# Pier foundation



## Mortgageman79 (Oct 19, 2007)

Hi All,

I am very excited about this site and joining as a member as I think it is exactly what I was looking for. I Have currently went under contract on a house in a beach community in new jersey and I have a question regarding the foundation. I will try to provide as much information I can about the property in hopes that someone will be able to answer my question(s).  The house is a 1940's bungalo built on a pier foundation.  The house is fine aside from the normal wear you would see on a home that is 60+ years old. My ultimate goal is to blow off the roof and and another level as it is currently only 1 floor. The town will not permit me to add the level unless the foundation is "Beefed up". This would require me to put in a new foundation with the proper footings.  The current pier foundation is no more than 1.2 to 2 feet off the ground. I would not be looking to put a basement in just a crawl.  The house is about 25x40. Ok so now to my question(sorry it took so much reading) 

-What type of cost should I be looking at for something like this?
-What is the normal process for this type of project?  

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you...


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## glennjanie (Oct 20, 2007)

Hello Mortgageman and Welcome:
Does the city have a minimum ground clearance rule? FHA calls for 2' minimum but I personally would say yours is OK.
If you can 'beef-up' the foundation without having to raise the house first, you can get by with simply digging down to their recommended depth, pouring a footer and build back up with concrete blocks. The digging would have to be done by hand and the concrete and blocks would need to be done in two stages, filling in alternate openings (to keep the house stable), then come back and fill in the remaining spaces.
It will be a tedious job and, if the house has to be jacked up, it multiplies. To hire the job done will run between $15,000 and $25,000. I know that's a broad range but there are so many unknowns. This is just a range to let you know if you're about to be ripped off. 
Ask the contractor for references and pictures of previous jobs and check them out. Talk to the customers. Verify worker's compensation and liability insurance.
We would appreciate a pictorial progress of the job and we wish you the very best on the venture.
Glenn


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