Cross Lanes

Helical piles in Cross Lanes, West Virginia

West Virginia's steep terrain and mining history create foundation problems that flat states rarely see. The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey lists floods, landslides and subsidence among the state's most common geologic hazards, and notes that subsidence over old underground mines can crack walls, bind doors and tilt houses.

Many homes sit on benches cut into hillsides or on fill pushed over a slope. Small tracked machines can reach them, and helical piles carry a deck, porch or addition down through loose fill to firmer ground. Frost depth is left to each jurisdiction in Table R301.2(1), commonly about 24 to 30 inches, so confirm with Kanawha County or the local building office.

Helical pile companies serving Cross Lanes

One Cross Lanes company is in our directory.

• United Structural Systems Ltd., Inc: repairs foundations and waterproofs basements using push piers and helical piers, and also does structural repair and crawl space work in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

Costs and what to ask

HomeGuide puts the typical installed price at roughly $2,000 to $4,000 per pier nationally, with about $3,000 common. Hillside access and deep fill can move West Virginia projects toward the higher end. Read our helical pier cost guide for how to compare bids.

Questions to ask any company quoting work in Cross Lanes:

• Engineering: Will an engineer review the slope, fill and any mining history before specifying the piles?
• Torque logs: Will you give the inspector and me a torque record for every pile?
• Galvanizing and shaft size: What shaft size and coating are in the quote, and how will deeper sections be priced?
• Permits and warranty: Does the local building office require a permit, and what does the warranty say about slope movement?

For more companies across the state, see our directory of West Virginia helical pile installers.