We are concrete contractors, not structural engineers. For a house foundation, an engineer decides what is structural and we build what is specified. These answers help you judge how urgent a problem is. Prices are national HomeGuide figures for 2026.
Are cracks in my foundation serious or cosmetic?
Most hairline vertical cracks in a foundation are cosmetic shrinkage. A crack is more likely serious when it is wider than about a quarter inch, wider at one end, offset so one side sticks out, growing, or matched by sticking doors and cracked interior walls. In earthquake country and on expansive clay, have a structural engineer look at anything in the second group.
My front steps are pulling away from the house. Why?
Steps pulling away from the house were usually poured on shallow fill that has settled or on clay that shrank. The house has deeper footings and stays put. If the steps are in one piece they can sometimes be lifted and the gap sealed. Otherwise they are rebuilt on a proper footing. We have no published price for steps and quote after a visit.
My garage floor has dropped on one side. Is it a leveling job or a foundation problem?
If only the garage floor slab has dropped or sunk and the walls are sound, it is usually a leveling or replacement job, because many garage floors float inside the foundation. If the walls or the door frame show cracks or the footing itself has moved, it is a foundation question for an engineer. Check for a plumbing leak under the slab as well.
My retaining wall is leaning after heavy rain. Is it dangerous?
Treat a retaining wall that is leaning as a warning. Saturated clay behind a wall with no drainage pushes hard, and a wall that moved in one storm can move further in the next. Keep people and cars away from the low side, direct water away from the top, and have it assessed. Tall walls and walls holding up a driveway or building need an engineer.
One company quoted $18,000 for piers and another $1,500 to seal the crack. Which is right?
They are answering different questions. The $1,500 seals a crack against water. The $18,000 stops a foundation that is sinking. Which you need depends on whether the wall is still moving. Pay a structural engineer who sells no repairs for an independent opinion before choosing. National figures run $250 to $800 for minor crack repairs and $4,500 to $20,000 for settling or bowed walls.
My slab floor is damp or shows white powder. What causes it?
The white powder is efflorescence: salts left behind when moisture moves up through the concrete and evaporates. Basements are rare in San Jose, but slab floors and garage floors on wet clay show it often, mostly in winter. Find the water first: poor drainage outside, sprinklers against the wall or a pipe leak. National figures for fixing foundation leaks are $2,000 to $12,000.
Does my retaining wall need to be designed for earthquakes?
Engineered walls here are designed for seismic loads as the building code requires. That affects the footing size and the steel. A low garden wall is not engineered, but it still needs a footing and drainage.
How deep do footings need to be in San Jose?
Frost does not set footing depth here, because the ground does not freeze. The building code sets a minimum depth and the soil decides the rest. On expansive clay an engineer or soils report often calls for deeper footings so they sit below the zone that dries and swells.
Does homeowners insurance cover a cracked slab or a failed retaining wall?
Often not. Standard homeowners insurance commonly excludes earth movement, settling and earthquake damage, and earthquake cover is a separate policy in California. Sudden events such as a burst pipe or a vehicle impact are more likely to be covered. Read your policy and ask your insurer before assuming either way.
To get a real price for your address, book a free on-site estimate. Call (408) 889-7434 or text us a photo and rough measurements.