How to Install Helical Piers in 5 Steps

Written By Ted DrycePublished on 04/17/2018Updated on 05/30/2025

Foundation settlement is a common problem affecting many homes, especially with our region’s various types of expansive clay-based soils. Simply concealing symptoms—like drywall cracks or nail pops—won’t fix the underlying problem. So, how do you address it?

At AFS Foundation & Waterproofing Specialists, we install foundation piers underneath structures showing damage from settlement. One type of pier that meets the challenge of expansive soils is our helical pier system.

This article explains what helical piers are, how we install them, and how they can repair and protect your foundation for years to come.

What Are Helical Piers?

Helical piers, also called helical piles or screw piles, are foundation supports that transfer weight from unstable, expanding soil to bedrock or more stable ground layers. They supply permanent foundation stability and can potentially lift sinking foundation areas.

These innovative systems have steel shafts with helical plates, like big screws, connected along the bottom. The helical plates anchor the piers so they can be securely screwed into the earth, providing exceptional strength.

By measuring turning resistance as a pier is driven, installers can determine when the pier has reached competent load-bearing soil.

Engineered helical piers supply long-lasting support to keep foundations stable for many years.

Advantages Of Our System

Year-round installation
Stabilizes light and heavy structures
Round shaft resists bending
Corrosion-resistant
Permanently stabilizes settling foundations
Can potentially lift settling sections
Below-grade solution not visible after installation

5 Steps of Helical Pier Installation

Following a thorough assessment by one of our inspectors, they may recommend our proprietary SettleStop Helical Pier System to permanently stabilize your settling and sinking structure. We can customize a system that is ideal for your foundation and soil conditions.

To install helical piers, our team follows these five steps:

1. Preparing The Foundation Footing

The soil around your foundation must first be excavated to expose the footing at each pier location. A section of the footing will be cut away so that the steel bracket connected to the pier will support the wall directly. This approach will provide more effective support than lifting the section of the footing that extends beyond the walls.

2. Installing Helical Shafts

Next, using hydraulic equipment, steel helical piers are advanced into the soil until competent strata are reached. Extension shafts are added as necessary to reach greater depths. These steel foundation piers are the strongest components in our foundation repair arsenal and are responsible for transferring the weight of your structure to solid, load-bearing soil.

3. Installing Foundation Brackets

Unlike push piers, helical piers are driven fully and completely before their brackets are attached. This is mainly because helical piers don’t require the heavy weight of the structure to be driven into the soil. This makes them ideal for lighter structures. Once all helical piers are installed, steel brackets are attached to connect each pier to the footing.

4. Lifting The Foundation

Once all piers and brackets have been installed, the settlement of your foundation will be permanently halted. Our installation crew will then determine whether or not it makes sense to attempt to lift the foundation. We can try to raise sinking areas of the building by connecting hydraulic lifting devices and exerting more force. This can potentially close cracks in your foundation and return doors, locks, and windows to their original functionality.

5. Soil Backfilling and Foundation Benchmarking

After installation, we carefully restore any disturbed zones by backfilling soil, removing debris, and leaving the property clean and undamaged. We also put small rivet benchmarks in the exterior wall above each pier’s spot. This lets us monitor the home’s ongoing stability during annual maintenance checks.

Contact AFS for Trusted Helical Pier Installation

Don’t allow foundation sinking to damage your home and endanger your family’s safety. Take prompt action to address this problem because waiting longer increases severity and cost.

Contact AFS today to schedule a free foundation inspection and obtain a no-obligation repair quote. Our helical piers are the ideal solution to permanently stabilize your foundation and potentially return it to its original position. Homeowners trust our outstanding customer service and top-quality solutions.

CONTACT OUR FOUNDATION EXPERTS TODAY

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Ted Dryce

SEO Content Specialist

Ted is an SEO Content Writer who has been with Groundworks since 2021. He’s covered home repair topics ranging from crawl space encapsulation to regional soil conditions. When he’s not working, Ted is performing improv comedy and working on his own creative projects.