Foundation repair in Ventura, CA - a fix for the cause, not just the crack
Cracks in your walls or doors that stick? We find out what's causing them and whether they're still moving, then fix what's actually wrong.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do the cracks in your walls mean you need foundation repair?
Foundation repair in Ventura, CA deals with a foundation that's settling unevenly or soil that swells and shrinks under the house, and the work aims to keep your house steady while the ground around it moves.
Most people call A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry after spotting a crack running up from a window corner, a gap along a block wall or a door that won't latch anymore, and the first worry is how bad it is. What moves the price is what's causing the movement, how much of the foundation it reaches, how easy it is for our crew to get to, and whether the fix is a seal-and-watch or real support under the house. The schedule usually turns on whether the city wants a permit and plans for your job, and on whether a crack is worth watching for a while before anyone touches it. I'll put your own scope in writing once I've seen it, with what I'd do and why.
How can you tell if your foundation needs a closer look?
Cracks that keep growing
A crack that gets longer or wider over a few months usually means something under the house is still moving. Left alone, it keeps opening and lets water into the wall, which makes the eventual repair bigger.
Stair-step cracks in block
Cracks that zigzag along the mortar joints of a brick or block wall often show one end of the wall dropping lower than the other. Waiting lets bricks and blocks work loose, so a joint repair can turn into rebuilding a section.
Doors and windows sticking
When doors start rubbing or windows bind on one side of the house, the frames have usually been pulled out of square by settling underneath. If it spreads to more rooms, the movement is likely still going.
How we handle foundation repair
A crack isn't proof of a foundation problem, so I work out what's causing it and whether it's still moving before I suggest a repair, and sometimes the honest answer is to keep an eye on it for a while. When it does need work, our crew digs out along the affected part so we can see the footing, cuts out and rebuilds cracked block or brick, adds support where the ground has dropped, then backfills, packs the soil back and cleans up. I'd rather show you what we found while it's open than ask you to take my word for it.
When a house has moved, the masonry above it usually shows it too. A chimney that's cracked or pulled away from the wall often needs chimney repair once the base under it is steady, and brick walls with cracked or crumbling joints are a job for tuckpointing. We do the foundation first because fixing the face of a wall that's still moving just means doing it twice.
Seal it and watch it
This suits a crack that has stopped moving, where a structural repair would be money spent too soon. We fill it so water stays out and mark the ends so you can tell if it changes.
Rebuild and support
This suits a foundation that's still settling or block and brick that have let go. We rebuild the damaged section and add support underneath so the wall above sits steady again.
Get your foundation cracks looked at in person
We reply within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the cracks with you and write up what I'd do and why, free and with no obligation.
(805) 507-9163- Based in
- Ventura, CA 93001
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call us about foundation repair in Ventura?
Here's how it goes from your first call to the final walk, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call us or send the form
Tell us what you're seeing and we'll set a time for me to come out. If you can, have photos of the cracks ready and a note on whether they've changed over time.
Walk the job with me
I look at the cracks with you, inside and out, and answer your questions before I write anything up. You get a written estimate that says what we'd do and why, so you know what you're paying for before you agree to anything.
We build it and walk it
Once you're ready, we line up any permits and set a start date. I run the job on site and check the work as it goes, then walk it with you at the end.
Why Ventura homeowners call us about foundation cracks
The owner looks at every job
I come out to look at every job myself, and our crew of experienced masons does the work with me on site running it and checking it as it goes. You're dealing with the person who decides what gets done, not passing messages along.
In business since 2021
We've been in business since 2021, and I learned the trade under an older mason after years of stone and block work in landscaping. That's why I start with what's under a crack, not just the crack itself.
Licensed and insured in California
We're fully licensed and insured. Ask to see both before anyone starts digging next to your foundation, whether it's us or someone else.
On foundation work, the part that counts is finding the cause before anyone picks up a shovel. When you're ready, contact us and I'll come take a look.
Foundation repair, soil and seismic retrofits in Ventura
The city's Building and Safety Division issues building permits and does plan review for residential alterations and additions, and its permit list names re-roofs but not foundation repair, so that list doesn't settle whether your job needs one. When a job needs a permit, we check with the city or county office that covers your address, handle the application and set up the inspections, and if it isn't clear, we ask that office before we start. If your house sits on unbraced cripple walls, the short wood walls between the foundation and the first floor, or isn't bolted to the foundation, the city offers a simple seismic retrofit route with a standard plan that's free at the city permit counter. That route asks you to sign statements that your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and water-saving plumbing fixtures are in place.
The county maps expansive soil, the clay-heavy ground that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, and the most expansive soil is generally in low-lying areas, though that map only covers the south half of the county. Piles are a common way to keep a house clear of that movement, so if your lot sits on expansive soil, it's fair to ask whether a repair on piles suits your house. The county's seismic hazard zone map shows where the ground may liquefy or slide in a strong earthquake, and you can look up your own lot. We're based in Ventura and work in the cities around it, and the same soil questions come up on jobs in Oxnard and Camarillo.
Questions about foundation repair in Ventura
What causes cracks in my walls?
Cracks in walls come from a lot of things, and uneven settling of the foundation is only one of them, next to drying shrinkage and changes in moisture. That's why a crack is a reason to find its cause before you pay for any repair, and finding it is the first thing I do on the visit.
Are some cracks acceptable in an older house?
Often, yes. Extension guidance on older buildings says some cracks are acceptable once settling has stopped, so the real question is whether yours is still moving. On an older home, it's worth finding that out before you commit to repair work.
How much does foundation repair cost in Ventura?
Across the US, typical foundation repair usually runs about $2,000 to $14,000 per job, so that's the general market range, not a quote for your house. Where yours lands depends on what's causing the movement, how much of the foundation it reaches and what kind of support it needs, and I'll write that up for you after I've seen it. Our work is satisfaction guaranteed.
How do I know if a foundation crack is still moving?
Mark both ends of the crack in pencil with the date, take a photo with a ruler beside it and check it again every few weeks. If it's getting longer or wider, something is still moving, and those photos and notes are the first thing I'll ask to see.
Can a settled wood-frame house be lifted back up?
Often it can. Extension guidance says correction is often possible by jacking, or lifting, a wood-frame house. Whether it fits yours depends on what's under it and why it settled, so ask about it when I come out.
Who should I hire for foundation repair in California?
Hire someone licensed for the kind of work your job actually is. In California, a B general building contractor mainly handles work that needs at least two unrelated building trades, and for some one-trade jobs that contractor needs the matching specialty license or a licensed specialty subcontractor. Ask whoever you're talking to which license covers your job.
Masonry work that often follows foundation repair
Chimney repair
A chimney sits on its own footing and often shows settling first, with cracks or a lean, so it's worth having it checked once the foundation is steady.
Tuckpointing
Once the movement has stopped, cracked and crumbling mortar joints in brick walls can be raked out and refilled so water stops getting into the wall.
Service areas around Ventura for foundation work
A&B Ventura Concrete and Masonry is based in Ventura, California, and works in the cities around it, from Oxnard to Santa Barbara. These 12 have their own page on our site. If your city isn't named here, call and ask.
Ventura, CA
Have your foundation cracks looked at
A crack caught while it's small is easier to read and usually simpler to deal with than one that's been left to keep moving.