Foundation and Chimney Repair Questions, Answered

Common warning signs are cracks in interior or exterior walls, doors and windows that stick or will not close right, sloping or uneven floors, gaps opening around door frames, and brick pulling away from the house. Any one of those on its own is not necessarily serious. If you are noticing more than one, it is worth having someone look. Our post on foundation warning signs goes through them in detail.

Yes, and it is worth having looked at promptly. A chimney visibly separating from the house is a structural problem, not a cosmetic one, and it can get worse quickly after heavy rain. A chimney holds thousands of pounds of brick, and when it starts to lean it is telling you the footing underneath it has moved. More on why chimneys lean.

It is worth understanding before you close rather than after. Foundation movement is repairable and it is not automatically a reason to walk away, but you want to know what actually moved, how far, and what it costs to fix before you agree on a price. We can inspect a house you are under contract on and document what we find. There is more in our post on buying a house with foundation problems.

We provide a full range of structural foundation repair solutions. Our services include push and resistance piers and slab piers; structural slab stabilization using custom slab bracket piers; brick wall and veneer repair and basement wall repairs; anchoring and tie-backs; and repairs to stoops, steps, walkways and garage door frames. Every project is backed by our "Fix It for Life, the First Time" commitment. See all of our Services.

Both methods do the same job: they transfer the weight of a settling structure down to soil that will actually hold it, rather than patching the crack the settling caused. The difference is how they get down there. Push piers, also called resistance piers, are steel sections driven straight down under the footing, using the weight of the structure itself to push them until they reach soil that will bear the load. Push and resistance piers are what we install. Helical piers are screwed into the ground rather than driven. That suits lighter loads, and situations where there is not enough structure above to push against. We do not install helical piers. The houses, chimneys and masonry walls we work on carry enough weight above the footing to drive against, which is why the driven pier is the method we use.

Structural foundation repair, sinking foundation repair, bowing or leaning foundation wall repair, leaning chimney repair and stabilization, sagging garage lintel repair, structural lifting and leveling of steps and stoops, and bowed wall anchor plates with tiebacks.

We specialize in brick masonry repair that addresses both structural and cosmetic issues: cracks, gaps, leaning sections and misaligned brickwork caused by foundation settlement. Using our exclusive masonry anchor pin system, we permanently secure the brick veneer back to the original structure, effectively replacing broken wall ties. That reinforces the wall's structural integrity and keeps the brickwork looking right and working safely for years.

No, we do not rebuild chimneys. We are experts at repairing existing ones. From leaning chimneys to structural cracks, we have been restoring and stabilizing chimneys in Georgia homes for nearly a century. Our focus is on making your chimney safe, stable and functional, not building new ones from scratch.

Yes. Our pier services include repairing or stabilizing deck posts, slab piers, and push and resistance piers. Whether it is for a deck, a porch, or part of your foundation system, we make sure everything is properly supported and secure.

Absolutely. Stoops, steps and porches are some of the most common areas we repair. Over time, settling soil can cause them to sink or crack, creating both safety and appearance problems. We restore these structures to proper alignment and stability while improving curb appeal. Note that we do not build or repair brick steps themselves, but we can lift and stabilize settling steps using push piers.

Our focus is on structural foundation, masonry and chimney repairs, and on fixing them right the first time. There are some services we do not provide.

Waterproofing and leaks. We do not provide waterproofing, drainage systems, crawlspace encapsulation, or direct leak repairs for basements, crawlspaces or masonry structures such as chimneys.

Masonry services. We do not take on cosmetic-only work such as replacing loose bricks or tuckpointing mortar as a job of its own, though both are part of how we finish a structural repair. We do not repair brick mailboxes, build retaining walls, or construct subdivision monuments.

Retaining walls. We do not build new retaining walls and we do not rebuild one that has already collapsed. We do repair failing ones. Depending on the terrain and what the wall is holding up, that means piers driven under the footing, or tiebacks and sea wall anchors tying the wall back to stable ground. See retaining wall repair.

Steps and stoops. We do not build or repair brick steps, but we can lift and stabilize settling steps using push piers.

Concrete lifting. Where a structural slab has settled we stabilize and lift it with custom slab bracket piers, which carry the slab on steel driven to load-bearing strata. That is different from the two methods that float a slab on material pumped underneath it: we do not offer mudjacking, and polyurethane foam lifting is not something we currently offer, though we have performed it in the past.

Foundations. We do not pour new construction foundations or repair non-structural slab cracks.

Crawlspaces. We do not handle new construction, mold remediation, or encapsulation services.

Chimneys. We do not repair siding or stucco on chimneys. Our focus is structural chimney straightening and masonry. We also do not provide internal chimney repairs, including caps, refractory panels or installations, and we do not provide flue liner replacement or repair.

Minimum project cost. Our minimum project cost is $3,000.

No. We do not handle any water-related issues. Our focus is foundation, masonry and chimney repair. That said, many of our structural solutions address problems that are caused by moisture. When we stabilize basement walls or install piers, it often corrects the shifting and settling that happens because of excess water in the soil. If your foundation has been affected by moisture, we will identify the cause and provide a long-term solution.

Anglin's focuses exclusively on structural repairs to existing structures. We do not provide cosmetic repairs, waterproofing, drainage solutions, or new construction. All work is limited to correcting structural movement or failure. Once the structure is stabilized, we can then patch masonry cracks.

We serve Metro Atlanta and north Georgia, including Acworth, Alpharetta, Atlanta, Brookhaven, Buckhead, Canton, Cartersville, Cumming, Decatur, Duluth, Dunwoody, East Cobb, Holly Springs, Johns Creek, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Mableton, Marietta, Milton, Peachtree City, Peachtree Corners, Powder Springs, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Smyrna, Suwanee, Tucker, Vinings and Woodstock. Each of those has its own page on our service areas page. We regularly travel beyond them for qualified structural repairs, so call the office if your town is not listed.

Since 1930. Olin L. Anglin started the company in Marietta and it has stayed in the family for four generations, 96 years now. It has never been sold and it has never been franchised. There is more on our About page.

Monday through Saturday, 8 AM to 6 PM. If you call after hours our answering service picks up, so you reach a person rather than a voicemail.

It depends on what moved and how far, so no honest contractor can give you a real number without looking first. What we can tell you up front is that our minimum project cost is $3,000, the inspection is free, and the quote you get is a real number rather than a range that grows later. Under our Price Protection Guarantee the figure you approve is the figure you pay, even when the digging turns up something nobody expected.

Yes. Call 770-422-2924 and we will come look at what is actually going on at your property before recommending anything. There is no charge for the visit and no sales department waiting on the other end of it.

Qualifying repairs come with a transferable limited warranty. What it covers and how long it runs depends on the repair, and the exact terms for your job are written into your proposal, so read that rather than relying on a general statement here. Alongside it you have our Price Protection Guarantee and a personal guarantee from John Anglin. We stand behind our work.

Yes. We partner with Regions Bank to provide financing options for qualified customers, including 6 and 12 month same-as-cash loans and a fixed 6.99% five-year term. That lets you get the repairs you need now while making manageable payments over time. Full terms are on our Financing page. Must be approved to qualify.

We schedule a time to come look at your property, walk you through what we find, and explain what we would recommend and why, before any work starts. You get the number before you decide anything.

Anglin's is built on 96 years of family tradition, structural repair methods we have developed and refined ourselves, and a commitment to doing things right the first time. We combine dependable pricing, a transferable limited warranty on qualifying repairs, and long experience to deliver results you can trust. Three of the four biggest foundation companies in Atlanta are franchises. We are not one, and we never have been.