Four kinds of foundation work are available in Fall City, east of Sammamish, through Sammamish Foundation Repair: footing water, wall cracks, settling and crawlspace framing.
The community is small, 1,618 residents, and its homes are old by comparison: 59 percent predate 1980, 20 percent predate 1950, the median year is 1969 and 93 percent are one-unit homes.
An outside drain along the back wall of a daylight basement
Example project
Home
Two-story house in Fall City with a daylight basement at the back
Original request
Dark streaks down the lower wall and a lawn that stays wet near it
Wall
Poured lower wall with two windows, under two decks
Work
A footing drain along the lower wall, run to a safe outlet
Not included
Deck work and lawn restoration
Cost
$3,500
In this example, the owners of a two-story house in Fall City see dark streaks run down the lower back wall. The lawn near it holds a wet patch, and two decks overhead make it hard to see the roof water.
A house from the late 1960s has had decades of rain on its footing drain and its gutters. The foundation drainage page covers grade, downspouts and drains at the footing.
Foundation crack repair
Old concrete shows cracks of several kinds, from shrinkage lines to movement. The foundation crack repair page explains how each is read before sealing is chosen.
Foundation settlement and piering
Older houses can settle as the ground and the water around them change. The settlement and piering page covers piers, engineers and what repairs cannot promise.
Crawlspace post and beam repair
Floors that sag or bounce in houses this old are worth tracing, since a crawlspace can hold posts, pads, girders and sill plates that have aged with the house. The crawlspace post and beam repair page covers those parts.
Homes and foundations here
Of the places this site covers, Fall City has the oldest homes: 58.9 percent date before 1980, 30.8 percent before 1960 and 19.5 percent before 1950. Another 28 percent were built from 1960 to 1979, within that total, and about 18 percent from 2000 on. A house from the early or middle twentieth century has had more seasons to test its foundation, sills and posts.
Homes of that age may stand on stem walls or footings of different build, with crawlspaces and framing that depend on how dry the space has stayed. Whatever the age, the first step is the same: look at the water, the wall and the supports before choosing a fix.
Permits and rules to check
Fall City is unincorporated, so King County’s permitting rules apply to a building project there, not a city’s. King County says to apply for a building permit if a project includes constructing, enlarging, altering, repairing, moving or demolishing a building or structure. Its list of work that needs no permit includes most retaining walls 4 feet high or less, and foundation repair is not on it.
The county also lists special conditions that may require permits, among them critical areas, flood zones and steep slopes. Its potential landslide hazard areas map is in iMap under Environmentally Sensitive Areas, and the county says the map does not identify actual landslide hazards for specific properties and that a licensed geological engineer may be recommended depending on the development. Call King County permitting about your parcel.
Fall City is unincorporated, so King County issues them. The county’s page says a building permit is needed to construct, alter or repair a building unless the work is on its no-permit list, and foundation repair is not on that list.
Is my Fall City house in a landslide area?
King County’s landslide map in iMap shows potential landslide hazard areas, though the county says it does not identify actual hazards for a specific property. A licensed geological engineer may be recommended for some projects.
Can an older house with a crawlspace get new posts and beams?
Yes, subject to what the framing allows. The crawlspace page explains posts, pads, girders and sills, and a permit question goes to King County first.
For a Fall City quote, give the street address and roughly when the house went up, then describe the trouble: damp walls, a crack, a floor that dips or wood that feels soft underfoot. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
