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Foundation
Repair

Let’s get your foundation back on solid ground

Cracks in the drywall and doors that suddenly stick are unsettling, and most of the time the cause is fixable. Dwyer stabilizes foundations so your home stays level and your doors close the way they used to. Start with a free inspection. You’ll get a clear written assessment and an honest estimate, with no obligation and no pressure. We’ve been steadying homes across Cincinnati, Dayton, Lexington, Louisville, Northern Kentucky, and Southern Indiana for three decades, so we know the soil your house is sitting on.

Signs your foundation is trying to tell you something

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably noticed one of these and started to worry. That’s the right instinct, and catching it early often keeps the repair smaller. Here’s what tends to show up first:
One sign on its own isn’t always a structural problem, and that’s exactly why an inspection helps. We’ll tell you whether what you’re seeing needs a repair or just some monitoring.

How Dwyer stabilizes your foundation

Every home settles a little differently, so the first step is finding out why yours is moving. Once we know the cause, we match the repair to it and explain in plain terms why that’s the right one before any work starts. Here are the systems we install most often.
a photo of a foundation with ground support steel tie back system in place

Steel tie-back system, for bowed or leaning walls.

When soil pressure pushes a basement wall inward, steel rods connect an anchor set in stable ground outside to a steel plate inside the wall. Tightening them holds the wall in place and stops the movement. In some cases, with exterior excavation, we can bring the wall back toward its original position.
an image of a worker measuring a steel pilaster system

Steel pilaster system, for reinforcing a wall in place.

Pre-engineered steel beams run vertically along the inside of the wall and anchor to the footing and the floor framing above. They brace the wall against further bowing with no outside digging, which makes this a good fit when you’d rather we work entirely from inside.
an image of three workers holding onto a foundation repair helical piles

Helical piles, for a settling or sinking foundation.

When the soil under your foundation can’t carry the load anymore, steel piers are turned down through it until they reach a layer that can. Your home’s weight transfers to that stable ground, and in many cases the piers can lift a settled section back toward level.
a photo of a foundation with ground support sticking out

Push piers, for heavier homes that are settling.

Push piers work on the same idea as helical piles, with heavy-duty steel driven down to load-bearing soil or bedrock and secured with brackets under the foundation. They stabilize the settling and often recover some of the height the home has lost, with little disturbance to your yard.

What foundation repair costs

The honest answer is that it depends on what’s causing the movement and how much of the foundation needs support, and the only way to give you a real number is to look. As a rough guide, wall stabilization projects at Dwyer generally run from $5,000 to $45,000 or more, depending on how complex the repair is. A single crack repair sits at the low end. A full stabilization with multiple piers sits higher. 

Two things make the cost easier to plan for: 

  • The inspection and written estimate are free, so you’ll know your number before you commit to anything.
  • Financing is available if you’d rather spread the cost out. See financing options here
Three employees preforming foundation repair in a basement using piers

What the repair does to your home and yard

A lot of people put off calling because they picture their house torn open for weeks. Most foundation repairs are less invasive than that. Many are done from inside the basement with no digging in the yard at all. When a repair does call for outside excavation, like straightening a bowed wall, our crews dig only where they need to, protect the surrounding area, and put it back when they’re finished. In most cases you stay in your home the whole time, and the work wraps in a few days rather than weeks.

Why homeowners here call Dwyer

Why foundations move across the Region

Whether your foundation moves, and how, has a lot to do with the ground underneath it. Here’s what tends to be behind it where you live.

Recent foundation repair projects

A bowing basement wall, braced and made solid

Location: Cincinnati, OH
The wall was leaning under soil pressure. See what we installed to stabilize it.
A basement foundation wall was bowing inward from years of soil pressure. We reinforced it and stopped the movement, so the wall is solid again and the homeowner can finish the space with confidence.
See Full Project

A cracked foundation wall, stabilized with tiebacks

Location: Newport, KY
Cracks were spreading along the wall. Here’s how we closed the loop.
Cracks were opening along a foundation wall as it shifted. We repaired the cracks and added a steel tieback system to hold the wall in place, so it stays put through the wet and dry seasons.
See Full Project

A settling home, lifted back toward level

Location: Urbancrest, OH
Part of the house was sinking. Here’s how we brought it back.
One section of the home was settling into soft soil. We installed push piers down to load-bearing ground, stabilized the settling, and recovered height the home had lost, with little disruption to the yard.
See Full Project

What Your Neighbors Say

I highly recommend The Dwyer Company! They stabilized the foundation below our garage and raised the driveway so that it is now level! The work was quick. The employees were wonderful to work with.

- Chuck | Cincinnati, OH

They installed piers to repair foundation issues. They were professional and communicated effectively about what needed to be done and what their process would be. They followed up as planned.

- Nancy | Cincinnati, OH

Worked with Mike on a home in riverside ohio that had settled. Crew came out and lifted the foundation havent had a problem since good experience will do business with them again!

- Matt | Cincinnati, OH

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my foundation needs repair?

The common signs are stair-step cracks in exterior brick, drywall cracks above doors and windows, doors or windows that stick, sloping or uneven floors, and a basement wall that looks like it’s bowing inward. One sign on its own isn’t always structural. A free inspection will tell you whether you’re looking at a repair or something minor you can just keep an eye on.

It depends on the cause and how much support the foundation needs. At Dwyer, wall stabilization projects generally run from $5,000 to $45,000 or more, depending on complexity. A single crack repair is at the low end, and a full stabilization with multiple piers is higher. You get a free written estimate before you decide, and financing is available. 

Often, yes. With exterior excavation to relieve the soil pressure, many bowed walls can be brought back toward their original position. When full straightening isn’t possible, we can still stabilize the wall and stop it from moving any further. Your estimator will tell you which is realistic for your wall during the free inspection. 

Most wall stabilization projects take one to two days. Helical pile and push pier installations usually take one to three days, depending on how many piers your home needs and the site conditions. You’ll get a clear timeline with your estimate, and in most cases you stay in your home while the work is done. 

Many repairs are done entirely from inside the basement with no digging outside. When a repair does need outside excavation, our crews dig only where it’s needed and restore the area afterward. We’ll walk you through what your yard will look like before and after, so there are no surprises. 

Yes. Helical pile installations come with a lifetime warranty that transfers to the next owner of the home. Our steel tie-back and pilaster systems are warrantied as well. A transferable warranty protects your home’s value and is worth keeping with your closing documents if you ever sell. 

A repaired, warranty-backed foundation removes a problem that scares buyers and shows up on inspection reports. Fixing it protects the equity in your home and lets you list with documentation that the structure is sound, rather than negotiating against an open foundation issue. 

Usually not. Most foundation issues develop slowly over years, so you typically have time to get an inspection and plan the repair rather than scramble. The inspection is the part worth doing soon, because it tells you whether you’re watching a minor crack or catching something earlier, when it’s simpler to fix. 

Around the region, the main causes are clay soils that swell and shrink with the seasons, water that collects against the foundation, and the soft river-valley and hillside soils common to the region. Older homes feel it more because their footings and walls have had longer to move. An inspection identifies which of these is at work under your home. 

H2: Schedule your free foundation inspection

A foundation problem rarely fixes itself, but it’s also rarely as bad as the worry that comes with it. The fastest way to trade the worry for a plan is a free inspection. You’ll get a clear written assessment, an honest estimate, and no pressure to do anything with it.

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Call The Dwyer Company and one of our experts will get you taken care of with an accurate inspection quote!

Call The Dwyer Company and one of our experts will get you taken care of with an accurate inspection quote!