Renton Foundation Repair travels to Kent for foundation jobs: piers, footing drains, cracked foundation walls, sagging crawlspace floors and the bolting of older houses.
Roughly 136,000 people live in Kent. Per the 2020-2024 census figures, 38.5 percent of its homes predate 1980, 3.4 percent predate 1950, 39.6 percent were built from 1980 to 1999 and 21.9 percent since 2000; median year built is 1985 and 58.2 percent of units are one-unit homes, detached or attached.
A downspout and a footing drain for one pooling corner
Example project
Home
Shingle-sided house in Kent on a wooded lot
Original request
Water that pools at a corner beside the foundation after rain
Source
A downspout that empties onto a splash pad against the wall
Around it
Moss, ferns and a large fir trunk close by
Not included
Gutter replacement and planting
Cost
$3,300
In this example, the owners of a shingle-sided house in Kent watch rainwater leave a downspout, hit a splash pad and pool against the foundation. The lot is wooded and the ground around the corner stays damp.
For foundation settlement and piering, the ground comes first. Kent’s code describes seismic hazard areas as ground at risk of liquefaction, and says they generally contain alluvial sediments, normally consolidated glacial deposits, peat that is or can become saturated, and poorly compacted fill. HUD names peat and poorly compacted fill among the poor soils behind foundation settlement.
Foundation drainage
In a house from the 1980s or 1990s, water can be a grading and gutter question. The aim of foundation drainage is keeping water from washing soil out from under footings.
Foundation crack repair
For foundation crack repair, the first question is whether the crack moves. HUD describes shrinkage cracks as rarely serious and tapering cracks as a possible sign of settlement, so the shape and the history come first.
Crawlspace post and beam repair
For crawlspace post and beam repair, note that the 38.5 percent built before 1980 includes houses from 1960 to 1979 that make up 30.6 percent of Kent’s stock. Those that sit on crawlspaces carry floors on posts, pads and girders that can sag or decay if kept damp.
Seismic retrofit and foundation bolting
The case for seismic retrofit and foundation bolting is wood-frame crawlspace houses whose sill plates are not fastened to the foundation. In Kent 3.4 percent of homes were built before 1950 and 30.6 percent from 1960 to 1979.
Homes and foundations here
Kent has 49,652 housing units and a median owner-occupied value of $587,800. One-unit homes, detached or attached, are 58.2 percent of units, and about a third are in buildings of five or more. Condo and apartment owners deal with an association or a building owner, and this page is for houses.
Kent’s housing is newer than Renton’s at the oldest end, with a larger share built from 1960 to 1979 (30.6 percent against about 25).
Permits and rules to check
Kent’s code defines geologic hazard areas as land susceptible to landslides, erosion, or seismic or volcanic activity, and counts liquefaction-prone ground as seismic hazard. Landslide hazard areas include known landslides and ground mapped as severe for building sites in the county soil survey. Ask the Kent permit counter whether foundation repair at your address needs a permit.
State guidance asks cities to classify these hazards, and DNR’s Geologic Information Portal shows ground response and landslide hazards in general. A general map is a starting point and no verdict on one lot.
They can. Kent’s code describes liquefaction-prone ground that generally contains alluvial sediments, normally consolidated glacial deposits, peat and loose fill, and HUD lists peat and poorly compacted fill among the causes of settlement. A particular house depends on its own ground.
Is my 1980s house too new for foundation problems?
Age alone does not rule problems out. Water, fill and soil affect houses of any age, so look at the cracks, the floors and the ground beside the wall.
Who decides whether I need a permit in Kent?
The City of Kent decides. Ask the permit counter before work.
Tukwila has the older end of the stock, with nearly half of homes built before 1980; see foundation repair in Tukwila.
Request a free foundation repair quote
Share the Kent address and a rough build year, describe what you are seeing and where, and say whether it has changed lately. We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
