Pier count estimator
Most homes need one pier every 6 to 8 feet along the settling wall, plus one at each end of the run. Enter the length of the walls that are moving and the tool works out the pier count at typical spacing, shows the layout, and gives a labelled planning cost for push or helical piers.
What it does
A planning estimate. A contractor maps the settlement and an engineer may set spacing; this tool cannot see your foundation.
How it is worked out
Piers support the footing at intervals, so the count is set by how much wall is settling and how far apart the piers go. Take the total length of the affected walls, divide by the spacing, round up, and add one for the pier at the end of the run. A settled 40-foot wall at 7-foot spacing is 40 ÷ 7 = 5.7, rounded up to 6 bays, plus one end pier: 7 piers. If the run closes on itself around the whole perimeter, the ends meet and there is no extra pier to add.
Corners are bearing points and normally get a pier. When the run turns a corner the arithmetic still holds because the corner falls on the path; the tool draws it so you can see where each pier lands.
Why it is a range
| Spacing | Typically used when |
|---|---|
| 6 ft on center | Heavier loads, brick veneer or two-story walls, weaker soil, or an engineer's design |
| 7 ft on center | The most common residential spacing on a settled wall section |
| 8 ft on center | Lighter single-story walls, strong bearing soil, or a manufacturer's maximum |
Each pier has a rated capacity, and the wall above has a load per foot. Heavier walls or weaker soil mean each pier can carry less wall, so they go closer together. The full list of factors, from brick veneer to lift goals, is in the guide on what changes a push pier count.
Common wall lengths
The calculator's arithmetic run ahead of time for the wall lengths that come up most, so you can find yours without entering anything. These are counts for an open run — one pier every so many feet, plus one at the end of the run.
| Affected wall | At 6 ft spacing | At 7 ft spacing | At 8 ft spacing | Planning cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ft | 3 piers | 3 piers | 3 piers | $4,500–$10,500 |
| 16 ft | 4 piers | 4 piers | 3 piers | $4,500–$14,000 |
| 20 ft | 5 piers | 4 piers | 4 piers | $6,000–$17,500 |
| 24 ft | 5 piers | 5 piers | 4 piers | $6,000–$17,500 |
| 30 ft | 6 piers | 6 piers | 5 piers | $7,500–$21,000 |
| 40 ft | 8 piers | 7 piers | 6 piers | $9,000–$28,000 |
| 50 ft | 10 piers | 9 piers | 8 piers | $12,000–$35,000 |
Planning cost spans the widest spacing at the low per-pier rate through the tightest spacing at the high rate, using push-pier pricing of $1,500 to $3,500 per pier. The real count comes from the settlement map, the load above, and the soil — a contractor sets it, and on a larger repair an engineer may.
Limits
It does not know which walls are actually settling. That comes from an elevation survey and a look at the crack pattern, floors, and doors. It does not know your soil, the depth to bearing strata, or whether the house needs lifting rather than stabilising, and those set the price far more than the count does. And it cannot replace an engineer's layout on a large or disputed job. Use the count to read a quote, not to write one.
Enter the length of each wall that shows settlement, in feet. Leave the rest blank. Piers go along the walls that are moving, not around the whole house, unless the whole house is.
Spacing is set by loads, soil, and bracket capacity. A contractor maps the settlement before the final count; an engineer may set the spacing.
FAQ
It depends on how much of the foundation is settling, not on the size of the house. Piers are placed along the walls that are moving, typically one every 6 to 8 feet plus one at each end of the run. A single settled corner might need 4 to 6 piers; a 40-foot wall about 6 to 8; a whole-house perimeter can run 20 or more. Most residential jobs land between 6 and 12.
Usually 6 to 8 feet on center, with 7 feet the most common residential spacing. Tighter spacing is used for heavier loads such as two-story walls or brick veneer, weaker soil, or when an engineer sets the layout. Manufacturers publish a maximum spacing per bracket, and no contractor should exceed it.
Count them the same way as push piers: the affected wall length divided by the spacing, rounded up, plus one for the end of the run. Helical piers are often used where the structure is too light to drive push piers, and their spacing is set by the torque-verified capacity of each pier against the load it carries, so the layout can be slightly different from a push pier layout for the same wall.
Rarely. Settlement is usually differential — one corner, one wall, or one section moves while the rest stays put. Piers go where the movement is. Be cautious of a quote that piers the entire perimeter without a settlement map or elevation survey that shows the whole foundation moving.
As a planning range, push piers commonly run about $1,500 to $3,500 per pier installed, and helical piers about $1,500 to $4,000. Depth to load-bearing soil is the biggest variable, followed by access, whether the home is lifted, and engineering. Multiply by the count for a rough project figure, then read the cost guides for what moves the number.
The contractor proposes it from an elevation survey and settlement map, and on larger or disputed jobs a structural engineer sets or reviews the layout. This calculator gives you the number to expect so you can question a count that is far higher or lower. It is not a design, and it cannot see your foundation.
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