Foundation raising in Juneau AK - a level house back on a sound foundation

You find out by having a structural mover or engineer look the building over before anyone jacks it, which is why that visit comes first. Wood-framed houses usually lift well, and uneven settling in them can often be corrected, but a house with failing framing or severe settling may need a lot of reinforcement before it's ready.

Sometimes, but the advice is split. A maker of house-lifting equipment says brick or stone homes can be lifted with careful planning, while an Alaska extension guide on foundations says masonry shouldn't be jacked. With advice that divided, the call belongs to a structural mover or engineer who has seen your house.

Across the US, raising a house usually costs about $10,000 to $60,000 for the whole job, and that's a national figure, not a Juneau price. Where yours lands comes down to the size of the house and how much foundation work it needs. I'll look it over in person and put your price in a written estimate.

Nationally, the whole job averages 4 to 8 weeks, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep is done. Most of that time goes to digging, setting beams, permits and the foundation work, not the lifting.

No, living in the house during the lift isn't recommended, so plan somewhere else to stay, though your furniture and belongings can stay put. Before the lift, the crawlspace or basement needs to be emptied and all utilities disconnected, including gas, heat and internet.

Permits in Juneau go through the city's Permit Center, which takes applications online only, and inspections on a permit are booked through a Civic Access account. When your job needs a permit, we file the application and book the inspections through our own account, and if it isn't clear whether one's needed, we ask the Permit Center before we start. If your lot is near a flood zone, we check the city's updated flood maps early, since the city uses them when it applies its flood rules.