If you believe your slab or pier and beam structure has foundation issues and is in need of foundation repair we will provide some information below to help you understand:
- What causes foundation problems,
- signs of foundation issues,
- foundation repair methods, and
- foundation repair cost.
Foundation repair is an unlicensed trade in Texas so it is important to know what is going on before talking with a contractor that may:
- Be uninsured,
- Have a bad reputation,
- Not offer affordable payment options,
- Not be in business in a few years to support their “lifetime” warranty, and/or
- Only be worried about making a sale.
What Causes Foundation Issues
Home and business foundation issues can be caused by a number of different things. We have listed the most common causes below:
- Lack of a proper foundation drainage system
- Plumbing leaks
- Soil and climate problems
- Large tree roots
- Poor soil compaction
As important as it is to know what causes foundation issues it is equally important to know what to look out for when you suspect you might have foundation issues.
Signs of Foundation Issues
There are some visible signs of foundation issues to be on the lookout for. These include:
- Exterior cracks in brick / stucco
- Interior sheetrock cracks
- Doors sticking or not opening and closing properly
- Door frame / window frame separation from brick
- Expansion joint separation
- Uneven floors
If your structure shows signs of foundation issues there are a few different types of foundation methods to help get this corrected.
Foundation Repair Methods
There are 4 types of foundation repair that involve leveling or raising your structure, getting water away from your structure, and stabilizing the soil below your structure.
These 4 methods are listed below:
- Underpinning: A solid foundation laid below ground level to support or strengthen a structure. The purpose of underpinning is to level or raise your structure.
- Concrete Piers
- Steel Piers
- Helical Piers
- Drilled Concrete Piers
- Concrete Leveling: Polyurethane foam is injected into small holes and the foam expands filling voids under the slab and raising the concrete for slab leveling.
- Polyurethane Foam Injection
- Drainage: The artificial removal of a surface’s water and subsurface water from an area with excess of water. The purpose of drainage is to get water away from your structure.
- French Drain
- Surface Drain
- Gutters
- Soil Stabilization: Any physical, chemical, mechanical, biological, or combined method of changing natural soil to meet an engineering purpose. The purpose of soil stabilization is to totally reduce the soil swell that causes property damage.
- Eco-Friendly Chemical Injection
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Now that we know what types of foundation repair are available we can give you an idea of what these foundation repair methods cost.
Foundation Repair Cost
The cost for foundation repair varies widely depending on the structure’s age, condition, size, and location.
Below, we have listed the average cost for the abovementioned foundation repair methods:
- Underpinning
- Concrete Piers – $350-650/pier
- Steel Piers – $400-1,000/pier
- Helical Piers – $750-1,500/pier
- Drilled Concrete Piers – $600-1,500/pier
- Concrete Leveling
- Polyurethane Foam Injection – $10-25/sq ft
- Drainage
- French Drain – $30-50/foot
- Surface Drain – $25-45/foot
- Gutters – $3.50-4.50/linear foot
- Soil Stabilization
- Eco-Friendly Chemical Injection – $1.75-3.50/sq ft
- Without an engineer’s report from a licensed, 3rd party engineer or
- With an in-house engineer that is biased and on the foundation repair company’s payroll.
Now that you have an idea of what the different types of foundation repair cost it is time to setup a free evaluation to see if you are in need of foundation repair.
Free Evaluation
To determine which foundation repair methods (underpinning, concrete leveling, drainage, and/or soil stabilization) are necessary we recommend setting up a free evaluation from a foundation specialist to determine if work is needed.
If we believe it is just cosmetic damage we will plan to come back in 6-8 weeks to check again.
If we believe there is structural damage we will recommend that you contact a licensed, 3rd party structural engineer to get an engineer’s report on what type of work needs to be done.
We have a vetted list of licensed, 3rd party structural engineers that we can refer you to or you can find one yourself. It is important for you to get an engineer’s report from a licensed, unbiased source.
After being in this industry for 20+ years, we strongly caution you in hiring a foundation repair company:
Both of these methods benefit the foundation company.
Hiring a licensed, 3rd party structural engineer ensures that you get an unbiased report on what is going on with your foundation as it is their fiduciary responsibility to take care of you as their customer.
Once you get an engineer’s report they will let you know if you need foundation repair work or not.
If you don’t, great! You just saved thousands of dollars.
If you do, you can then get apples to apples quotes from a few reputable foundation repair companies.
If you would like to set up a free evaluation to see if your home or business is in need of foundation repair please call us at 469-771-4877 or send us a message. We serve the DFW metroplex in Texas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding areas.
We look forward to meeting you and helping to give you some peace of mind.
At Fortress Foundation Systems, our goal is simple: Keeping you on solid ground.
