How to choose a foundation repair contractor in Texas
Most foundation trouble in Texas starts in the ground. Clay swells when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries. That lifts and drops a house a little each season. Cracks, sticking doors and sloping floors follow. A good repair deals with the movement, not just the crack you can see. Here is how to sort the companies on this site.
Know what your house sits on
Many older Texas homes sit on pier and beam. They have a crawl space and short piers under the beams. Newer homes mostly sit on a concrete slab. Some slabs have steel cables pulled tight inside them. The Post-Tensioning Institute says that design has been used on millions of homes on swelling clay since 1980. Each kind of house needs a different repair. Every listing here shows if a company names slab work, pier and beam work, or both.
Get a look from someone who is not selling
Texas engineers have guidelines for house foundations, from the Texas Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers. They describe three levels of review. The first is a walk-through. The second adds a survey of floor levels and a drawing. The third adds tests, such as soil samples and plumbing tests. A free inspection from a repair company helps. But it comes from someone who hopes to make the sale. Many homeowners pay an independent engineer first. Several Texas cities ask for an engineer's sealed plan or letter with a repair permit. Round Rock, Georgetown, Denton and Frisco are among them.
Compare the repair, not just the price
Concrete pilings, drilled piers, steel piers and helical piers all try to reach firm soil. That soil sits below the layer that swells and shrinks. A Houston group of repair companies and engineers wrote about what goes wrong. Piers set too shallow can keep sinking. And the piers most used on Houston-area houses are not tied to the slab, so they will not stop it from rising. Foam and mud lift sunken concrete, but they sit in the layer that moves. Ask each company how deep its piers go, and why.
Test the plumbing
Lifting a slab can crack the pipes under it. The engineers' guidelines say to test water and drain lines when a repair lifts the house. A leak can also wet the clay under one part of a slab. Ask who runs the test, and when.
Read the warranty and check the basics
Texas does not license foundation repair companies. A 2013 bill to create a license did not pass. So ask for proof of insurance and any permit your city needs. Get the warranty in writing. Check what it covers and if it passes to the next owner. A company that drills 16 inches or deeper with power tools must call 811 at least 48 hours first. If a repair goes wrong, Texas law generally asks you to warn the contractor in writing first. The notice goes by certified mail, at least 60 days before a lawsuit.