How each pier works
Helical piers
A helical pier is a steel shaft with one or more screw-like plates near the tip. A hydraulic drive head turns it into the ground, with extensions added as needed, until it reaches a target torque that correlates with load capacity. A bracket then connects it to the footing. Because it’s screwed in, it doesn’t need any weight above it to install. See our helical piers page for details.
Push piers
A push pier is a series of steel pipe sections driven down through a bracket on the footing by a hydraulic ram. The weight of the house provides the resistance that lets the ram push the pier to firm material. Driving pressure is recorded for each pier. See our push piers page for details.
Side-by-side comparison
- Installation: Helical piers are rotated in; push piers are hydraulically pressed in.
- Weight needed: Helical piers need none; push piers need enough structural weight to drive them.
- Best for: Helical suits lighter structures, additions, patio covers and new work; push suits heavier homes and long runs of settling footing.
- Verification: Helical uses installation torque; push uses driving pressure.
- Access: Helical piers can be installed with compact equipment in tight spots; push piers also use compact equipment but need a solid footing to push against.
- Lift: Both can support a controlled lift once installed, within what the structure can tolerate.
When helical piers make sense
- Single-story walls, garages and other lighter sections where there isn’t enough weight to drive a push pier
- Patio covers, pergolas and room additions
- New footings where the load doesn’t exist yet
- Narrow side yards and backyards with limited access
When push piers make sense
- Two-story homes and heavier masonry walls
- Long runs of footing that have settled together
- Sites where firm bearing exists below the loose or wetted soil and enough weight is available to reach it
How Peoria soils change the decision
Soil conditions matter as much as the structure. Much of Peoria has thin soil over caliche, and caliche can stop a helical pier before it reaches competent bearing. Hillside lots in north Peoria often have deep fill that a pier must pass through. Our guide to caliche and collapsible soil explains why pier depth is always based on site conditions and installation records rather than assumptions.
Permits and engineering
Either pier type is structural foundation work. Peoria’s adopted building code, City Code §18-21, doesn’t list foundation repair among permit-exempt work, so plan on a building permit and an inspection. An engineer’s pier layout is common and specifies the type, number and spacing of piers.
Cost differences
People often ask which pier type costs less. The honest answer is that it depends on the number of piers, depth to firm soil, access and engineering, not just the pier type. Our foundation repair cost guide explains each factor and how to compare estimates.
Questions to ask your contractor
- Why this pier type for my house?
- How will you verify each pier’s capacity?
- What happens if a pier refuses early on caliche?
- Who prepares the pier layout, and is a permit included?
- What lift is planned, and how will you monitor it?
A Peoria example
Imagine a single-story home in Westbrook Village with one corner settling where a downspout dumped beside the footing for years. The load at that corner is light, and the side yard is narrow, so helical piers may fit well. Now imagine a two-story home in north Peoria with a long rear footing settling over fill. There’s plenty of weight to drive push piers, and they may be the more efficient choice. Same city, different answers.
Helical vs. push pier FAQs
Which is stronger, helical or push piers?
Neither is universally stronger. Each is installed to a verified capacity, helical piers by torque and push piers by driving pressure. The right choice depends on the structure’s weight, the soil and access. An engineer’s pier layout specifies the type and spacing needed to support the load at each location.
Can helical and push piers be used on the same house?
Yes. Some homes use push piers under heavier sections and helical piers under lighter sections, such as a garage or patio cover. The engineer’s layout matches the pier type to the load at each location. What matters is that each pier reaches verified capacity and the system is designed as a whole.
Do I need a permit for piers in Peoria?
Plan on it. Pier installation is structural foundation work, and it isn’t on the permit-exempt list in Peoria’s adopted building code. Expect an engineer’s pier layout, a building permit and an inspection. Work started without a permit can draw an investigation fee and double permit fees.
