Frequently Asked Questions

Watch for stair-step cracks in brick, cracks running from the corners of doors and windows, doors that stick or will not latch, gaps between walls and ceilings, and floors that feel uneven. One sign on its own may be minor. Several showing up together usually means the house is moving and is worth having checked.

It depends on the foundation type, how much of the house has settled, how deep stable soil is, access and whether drainage work is needed. Sealing a single crack costs far less than installing piers along one side of a slab. Call us and we will give you a written estimate once we have seen the house.

They solve different problems. Piers transfer the weight of the house down to more stable soil and are used when a foundation has settled. Mudjacking or polyurethane foam fills voids and lifts sunken flatwork such as driveways, patios and sidewalks. We explain which one fits your situation and why.

Many pier jobs on a single-family home take a few days, and smaller pier and beam adjustments can be quicker. Larger repairs, engineering reviews, permits and wet weather can stretch the schedule. You get a realistic timeframe with your estimate.

Lifting a foundation often narrows cracks and can help doors work again, but it rarely makes drywall and brick cracks disappear on their own. Most homeowners plan for some cosmetic patching and painting after the foundation work is done. We tell you what to expect before work starts.

Keep gutters clean, extend downspouts well away from the house and make sure the soil slopes away from the foundation. Water that pools against a slab or under a crawl space makes clay soil swell unevenly. Where that is not enough, a French drain or regrading can help.

Usually, yes. Pier and beam homes can often be re-leveled by adjusting or replacing shims, adding supports or repairing a sagging beam, and that work is done from the crawl space. We check the condition of the piers, beams and joists first so the fix is not just a temporary shim.

Damp crawl spaces are common in humid East Texas and can lead to musty smells, wood rot and sagging floors. A vapor barrier helps, and full encapsulation goes further by sealing the space. We look at the moisture source first, because standing water or a drainage problem needs fixing before any barrier goes down.

It is a sensible step, especially for older homes or houses with visible cracks. A general home inspection may flag possible movement, and an engineer can give a formal opinion. We can then explain what repair the findings would call for and roughly what it would involve.

Requirements vary by city and by the type of work. Some cities ask for a permit or an engineering letter for structural foundation repairs, while smaller drainage jobs may not need one. Ask any contractor you talk to about permits and engineering letters, and we will tell you what applies to your repair.