Sill plate replacement costs $22,000 on average, and prices often fall between $15,000 and $30,000. Expect to pay $100 to $120 per linear foot you need replaced.
Sill plate replacement costs $22,000 on average, but prices can sit as low as $10,000 or reach as high as $40,000, depending on how much of your sill plate is damaged, the cause of the damage, the type of foundation you have, and a few other factors. In most cases, you can expect to spend between $100 and $120 per linear foot you need to replace.
Sill plate replacement costs between $100 and $120 per linear foot on average and most of this goes toward labor. Licensed professionals need to install jacks to lift your home off the foundation to get access to the sill plate on top. Longer spans of sill plate that need replacement will require working in small sections to avoid damaging your home while your professionals work.
You can assume that most homes require between 100 and 300 linear feet of sill plate, which would cost a total of between $10,000 and $36,000 to replace. If you do not need to replace the entire length, you could end up with a lower cost. There is a chance, for example, that an engineer may be able to remove a small portion of your sill plate and replace it without disturbing the rest, as is the case when one side of your home experiences water damage or termite damage.
| Linear Feet of Sill Plate | Cost Range |
|---|---|
| 25 | $2,500–$3,000 |
| 50 | $5,000–$6,000 |
| 100 | $10,000–$12,000 |
| 150 | $15,000–$18,000 |
| 200 | $20,000–$24,000 |
| 250 | $25,000–$30,000 |
| 300 | $30,000–$36,000 |
| 350 | $35,000–$42,000 |
In most cases, you’ll hire a foundation repair contractor to carry out your sill plate replacement project, and this expert will normally charge around $200 per hour. The process of replacing a sill plate is labor-intensive and time-consuming, and it often requires multiple pros working at that rate. You can expect the labor for a project to cost around $17,600 in total.
The sill plate is a key part of your home’s structure, as the full weight of your house sits on it for even, level support. As such, you may need to hire a structural engineer to confirm that the sill plate damage you’re dealing with hasn’t led to other structural issues. Expect to pay between $200 and $250 per hour for a structural engineer or an average of $550 per project.
Just about all projects will vary in cost based on location, but labor-intensive jobs like sill plate replacement are especially prone to cost fluctuations based on the local cost of living. You can pay up to 50% more for sill plate replacement in an expensive state like California, and you’ll also pay more if you live in a major metropolitan area, where the cost of living is normally higher than in surrounding areas.
| State | Sill Plate Replacement Cost |
|---|---|
| California | $31,830 |
| Florida | $22,530 |
| Georgia | $20,130 |
| Illinois | $21,010 |
| Michigan | $20,310 |
| New York | $27,150 |
| North Carolina | $21,470 |
| Ohio | $20,880 |
| Pennsylvania | $20,880 |
| Texas | $20,370 |
There are some other things that can play a role in your project costs, which you should consider if you want the most accurate estimate.
Sill plate lumber typically includes beams that are 2-feet by-6 feet to 2-feet by-10 feet. Since the wood sits on your concrete foundation, which can wick moisture up to contact the lumber, contractors commonly use pressure-treated wood to avoid mold growth and rot. This type of wood can also deter termites and other wood-destroying insects.
Pressure-treated wood of this size costs between $1 and $5 per linear foot. Additional materials include items such as the J-bolts that hold the sill plate in place as well as a thin foam layer to protect against air pockets between the wood and the foundation. All in all, materials account for a very small percentage of sill plate replacement costs—normally no more than 20% and often less than 10%.
When it comes to the cost of foundation repairs, lifting a home costs between $15,000 and $21,000. In other words, most of the sill replacement cost will go toward this stage of the process. Contractors will excavate up to 16 holes around your home to install jacks under your floor joists. The home slowly rises to remove pressure from the sill plates so that your contractors can access them for replacement.
You will almost always need a permit to jack up a house and replace the sill plate. The cost of permits ranges between $150 and $2,000 for structural repairs like replacing a sill plate. In most cases, your contractor will pull the permit—as most building departments don’t allow unlicensed individuals to pull structural permits—and include the cost in your estimate.
A foundation inspection costs an average of $600 but can range as high as $3,000 for more extensive problems. Getting an inspection done before your sill plate replacement is a good idea, as you could uncover damage to the foundation below the sill plate that needs repairs, too. Having a pre-inspection could mean you’d only have to pay to jack up your house once as opposed to circling back and carrying out related foundation repairs down the road.
An inspection after your contractor completes the work may also be a good idea to confirm with a third party that everything is up to code and done properly.
The largest additional cost of sill replacement comes from related foundation repairs. A rotted sill plate may also mean that the surrounding wood above, including floor joists and wall studs, are rotted as well. In this case, you could end up spending between $1,000 and $10,000 to repair or replace floor joists, around $2,000 to replace wall framing, and up to $1,000 to access and replace other damaged building materials, like insulation.
If the underlying issue that damaged your sill plate also caused foundation issues, your repair bills will be even higher. Stabilizing a foundation costs between $4,000 and $12,000 on average, while even simple crack repair adds between $250 and $800.
If the source of the sill plate damage came from termites or water damage, you'll also need to address pest control costs and water control issues around your foundation.
Replacing a rotted sill plate is not a DIY job. Not only will DIYers lack the required heavy equipment to lift a home to access the sill plate, but working on the major structural components of a house can be extremely risky. Any mistakes can lead to total structure collapse, not to mention that you’ll often need to have a professional pull the construction permits for you anyway. As such, this is one job you should leave to a local foundation repair company.
However, you can DIY some aspects of the project if the cause of your sill plate damage also caused other property damage. For example, if water infiltration or a slow plumbing leak has led to a rotted sill plate, you can have a pro address the sill plate replacement but then tackle drywall and insulation replacement inside.
In most cases, it will be more affordable and more cost-effective to carry out a sill plate repair over a full replacement. A repair is normally a partial replacement, and since replacement costs between $100 and $120 per linear foot, you’ll save a significant amount of money by limiting how much of the sill plate you replace.
The good news is that most underlying issues will only cause damage in one area of your home, so chances are you’ll only really need a repair anyway.
If in doubt, you can always defer to a professional to see if a full replacement would be a better option for long-term value.
The best way to keep sill plate costs under control is to work with a trusted structural engineer or foundation repair team. They will get to the heart of what's causing the rotted sill plates rather than just treat the symptoms, which means you get a permanent repair rather than one you’ll have to pay for again in a few years. There are some other things you can do to help choose the right professional and keep recurring costs down:
Speak with at least three foundation repair companies to compare rates and reviews.
Self-inspect your foundation regularly to catch issues early.
Keep your timeline as flexible as possible to avoid the high season for contractors.
Ensure that you've received proper permits before starting to avoid fees.
Take on basic repairs yourself, such as sealing hairline foundation cracks and landscaping repairs after excavation.
Your sill plate rests on your foundation and provides support for most of the weight of your home. As you can probably imagine, repairing or replacing a damaged sill plate is always worthwhile, as it helps keep your home structurally stable. If you notice water damage or termite damage anywhere near the sill plate, it’s a good idea to have a professional conduct an inspection to see if the plate was damaged. If it was, you would avoid much more expensive structural issues if you paid for sill plate replacement.
Rim joists cost between $10 and $67 per square foot to replace. They often require attention after a surrounding structural element experiences rot or pest issues, such as the sill plate or the floor joists. The price does not include addressing the origin of the problem, such as landscape drainage issues or termite infestations.
You can expect professionals to take between two and five days to complete your sill plate replacement project. Sill plate replacement is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming job that requires excavation, jacking up your home, and carefully removing and replacing the damaged lumber, so prepare for a lengthy repair and replacement process. Note that you could be looking at an additional week or so if you also need foundation repair or to address the underlying problem, like a drainage issue.
Caulking around a sill plate can be a good way to reduce drafts and heat loss through the small gaps between the sill plate and the foundation and between the sill plate and the framing lumber above, so it’s normally a good idea. If you’re having your sill plate replaced, ask your contractor to use a sealant between the foundation and the sill plate for the best results. If your sill plate is already installed, simply caulk the visible gaps on either side of the sill plate.
