Serving Union City, CA and surrounding areas. (510) 738-1780
If your home has sunk, shifted, or settled unevenly, we lift it back to level with steel pier installation designed for Union City soils. Permits handled, work guaranteed.
Foundation raising in Union City lifts a home that has sunk or settled back toward its original level by installing steel piers deep into stable soil, then using hydraulic equipment to gently push the structure up - most single-family projects take three to five working days on-site, with one to three weeks added for the required city permit.
Homes in Union City settle for a specific reason: the Bay mud and expansive clay soils in this part of Alameda County absorb water in winter, swell, then dry out and shrink every summer. That repeated cycle slowly pulls and pushes at your foundation until one side drops noticeably lower than the rest. Sticking doors, sloping floors, and diagonal cracks above door frames are the signs most homeowners notice first. The good news is the problem is fixable - and a properly raised foundation stops the movement rather than just masking the symptoms. For homeowners who need a brand-new foundation rather than a repair, we also handle slab foundation building for new construction and additions.
If interior doors that used to swing freely now drag on the floor or refuse to latch, your home may have shifted. This happens when a foundation settles unevenly and door frames go slightly out of square. In Union City, this symptom often appears in late summer after the clay soils have dried out and contracted beneath the home - and it tends to ease slightly when the rains return and the soil expands again.
Diagonal cracks running from the corners of door or window frames are one of the clearest signs of foundation movement. Hairline cracks from normal settling are common, but cracks wider than a quarter-inch - or cracks that keep growing - deserve a professional look. Homes built in the 1960s and 1970s in Union City are especially prone to this because their original foundations were not designed for the soil movement common here.
Walk slowly across your floors and pay attention to any spots that dip or slope. Set a marble or a level on the floor - if it rolls consistently in one direction, the floor is not level. This is one of the most reliable signs that part of your foundation has settled lower than the rest, and it is worth getting an assessment before the gap between sections gets wider.
If you notice a gap opening up where your wall meets the ceiling, or where baseboards are pulling away from the floor, the structure is moving. These gaps often appear gradually over months or years. Water pooling near your foundation after Union City's winter rains is another signal - saturated soil accelerates the settling process and makes a small problem much worse over time.
Every foundation raising job starts with a free on-site assessment. We walk around your home's exterior, check the crawl space if accessible, and use a laser level to measure how much the floor has dropped at different points. We explain what we find in plain terms and give you a written estimate before anything else. Once you decide to move forward, we handle the building permit application with the City of Union City's Building Division - most permits are approved within one to three weeks, and we track the status so you do not have to. We also handle concrete cutting when access to the foundation perimeter requires removing a section of flatwork.
The active work involves installing steel piers at key points around your foundation, then using hydraulic equipment to carefully and gradually lift the home back toward its original level. After lifting, we document the before-and-after measurements in writing so you have a record to give to buyers or your insurance company. For homeowners whose homes need a completely new foundation rather than a lift, we also handle slab foundation building from the ground up.
Suits homes where one side or corner has settled significantly into Bay mud or clay, requiring deep permanent supports to reach stable soil below the shifting upper layers.
For older Union City homes with a raised foundation and crawl space where internal beam supports have deteriorated or where settling has created an uneven floor system.
For Union City homeowners near the Hayward Fault who have noticed new settlement symptoms after seismic activity and need an evaluation plus a written repair plan.
Union City sits on a mix of Bay mud and alluvial clay - some of the most compressible and expansive soil in the Bay Area. This is not abstract; it is what causes the settling you can see and feel in your home right now. The soft upper layers absorb moisture through the wet season, swell, then shrink and compress again as they dry out. A steel pier that only reaches the top few feet of this material will move with it. Effective foundation raising here means driving piers past the unstable upper layers into something solid beneath - the California Geological Survey has mapped these soil conditions across Alameda County, and the depth requirements reflect what is actually underground. Older homes in neighborhoods like Alvarado and the areas near Union Landing were built before these depths were standard practice, which is why so many of them show settling today.
We carry out foundation raising work throughout the East Bay, with regular projects in Hayward and Fremont where soil conditions are comparable. The additional consideration in Union City is the proximity to the Hayward Fault - one of the faults considered most likely to produce a major earthquake in the coming decades. Any foundation repair here should account for seismic resilience, not just soil settling. The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program maintains detailed data on Hayward Fault risk - worth reviewing before any structural repair decision.
When you reach out, we ask a few basic questions - how old is your home, what symptoms are you seeing, and whether any prior foundation work has been done. We schedule a free on-site visit and reply within one business day. That first conversation costs you nothing.
We walk your exterior, check the crawl space if accessible, and use a laser level to measure floor elevation at multiple points. You get a written estimate that covers the pier installation, any concrete access cutting, the permit fee, and cleanup - no hidden line items.
Once you decide to move forward, we submit the permit application to the City of Union City's Building Division. Approval typically takes one to three weeks. We track the permit on your behalf - you get a firm start date as soon as it clears, with no paperwork for you to handle.
The crew installs piers and uses hydraulic equipment to gradually lift the home - most of the active lifting happens over one to two days. After work is complete, the city inspector visits, and we walk you through before-and-after measurements with written documentation you can use at resale.
Free on-site assessment. Written estimate with no hidden fees. City permit handled for you. We reply within one business day.
(510) 738-1780We pull a city building permit for every foundation raising job - no exceptions. That means a city inspector reviews and signs off on the completed work, giving you a paper trail that protects you at resale and gives you documented proof the job was done correctly.
Union City's Bay mud and clay layers can extend many feet below the surface. We size and drive every pier past the unstable upper layers to reach stable soil or bedrock below, so seasonal soil swelling and shrinking can no longer move your home. That depth is what separates a lasting repair from one that shifts again in three years.
After every foundation raising job, we document how much the home was lifted and where, and give you that record in writing. This is the kind of documentation that satisfies buyers, real estate agents, and insurance adjusters - and most contractors do not provide it unless you ask specifically.
We assess every Union City foundation with Hayward Fault proximity in mind, not just soil settling. The California Contractors State License Board requires specific licensing for foundation work, and our crew is licensed, insured, and familiar with the seismic requirements that Union City building inspectors enforce on every permitted job.
Foundation raising in Union City is not a one-size-fits-all repair - the soil, the seismic environment, and the age of local housing stock all shape how the job gets done. We have worked on homes across the East Bay and we bring that local knowledge to every project we take on here.
Precise saw cuts through driveways, patios, and slabs in Union City to access utilities, remove damaged sections, or create clean expansion joints.
Learn morePour a new concrete slab foundation in Union City for a home, addition, or ADU - designed for local clay soils and Hayward Fault seismic requirements.
Learn moreUnion City's wet winters put extra stress on already-settled foundations - getting work done now means you are protected before the soil starts shifting again. Call or get a free estimate online today.
