Foundation Repair in Longwood, FL
Longwood is small, but it has more reported subsidence incidents per resident than any other city on this site. We connect Longwood homeowners with independent Florida-licensed contractors for free, no-obligation foundation repair quotes. The contractor you choose quotes, contracts and does the work.
Get a Free Quote23 reports in a city of 16,337
A boundary test of Florida Geological Survey (FGS) records finds about 23 reported subsidence incidents inside Longwood city limits. Against a population of 16,337 (American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates), that works out to roughly 14 per 10,000 residents, compared with about 4 in Pine Hills, which has the largest raw count of the places tested. ClickOrlando has noted that the bulk of Seminole County's reports appear along I-4 and U.S. 17-92.
What the count is, and isn't. FGS calls these "subsidence incidents" because "the majority of the incidents have not been field-checked and the cause of subsidence is not verified." Look-alikes include broken sewer and drain pipes, "improperly compacted soil after excavation work" and buried debris. Many older records are located only to a survey section, so the count is approximate and says nothing about a particular house.
Two dated Longwood records
- July 23, 1973. An FGS record reads: "Cracks formed in bedroom wall one day after builders drilled a well on lot immediately behind." It is a single unverified report, not proof of a cause.
- Jan. 14, 2022. FGS lists a 17-foot-wide, 10-foot-deep depression "against the north side of the structure," noting that Seminole County Fire Department evacuated the home. No news coverage of this record was found.
The 1985 state map, Map Series 110 (Sinclair & Stewart), puts Longwood's interior point in Area III, cover "mainly of cohesive clayey sediments of low permeability," where sinkholes "are most numerous, of varying size and develop abruptly." That is indicative only: a regional map at roughly 1:2 million cannot place a single lot.
The housing: Longwood's 1970s wave
Longwood was established in 1878, but its homes are mostly from the suburban era. The ACS 2024 5-year median year built is 1983, and 31.0% of housing units date from the 1970s, the highest 1970s share of the cities on this site; another 23.3% are from the 1980s and 7.6% from the 1950s. 69.4% of homes are owner-occupied and 67.5% are single-family detached. Homes from the 1970s are now around 45 to 55 years old.
Who does what on a Longwood job
Engineer
Diagnosing the cause and writing a structural report is engineering, which only a Florida-licensed professional engineer (PE) may do. See foundation and sinkhole inspections.
Contractor
A Division I contractor (Fla. Stat. §489.105(3)) installs a PE-designed repair, such as grouting or piers. Check its license number on MyFloridaLicense.com.
City
Longwood's Building Division is at 174 W. Church Ave. Permit rules vary; the licensed contractor confirms and pulls any permit.
Typical residential sinkhole repair runs $10,000–$20,000 in most cases (Angi), and a structural engineer's report about $340–$1,000, up to $3,000 for complex cases. These are typical national ranges from This Old House (2026), Bob Vila, HomeGuide (2026) and Angi (2026): estimates, not quotes.
Longwood foundation questions
Why does Longwood have so many reported subsidence incidents?
The records do not say. FGS reports are voluntary and mostly unverified, and FGS lists look-alikes such as broken pipes and poorly compacted fill. What the data shows is about 23 reports inside city limits, roughly 14 per 10,000 residents, and a county pattern along I-4 and U.S. 17-92. Only a professional engineer can evaluate the cause at one home.
Is a cracked wall in my Longwood home a sinkhole?
Not necessarily. Walls and slabs crack for many reasons, and Florida law says settling or cracking of a foundation alone is not a catastrophic ground cover collapse (§627.706(2)(a)). A Florida-licensed professional engineer can investigate. Ask your insurer what your policy covers. This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Who issues foundation repair permits in Longwood?
The City of Longwood Building Division, at 174 W. Church Ave., handles city building permits. Permit rules vary by job; the licensed contractor confirms whether a permit is needed and pulls any permit. When structural work is involved, ask whether the repair design comes from a Florida-licensed professional engineer and request the contractor's license number.
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