Helical piers
Steel shafts with helical plates are advanced to suitable bearing and connected to the foundation with engineered brackets.
Helical piers, push piers & underpinning
Foundation settlement repair and pier systems in Greater Burlington
When part of a foundation settles, cracks and uneven floors can spread through the home. A contractor evaluates and offers repair options for sinking foundation sections, additions, porches, columns and other areas that have lost reliable support.
No phone call needed.
What this service includes
Settlement repair may use helical piers, push piers, new or enlarged footings, underpinning or localized rebuilding. Before a system is selected, the movement pattern, loads, soil support, water and drainage conditions, access and structural design need to be understood.
Common reasons homeowners call
Problems this service can fix
Diagonal cracks from doors or windows
A foundation crack with vertical displacement
Floors slope toward one part of the home
An addition or porch is pulling away
Doors and windows bind along with visible cracking
A chimney or column has settled
Repairs and systems
Repairs and systems
Push piers
Steel pier sections are hydraulically advanced using the structure as resistance and then locked to support the foundation.
Underpinning
Existing footings are extended or supported in carefully sequenced sections to transfer load to more reliable bearing.
Footing replacement
Failed or undersized footings beneath walls, posts or columns may be rebuilt with appropriate load and frost considerations.
Beam and post repair
Interior settlement may involve columns, beams and pads rather than the exterior foundation wall.
Drainage and erosion repair
Concentrated water, washout and broken drainage are corrected when they are contributing to loss of support.
Matching the option to the condition
Settlement repair options compared
Piers and underpinning respond to different soil and load conditions. Cause and repair are linked.
| Condition | Option that may apply | What to confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| Light structure, softer soil | Helical piers | Soil and load information |
| Heavier structure needing deep bearing | Push piers | Design loads and access |
| Footing that must be extended | Underpinning | Engineering and access |
| Failed or cracked footing | Footing replacement | Cause of failure |
| Erosion or washout | Drainage and erosion repair | The water source |
Settlement repair is design work. The loads, the soil and the depth to competent bearing all shape the answer, so ask who designed it and whether an engineer’s involvement is part of the proposal. Also ask what lift, if any, is expected, because raising a structure is never guaranteed to be complete.
- 01
Crack and floor-elevation pattern
- 02
Which structural elements have moved
- 03
Foundation and footing construction
- 04
Drainage, erosion and plumbing history
- 05
Access for equipment and brackets
- 06
Need for engineering or soil information
Your estimate
What is included in the plan
Cause and repair are related
Piers support the structure; leaking drains, erosion or water concentration may still need separate correction.
Lift is not guaranteed
The safest repair may stabilize the current position, and any planned lift and risk to finishes or utilities should be written down.
Design loads
Pier type, spacing and depth should follow the building loads and installed resistance, not a generic count.
Documentation
Measurements, installation records and engineering details are especially important for resale and future monitoring.
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Compare the complete foundation settlement & pier repair scope.
Sources and Vermont specifics
What to ask about the pier product and the soil
Helical piers and push piers are engineered products. ICC-ES AC358 sets the requirements for helical pile systems to be recognized in an ICC-ES evaluation report, including testing by an accredited laboratory and calculations. That gives you a concrete request: ask for the product's evaluation report, the installation torque or driving pressure required at each location, and the load the design assumes.
The soil matters as much as the steel. Around Lake Champlain, sand, silt and clay lie over glacial till, so a pier that reaches firm material at one corner may need to go much deeper at another. A proposal should give the number of piers, their spacing, the target depth and what happens if firm material is not reached. Written answers let you compare two bids for the same house.
Ask how the result will be verified. A good proposal states whether the house is expected to be lifted or only stabilized, what tolerance is acceptable, and how the contractor will record the elevations before and after. Reference marks on the wall, dated photographs and a written elevation survey make disputes rare, and they give the next owner something concrete to review.
Sources: ICC-ES AC358, Helical Pile Systems and Devices (Applied Testing); UVM PLACE Program, Burlington surficial geology. Checked September 26, 2026.
Common questions
Foundation Settlement & Pier Repair FAQs
How do I know whether my foundation is settling?
One crack is not enough to decide. A consistent pattern, vertical displacement, sloping floors, separated additions and related door or window changes, helps establish what has moved.
Are helical piers and push piers the same?
No. They use different installation methods and rely on different conditions. Access, structure weight, soil, design load and the repair objective affect the choice.
Can foundation piers lift the house back into place?
Some projects permit a controlled lift; others are stabilized where they are to avoid damage. The expected movement and risks should be specified before work begins.