Helical Piers: Permanent Foundation Support on Stable Bearing Soil.
When a foundation has settled into soft or eroding soil, surface-level repairs treat the symptom. Helical piers transfer the structure's load to deep bearing soil, stopping settlement permanently, often restoring lost elevation.
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Helical Piers: how it works and when it's the right call.
The mechanics are straightforward. A steel shaft with welded helical plates is rotated into the ground using hydraulic drive equipment. The plates screw through soft, unstable material until they reach soil dense enough to resist further rotation. That's the bearing zone. A bracket connects the pier to the foundation, and a hydraulic jack transfers the structure's weight to the piers. Settlement stops. Elevation is often partially or fully recovered.
Helical Piers at a Jobsite!!
Our team walks through this on camera.
How we install helical piers.
Step 01.Inspection & Engineering
Before any work begins, a specialist visits the site to assess soil conditions, identify the failure mode, and determine pier locations and depths. For jobs exceeding a certain load threshold, we provide a stamped engineer's drawing. Pier locations are marked and the installation plan is explained in plain language before the contract is signed.
Step 02.Excavation at Each Pier Location
A small excavation. Typically 18 to 24" wide and 24 to 36" deep. Is dug at each pier location to expose the footing. On most residential jobs, this is done by hand. No heavy equipment, no torn-up yard. The footing face is cleaned and inspected before the bracket is placed.
Step 03.Pier Installation
A hydraulic drive head. Small enough to fit through standard basement windows and doorways. Rotates the lead section and extension shafts into the ground. Installation torque is monitored in real time. When the torque reading indicates the helical plates have engaged bearing soil, the pier is cut to length and the drive head moves to the next location.
Install Sequence. Technical Illustrations
Five cross-section views of a helical pier installation
Nebraska/Iowa stratigraphy: topsoil → disturbed fill → native loess → dense bearing soil. Pier anatomy: 2-7/8" round shaft, three helical plates at lead section, U-bracket at footing. Drawn to scale.
"A deep system is the right call when the footing is settling and the soil quit holding. But I check the cause first. If it's really drainage or a slab void, piers are the wrong tool and I'll say so."
Care and expertise from a team that's been doing this since 1994.
Epp Foundation Repair is locally owned and operated, with crews dedicated exclusively to foundation, basement, and concrete work across the Midwest.
Foundation repair, waterproofing, and concrete leveling are our entire focus, not a sideline.
Three decades of experience with Midwest soils, basements, and weather conditions.
Recognized in 2011 and 2016 for ethical business practices and customer transparency.
Every repair comes with a written Epp warranty, from 1 year to the lifetime of the structure depending on the product.
Answers to common questions about Helical Piers.
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Foundation Repair warning signs this solution resolves.
Each problem sign below is a symptom this solution is engineered to fix. See how we diagnose it before we recommend this method.
Bouncing Floors
A floor that flexes or bounces when you walk across it. This points to lost support underneath, often from foundation settlement or sagging structural members. The bounce gets worse as the support keeps shifting.
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Bowing Walls
Inward deflection in a basement wall. Even a fraction of an inch. Indicates lateral soil pressure exceeding the wall's capacity. The pressure doesn't go away; it compounds season by season until the wall requires reinforcement or replacement.
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Carpenter Ant Infestation
Carpenter ants do not eat wood, they nest in it. They look for wood that is already damp or softened. Their presence is often a sign that a crawl space or foundation area is holding water it should not.
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Ceiling Gaps
A crack or gap where the wall meets the ceiling. This means part of the structure is moving differently than the rest. The separation usually traces back to foundation movement below.
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Cracked Block Foundation
A cracked block foundation is rarely random. The direction of the crack, whether stair-step, vertical, or horizontal, points to the force behind it. Reading that pattern early decides how hard the repair will be.
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Cracked Brick Veneer Diagnosed and Stabilized
Epp Foundation Repair has read brick veneer crack patterns across Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri since 1994. Most stair-step cracks are not a brick problem; they are a foundation problem the brick is reporting.
Learn moreServing Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas & Missouri.
Local crews based in five regional offices, dispatched daily across four states. If your town isn't listed, call us: we likely serve your area.
- Omaha, NE
- Lincoln, NE
- Topeka, KS
- Sioux City, IA
- Bellevue, NE
- St. Joseph, MO
- Council Bluffs, IA
- Grand Island, NE
- Papillion, NE
- Kearney, NE
Take the first step toward a healthy home.
A straightforward path from initial inspection to completed repairs.
Schedule your inspection.
A local specialist visits your home, evaluates the foundation, and answers your questions on site. No cost, no obligation.
Receive an estimate based on your needs.
We provide a clear, Customized Repair Estimate with a scope of work tailored to your home's specific issues. Typically within one business day.
Get your repairs.
Our own trained crews complete the work on schedule and back it with a written Epp warranty, set out in your contract.
Get the free settlement guide
Most foundation problems announce themselves early. This guide shows you what to look for before you call anyone.
- ✓A room-by-room checklist you can walk the house with
- ✓Which cracks can wait, and which deserve a closer look
- ✓How pier repair actually works, in plain language
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- A local foundation specialist on site
- A complete walk-through of the findings
- A Customized Repair Estimate within one business day
- No cost, no obligation, no high-pressure sales
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Five regional offices across the Midwest.
St. Joseph, MO 64506