How this calculator works
The estimate multiplies four things: the unit price of the repair method, the number of units your home is likely to need, a severity factor, and a regional multiplier. Where the job is structural, it adds the two costs contractors most often leave out of a headline number — a structural engineer’s report and the permit.
That last part matters more than it sounds. A bid of $14,000 including the engineer’s report, permit and concrete restoration is cheaper than a bid of $12,500 that excludes all three. Comparing quotes without normalizing scope is how homeowners overpay.
The unit prices behind the estimate
Every figure the calculator uses is published below. Nothing is hidden, and no contractor pays to change a number in this table.
| Line item | Typical range | Unit | What drives it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epoxy / polyurethane crack injection | $350 – $900 | per crack | Crack width, wall access |
| Carbon fiber straps | $400 – $800 | per strap | Wall height, bow severity |
| Wall anchors / braces | $700 – $1,900 | per anchor | Yard access, soil quality |
| Steel push piers | $1,250 – $2,400 | per pier | Depth to load-bearing soil, access |
| Helical piers | $1,400 – $3,100 | per pier | Depth to load-bearing soil, access |
| Slab jacking / polyurethane lifting | $700 – $2,100 | per section | Void size, project scope |
| Interior drain tile + sump pump | $65 – $130 | per lin. ft | Perimeter length, slab thickness |
| Waterproof sealing & minor drainage | $600 – $2,500 | per project | Void size, project scope |
Source: National contractor pricing data compiled from published 2025–2026 cost datasets and rate sheets, normalized to installed prices including labor. · Last reviewed July 30, 2026 · Reference data · How we compile these figures
How many piers does a house actually need?
Pier count is the single biggest variable in a settling-foundation bid, and the one contractors disagree on most. Piers are placed along the affected section of footing, typically 6 to 8 feet apart. A corner that has dropped might need 4–6 piers; one full side of an average home runs 8–12; a perimeter job can exceed 20.
Two bids can differ by $8,000 purely because one spaced piers at 6 feet and the other at 8. Neither is automatically wrong — but only an engineer’s report, not a salesperson, should decide which one your soil requires. That is the argument for spending $450 – $600 before spending $20,000.
When the honest answer is “don’t spend anything”
A hairline vertical crack under 1/8 inch in poured concrete, not leaking and not growing, needs nothing but a pencil mark and a date. Check it in three months. If it has not moved, it is cured-concrete shrinkage and it is finished moving.
Similarly, a damp basement corner after heavy rain is usually a gutter and grading problem — $100 – $600 of downspout extensions and regrading — long before it is a $9,000 drainage system. Fix the water source first and re-measure. See signs of foundation problems for the full checklist.
Where to go next
- Foundation repair cost — the full itemized guide by repair type.
- Foundation crack repair cost — prices by crack type and width.
- Types of foundation cracks — identify what you are looking at first.
- Basement waterproofing cost — interior vs exterior pricing.
- Will insurance cover it? — usually no, with exceptions.