Western Comal County
Foundation repair in Bulverde
Bulverde is Hill Country: live oak and juniper on thin, stony soil with limestone close beneath. Foundations here seldom suffer from swelling clay. Their troubles come from slopes, fill and fast runoff.
Rock under one end, fill under the other
The upland soils of this part of the county are described in the federal soil survey as shallow over hard limestone, in places only a few inches deep. One of the common Hill Country soils is noted for forming a benched, stair-stepped landscape of ledges and flats.
To build on ground like that, a level pad is made by cutting into the slope on the high side and placing the spoil on the low side. The uphill part of the slab then bears on rock, which does not move. The downhill part bears on fill, which compresses under load and can be carried off by water. When a Bulverde house shows cracks, they are often on the downhill side.
Retaining walls belong to the same story. A wall that leans or bulges is letting the fill behind it move, and anything built on that fill moves with it.
What to look at on a sloping lot
- Which side of the house the cracks and sticking doors are on: uphill or downhill.
- Whether soil has washed away from the slab edge on the low side, leaving concrete exposed that used to be covered.
- Whether rainwater from uphill runs toward the house or is turned aside before it arrives.
- The state of any retaining wall: leaning, cracked, or with blocked drain holes.
- Patios, pool decks and driveways on the filled side that have tilted or pulled away.
Dealing with the City of Bulverde
The city's Building Review and Inspection office handles residential permits and contractor registration.
- Drainage comes first
- The city states that a drainage analysis must be submitted for review when applying for a building permit. On a hillside lot, that is the right question to be asking anyway.
- Trees need a permit to remove
- Bulverde makes it unlawful to remove any tree inside the city limits without a permit. If someone suggests taking out a tree near the foundation, check with the city before it is touched.
- Applications
- They are started online through the MyGovernmentOnline portal by choosing Bulverde as the jurisdiction, or made in person.
- Contact
- 30360 Cougar Bend, phone (830) 438-3612.
The city's page does not spell out its requirements for a foundation repair. Ask the office, or have the company ask, before a contract is signed, and make sure the company is registered with the city.
Repairs on rock
Where piers are needed they usually do not have far to go before reaching limestone, but getting a hole through rocky ground takes heavier tools and more time than digging in clay. Voids under the low side of a slab may be filled by injection. Often the most valuable work is above ground: redirecting runoff and repairing the wall that holds the fill. Repair methods describes each option.
When you are ready
Pages can narrow it down. A level and a floor plan settle it.
Whichever side of the escarpment your house stands on, the answer comes from numbers taken on the spot. The firm that makes the visit then sets down on paper what it measured and what a repair would run to.
Sudden shifting, the smell of gas, or a wall that seems about to come down is a different matter: clear the house first, then dial 911 or your gas provider.
Have your New Braunfels house measured
Ring the number and describe the crack, door or floor that worries you. Whoever answers works for a foundation repair firm near New Braunfels, a separate and independent business, and can book a day to inspect.
Call (830) 879-9995Your call may be recorded. The referral disclosure explains who is paid.