Foundation raising in Oxford AL - a house that sits higher above flood water
Water reaching your crawlspace, or a house sitting lower than the yard? We lift it higher and build solid concrete under it.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to raise a house in Oxford?
Foundation raising lifts your whole house on steel beams and jacks so it sits higher, and our crew at Oxford Concrete does it for homeowners in Oxford, AL who want the house up and away from the water that keeps finding it.
Usually the house itself is sound but sits too low, and the real question is whether lifting it fits your foundation, your budget and your schedule. The biggest thing moving both price and schedule is whether the house sits on a crawlspace or a slab, then how high it needs to go, whether a new foundation goes in under it, and how much prep, repair and weather the job runs into. I can't give you your number until I've seen what's under the house, so the estimate spells out what's in our price and what isn't.
How do you know your house needs to sit higher?
Water in the crawlspace
If you see standing water or wet dirt under the house after a hard rain, the house is usually sitting low compared to where water collects around it. Every storm it stays, the framing above it stays damp, and damp wood is where rot and mold get started.
House lower than the yard
When the yard or the street sits above your floor line, rain runs toward the house instead of away from it. Regrading can fix some of that, but if the whole house is low, it's the house that has to come up, and putting it off means more water every season.
Siding close to the dirt
Wood siding or sills sitting at or near the ground stay wet and invite rot and termites. Left alone long enough, a lift that could have been straightforward turns into a bigger job with repairs stacked on top.
How our foundation raising work goes
Lifting a house is a big undertaking, so before anything else I want to know whether yours sits on a crawlspace or a slab, since that shapes how hard the lift will be and how much digging comes first. From there we clear and dig around the foundation, set the beams and jacks, raise the house, and build the concrete it will sit on at its new height, with an eye on the subgrade, the packed ground under that concrete, and on where the water runs so the new footings aren't sitting in it. I'll also tell you straight what we handle ourselves and which trades you'll need lined up, like the plumber and the electrician who disconnect and reconnect the house, so nobody ends up waiting on a missing piece.
A lift usually touches the concrete around the house too. If an old slab or patio is in the way, concrete cutting lets us open only what the job needs instead of breaking out the whole thing. Once the house sits higher, the old driveway rarely meets the garage or the walk at the right height, so we can pour a new one through our concrete driveway building work, sloped to carry water away from the house.
Lift only
This suits a house whose foundation is in good shape and only needs more height. It's the smaller job, because we raise the house and build up under it without tearing out what's already holding it.
Lift with a new foundation
This suits a house whose old foundation is cracked, short or worn out, since the lift is the one time it's easy to reach. While the house is up, we pour new footings and walls so it comes down onto concrete built for its new height.
Lift plus the concrete around it
This suits owners who'd rather finish everything in one go, because a raised house leaves steps, walks and the driveway at the wrong height. We rework that concrete to meet the new doors while the crew and equipment are already there.
Get a free on-site estimate for raising your house
We reply within one business day, and the estimate is free with no obligation. I'll set a time to come out, walk the site with you and then send an estimate listing what's in it and what isn't.
(256) 649-5980- Based in
- Oxford, AL 36203
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about raising your house in Oxford?
Here's how it runs from your first call to the walk-through at the end, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Call (256) 649-5980 or send the form with a few lines about your house and what's bothering you. We'll get back to you to set a time to come out.
Walk the site together
I come out, walk around and under the house with you and ask a lot of questions about the foundation, the water and how high you want to go. The estimate I send after lists what's in it and what isn't, so you can see which costs sit with us and which sit with other trades.
Prep, lift and pour
If you go ahead, we prep the ground, raise the house and set the forms for the concrete it will sit on. I'm on site for the pour, because that's the part you can't redo later.
Walk the finished job
Before we leave, we walk the finished job with you, around the new foundation and anything we poured to meet it. That's your chance to ask about anything you see.
Why Oxford homeowners call Oxford Concrete to raise a house
The owner walks every job
I come out to look at every job myself and stay on it with the crew that does the work. The person who asked about your foundation at the estimate is the same one standing there when the house goes up.
Running Oxford Concrete since 2023
I learned concrete on a crew when I was younger, did other work for years, then came back and started this business in 2023. Coming back with fresh eyes left me curious about why some slabs hold up and others don't, and I still work that out on every job.
Paperwork you can ask to see
We're fully licensed and insured. The City of Oxford requires every person or business working in the city to hold a city business license, so it's fair to ask any contractor for theirs before you sign.
Comfortable with jobs that have a catch
We're best known for the awkward ones, like a steep slope, a cut through an old slab or a layout that isn't standard. A house that has to come up and settle back down on new concrete is that kind of job, and I'd rather ask one more question at the estimate than find a surprise later.
Before anything gets lifted, I want to know what's under your house and how high it needs to go. Call (256) 649-5980 or send us the details, and I'll come take a look.
House raising and the concrete around it in Oxford
Before work starts on any job, we check with the local building office about it and tell you plainly what it needs and who handles it, because a house lift touches the structure and that's something I want settled up front. If you have your own questions about how the building codes apply to your house in Oxford, they go to the city's Building Official at (256) 831-9685.
Most people who ask about raising a house are thinking about water, so look your address up on the state's AlabamaFlood map first, since it shows FEMA's floodplain maps by address or county. On jobs in Anniston and Jacksonville we meet the same mix of older crawlspace houses and slab homes, and the same work afterward getting steps and driveways to meet the doors again.
Questions about foundation raising in Oxford
How much does it cost to raise a house in Oxford, AL?
Raising a typical single-family home across the US usually costs about $20,000 to $80,000 per job, and that's the going range nationally, not our price. Your own figure comes from the estimate I send after walking your site, which lists what's in the price and what isn't.
How long does it take to raise a house?
Raising a house takes about 4 to 8 weeks on average from start to finish, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep is done. Preparation, repairs, weather and inspections all shape that span, and so do your foundation type and how high the house goes, so plan around the whole stretch and not just the lift days.
Can a house on a slab be raised?
Yes, but a slab house is very difficult to raise, because the crew has to dig out the ground under the slab to fit the lifting equipment. A slab without enough rebar, the steel that holds the concrete together, may crack when it's lifted, so find out how yours was built before you plan. A crawlspace house is the easiest kind, since there's usually room underneath for the beams and jacks.
What license does a contractor need to raise a house in Alabama?
Under the rules of the state's Home Builders Licensure Board, a foundation contractor you hire directly needs a residential home builder's license without limitation when the job costs more than $10,000 and affects the home's structure. A whole-house lift usually meets both, so ask to see that license before you sign.
How do I get my house ready to be raised?
Empty out the crawlspace or basement and have every utility disconnected, including plumbing, electric, gas, heating, cooling, phone and internet. Your furniture and belongings can stay inside, but plan to stay somewhere else, because living in or being inside the house during the lift isn't recommended.
Does FEMA help pay to raise a house in a flood zone?
FEMA lists raising an existing house to the base flood elevation, the flood height its maps set for your property, or higher as an eligible activity in its Hazard Mitigation Assistance programs. That means it's a kind of project those programs can fund, not that any one house qualifies, so it's worth looking into before you settle on a budget.
Concrete work that often goes with a lift
Concrete cutting
When an old patio or walk butts against the house where the beams go in, a clean saw cut takes out only that piece and leaves the rest.
Concrete driveway building
If your old driveway is cracked or holds water, replacing it right after the lift costs you one round of torn-up yard instead of two.
Cities we serve around Oxford
Oxford Concrete is based in Oxford, Alabama, and we work across Oxford and many of the cities around it. The 10 cities below each have their own page, including Talladega and Pell City, but they're not the only places we take on work.
Oxford, AL
Find out if your house can be raised
Call with your foundation type, your flood map result and how high you'd like the house to go, and that first conversation will answer a lot more.