Get your house level and keep it there. Get a free inspection and a written price from a local foundation crew. Most people get a call back the same day.
✓Water close to the topThe Chatham County plan calls the whole county flat coastal land with soil that drains poorly. The water sits close to the top. USDA soil maps show water 12 to 30 inches down for two to six months a year in Ocilla soil. In Pelham soil, on low flats, it can reach the top or just above it. Soaked ground under a footing or slab gets weak and can let the house settle.thempc.org
✓Soft marsh soil and old fillNear the marsh, the soil turns into soft clay. Capers soil is mapped in Chatham County near Garden City. It drains very slowly and floods with salt water at least twice a month. The county plan warns that homes on old fill near the marsh face more risk.soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov
✓Storms and big rainHurricane Irma pushed the Fort Pulaski tide gauge to 12.24 feet in 2017, says the National Weather Service. In August 2024, Tropical Storm Debby dropped about 10 inches of rain on Savannah. Flood water soaks the ground and fills crawl spaces. It can also wash soil out from around foundations.weather.gov
✓Old houses, damp airArdsley Park, begun in 1909, is all wood-framed houses, says its U.S. historic record. The Historic District is full of brick houses on raised basements, says the Historic Savannah Foundation. Old wood under a raised floor can rot in damp coastal air. Old brick piers and mortar can crumble.npgallery.nps.gov
✓County flood rulesOutside Savannah city limits, the Chatham County flood law counts all permitted repairs over five years. If they reach half the home's market value, the home must meet today's flood rules. That can mean raising the lowest floor three feet above the base flood level. The law also calls for flood vents under raised homes in flood zones.cdn.chathamcountyga.gov
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Savannah. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
Work
Typical range
Inspection and written estimate
Free
Foundation repair in Savannah, small to major
$2,200 to $23,300
Small jobs in Savannah, cracks and basic waterproofing
When a house settles, it is almost never the whole house at once. One corner drops. A beam under the hall sags. One side of a slab sinks after a wet summer. The rest of the house tries to follow. That is when you see cracks, sticking doors and floors that are not flat.
Foundation repair has two jobs. First, get the part that moved back as close to level as it can safely go. Second, keep it there, so you do not pay for the same problem in five years. In Savannah, the second job almost always means dealing with water.
You do not need to know which fix you need before you call. That is what the free inspection is for.
What we can help fix
Tell us what you see in your own words. These are the problems Savannah homeowners call about most:
"The floor in the hall feels soft and bouncy." This is very common in older raised homes.
"My floors slope. A ball rolls to one side of the room."
"There is a crack over my bedroom door, and it keeps getting longer."
"The back door will not shut unless I lift it."
"It smells musty and damp when you open the crawl space door."
"The brick outside has a crack that looks like stairs."
"Tiles in my kitchen keep cracking."
"Water sits under the house for days after a big storm."
If any of these sound like your house, a local crew can tell you why. They can also tell you what it takes to fix it.
Why houses move here
In Savannah, water is the main story. The facts above show how close it sits, how storms add to it, and how old many homes are.
Sand adds to the problem. A lot of Savannah ground is sandy near the top. Sand does not swell like clay, but it can wash away. A gutter that dumps at one corner can do it. So can a broken pipe, or storm water running along the house. Any of these can carry sand out from under a slab edge or a brick pier. That leaves a gap, and the house sinks into it.
How a crew fixes it
The inspector picks the fix based on your house, your soil and what caused the movement. These are the common methods.
Supports under a raised home
For raised homes, the crew goes under the house. They check every pier, beam and joist. They add new supports under beams that sag. They swap out or double up rotted joists. Then they bring the floor back to level. See crawl space repair and pier and beam repair.
Steel piers
Steel piers are driven down through soft or wet soil to firm ground below. Then the house is lifted and held. Helical piers screw into the ground like a big drill bit. Crews often use them where the top soil is soft, wet or sandy.
Lifting a slab
For slab homes, piers go under the low part of the slab. Small sunken slab areas, like a patio or a garage floor, can sometimes be raised by pumping a fill under them. See slab repair.
Fixing the water
If water caused the problem, supports alone will not stop it from coming back. Gutter extensions help. So does reshaping the yard, French drains and drains under the house. All of these keep water away from the foundation. See drainage fixes.
Patching cracks
Once the house is level and dry, cracks can be sealed. That goes for cracks in the slab, walls, brick or stucco. See crack repair.
What a good inspection covers
A real inspection is more than a look at one crack. Expect the crew to do these things:
Take floor level readings across the whole house, not just the problem room.
Go under the house, if it has a crawl space. They check piers, beams, joists, rot and damp.
Map cracks inside and outside.
Open and close doors and windows to see which ones stick.
Check gutters, downspouts and where storm water goes.
Ask when you first saw the problem, and if it changed after a storm.
Check your flood zone, since it can change what repairs are allowed.
Give you a written plan that shows what they will fix and why.
Flood and historic rules
Two local rules matter for a lot of Savannah homes.
Flood zones. Wilmington Island, Whitemarsh Island and Isle of Hope are outside city limits. There, the county flood law and its 50 percent rule apply. Inside the City of Savannah, owners of badly damaged flood-zone homes are sent to the city's flood office. They get the same kind of check.
Historic districts. Your home may be in the Historic District, the Victorian District or another historic area. If so, the city tells you to check with the Historic Preservation Office first. Work you cannot see from the street, like supports under the floor, is often simpler. Your crew should know the steps.
What moves the price
These are typical ranges from the HomeBlue and Fixr cost guides, not a quote. How much of the house needs support moves the price most. A few new supports under one beam cost far less than piers around a whole house. Read the full cost guide to see what else moves the number.
Questions to ask before you sign
Is the plan based on floor level readings across the whole house?
What exactly will you put in, how many, and where?
What will you do about the water that caused this?
Does my flood zone change what you can do?
What does the warranty cover, for how long, and does it move to the next owner?
Who gets the permit, and do I need a historic review?
Does the price include cleanup and patching cracks?
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common foundation fix in Savannah?
It depends on the house. Raised homes most often need new supports, leveling and new wood where the old wood rotted. Slab homes that sank most often need piers under the low part. Both need a fix for the water that caused it.
How long does foundation repair take?
Most support jobs and pier jobs take one to three days. Bigger jobs take longer, like a long row of rotted beams or new drains. Your written price should list the schedule.
Will the repair close my cracks?
Lifting or leveling the house often closes cracks part of the way. Drywall, plaster, brick and tile most often still need patching after. Ask what the price includes.
Do I need a permit in Savannah?
In the City of Savannah, structural work goes through the city's permit office. Homes in historic districts may need an extra review. Homes in a flood zone may have flood rules. The crew should get any permit the job needs.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation repair?
Most of the time, no. National cost guides say insurers see most settling as wear, or as something you could have stopped. Damage from a sudden event may be different. Flood damage falls under flood insurance, which has its own limits. Ask your agent.
Can I stay in my house during the work?
Most of the time, yes. Most crawl space and outside pier work happens under or around the house. Work inside a slab home is louder and messier. The crew will tell you what to expect before they start.
What warranty should I expect?
Many crews give a warranty on the piers or supports they put in. Some move to the next owner if you sell. Read what it covers, and get it in writing with your price.
Will foundation repair hurt my home's value?
A buyer's inspector will look under the house and check the floors either way. A finished repair with paperwork and a warranty is most often easier to sell than a problem nobody fixed.
Book your free foundation inspection
The sooner you know what is going on, the smaller the fix tends to be. Call (912) 771-1041 or send the short form. A local crew will call you back, most often the same day. The price comes in writing before any work starts.