Foundation repair for Lawrence and Douglas County homes
A basement wall bowing in after a wet spring, an old limestone foundation shedding mortar, or floors that have started to sag? One call connects you with a foundation repair contractor that works in Douglas County.
What does your house need?
- Bowing basement wall repairWalls pushed inward by wet clay: anchors, steel beams, carbon fiber or excavation, plus the drainage fix.
- Limestone and brick foundation repairRepointing, rebuilding and supporting the stone and brick foundations under Lawrence's older houses.
- Foundation piers and underpinningPush piers, helical piers and other underpinning for settling corners, walls and additions.
- Sagging floor and crawl space supportSteel posts, new beams and footings to level bouncy, sloping floors over crawl spaces and old basements.
- Basement crack repair and drainageSealing leaking cracks, interior drain tile and sump pumps, and the outside fixes that keep clay drier.
How it works
Call or send a request
Tell us your town and what you're seeing in the basement, crawl space or walls.
We connect you
Your request goes to an independent foundation contractor that serves your part of Douglas County.
They call you back
They come out, measure, explain what's happening and quote you directly.
Who uses this site?
Homeowners in Lawrence, North Lawrence, Eudora, Baldwin City, Lecompton and the rest of Douglas County who think their foundation is moving, crumbling or letting water in. That could be a Victorian in Old West Lawrence with a limestone foundation that's losing its mortar, a newer house on the west side with a horizontal crack across the basement wall, a North Lawrence house that's settling on river-bottom soil, or a buyer's inspection report that says the foundation needs a closer look. Calling or sending a request is free.
Why do foundations move in Douglas County?
Clay, rock and rain. The county's uplands are clay soils over layered shale and limestone, and the Kansas River valley is filled with river deposits that the Kansas Geological Survey puts at 45 to 90 feet thick. USDA's Martin soil series, with its type location in Douglas County, formed from shale and limestone below limestone outcrops and has a subsoil that's 40 to 55 percent clay, smectitic and very plastic. The Kansas Geological Survey says expansive soils that swell when wet and shrink when dry are a more pervasive problem in Kansas than landslides, cracking foundations, driveways and sidewalks from season to season.
Lawrence gets a lot of water to feed that cycle: about 39.4 inches of precipitation in a normal year, often in heavy spring and summer storms, followed by hot, dry stretches. Basement walls take the brunt, which is why bowing walls and leaking cracks are such common calls here.
What signs mean it's time for an evaluation?
- A horizontal or stair-step crack in a basement wall
- A wall that leans or bulges
- Crumbling mortar or loose stones in an old foundation
- Floors that sag, bounce or slope
- Cracks above doors, or doors that stick
- A porch, chimney or addition separating from the house
- Water coming in at cracks after storms
A single thin vertical crack in a poured wall is usually concrete shrinkage. Several signs together, or anything that's getting worse, is worth a call.
What kinds of repair are there?
- Bowing basement walls get anchors, steel beams, carbon fiber or excavation. Bowing wall repair.
- Old stone and brick foundations are repointed, rebuilt in sections or supported. Stone foundation repair.
- Settling sections are carried on push or helical piers. Foundation piers.
- Sagging floors get new footings, steel posts and beams. Floor support.
- Leaks and water are handled with crack injection, drain tile, sumps and grading. Cracks and drainage.
Does Lawrence require a permit for foundation repair?
For structural work, yes. The City of Lawrence's foundation repair guidelines require a building permit for repairs that structurally alter the foundation, including piers, steel posts, helical piers, I-beams and tie-back anchors, and for basement drainage systems. The city wants either a pre-engineered system backed by an ICC-ES report or a sealed report from a Kansas professional engineer, and piers are an inspection item. Minor maintenance like crack injection or mudjacking may be exempt. Eudora, Baldwin City and Lecompton handle their own permits.
What can I do before anyone comes out?
- Photograph cracks with a ruler beside them and mark and date the ends
- Hold a level against any wall that looks off and note how far it leans
- Walk the house in a rainstorm to see where gutters overflow and water pools
- Look in the crawl space for wet soil, rotted posts or temporary jacks
- Gather any old repair records, pier logs or warranties
Is Lawrence Foundation Repair a contractor?
No. We're a referral service. Your call or request goes to an independent foundation repair contractor that serves your address. That company evaluates the house, quotes and does the work and offers its own warranty. See how it works for what to check before hiring, and the Douglas County foundation guide for local background.
Areas we cover
Want the background first? Read our Douglas County foundation repair guide.
Common questions
Who does the foundation work?
An independent foundation repair contractor that serves your part of Douglas County. We connect you; we don't do the work.
Does it cost anything to use this site?
No. Calling or sending a request is free. The contractor quotes and bills any work directly.
Which towns do you cover?
Lawrence, North Lawrence, Eudora, Baldwin City and Lecompton, plus rural Douglas County.
How do I check a contractor's city license in Lawrence?
Lawrence licenses contractors by class through Planning and Development Services, and you can look up a contractor's license in the city's database or by contacting Building Safety.
Wall bowing in, mortar crumbling, or floors starting to sag?
Call and a foundation contractor who works in Douglas County will take a look and explain your options.