The Cost to Hire a Foundation Repair Contractor

Foundation repair contractor costs can vary greatly from job to job. The final expense of any foundation repair in Houston, Texas is based on the items that are affecting the home and the amount of piers that need to be placed. The pricing range for this type of work is usually more than a few thousand dollars, however, most companies offer great financing rates that allow a homeowner to work inside of their monthly budget.

Companies that do work on slab foundations base most of their costs on a per pier basis. This price is typically based on four items:

The current structural condition of the foundation.
The number of piers needed to level the foundation.
The location where the piers need to be placed.
The amount of work needed to properly place the piers.

While there are other factors that can go into leveling the slab of a home, these are the most common. We will explore each of these in more depth below.

Most home foundations are built on slab in the Houston metro area. Slab foundations should be one piece and should not have any cracking and breaking occurring. The slab should be level across each end of the home and not show any signs of bowing or flexing. If the slab has bowing inside of the home, or if you notice that there is a slope in the floor, the condition of your foundation has begun to deteriorate and the cost could increase based on where the floor slope and the flexing is occurring.

If you inspect your foundation and you find that there are hairline cracks in multiple areas around your home then you might have a major foundation issue. When mixed correctly, concrete should not crack. If there are cracks, you will want to note where they are and on the inside of the home check to see if there is any type of drywall cracking or shifting as well. While a single crack may not be something to worry about – multiple cracks need an inspection for a certified professional.

The largest factor in the cost of a foundation repair is the piers. The number of piers needed to level a home can vary greatly. Some homes may need 10 piers and some may need 30 piers. The number of piers needed is only calculated after a professional foundation inspection takes place. If there are multiple points in the home that are not level, or if there is a multitude of cracking around the home, the number of piers will increase. The pier cost themselves are not actually calculated in the cost as it is not possible to calculate how many piers it will take to push into the earth to properly secure your home. The cost here is actually associated with the number of locations that the piers will be needed in based on the inspection of your home.

This is the second largest cost factor of a home slab leveling or repair. Depending on the scale of your home you may have 20+ locations that need piers placed. Depending on how much your home’s slab has flexed or bowed, piers may be needed inside of your home as well. Any pier that is being placed inside your home will increase the cost. Typically, you can level about six feet into the home from the exterior placed piers, however, anything farther into your home will more than likely need an interior pier placed, or a tunnel dug to additional locations under your home. This type of work has an increase in cost associated with it.

This cost is included in the overall pier pricing, however, this does vary based on where a set of piers needs to be placed to properly secure your home’s foundation for the remainder of its lifetime. Piers that need to be set along the outside of the home are the least expensive as the work to place them typically only involves digging a deep hole along the exterior of the home. The dirt under the home is also dug out a few feet and piers are placed along the fortified edge of the foundation for support.

If you have areas around your home that need piers placed and there is concrete or other materials that need to be excavated prior to installation, this will drive the cost up as well. Most foundation companies charge a premium for this work called a “break out” where a jack hammer has to be used to access the piling pressing area.

Lastly, interior piers or tunneling under the home to place piers is the most costly. If a pier needs to be placed in a location toward the middle of the home it will need to be broken out inside of the home. There is a large amount of work that has to take place to accomplish this depending on the flooring in the area.

While there are many costs that go into having your foundation repaired, AAA Foundation Service has pricing that will meet the needs of any homeowner. Give us a call today at 714-567-8981 to discuss your options.