Foundation repair in Manchester NH - basement walls that stand straight again
Cracked, bowing or leaning basement walls? We find out why they moved, brace what needs it and fix the cause, not just the crack.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Does that crack in your foundation need fixing?
Foundation repair in Manchester, NH is the work that stops a cracked, bowed or settling basement wall from getting worse, so your walls run straight and the house stops moving.
Most people call after finding a crack in the basement, a wall that looks off or a door upstairs that started sticking, and they want to know how worried to be. The price comes down to what's behind it, since sealing a crack in a wall that's done moving is a small job and a bowed wall or a house that needs lifting is a much bigger one. The schedule turns on whether a wall needs bracing first and what the permit side takes with your city. After I've seen it, you get a written estimate that spells out what I'd fix and why.
How can you tell if your foundation needs repair?
Cracks in a basement wall
Crack size is the first thing I look at, because it shows whether a repair is needed at all. Some cracks in older houses are fine once the house has stopped settling, but one that keeps growing lets water in and gets harder to fix every season.
A wall that bows or leans
Stand at one end and sight down the length of the wall, and if it bellies in or tips, that tells you more than any crack does. A wall that's moving out of line is the one I want to see soon, because it only gets further out the longer it's left.
Doors and windows that stick
When doors start rubbing and windows bind where they used to slide, the house may be shifting over a foundation that's moving. Waiting usually means the gaps keep opening, and the frames, trim and drywall above take the damage too.
How we handle foundation repair
Before we talk about fixing a crack, I want to know if the house is still moving, so I look at the walls, doors and windows together. If a wall is bowed or leaning, we sort out bracing first, because temporary braces or shoring cut the chance of a collapse, and a block basement with nothing holding it is the one that worries me most. Then we plan the repair from there, sealing cracks in walls that have settled, supporting or lifting what hasn't, and dealing with the water that often started the trouble.
A house that settles doesn't only crack at the bottom. The same movement can open up a chimney that sits on the foundation, so we often look at chimney repair on the same visit, and when the mortar between bricks has worn or cracked we do tuckpointing, raking out the old joints and packing in fresh mortar so water stops getting in.
Crack repair once settling has stopped
This suits a house that's done moving, where the wall is straight and the crack just needs closing so water stays out. It's the small end of foundation work, and it's what a lot of calls turn out to need.
Jacking a wood frame house
Older extension guidance says a wood frame house can often be corrected by jacking it back up, so if yours is wood framed, ask whether that fits. Whether it does depends on how the house sits, which I can tell you once I've seen it.
Screw piles for new support
One maker describes its screw piles as quick and easy to install, and they generally go in without digging soil out, so there's no pile of dirt to haul away. They suit a footing that needs new support underneath, and we'll weigh them against the other options with you.
Get a written foundation repair estimate
We reply within one business day. Then I come out for a free on-site estimate, look at the walls with you and put what I'd fix and why in writing, with no obligation.
(603) 314-0526- Based in
- Manchester, NH 03104
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call about foundation repair in Manchester?
Here's how a foundation job runs from your side, from the first message to the walk-through when we're done.
Call or send a message
Call (603) 314-0526 or use the form and tell me what you're seeing. Photos of the cracks help, so send them if you have them.
I come out and look
I check the walls, doors and windows together to track down what's causing the movement. You get a written estimate that says what I'd fix and why.
Permit sorted, then the work
Once you say go, we sort out the permit side with your city and then get to work. If a wall needs bracing, that comes first.
Walk the finished job together
When the work's done, we walk it with you and go over what we fixed. That's a good time to ask what to watch for in the years ahead.
Why Manchester homeowners call Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry for foundation repair
The same person estimates and works
I come out from here in Manchester to see the job and write the estimate, and I'm on the crew that does the work. Nothing I explained in your basement gets lost on the way to the job.
Years spent on older buildings
Before we started this business in 2023, I spent years doing upkeep for a property management company, patching brick, chimneys and foundations on a lot of older buildings. That's where I learned to ask why a wall failed before deciding how to fix it.
Licensed and fully insured on site
We're licensed and fully insured. Foundation work means digging beside your house and bracing walls that hold it up, so that should be settled before anyone starts.
The cause matters more than the crack, so have photos of it and a note of any sticking doors or windows ready when you get in touch or call (603) 314-0526.
Foundation repair and permits in Manchester
New Hampshire law puts the repair of existing buildings under the state building code, so foundation work here isn't something to start without checking first. In Manchester, the city's Building Division reviews plans, approves permits and does the field inspections, and building permits can be applied for online. I don't guess at whether your repair needs one. We check with the building office before work starts and take care of the permit paperwork when the job needs it.
Around Manchester, a lot of our foundation calls come from homeowners and landlords in older houses with a crack, a leak or worn joints they want explained. We're based in Manchester and see the same kinds of basements on jobs in Goffstown and just over the line in Methuen, where we start with the same check at that city's office.
Questions about foundation repair in Manchester
Is every foundation crack a problem in an older house?
No, some cracks in older houses are acceptable as long as the house has stopped settling. Extension guidance says crack size shows whether a repair is needed, and sighting along the wall to see if it runs straight adds to that. If yours is small and the wall is straight, I'll tell you so.
How much does foundation repair cost in New Hampshire?
Foundation repair in New Hampshire usually costs about $500 to $25,000 per job, according to one state price guide. Minor crack repairs sit at the low end, and major structural work that needs a lot of piering sits at the top because piers are priced one at a time. That's the going range, not our price, and your own figure comes in the written estimate after I've seen the wall.
When is the best time of year for foundation repair in NH?
Foundation repair can be done year-round in New Hampshire, but one state cost guide says spring and fall often give the best conditions. A bowing wall shouldn't wait for nicer weather, though.
How do I pump out a flooded basement without damaging the foundation?
Wait until the water around the house goes down, then pump out about a third of the water each day. Extension guidance from North Dakota warns that in a basement with more than 6 inches of water, pumping too soon can push the floor up and cave the walls in. Once it's dry, I can check whether the walls moved.
How do I keep foundation cracks from coming back?
Keep the soil around the house at a fairly steady moisture level, which mostly comes down to drainage. Extension guidance points to drain pipe bedded in granular fill along the footing and a drainage plane on the outside of the basement wall. If water is part of what's moving your wall, I'll say so in the estimate.
What should I do before a foundation contractor comes out?
Make a list of every crack you see and every door or window that sticks, and note where each one is. Those can be signs the house is shifting, and the pattern helps me find the cause faster.
Other repairs a moving foundation can lead to
A chimney rides on the house's foundation, so settling below can show up as open joints, cracked crowns or a stack that's starting to lean.
Once the walls stop moving, crumbling or cracked mortar joints still let water into brick, and fresh mortar packed into raked-out joints closes that path.
Cities we cover for foundation repair
Capstone Manchester Concrete and Masonry is based in Manchester, New Hampshire, and works in many of the cities around it, from Bedford to Methuen just over the line in Massachusetts. These are the 12 cities with their own page, and we take foundation work in others nearby too.
Manchester, NH
Get your foundation crack looked at
A crack I can see now, before another winter, is easier to read and usually cheaper to fix than one that's had another season to grow.