Kirkland Foundation Repair serves Clyde Hill with crawlspace repairs, sill bolting, settlement assessment, wall crack work and drainage. The city is a small residential one on the Bellevue side of Lake Washington.
Clyde Hill has about 3,100 residents and almost all of its housing is one-unit homes, 98 percent by the Census count. About 66 percent was built before 1980, and 55 percent between 1960 and 1979, so the median year built is 1972 and nearly none of it is older than 1950.
Short walls braced before a kitchen remodel begins
Example project
Home
About 3,000 sq ft house in Clyde Hill with a crawlspace
Original request
Tie the house down and brace the short walls before the kitchen is opened up
Walls
Short walls between the foundation and the floor, in old dark framing
Bracing
New plywood nailed in a regular pattern
Not included
The kitchen remodel and permit costs
Cost
$16,500
In this example, the owners of a large house in Clyde Hill plan a kitchen remodel. Before the walls above are opened, they want the house tied to its foundation and the short walls below it braced.
In a house of the 1960s or 1970s, the foundation wall has decades behind it. Shape and change over time tell which cracks matter. See foundation crack repair.
Crawlspace post and beam repair
In a Clyde Hill house over a crawlspace, the signs to look for are a bouncing floor or a sill that has gone dark; crawlspace post and beam repair is the page for it.
Foundation settlement and piering
If a corner of a Clyde Hill house has dropped, the first job is learning why, and an engineer joins in when the cause is unclear. Piers and their limits are explained on the foundation settlement and piering page.
Seismic retrofit and foundation bolting
About two thirds of the houses here predate 1980, so the first thing to check is whether the sill is anchored to the stem wall. Details are on seismic retrofit and foundation bolting.
Foundation drainage
Roof water, gutters and the grading around the house are checked before anything is dug. See foundation drainage.
Homes and foundations here
Clyde Hill’s median owner-occupied home value is $2 million or more. A house that has been remodeled or added to over the years has a foundation worth understanding before another change is made.
The city’s own building guide notes that many structures in Clyde Hill were built or remodeled under codes that are no longer in effect, and that a substantial remodel can require bringing the property up to current zoning, drainage and stormwater rules. A foundation repair that is part of a larger project is therefore a conversation with the city.
Clyde Hill’s Building Project Guide says the city requires permits for all non-exempted construction projects, and that the Clyde Hill Municipal Code and Washington state codes are the final authority. It says structural design must follow either the prescriptive methods allowed by the state building code or an engineered design specific to the project, and that plans prepared by a structural engineer carry a Washington State engineer’s stamp and signature. The city also requires special inspections and structural observations for many residential projects.
For drainage, the guide says a stormwater drainage or detention system is required for a new home, a substantial remodel or a net increase of over 750 square feet of impervious surface, and that retaining walls and other hardscape are approved on the building plans. Ask the Clyde Hill building department what applies at your address, including any steep-slope or geologic-hazard rules, before work starts.
Do I need a permit for foundation repair in Clyde Hill?
The city requires permits for all non-exempted construction. The Clyde Hill building department decides for your address.
Does a foundation repair need an engineer in Clyde Hill?
The city’s guide says the structural design follows either prescriptive state-code methods or an engineered design. Which applies to a particular repair is for the city to confirm.
Is a 1970s house likely to be bolted to its foundation?
We cannot say without looking. The sill and stem wall show it from inside the crawlspace, so it is a quick check.
Send the address in Clyde Hill, the house’s approximate age, any remodel you know of and a description of the problem. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
