Early repairs of minor damage are always going to be quicker and cheaper than waiting for the damage to become more severe. If you catch foundation damage early, you may just need to repair a few cracks and improve the drainage around your house to funnel rainwater away from your property. Such early repairs to a damaged foundation, even a raised foundation, are not very costly and can be taken care of for about 1% – 3% of the value of the home. In comparison, waiting for the damage to spread to the point where foundation repair is no longer an option can be a very costly mistake, as the cost of completely replacing a foundation can easily run 5% – 10% of the value of the home! In cases of severe damage, replacing the entire foundation is the only way to maintain the strength and sturdiness of a home.