Serving Tallahassee and nearby areas
A new dip or soft spot in the yard near your home can be a sinkhole, rotting buried debris or a broken pipe, and a free inspection helps you find out which before it reaches the house.
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Need help sooner? Call (850) 988-3375.
We connect property owners in Tallahassee and nearby areas, including Midtown, Killearn, Betton Hills, SouthWood, Lafayette Park and Frenchtown, with one independent local foundation repair specialist.
Typical published ranges for Tallahassee. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
| Work | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Inspection and written estimate | Free |
| Typical sinkhole repair | $10,000 to $20,000 |
| French drain, average total job | $2,800 to $6,500 |
| Utility locate before digging | Free |
A new round dip
In the lawn, often where water now collects after rain.
A soft spot
That sinks when you step on it.
A hole
That opens at the surface, sometimes small at the top and wider below.
Pavers, a patio or a walk
That dips or cracks.
Soil gone
From under the edge of the slab.
Fence posts, trees or a shed
That start to lean.
New cracks
In the house on the same side as the dip.
Limestone under the south side. South of the Cody Escarpment lies the Woodville Karst Plain. A thin layer of sand covers limestone that slowly dissolves in rain water. That leaves gaps in the rock. Sand can wash down into them, and the ground above sinks.
Real sinkholes happen here. In January 2020, a sinkhole opened at a mobile home park on Capital Circle Southwest in Tallahassee. News reports said it forced two families out and split a trailer. Crews filled it with dirt.
Even lakes drain here. Every decade or two, Lake Jackson, north of town, drains into the rock below through a sinkhole called Porter Hole Sink. WFSU reported one of these drain-outs in 2021. It shows how much open rock sits under parts of Leon County.
The state keeps a list, but most are not checked. The Florida Geological Survey keeps a record of reported dips and holes. It says most reports have never been checked in the field, so the cause is not known. A report on the list does not prove a sinkhole, and a missing report does not prove the ground is safe.
Many dips are not sinkholes. The Florida Geological Survey lists other causes that look the same:
Rotting stumps
And buried wood
Buried trash
And building scraps
Broken sewer or drain pipes
Old septic tanks
That were not filled in right
Loose fill soil
That was not packed down
Clay or organic layers
That shrink as they dry out
Rain after drought. The state says sinkholes are most active when heavy rain follows a long dry spell. Heavy loads and big earth-moving jobs can also set them off.
Probably not urgent:
Get it checked soon:
Act now:
The state says to stay out of a building if you see sinking, sagging or cracking walls near a hole. If anyone could be hurt, call 911 first.
A filled pipe or a drain fix can cost a few thousand dollars. A true sinkhole repair costs much more. The price table on this page shows typical ranges from published guides, not a quote. Grout jobs are often priced by how much grout goes in, which is not known until the work starts.
Call (850) 988-3375 or send the short form. A local foundation crew will call you back to set up a free inspection and a written price.
You often cannot tell by looking. The Florida Geological Survey lists rotting stumps, buried trash, broken sewer or drain pipes, broken septic tanks and poorly packed soil as things that can look like a sinkhole. Testing by an engineer or geologist is the only sure way.
The state says small holes can be filled with clean sand or soil, and not to put water into a hole because it can make it grow. If the hole is near the house, have it looked at first so you do not hide the cause.
If anyone is in danger, call 911. If it affects your house, call your insurance company. The Florida Geological Survey says no state agency inspects sinkholes on private property, but it does take reports and has a helpline with a licensed geologist.
Every Florida property policy must cover a catastrophic ground collapse that gets the home condemned. Wider sinkhole coverage is something insurers must offer for an extra cost. Check your policy.
Yes. A leaking water, sewer or drain line can wash soil away under the yard or the slab. A dip that stays wet, or a high water bill, points to a leak.
Yes. In January 2020, a large sinkhole opened at a mobile home park on Capital Circle Southwest and forced families out of their homes, local news reported.
