"Roger Taylor" wrote in message
...
"query" wrote in message
ps.com...
I am buying a small old house with pier and beam.
Some of the cedar
piers need replacing and the crawl space under the
house is tight. One
company quoted me over $15,000 for the repairs (for
an under 1,000 sq.
ft. house). I just want to repair or replace the
obviously rotted piers
and beams. What are the pros and cons of this
approach? I'm also
going to look for someone who can do the work less
expensively. The
entire foundation/house is not worth an expensive
remodel, as the next
buyer will probably scrape and start over.
Thanks for your advice.

That indeed sounds high for this sized house.
As another poster said, best to get multiple
estimates from contractors - preferably that
neighbors have been happy with, and check the Better
Business Bureau to eliminate those contractors with
"histories". Also, you would be well advised to find
out why the rot is there, and address that, as well.
Caused by termites, moisture, what? Also, keep in
mind the first estimate likely included removing
piers, footings, jacking up the house, and repouring
footings, and replacing piers and anchors -
potentially a big job in narrow crawl space. Once you
get several bids, and begin to understand the scope
of the challenge, you might even consider having it
done in stages. A house levelling company to brace
and place jacks, taking the weight off the piers,
then having a laborer clear out the piers (and
footings if they have subsided), some of the dirt and
debris out for easier working, then find a qaulified
foundation engineer to specify the next steps, etc.
Sometimes limited crawlspace accessibility and debris
under the house alone, will scare off contractors,
who bid crazily, just to see if you blink.
Good Luck.




Good analysis, Roger; sounds like the best input so
far.
Another thing the poster might consider is, depending
on the dimensions of the house, and since he said it's
under 10k ft sq, is to pour some footings outside the
crawl space but close to the foundation, jack her up
and set it back down on a couple steel beams and 2 x
10s. It'd cost a lot less and might even provide a
footing for a porch in the future. It was done not too
long ago down the road from me here, and they paid
about $5,000 for the whole thing. Plus, the owner
ended up with a usable crawl space, slapped down a
vapor barrier, and now has storage down there. The old
piers now hold nothing - but they're handy for him to
hang things from g. He got a full 4 ft height at one
end.
There are some downsides to it too, so best to talk
it over with the/a contractor before starting.
Anchoring had to be a little better than usual with the
new support system.

FWIW,

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