fixing brick and stucco porch supports

Our problem: 

One of our front porch support columns is fading and sinking.  It has been progressing very, very slowly over the last 25 years.  It needs to be repaired.

We have lived in our house for 27 years.  It is a 1914 craftsmen type bungalow; bottom half brick and top half stucco with two dormers.  The front porch (10’ x 30’) has the master bedroom partially over it.  The porch is supported by two large, square (30”) brick-faced columns.  There is an arch stucco upper wall on the ends of the porch and one long arched upper wall in the front of the porch.  The porch is accessed by one set of 8’ concrete stairs in the center.  The master bedroom’s floor, from the first floor exterior wall to the second floor exterior wall (over the porch) slopes downward about 3” on one side of the room and about 2” inches on the other.

One of the porch support columns has faded about 5 inches diagonally away from perpendicular and has sunk maybe an inch.  Most of the issue is on one side of the porch.

I would like to know how we should go about getting this remedied.

Here are my thoughts: 

The porch floor, at least on one side of the porch needs to be removed before any structural work can be done.  In addition, the knee walls (brick with limestone caps) on the troublesome sides of the porch should be carefully removed as well.  This would include skirting brick work below floor level.  Again, care needs to be taken to save brick for reconstruction.  After this, it appears that a very sturdy wood frame needs to be constructed out of 2” x 12” and in a half moon shape to fit under the arches.  Then, some padding needs to be added to this frame for contact with the stucco arches.  Then, there needs to be some footings of concrete (maybe three feet thick) to support some large, heavy duty jack posts to hold up wood frames to hold porch in place while the troubled support column is taken apart and rebuilt.  Once the support column has been rebuilt, it can be refaced with old brick.  The old skirting and knee walls can then be rebuilt and then the porch floor.

How am I doing?  I am guessing I should get a structural engineer to help with this issue.  I have a few ‘old house and barn contractors/repairers’ who will be giving me plans and estimates on this repair job in the next month.

What am I missing?

Thanks,

Tom Haynes