post and pier foundation help!!!

[Paul Shepard]

My house was built in 1973 on a post and pier foundation. I now have been told it is a modular home. The garage portion is a concrete foundation and the rest of the house (about 900 sq feet) is on the post and pier. I was under the house and noticed that it is not wooden piers but stainless steel stuck in concrete going up to steel frames. My problem is that the house falling slightly in certain areas and my ceiling is cracking in those areas. Is this common? and are there companies that retro fit these types of homes. I am in Southern CA. so Iam expecting a hefty price. Thanks

[Rich]

That's good that you're expecting a big sum because it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination to retrofit a foundation under an existing house. About the only way to make it cheaper would be to move the house off the post and piers, pour the foundation, and place the house back... the only reason I say that is because it's modular. Call a couple foundation companies and I'm sure you can find a couple to look at it for you.
The settling is pretty common on just about any type of foundation.. is there any possibility of shimming between the frame and posts? That would be a much cheaper method to fixing your problem.