Concrete step and stoop lifting
Heavy steps poured beside the foundation are prime candidates for settling. Lifting can often bring them back without a rebuild.
A set of concrete steps is a lot of weight on a small footprint, and it typically sits right on the backfill next to your foundation, the loosest soil on the lot. As that fill settles, the steps tip away from the house or sink until the top step sits below the door threshold. In winter, a tipped stoop sheds snowmelt toward the foundation and can turn into an ice ramp.
Signs your steps are moving
- A widening gap between the top step and the house
- The top step sitting lower than the door threshold
- Steps that rock or feel uneven underfoot
- Railings pulling loose because the concrete under them shifted
- Water pooling against the foundation next to the stoop
Can steps really be lifted?
In many cases. Foam is widely used on steps because the holes are small and easy to patch, and the material adds little weight to the soft soil underneath. Some older steps were poured hollow or over wood forms that have since rotted. Those, and steps cracked clean through or crumbling at the edges, may need rebuilding instead.
Will lifting close the gap at the house?
Lifting raises and levels the steps; it doesn't slide them back toward the wall. Once level, the joint against the house is sealed so water can't pour down behind them. A very wide gap may call for a different repair, and a contractor will tell you which you're looking at.
Why it matters for a Rochester basement
Many Rochester homes have basements, and a stoop or patio tilted toward the house concentrates roof runoff and melt right at the foundation wall. Getting the slab back to a slight slope away from the house is one of the simpler moisture fixes you can make.
We don't publish prices. The contractor sets the price after measuring the slab, sounding out the void underneath and finding out why it dropped, so treat any figure you hear before that visit as a ballpark.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Are lifted steps safe to use right away?
Steps lifted with foam are usually ready the same day. The contractor will tell you when they can take foot traffic.
Can you drill near my foundation and buried lines?
Contractors drill near foundations routinely, but they should check for gas lines, drain tile and other utilities first. Minnesota's Gopher State One Call locating service exists for that purpose.
Related services
- Foam lifting and mudjacking
- Driveway and garage floor leveling
- Sidewalks, walkways and patios
- Joint sealing and crack filling
More background: Rochester concrete leveling guide.
Is a slab tipping, dropping or holding water?
Call and a Rochester-area concrete lifting contractor will come look and tell you whether it can be raised.