Push Piers for Permanent Foundation Support
When a home has settled and needs real structural support, push piers are one of the most trusted systems in the industry for putting it back on solid ground. Sections of steel pipe are hydraulically driven straight down using the weight of your home itself, until they reach soil dense enough to carry the load permanently. Foundation Solutions installs push piers as part of a full foundation underpinning plan, engineered specifically for your home’s weight and soil conditions. Push piers are also commonly used to bring a settled home back toward level, not just stop further movement.
What Are Push Piers?
A push pier is a steel pipe pile, driven in sections straight down into the soil beneath a foundation until it reaches load-bearing strata. Unlike helical piers, which are twisted into the ground, push piers are advanced using hydraulic force generated from the weight of the structure itself — which is what makes them especially well suited to heavier homes and commercial buildings.
Once a push pier reaches refusal — the point where the surrounding soil pushes back with enough resistance to support the structure — a steel bracket locks it to the foundation, transferring your home’s weight down to that stable depth for good.
Signs Your Home Needs Push Piers
Push piers are typically recommended for homes carrying significant settlement, where a permanent, high-capacity solution is the priority. You may need push piers if you’re noticing:
- Visible cracks in the foundation wall or slab
- Doors and windows that stick or won’t latch
- Sloping or noticeably uneven floors
- Separation between the foundation and exterior brick or siding
- A foundation that has settled more than an inch in one area
If it is specifically your foundation wall bowing or cracking rather than the whole structure settling, our wall repair system may be the more targeted fix. See our full signs and symptoms guide for a complete list of foundation warning signs.
Why Push Piers Are Often the Recommended Fix
Because they rely on the weight of your home to reach bearing depth, push piers are engineered to a capacity that matches your specific structure — not a generalized estimate. That precision is a big part of why they’re one of the most widely used underpinning systems for heavier homes and additions.
How Push Pier Installation Works
1. Foundation & Soil Evaluation
A project manager inspects your foundation and the surrounding soil to confirm push piers are the right system and map out where support is needed most.
2. Bracket Attachment
Steel brackets are attached to your foundation at each planned pier location, providing the connection point that will carry your home’s load.
3. Hydraulic Pier Driving
Pier sections are driven straight down through each bracket using hydraulic force, continuing until the pier reaches refusal at stable, load-bearing soil.
4. Load Transfer & Stabilization
Once every pier is at capacity, your foundation’s weight is transferred onto the piers, stabilizing — and where needed, gradually lifting — the structure back toward level.
Push Piers vs. Helical Piers
Push piers and helical piers both reach the same goal from different directions. Push piers are driven using your home’s own weight, which makes them a strong match for heavier structures where that weight can be put to work. Helical piers are mechanically screwed into the ground and rated by installation torque, making them a better fit for lighter structures or softer soil. Our project managers assess your home’s weight, foundation type, and soil conditions before recommending which system is the right call — sometimes a single home uses both.
Compare the two systems in more detail on our helical piers page.
Where Push Piers Work Best
Push piers are especially effective for:
- Homes with significant or ongoing settlement
- Heavier structures, additions, and multi-story homes
- Foundations that need to be lifted back toward level, not just stabilized
- Sites where a high, engineered capacity per pier matters most
If your home sits on a crawl space foundation, see our crawl space supports page instead. For a sunken driveway or patio rather than the structure itself, our concrete lifting service is the right fit.
Backed by a Warranty You Can Count On
Every push pier we install is backed by warranty-supported protection. Our piers and brackets are engineered to hold their load permanently, but if you ever notice movement after installation, our team will inspect, adjust, or replace the affected pier at no cost to you.
FAQs
About Push Piers
How Many Push Piers Will My Home Need?
It depends on your home's weight, foundation type, and how much support the affected area needs. Our specialists calculate the exact number and spacing during your free inspection, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all count.
Can Push Piers Lift My Foundation Back to Level?
In many cases, yes. Once piers reach full bearing capacity, brackets can be used to gradually raise the foundation back toward its original position, not just stop further settling.
How Long Does Push Pier Installation Take?
Most residential push pier installations are completed in a matter of days, depending on the number of piers and access to your foundation, with minimal disruption to your property.
Ready to Talk Through Your Options?
A settling foundation is easier to address the sooner it’s caught. Reach out and our local team will inspect your home, explain what’s happening beneath it, and recommend whether push piers, helical piers, crawl space repair, or another system is the right permanent fix.
Testimonials
I don't even know where to start with this review. From the first contact to the end of the job, Ryan and his crew were amazing - professional, knowledgeable, courteous, tidy and clean and very respectful of the impact the job had on me as the homeowner. The job was major, but I felt confident with the information that Ryan and his crew shared with me each step of the project. Since they are specialists, they are very busy so it took a while from start to finish but worth the wait! I could not be more pleased. They get an A+++ from me.
We had a consultation with a very knowledgeable engineer (Collin) who's extremely patient to answer questions and concerns we had. After a thorough walkthrough and measurements, it turned out the area which we thought might be problematic with leveling is only centralized and minuscule, not foundation-related. I'd like to thank Foundation Solutions for this engineer's detailed explanations, professional knowledge and recommendations. At the end, we acquired peace of mind and would highly recommend this company to anyone that may be seeking help with foundation related issues. If we are doing any addition/expansion of our house, we would definitely get in touch again for securing our foundation.
Kyle and the team are awesome! A corner of our foundation has a horizontal crack and when we go out for a quote, many companies explained how serious it is and give us a high estimation. Kyle came onsite and did a detailed inspection, explain why it crack, and how to properly fix it. Then few days later, gave us a reasonable estimate, and we decided to go with the service, they handled the permit, came to fix it in a day and did all the final inspection and passed, we have a smooth experience on the fix. My family are super happy with their service and already recommend to friends in case they need some work in the foundation.