Guide

What affects foundation repair cost

This page gives no figures, because a number without your house attached to it would mislead you. What it can do is show where the money in a proposal goes, so that two quotes for the same house can be compared line by line.

The structural work

How many supports: The count follows from how much of the foundation has moved and how closely piers must be spaced under it. It is usually the largest single factor.
How deep they go: Piers are priced to an assumed depth. On deep clay they may have to go a long way to pass the layer that moves; where limestone is near the surface they stop sooner. Check what the proposal charges for extra depth.
Which system: Each pier type has its own bill of materials and its own labour, and injection lifting is priced differently again.
Inside or outside: A pier along an outside wall needs a hole in the yard. One under the middle of the house needs a tunnel or an opening cut through the floor, and costs more to reach.
Foundation type: Adjusting shims under a pier and beam floor is light work. Replacing beams and sills is not. A slab repair is priced almost entirely by its piers.

Getting to it

What is in the way: Decks, patios, air-conditioning units, fences, mature shrubs and narrow side yards all slow the digging. Some must be removed and put back.
Crawl space height: Under an older house, a low crawl space means slower work or new access openings.
Rock: Digging pier holes in limestone ground takes breakers and time.
Slope: Steep lots limit where equipment can stand and where spoil can be put.

Paper and tests

Engineering: A structural engineer's evaluation, a sealed repair plan and a letter after the work each carry a fee. Find out whether they are inside the company's price or billed to you separately.
Permit: The city charges for the permit and the contractor spends time obtaining it. See permits in New Braunfels.
Plumbing tests: Testing the drains before and after a lift is prudent. Any pipe repairs that the test reveals are a further cost, often not part of the foundation contract.

After the lift

Finishes: Drywall cracks, tile, brick mortar and paint may need repair once the house has been moved. Usually excluded.
Doors and windows: Some need adjusting to fit the frame's new position.
Yard and flatwork: Replanting, sod, and patching any concrete that was broken out for access.
Drainage: If poor drainage contributed, correcting it may be quoted as a separate item or left for another contractor.
Warranty terms: A longer or transferable warranty has a value. Some companies charge a fee to transfer it to a buyer.

Comparing two proposals fairly

Lay the pier plans side by side. If one shows piers where the other shows none, the two firms have reached different diagnoses. Sort that out first; comparing prices means nothing until you do.
Find the depth assumption and the charge per extra foot in each.
List the exclusions from each on one sheet.
Check whether the engineer, the permit and the plumbing tests are in or out.
Read the payment schedule. Paying the full amount before any work has started is a risk you don't need to take.

If two proposals differ widely in scope, paying an independent structural engineer for an opinion can cost far less than the difference between them. See foundation inspections.

Insurance, briefly

Settling and earth movement are standard exclusions in a great many home policies. Whether yours is among them is a question for the policy document or for the agent who sold it, not for a repair firm.

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) 879-9995

Your call may be recorded. The referral disclosure explains who is paid.