Parts 1 and 2 covered reading cracks and understanding what causes them. Now the useful part: how the problems actually get fixed, what each method is for, and roughly what it costs in Maryland.
The single most important idea in this entire article is this: there is no one "foundation repair." There's a toolbox, and each tool solves a different problem. Injecting a crack, bracing a bowing wall, and lifting a sunken corner are three completely different jobs with three completely different price tags. A good contractor matches the method to the cause (Part 2) — which is why diagnosing correctly comes before quoting.
The two questions that sort the whole toolbox: Is the wall bowing/leaking (a pressure problem), or is the foundation sinking (a settlement problem)? Those are different failures with different fixes, and some homes have both at once.
(Costs below reflect 2026 Maryland/Baltimore-area ranges and are for orientation only — every job is priced on site. Maryland construction runs roughly 12% above the national average, and skilled labor here averages around $56/hour, so local numbers tend to sit at the higher end of national ranges.)
For cracks and leaks: injection
What problem it solves: Non-structural cracks — especially the thin vertical and shrinkage cracks from Part 1 — that are letting water in or that you simply want sealed against moisture and radon.
What actually happens: A technician fills the crack under pressure with one of two materials:
- Epoxy cures hard and strong. It actually bonds the two sides of the crack back together, restoring some structural continuity. It's the choice when the crack is stable and you want strength.
- Polyurethane stays flexible and foams to fill the void. It's the choice when the priority is stopping water, because it flexes with minor movement and seals leaks well.
Plain-terms difference: epoxy is glue that makes the crack strong again; polyurethane is expanding rubber that makes the crack watertight.
Rough Maryland cost: roughly $250–$800 for a typical single crack injection, sometimes up to around $2,000 depending on length, access, and severity. It's the most affordable repair on the menu.
The catch: injection seals this crack. If lateral pressure or settlement is still active, it doesn't stop the wall from cracking again elsewhere. Injection is a great fix for the right problem and a band-aid for the wrong one. Full comparison in Epoxy vs. Polyurethane Crack Injection.
For bowing walls, caught early: carbon fiber straps
What problem it solves: Foundation walls that are bowing inward (Part 1's horizontal-crack story) but haven't moved too far yet — generally under about 2 inches of inward displacement.
What actually happens: High-strength carbon fiber strips are bonded vertically to the inside face of the wall with structural epoxy, then anchored at the top (to the floor framing above) and bottom (to the basement slab). Once cured, the strap becomes a permanent part of the wall. Carbon fiber is, pound for pound, stronger than steel, and the finished strip is barely an eighth of an inch thick — you can paint over it and finish the basement wall flat.
Plain-terms version: it's a brace that stops the wall from moving any further. What it generally does not do is push the wall back to straight — it locks in the current position and prevents progression.
Rough Maryland cost: roughly $300–$1,000 per strap, with a typical bowing wall needing several straps — commonly landing around $1,750–$5,000 per wall. It's usually the least expensive way to permanently stabilize an early-stage bowing wall, and the least disruptive (no excavation, often a single day).
Why the "caught early" matters: carbon fiber is a stabilization tool, not a straightening tool. Past roughly 2 inches of movement, you've usually crossed into needing wall anchors or steel — which cost more and disrupt more. This is the clearest financial argument in foundation repair for not waiting. Full detail in Carbon Fiber Straps: The Modern Bowing-Wall Fix.
For bowing walls, further gone: wall anchors and tiebacks
What problem it solves: Walls that have bowed more than carbon fiber can handle (past ~2 inches), or where the goal is to actually straighten the wall back toward plumb over time, not just stop it.
What actually happens (wall anchors): A steel plate is buried in stable soil out in the yard, roughly 10+ feet from the house. A steel rod runs from that outdoor anchor, through the wall, to a plate on the inside of the basement. Tightening the rod pulls the wall back outward. The key advantage over carbon fiber: anchors can be periodically re-tightened, gradually drawing the wall back toward straight as soil conditions allow.
Helical tiebacks do a similar job but screw a helical anchor into the soil laterally instead of using a buried plate — useful where there isn't room in the yard for a standard anchor's setback, or where engineers want the most fail-safe option.
Rough Maryland cost: wall anchors commonly run $400–$1,000 per anchor installed, spaced about every 5–6 feet, so a typical wall lands around $3,000–$8,000. Helical tiebacks tend to run higher per unit (often $1,400–$2,000 each) but are prized for reliability.
Trade-offs a pro will mention: anchors need yard access and some excavation, their long-term stability depends on the soil where the outdoor plate sits, and because they may need occasional tightening, you generally can't finish a wall permanently over them. Full breakdown in Wall Anchors & Helical Tiebacks.
For a sinking foundation: piers
What problem it solves: Settlement — where part of the foundation is sinking because the soil beneath it can't hold the load (Part 2's differential-settlement story). This is a fundamentally different failure than a bowing wall; the wall isn't being pushed in, the ground under it is giving way.
What actually happens: Steel piers are driven or screwed down through the unstable soil until they reach a solid, load-bearing layer (or, for helical piers, until they hit the required torque/capacity). The weight of the house is then transferred off the failing soil and onto the piers. In many cases the piers can also lift the settled section back up.
- Push piers are hydraulically driven straight down using the house's own weight as resistance. Good for heavier structures.
- Helical piers are screwed in like giant corkscrews and can be installed with lighter equipment; often chosen for lighter loads or limited-access sites.
Rough Maryland cost: this is the expensive end. Individual piers and small jobs can start around $1,500, but a real settlement repair frequently runs $12,000–$16,000+, and extensive piering can exceed $25,000 depending on how many piers and how deep. This is why settlement is the failure you most want to catch before it spreads. Full breakdown in Push Piers & Helical Piers for Foundation Settlement.
For sunken slabs and concrete: slab lifting
What problem it solves: A concrete slab that has sunk — a settled garage floor, patio, walkway, or basement slab — where the slab dropped but the structure's footings are fine.
What actually happens: Material is injected under the slab to lift it back to level.
- Mudjacking pumps a cement-based slurry underneath to raise the slab. Time-tested, lower material cost, heavier.
- Polyurethane foam injection lifts with expanding structural foam through small ports. Lighter, faster, more precise, cures in minutes, and doesn't add much weight to already-questionable soil — increasingly the preferred method.
Plain-terms version: it's filling the gap that opened up under a sunken slab and floating it back up, rather than tearing out and re-pouring concrete.
Rough cost: varies widely by slab size and method; foam tends to cost more per job than mudjacking but is less invasive and often longer-lasting on poor soil. Full breakdown in Slab Lifting: Mudjacking vs. Polyurethane Foam.
The one everyone skips: waterproofing and drainage
What problem it solves: The cause behind most of the above — water. As Part 2 explained, hydrostatic pressure and saturated clay drive a huge share of Maryland foundation problems. Bracing a wall or injecting a crack while ignoring the water is treating the symptom.
What actually happens:
- Interior drainage systems (a perimeter drain in the basement floor feeding a sump pump) relieve water pressure from inside. Can be installed year-round without tearing up the yard.
- Exterior systems (excavating to the footing, installing a waterproof membrane and exterior drainage) attack the water before it reaches the wall — more comprehensive, more expensive, more disruptive.
- Surface fixes (downspout extensions, re-grading, French drains) handle the water before it ever gets into the soil against the foundation — the cheapest and often most impactful.
Rough Maryland cost: interior drainage and waterproofing commonly run $1,000–$4,000 for simpler jobs and $4,000–$10,000 for comprehensive systems; French drains run around $25 per linear foot in the Baltimore area.
Why it belongs in a repair conversation: waterproofing is what protects the other repairs. Straighten a wall with anchors but leave the hydrostatic pressure that bowed it, and you've bought yourself a re-run. A complete Maryland foundation fix very often pairs a structural method with a water method. Full guide in Waterproofing & Drainage: Fixing the Cause, Not Just the Crack.
The whole toolbox at a glance
| Problem | Method | Rough MD cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-structural / leaking crack | Epoxy or polyurethane injection | $250–$800 (up to ~$2,000) | Cheapest; seals the crack, not the cause |
| Bowing wall, under ~2" | Carbon fiber straps | $1,750–$5,000 per wall | Stabilizes; doesn't straighten; least disruptive |
| Bowing wall, over ~2" | Wall anchors / tiebacks | $3,000–$8,000 per wall | Can straighten over time; needs yard access |
| Sinking foundation (settlement) | Push or helical piers | $12,000–$16,000+ | The expensive one; catch it early |
| Sunken slab | Mudjacking / foam lifting | Varies by slab | Lifts concrete without replacing it |
| Water / pressure (the cause) | Drainage & waterproofing | $1,000–$10,000 | Protects every other repair |
| Structural engineer's report | Independent assessment | $250–$600 | Buy this before major repairs |
Ranges are 2026 Maryland-area orientation figures, not quotes. Always get 3–5 written bids on any significant repair.
Two things worth knowing before you spend
Get an independent structural engineer's report before any major structural repair. For roughly $250–$600, an engineer who doesn't sell repairs tells you what's actually wrong and what method it truly needs. On a $15,000 piering job, that report is the cheapest insurance you'll buy — it keeps you from being sold anchors when you needed drainage, or piers when you needed straps. We explain who does what in Inspector vs. Structural Engineer vs. Contractor, in Part 4.
Match the method to the cause, or pay twice. Every method above solves one specific failure. The expensive mistakes in foundation repair aren't usually overpriced labor — they're the wrong method applied because nobody diagnosed the cause first.