Slab Foundation Repair That Fixes the Cause, Not Just the Crack

Most residential slab repairs Epp performs run between $7,500 and $22,000 total. Slab piers cost $1,500 to $2,800 per pier installed, and a typical settled slab needs 5 to 8 piers. Polyurethane lift runs $5 to $25 per square foot, depending on lift height and slab thickness. Void-fill foam injection. Used when the slab doesn't need raising but has washouts beneath. Comes in lower. Epp provides a written estimate after the on-site inspection because pier count, lift area, and soil conditions vary house to house.

Slab repair is the wrong answer when the slab is failing because of an active plumbing leak under the foundation. Lifting or piering a slab over running water just creates a bigger void. Epp will not begin repair until a licensed plumber stops the leak and Epp documents the resulting void with a core sample or scope. Slab repair is also the wrong answer when crack monitors show the slab has stopped moving. Roughly 1 in 5 'settling' slabs Epp re-measures at 30 to 90 days have stabilized on their own and need only crack sealing.

Epp runs a manometer floor-level survey to the nearest 0.1 inch on a 4-foot grid across the entire slab. Cracks wider than 1/16 inch get numbered crack monitors installed. On borderline cases, Epp returns at 30 to 90 days to re-measure before recommending repair. This process catches the homes that look bad but have already stabilized, and it catches the homes where the slab looks fine but a corner has actually dropped 1.5 inches over the last year. Epp will not quote pier work without measurable, documented movement.

Frost depth code in Nebraska and Iowa now requires footings at 42 inches. Many slabs poured in 1960s and 1970s subdivisions across Lincoln, Omaha, and Des Moines were built to the older 24 to 30 inch standard. When loess soils shrink during summer drought, those shallow perimeter footings follow the soil down. Typically on the south and west sides where evaporation is highest. These are the chronic-callback homes Epp's crews work on most. Newer homes built post-1990 to current code see far fewer settlement issues.

Epp can attempt lift on most settled slabs using polyurethane foam injected mid-depth in the soil column. What Epp calls Mid-soil Injection. Foam cures in 15 minutes and Epp raises in 1/4-inch controlled lifts. But Epp only guarantees stabilization, not full return to original elevation. Concrete that has settled for years sometimes will not lift cleanly without cracking, and forcing it isn't fair to the homeowner. Epp tells customers the realistic outcome before work starts: stop the movement for sure, lift as much as the slab will cooperate with.

Kansas and western Missouri sit on highly expansive prairie clay with a plasticity index often above 30, meaning the clay can swell 15% between dry and saturated. Unlike Nebraska and Iowa settlement, KS and MO slabs more often show center heave. The middle of the slab pushes up 1 to 2 inches above the perimeter because the soil under the center stays moist while the edges dry and shrink. The repair isn't lifting the perimeter; it's controlling moisture with proper drainage and, where needed, injecting polyurethane to re-bed the high spots without further cracking.

A typical 5 to 8 pier slab repair takes Epp's crew 2 to 4 days on site. Polyurethane lift jobs take 1 to 2 days. Void-fill foam injection on a non-lift repair is often a single day. Cure and re-survey to confirm the slab stayed where Epp put it happens 7 to 14 days after work. Homeowners can stay in the house during slab pier work in most cases. Epp's openings are small and interior dust is controlled.

Yes. Epp's stabilization warranty is transferable to subsequent homeowners, and the documentation pack Epp delivers at job close (manometer survey, pier locations, cure photos, warranty certificate) is exactly what real estate inspectors and lenders ask for in NE, IA, KS, and MO. Epp has been the contractor regional inspectors call back for re-inspections since 1994.

Let's take the first step toward a healthy home.

A local specialist will inspect your foundation, walk you through the findings, and send a clear estimate. no cost, no pressure.