✓Red clay hills to the northMost of Tallahassee sits north of the Cody Escarpment, in the Red Hills. The main soil there is sandy on top with sandy clay below. Some nearby soils have deep layers that let water through slowly.soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov
✓Sand over limestone to the southSouth of the Cody Escarpment lies the Woodville Karst Plain. A thin layer of sand covers limestone. Rain slowly dissolves the rock and leaves hollow spaces. The plain is full of sinkholes, springs and caves.blog.wfsu.org
✓A sinkhole took a home in 2020In January 2020, a sinkhole opened at a mobile home park on Capital Circle Southwest in Tallahassee. Within a day it swallowed a home. Two families lost their homes.news4jax.com
✓Lake Jackson drains through a sinkholeNorth of town, Lake Jackson drains every so often through a sinkhole called Porter Hole Sink. A big part of the lake drained away in 1999. It happened again in 2021.news.wfsu.org
✓Close to 60 inches of rain a yearTallahassee gets close to 60 inches of rain in a normal year. In 2014 it got 68.47 inches. That was 9.24 inches above normal, the National Weather Service says.weather.gov
✓Short, heavy stormsThe U.S. Geological Survey has written about Tallahassee floods from short, heavy storms. One storm in 1976 dropped about 6 inches of rain, mostly in one hour.pubs.usgs.gov
✓Hurricane Hermine, 2016Hermine came ashore near St. Marks in September 2016. It was the first hurricane to hit Tallahassee since 1985. It knocked down trees and power lines across the city.news4jax.com
✓Hurricane Michael, 2018During Hurricane Michael in October 2018, about 89 percent of City of Tallahassee utility customers lost power. That is from a Florida Public Service Commission report.floridapsc.com
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Tallahassee. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
Work
Typical range
Inspection and written estimate
Free
Most foundation repairs, national average
$2,200 to $8,200
Foundation repair in Tallahassee, small to major jobs
Cracks, sticking doors or sloping floors? You are not alone in Tallahassee
Maybe a crack showed up over a bedroom door. Maybe the back door started to drag, or the kitchen floor feels like it runs downhill. Maybe a storm left water standing by the house for days. These are the things Tallahassee homeowners call about most.
Most foundation problems can be fixed without tearing anything out. The first step is finding out what is really going on. That is what the free inspection is for.
Here is how it works. You call (850) 988-3375 or send the short form. We connect you with one local foundation contractor who works in Tallahassee. They come out, check your floor levels, look at the cracks inside and out, check the crawl space or slab, and give you a written price. There is no charge for the visit and no pressure to say yes.
What we can help you fix
You do not need to know the right words. Tell us what you see. These are the problems people in Tallahassee call about most:
A crack over a door or window that keeps getting longer
Doors that stick, drag or will not latch anymore
Floors that slope, sag or feel bouncy, so a ball rolls to one side
Stair-step cracks in the brick outside, often near a corner
A damp, musty crawl space with wet wood or sagging beams
Cracked tile on a slab floor
Water that pools next to the house after a summer storm
A dip or hole in the yard that was not there before
The contractor we connect you with handles all the common fixes:
Foundation repair for a house that has sunk, cracked or gone out of level
Slab foundation repair for homes built on a concrete slab, which covers most newer homes in Tallahassee
Pier and beam repair for older homes with a crawl space, common in Midtown, Lafayette Park and Frenchtown
Not sure if what you see is serious? Our signs of foundation problems page shows which ones need a look soon and which ones are usually cosmetic.
The houses in Tallahassee
Tallahassee has both kinds of foundations. Midtown grew from about 1900 with bungalows and Craftsman homes. Most of Lafayette Park was built in the 1920s and 1930s. Many homes from that era sit up off the ground with a crawl space under the floor. Killearn started building in 1964. SouthWood was approved in 1999 and is mostly newer homes on concrete slabs. Each type shows trouble in its own way and has its own fix.
Most cracked walls here are not sinkholes. But parts of Tallahassee sit on limestone with sinkholes, so a good inspector will check for it.
What it costs in Tallahassee
These are typical ranges from published cost guides by Fixr and HomeBlue. They are not a quote. The number of piers is the biggest thing that moves the price on most jobs. Your written estimate shows how many piers, where they go and what is included, before any work starts. See the full Tallahassee foundation repair cost guide for more detail, including sinkhole and drainage costs.
How it works
Call (850) 988-3375 or send the form. Tell us what you are seeing. A photo of the crack helps, but it is not required.
Free inspection. A local foundation crew measures your floor levels across the whole house, maps the cracks, and checks the crawl space or slab, the gutters and the drainage.
Written estimate. You get a plan and a price in writing. It shows what is wrong, how they would fix it and what it costs.
You decide. No pressure. If you go ahead, the contractor schedules the work and handles any permit the job needs.
Get your free inspection today
A crack that grows through one rainy season is cheaper to fix now than next year. Call (850) 988-3375 or send the short form, and a local foundation crew will call you back, usually the same day. The inspection is free, the price comes in writing, and the choice is yours.
Frequently asked questions
Is the foundation inspection really free?
Yes. The inspection and the written estimate cost you nothing, and you do not have to sign anything to get them. You decide later if you want the work done.
Who comes out to my house?
Tallahassee Foundation is a referral service. We connect you with one independent local foundation contractor who works in Tallahassee. That crew does the inspection, writes the estimate and does the work if you hire them.
How fast can someone look at my house?
Most people who call get a call back the same day. The inspection is set for a time that works for you, often within a few days. If a crack is growing fast or a hole has opened in the yard, say so on the call.
Is my problem a sinkhole or just settling?
Most cracks and sticking doors in Tallahassee come from settling, soft fill or water, not a sinkhole. A sudden hole or dip in the yard, or damage that grows fast, needs a closer look. The inspector can tell you if a sinkhole test by an engineer or geologist makes sense.
Do I need to replace my whole foundation?
Almost never. Most Tallahassee homes are fixed by lifting and supporting the part that sank, re-leveling a crawl space floor, or fixing the water problem that caused the movement.
Does homeowners insurance pay for foundation repair in Florida?
Normal settling is usually not covered. Florida policies must cover a catastrophic ground cover collapse, and insurers must offer sinkhole coverage for an added cost. Check your policy and ask your agent what you have.
Can I wait and see if it gets worse?
You can, but small problems are cheaper to fix than big ones. A free inspection tells you if the house is still moving and how urgent it is, so you are not guessing.