Guadalupe County
Foundation repair in Seguin
Seguin sits down the Guadalupe River from New Braunfels, on ground that changes character across the county. A company inspecting a Seguin house will want to know what kind of soil it is dealing with before it talks about piers.
Clay at one end of the county, sandy loam at the other
Guadalupe County's soils are described as running from dark, calcareous clay in the north-west, where the Blackland Prairie reaches in from Comal and Hays counties, to fine sandy loam in the south-east. Seguin lies between the two. Along the river the picture changes again: the federal soil survey's reference site for one loamy, well-drained terrace soil is near McQueeney, just upstream.
That range matters because the two ends behave so differently under a house. Dark clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry, so slabs on it rise and fall with the seasons. Sandy loam drains and moves far less, though it can wash out where water is allowed to run along a foundation. Neighbours a mile apart may have nothing to learn from each other's cracks.
Ask the inspector what soil they found and how they know. A company that proposes the same pier plan everywhere in the county has not looked.
Permits in Seguin
The City of Seguin's permits and inspections page sets out three points that bear on foundation work.
- Repairs need an application
- To construct, enlarge, alter or repair a building, an application is made to the Building Official.
- The contractor applies
- The city says the licensed contractor for the project must submit the permit application and the plans.
- Owners only for their own labour
- An owner who owns and occupies the house as a homestead can apply, but only when doing the work personally. That rules out an owner's permit for a job a foundation company will carry out.
Applications are made on the city's Development Services Portal. The Permits Department is at 205 N River Street and answers on 830-401-2435. Before work starts, ask your company for the permit number.
Useful to mention when you call from Seguin
- Whether the house is an older one on piers and beams or a newer one on a slab.
- Whether the yard holds water after rain or drains within the hour.
- How close the house is to the river or a creek.
- Any earlier foundation work, and whether you have the papers for it.
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.