Foundation repair for Cheyenne and Laramie County homes

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your town and what you're seeing in the basement or around the house.

2. We pass it on

   Your request goes to an independent foundation contractor that serves your part of Laramie County.

3. They call you back

   They measure, explain what's moving, and quote you directly.

Who uses this site?

Homeowners in Cheyenne, the Ranchettes, South Greeley, Pine Bluffs, Burns and the rest of Laramie County who think their foundation is moving or leaking. It might be a brick house near the Capitol with a basement wall that leans in, a newer home on the edge of town with a horizontal crack across the poured wall, a basement floor that has humped up in the middle, or a buyer's inspection that says "recommend a foundation evaluation." Calling or sending a request is free.

Why do foundations move in Laramie County?

Cheyenne's ground and weather make basements work hard. The U.S. Geological Survey's surficial geology map of the Cheyenne urban area shows artificial fill, stream and terrace alluvium and alluvial fan deposits over the Ogallala Formation, so soil can change from one block to the next. Clay layers are part of the mix. The Wyoming State Geological Survey says expansive clays, mainly sodium and calcium montmorillonite, expand and contract as their moisture changes and can crack structures that weren't built for them, and Laramie County's footing paperwork asks specifically whether expansive soils were found.

The weather supplies the moisture swings. Cheyenne gets about 15 inches of precipitation in a normal year and around 60 inches of snow, much of it blown into drifts. The National Weather Service puts the average last spring freeze around May 13 and the first fall freeze around September 30, which means a long season of freezing and thawing. Spring snowmelt and summer thunderstorms are when basement walls take on the most water and pressure.

What signs mean it's time for an evaluation?

• A horizontal crack across a basement wall
• Stair-step cracks in block, brick or stone
• A wall that leans or bows inward
• A basement floor that has cracked and lifted
• Doors that stick or won't latch, especially in the basement
• Water coming in at a crack during snowmelt
• A gap opening where an addition meets the house

One thin vertical crack in a poured wall is usually shrinkage. Several signs together, or a crack that grows, are the reason to call. Our foundation inspection page explains what a useful evaluation covers.

What kinds of repair are there?

• Bowing or cracked basement walls are held with wall anchors, steel braces or carbon fiber, or excavated and rebuilt. Basement wall repair.
• Settling corners and additions are carried down to firmer soil on steel push piers or helical piers. Foundation piers.
• Heaving basement floors need the water stopped and the framing isolated from the slab, or the floor replaced. Basement floor heave.
• Leaking or structural cracks are injected, sealed from outside or reinforced. Crack repair.

Is every crack a big repair?

No. A lot of what homeowners see is old movement that stopped years ago, or shrinkage cracks that only need sealing. Some problems are mostly about water: a downspout that empties next to the wall, a window well that fills with snow, or grading that slopes toward the house. A careful contractor separates those from active movement before proposing anchors or piers. If a bid is large and the reasoning isn't clear, a second opinion or an engineer's report is reasonable.

What can I do before anyone comes out?

• Photograph each crack with a ruler beside it, and pencil-mark and date the ends
• Hold a long level against any wall you think is leaning and note how far off it is
• After the next storm or thaw, note where water stands or comes in
• Check that downspouts carry water several feet from the house
• Find any paperwork from earlier repairs, including anchor or pier layouts and warranties

Is Cheyenne Foundation Pros a contractor?

No. We're a referral service. We pass your call or request to an independent foundation repair contractor that serves your address, and that company inspects the house, quotes the work, does it and backs it with its own warranty. Read how it works for questions to ask, and the Laramie County foundation guide for the local details.

Areas we cover

• Cheyenne
• Ranchettes
• South Greeley
• Pine Bluffs
• Burns

Doing your homework first? Read the Laramie County foundation repair guide.