Foundation raising in Cambridge MA - a house lifted with the utility work planned
Water in the basement or a worn-out foundation? We raise the house, build a sound foundation under it and set it back down.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does raising a house in Cambridge involve?
Foundation raising in Cambridge means lifting your whole house off its foundation so it can sit above flood water, get a new foundation or gain a basement underneath. At M&K Cambridge Concrete Company, we plan the structural check, the utilities and the city permit before anything goes up.
Most people who call about this have a basement that keeps taking water, a foundation that's past patching, or a house they want to put a full basement under. The price mostly turns on what we build under the house once it's up, how high it has to go and how much utility work the house needs. The schedule turns on the permit and any city reviews, the height of the lift, repairs we find along the way and the weather. When I come out, I write an estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, so you can see your own numbers before you decide anything.
How do you know your house needs to be raised?
Water in the basement
If the basement or ground floor takes water every time a big storm comes through, the house is usually sitting too low for where the water goes. Each flood soaks the framing, the furnace and the water heater again, and the repair bill grows with every one.
Cracked or crumbling foundation walls
Wide cracks, loose stones or mortar that rubs out like sand usually mean the old foundation is near the end of its life. Patching buys time, but once walls bow or shift the fix gets bigger, and lifting the house to build a new foundation is often the cleaner route.
A basement you can't use
A low crawlspace or a basement where you have to duck isn't much good for storage or living space. Waiting doesn't cost much here, but planning a new basement alongside foundation work you already need saves digging twice.
How our foundation raising works
Before anything goes up, I want a design professional to look over the house, because a lift puts loads on the framing it doesn't normally carry. Then we trace every utility line into the house, and our quote says which ones get disconnected, held up or upgraded instead of leaving that work for later. Once the permit is posted, we dig out around the foundation, the house is raised and held on temporary supports, and we build the new or raised foundation underneath on proper footings, the wide concrete base that spreads the house's weight into the ground. The house is set back down, the utilities are reconnected, and we backfill and clean up. If the budget gets tight, the foundation and the utility work are the last places I'd trim, because nobody sees them once the house is down and they're the parts that have to hold.
Older foundation walls and basement floors often need concrete cutting to open clean slots for the beams that carry the house, or to clear out an old slab before we pour a new one. A raised house also sits higher than the driveway and walks that used to meet it, and the dig disturbs them, so a lot of owners have us handle concrete driveway building once the house is back down.
Lift only
This suits a house with a sound foundation that just needs to sit higher, usually to get the living space above flood water. The work underneath is limited to raising what's already there.
Lift and a new foundation
This is for houses whose foundation is cracked, crumbling or out of level, because the lift gives us room to take out the old walls and pour new ones. For a failing foundation, it's usually the right call.
Lift and add a basement
If you want usable space under the house, we raise it, dig out and build a full basement before setting it back down. It makes the most sense when you'll really use the room.
Get a written estimate for raising your house
We reply within one business day to set up a free on-site visit, with no obligation. I measure, look at the foundation and the utilities, and write an estimate listing what's included and what isn't.
(617) 613-6953- Based in
- Cambridge, MA 02139
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about raising your house in Cambridge?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the day the house is back on its foundation, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send a message
Call (617) 613-6953 or use the form, and we'll set a time to come out. Tell us the address and whether you live there, since that shapes the permit.
I measure and write it up
I come out myself, look at the foundation and where each utility comes in, and ask what you want from the lift. The estimate spells out what's included and what isn't, including the utility work, so you know what you're paying for before we start.
We line up the permit
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit, get the design professional's review done and plan the dig and the pours around the weather. You'll know the plan up front, along with which city reviews could move it.
The lift, with me on site
I'm on site with our crew from the first shovel to the last reconnection, so there's always one person to ask. When the house is down and the utilities are back on, we backfill, clean up and walk the job with you.
Why Cambridge homeowners call M&K Cambridge Concrete Company to raise a house
The owner at every estimate
I come out for every estimate, and I'm on site with our crew while the work gets done. The person who measured your house is the one watching it go up and come down.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured. Cambridge issues contractor building permits to construction supervisors licensed by the city or the state, so it's worth asking every contractor you're comparing about theirs.
Clear quotes since 2023
I opened this business in 2023 after years on concrete crews, setting forms and learning to finish slabs. That's why I'd rather take an extra look than guess, and why our quotes say what you're paying for.
Call or send us a message with your address and what you're hoping to do, and I'll set a time to come out.
House lifts, permits and foundation work in Cambridge
Lifting a house alters the structure, so in Cambridge it needs a building permit from the Inspectional Services Department before any work starts. We check what your job needs with that office, take the permit out ourselves as your contractor and keep it posted at the house. If your home sits in the flood zone on FEMA's flood maps, work on the house or even on the ground around it may need a review by the City Floodplain Administrator, so we build that possible wait into the plan. Homes in historic or neighborhood conservation districts, designated landmarks and homes under preservation restrictions also need approval from the Cambridge Historical Commission. On the other side, the city's newer zoning may exempt extra height added to get above projected flood levels from some zoning limits, and the same may go for outside steps and ramps up to a raised first floor.
We're based in Cambridge and work across the cities around it, where a lot of the houses are older, close to their neighbors and short on room for equipment. That means planning where the supports, the dig and the trucks go before the lift starts, and we plan the same way on jobs in Somerville and Medford.
Questions about raising a house in Cambridge
How much does it cost to raise a house in the Boston area?
Raising a house in the Boston area usually costs about $14,000 to $20,000 per house. A lift on its own costs less than a lift with a new foundation, and putting in a basement can cost the most. Your estimate lists exactly what's covered, so you can compare it line by line.
How long does it take to raise a house?
The whole process takes 4 to 8 weeks on average, and the lift itself takes 2 to 7 days once the prep is done. The permit, the foundation type, how high the house goes, repairs, weather and inspections all move that, so leave some room in your plans.
Can we stay in our house while it's being raised?
Living in the house, or even being inside it, isn't recommended while it's lifted. Your furniture and belongings can stay where they are, so you need somewhere else to stay for the lift, not a packed-up move.
Who should take out the building permit to raise a house in Cambridge?
Your contractor should, and the city encourages it. Cambridge does let owners of one- or two-unit homes they live in, or plan to live in, take out their own permit, but then they may be liable for contractors on the property and lose protection under the Homeowners Improvement Contractor Law. Any contractor bidding on work on an existing, owner-occupied home of one to four units also has to be registered in Massachusetts as a Home Improvement Contractor.
How do I compare quotes for raising my house?
Check that each quote includes the utility work, because leaving it out is a common reason a low quote turns out incomplete. A lift can affect the electric, gas, water and sewer lines, plus heating, cooling and the sump, and some have to be disconnected, temporarily supported or upgraded before they're hooked back up.
Does a house need an inspection before it's raised?
Yes, a design professional should inspect the house first to confirm it's structurally sound. Lifting a house that isn't sound can cause damage that's expensive to fix, so plan that inspection as the first step.
Related concrete work around a house lift
Concrete cutting
When an old wall or floor is in the way, saw cuts open clean slots for beams and pipes or clear an old slab before a new pour.
Concrete driveway building
A house that sits higher after a lift often needs a new driveway that meets the new garage or entry height and drains away from the foundation.
Service areas for foundation raising around Cambridge
M&K Cambridge Concrete Company is based in Cambridge, MA, and works across the cities around it, from Watertown to Belmont. These 12 cities have their own page on our site, though they aren't the only places we work.
Cambridge, MA
Get an estimate for raising your house
Send the address, the number of units, whether you live there and whether it's in a flood zone or historic district, so I can look into the city reviews before I come out.