How To Price A Foundation Repair Job So You Actually Make Money
Foundation repair isn't one job type priced one way — crack injection, piers, wall anchors, drain tile, sump pumps, and encapsulation are six different methods with six different cost structures. Pricing them all through a single per-square-foot number either overprices a small crack repair or underprices a full pier job.
Method 1: Crack injection — priced per linear foot
Epoxy or polyurethane crack injection is priced per linear foot of crack, since the cost scales with how much crack needs sealing, not the size of the house. A 20-linear-foot crack injection job, at an illustrative $20/ft:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Crack injection | 20 ft × $20/ft | $400.00 |
| Minimum job price applies | MAX($400, $500) | $500.00 |
This is the case where the minimum job price does exactly what it should: a $400 raw calculation doesn't cover the real cost of dispatching a crew, so the $500 floor applies and the quote goes out at $500, not $400.
Method 2: Piers and wall anchors — priced per unit installed
Push piers, helical piers, and wall anchors are priced per unit, since each one is a discrete, separately-installed fix. An 8-pier job with access/excavation and a permit/engineer-letter pass-through, at an illustrative $450/pier:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Piers | 8 × $450 | $3,600.00 |
| Access/excavation add-on | Flat | +$350.00 |
| Permit/engineer-letter pass-through | Flat | +$250.00 |
| Final quote | $3,600 + $350 + $250 | $4,200.00 |
Method 3: Encapsulation — priced per square foot, with an optional recurring add-on
Crawlspace encapsulation is priced per square foot of the area being sealed. A 900-square-foot encapsulation job, with a permit pass-through and the client opting into an annual monitoring plan, at an illustrative $7/sq ft:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Encapsulation | 900 × $7 | $6,300.00 |
| Permit pass-through | Flat | +$250.00 |
| Final quote | $6,300 + $250 | $6,550.00 |
| Annual monitoring plan (separate, recurring) | Flat/year | $175.00/yr |
The annual monitoring plan is tracked separately from the one-time job price — it's optional recurring revenue, not part of the repair cost itself.
The rates used above are illustrative, not a claim about what your market should charge. Foundation repair costs vary significantly by region, soil conditions, and access — set your own numbers based on your actual market and supplier costs.