FAQ
Questions New Braunfels homeowners ask about foundations
Short answers, each with a link to the page that goes further.
About the house
How do I know whether it is the foundation at all?
Check whether several symptoms tell one story. Cracks, binding doors and a tilted floor clustered at a single corner weigh far more than any of them alone. The signs pages give the everyday causes of each.
Is a foundation problem an emergency?
Usually it develops over months or years and there is time to get it measured and to compare opinions. The exceptions are sudden: a loud crack followed by new damage, a wall visibly leaning, a smell of gas. Then the order is: out of the house first, 911 or the gas provider second.
My house is on a slab. Can it still be repaired without tearing up floors?
Often. Most piers go in from outside along the edge of the slab. Supports under the middle can sometimes be reached by tunnelling. House leveling explains the sequence.
If I wait, will the cracks grow?
A few never change. Others open and close with the seasons, and some grow steadily. Marking and dating them is the only way to find out which kind you have.
Why did problems appear after a dry summer?
Clay soil shrinks as it dries and the edges of a slab lose support first. This is the commonest pattern on the prairie side of town. See why foundations move here.
About inspections and repairs
Do I need an engineer or a repair company?
A repair company can measure and quote. A structural engineer gives an opinion with nothing to sell, and is worth the fee when the job is large or the house is changing hands. Foundation inspections compares the two.
What will a repair cost?
That turns on how many supports the house needs, how deep they must go, how easy they are to reach and how much paperwork is involved. Without measurements nobody can say. What affects the cost breaks a quote into its parts.
Is a city permit required for foundation repair here?
Inside the city limits, yes: repairing a building is permitted work, and the city asks for a foundation plan. Permits has the details and the phone number.
Does Texas license foundation repair firms?
No. The state has no such licence. The choosing guide sets out what is open to checking.
Am I allowed to water my foundation during drought restrictions?
New Braunfels Utilities' rules make specific allowance for foundation watering, with limits that depend on the stage in force. Looking after a foundation has the current link.
Will a past repair hurt my sale?
It has to be disclosed, and a well-documented repair with a transferable warranty reassures many buyers. Buying or selling covers the Texas notice.
About this website
Who picks up when I call?
Someone at a foundation repair firm based in or near New Braunfels. It is a business in its own right, with no ownership link to this website. How this site works explains the arrangement.
Do you cover towns outside New Braunfels?
Yes, seven of them. The service area page names each one.
I rent the house. Should I call?
Tell your landlord. Foundation repair is the owner's decision and the owner's contract, so the owner or their manager should make the call.
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.