Concrete piers are concrete columns placed in the ground beneath a foundation to carry its weight down to firmer soil. They are built two main ways. Poured piers are formed and filled with concrete in place, and pressed piers are short precast concrete cylinders stacked and pressed into the ground one on top of another under the footing. Either way, the column reaches below the weak soil the footing sits on, and a cap ties the foundation to it.
In the Carolinas, the soil under a footing is usually what moves. Piedmont clay swells in wet seasons and shrinks in dry ones, which can let a footing drop over the years. Sandy soils in the Sandhills and on the coast can compress or wash out, and fill soil on hillside lots in the mountains can settle unevenly. The depth to firmer soil varies from one lot to the next, which shapes any pier plan.
HydroHelp911 supports settled foundations with steel helical piers and push piers, and this page explains concrete piers so you can compare them. Every foundation repair starts with a free inspection of the settlement and of the soil and water around the home.
What to Know About Concrete Piers and How the Method Works
HydroHelp911 uses steel helical piers and push piers, and this page explains concrete piers so you can compare them. A pressed concrete pier is built from short precast cylinders set one on top of another and pressed down beneath the footing until the column resists further movement.
A poured pier is formed in a hole and filled with concrete in place. Pressed piers go only as deep as the column can be pushed, which in dense clay can be shallower than steel piers reach. Steel push piers are driven in sections until the soil holds the load, and helical piers are turned in until they reach a measured capacity.
No pier changes the soil behavior that let the footing settle. Signs such as a foundation settling unevenly or cracks running through exterior brick point to the cause, and the inspection also looks at how water reaches the soil.
Common Questions About Concrete Piers
What Is the Difference Between Concrete Piers and Steel Piers?
Both carry the weight of a home down to firmer soil. Concrete piers are columns of precast cylinders pressed into the ground or concrete poured in place. Steel piers are steel shafts: helical piers are screwed into the ground, and push piers are driven down hydraulically using the weight of the home. HydroHelp911 installs helical piers and push piers, and the inspection shows which one fits your home.
Will Piers Bring a Settled Foundation Back to Level?
Sometimes part of the way. Once piers carry the load, part of the settlement can often be recovered, but how much depends on the structure and how long it has sat out of level. The main goal of any pier is to stop further settlement in the area it supports. The inspection measures how far the home has moved and explains what to expect.
Why Does the Soil Under a Footing Move?
In the Piedmont, clay soils swell when they take on water and shrink as they dry, and that cycle can let a footing drop over the years. In the Sandhills and along the coast, sandy soils can compress or wash out. On hillside lots, fill soil can settle unevenly. Water draining toward the foundation makes each of these worse, so the inspection looks at drainage too.
How Much Do Concrete Piers Cost?
There is no set price for concrete piers, because the cost follows the number of piers, the depth to firmer soil and access to the footing. HydroHelp911 supports settled foundations with helical piers and push piers, and the free inspection ends with a written estimate at no cost before any work is scheduled.
Which Foundation Piers Does HydroHelp911 Install?
HydroHelp911 installs steel helical piers and push piers for settled foundations, and slab piers for homes built on a concrete slab. Which one fits depends on the load, the soil and access around the home, which the free inspection works out before any plan is written.
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Written by
Cory Parks
Owner & President, HydroHelp911
Cory Parks founded HydroHelp911 and leads its structural and moisture repair work for homeowners across North and South Carolina, from the clay soils of the Piedmont to the saturated, sandy ground along the coast.
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