisinger came and checked it out for us. He could have recommended a French drain that would entail digging, pipes, removing and replacing concrete and lots of money. Being the honest man that he is, he gave us his opinion as to what the problem entailed. Thank you so very much. Should we ever need foundation work done, we will definitely use this company!
In the Olathe/Lenexa area, my wife and I needed some polyjacking done in our front porch as it had started cracking and lowering as well as a major gap filled underneath our back patio concrete slab. From the get-go, Matt and Rhonda were fantastic in communicating with us in regards to process, scheduling etc. Matt is super knowledgeable and was patient with all my questions and concerns. The crew, Vic and Donte were really great in being very personable and professional. As they worked they were clean, and did a great job in the work that we needed and were happy to walk me through the work once it had been done to make sure I was satisfied. We still have some work to have done with some french drains but this group made the experience great. Highly recommend and can't thank them enough for the thorough work.
We recently used KC Waterproofing and Foundation Repair to level our concrete driveway. We had extensive sinking on the driveway due to water intrusion, and we needed over three inches of lift on one side of the driveway. The KC Waterproofing team gave me a fair quote, matched the price of one of their competitors, and provided great service on the day of the project. We are very happy with the end result, and are confident that our driveway issues have been resolved.
Good crew, did a good job and we’ll use KC Waterproofing again if we ever have any other concrete related basement issues.
Vic did a super job with a couple of sunken concrete areas and a crack in our foundation wall. I have used KC Waterproofing several times including the installation of a pier system. I have been beyond impressed with the quality of their work and outstanding customer service!
The work crew that came out to work my basement were incredibly prompt and clean - very little concrete dust thrown up and around, they got all the "big" work done in one day, a little over 8 hours
The crew was timely, they were clear on what they would be doing, they communicated any issues they encountered. The worked to minimize dust from the concrete that had to be broken up. They were professional in every way and did nice work.
KC Waterproofing starts with a free inspection, recommendations for your property, and written promises behind the work. Serving Kansas City homeowners since 1985.
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“Had an initial consultation with Camden. He was upfront, professional, honest, and very knowledgeable. We haven’t yet made a decision as to next steps, but our experience with the consult was top-notch.”
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Before you decide
Answers about repair options, cost and next steps for your property.
Repair settlement, bowing walls and structural movement with a plan based on your home.
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Manage water intrusion with drainage, sump pumps and waterproofing designed around the source of the leak.
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Address moisture, humidity and damaged supports beneath your home.
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Two offices in North Kansas City and Grandview. Serving homes across the Kansas City metro and surrounding Missouri and Kansas communities.
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