Foundation Repair Pier And Beam Cost

Frequently Asked Questions

1. QUESTION:
   What is the future of foundation that has been “repaired”?
   I am looking to buy a home that has had foundation repairs due to settling, common in north texas with the clay soil. I am wondering what further problems are possible with relation to the foundation. There is a lifetime warranty, but are there any problems that can arise that are not covered with the warranty?

   • ANSWER:
     It is good that you have a TRANSFERABLE warranty, right? If so, then that is good. Make sure Before you buy the house that if any foundation repair has been done that the foundation repair company is reputable, registered, and is affirmed as having the warranty that can transfer to ALL new owners that come along…not just you.

     That being said, it is possible that foundation issues to still continue for years to come. Slight changes folks say the house is “settling”, but extensive changes are foundation issues and you can’t just sit on it and do nothing. Foundation problems can be from the expansion and contraction of the clay soils or it can be caused by a plumbing break (even ever so slight), so that may need to be checked, as well. If problems still arise, and the weather has been “balanced”, do check the plumbing for leaks under the foundation.

     So, weird very wet and very dry weather (which we just got over a 4 yr drought) can cause foundation issues for slab homes and a break in plumbing can do the same. Sometimes one causes the other, too.

     You mentioned North Texas, well howdy! I’ve lived in Collin County since 1966, and have seen quite a bit when it comes to types of homes built, neighborhoods that have foundation issues up & down the street, and some areas that seem fine.
     We do have strips of soils that are sandy and even shallow of the clay [meaning that rocky limestone is very close to the surface, which helps with foundations, but makes it tough on plants which need deep roots] , which makes for less shifting (Allen). Homes that are on pier & beam actually still have foundation issues, but they are MINOR in cost of repair. The track builders like Fox & Jacobs (Centex today) found that laying concrete slabs for foundations were quick and cheap and that is how all of this started. Other than that, homes were prior to then variations of Pier & Beam. Then other forms of slab came along with tension wires that claimed that were effective in keeping the foundation sound, but they weren’t perfect either.

     KRLD radio – 1080am on your dial has a saturday program that is hosted by an area homebuilder called Tom Tynan, I believe at 2pm. He’s easy to understand and is laid back and seems very honest. You can probably call in and ask him some questions like the one you posted here.

     KRLD can also be found www.krld.com

     Another thing, too. Check with the city building inspector of the town you are interested in. Just for example, the town of Frisco had some mutiple huge issues with foundations a few years ago because it was growing very quickly and many unprofessional builders flew in, built homes with POOR foundations, and they split. Home after home was cracking up, and the city stepped in and put in some very strick building restrictions before that finally cleared up. So, check up on the history of building in the town you are considering. Did they have extreem growth spurts, or was it controlled? Can make a difference! Check around the neighborhoods and look for signs in the yard of foundation work done. If you see a few, its possible that it’s a bad area for homes. This clay was great for the cotton and corn farmers, but it reaks havoc on the slab foundation home. And don’t even think of mobile homes – the old ones were constructed with 2×2’s and are as safe as a matchbox to live in. Even if they are “hurricane tethered” to the ground, and they are constructed with a late model 2×4 beams, and even PLACED on a slab, they will – I repeat WILL blow away with any great gust of wind. Period! So avoid mobile or manufactured homes. Pre-fab may be better, but I wouldn’t put my money there either, even if they do throw in some acerage!

     Be smart. Do your research. Might consider building your own and monitoring the construction. We are in a tornado proned area, so do try to build a reinforced “safety” room in your home for such times that tornado warnings are present.

     Good luck and a TEXAS WELCOME to you!

2. QUESTION:
   Where can I find information to repair my pier and beams on island?
   I live in texas on a coastal island Every rain and my yard floods I need to replace and repair posts beams in silt and sand. If I have to hire it done I still need to know how because most foundation companys around here are less than honest. While at it should I just raise the house up a level?

   • ANSWER:
     Greetings!

     What you really need to do is consult with a structural engineer. Having a contractor without using an engineer, or doing it yourself may void your insurance policy should there be a mishap.
     Also it is not a cheap undertaking. The engineer will also give you an reliable estimate as to what the work would cost.
     Also he would be able to answer questions you have not even thought about yet.

     Good luck

3. QUESTION:
   Does anyone know the average cost of repairing the foundation of a 1911 craftsman house (1,549 sqft)?
   The house is located in Los Angeles, CA. and I think the house is being held up by a pier and beam foundation. The floor areas are sinking and some doors and windows are starting to stick. Do we go with a contractor or structural engineer? Has anyone used Servicemagic.com?

   • ANSWER:
     Usually they’ll just put your home up on jacks…it shouldn’t be that much. We got under my house and did it ourselves. The kitchen floor wasn’t even when we moved it and it bothered me!

4. QUESTION:
   How realistic is it to raise a house and redo/repair the foundation? A cost in extremely ball park figures?
   My has a very shallow basement, about 7ft from floor to ceiling, not counting plumping and duct work. There is also a large wooden support beam running half the length of the basement, held up by temporary jacks, that drops that down to around 6ft. Also there are many areas where the previous owner tried to fix the basement ceiling with pieces of sheet rock. I have a mild moisture problem. I will be installing rain gutters. The floor is not well leveled. One wall of the foundation also has a slight bulge to it, and it seems that there may have been cracks or breaks in the walls that they tried to cover up. I may also have a problem with settling, I dont know. The home is built on an extremly narrow lot, 31ft face, with only a couple feet to the property line, and less than 10 feet between my house and the homes to the next. How feasable would it be to redo the entire foundation, raising the house (or lowering the basement floor)?

   • ANSWER:
     I had my house done about 5 years ago they had to put piers in the front of it. And my house was brand new with wood floors throughout the house. It worked wonderful had to make some drywall repairs but it was nice to have it right. The cost was 6000.00 or a little more

5. QUESTION:
   Which type of foundation is better for a home, a concrete slab or crawlspace? Why?

   • ANSWER:
     Slab foundations depending on the area if you are far south the ground temperatures may not effect you that much. I do prefer the pier and beam or crawl space as worded here because in the imperfect world in which we live there is ground shifting, some areas worst than others. It is more costly to have a foundation repair company go out and level a slab foundation.
     With the pier and beam they can go in with a jack to level the home.
     I would say the pier and beam is the best choice because of future repair and accessibility of plumbing and HVAC lines. but it normally cost more.
     hope this helps

6. QUESTION:
   Can we build a larger house on a 50-year old foundation?
   We got a 50-year old house. There is evidence that there was foundation shifting. The house itself is in a pretty bad condition so it is possibility that we will tear the one floor house down and build a two-floor house. Now I wonder, if it is possible/desirable to preserve or fix the foundation so we can save some building cost. The house is in Dallas, TX and the old foundation is pier and beam

   • ANSWER:
     Funny you should ask … that is our situation exactly. We bought a new, two-story home that was built on the foundation of a 1950s ranch. We are getting a LOT of settling and buckling of floors. The builder used all the original beams and floor joists and they’re just groaning under all of the additional wait. Plus there was a lot of termite damage that they “repaired” but I’m not sure they did a thorough and strong enough job. As far as I know, the cinder block walls are holding up ok, but the builder finished the basement so there may be some shifting that I can’t see. If I were you I just would not proceed without a competent structural engineer at your side. Best of luck!

7. QUESTION:
   roughly how much would it cost to build a small 3 bedroom pier and beam home in texas?

   • ANSWER:
     While I am not sure of the price here is a company that can tell you a huge amount of information.
     http://www.bedrockfoundation.com/pier-and-beam-foundation-repair-dallas-tx.html
     These people repair pier and beam houses. They can tell you what to build and how to build it. Based on what repairs they do, it seems that houses fail later on because they build with cheaper products in the beginning. By this I mean they use small timber supports where larger ones are recommended. This company has good answers on repairing and based on that they sound like they can offer you great information on building.
     I live in Australia and until I read this question didn’t know anything about the company I am telling you about.

8. QUESTION:
   House Foundation Cost?
   I’m going to have my brick Foundation replaced. It’s only the back half of the house that really needs it but I’ve been told that any brick foundation should be replaced. How much should I expect to pay for a new foundation? I will also need to have the house & foundation seimic retrofitted. I’m the the Bay Area (northern California). Also, one contractor that I spoke with said that they would put a new foundation down in two sessions, the back first then the front. I thought I read somewhere that all the concrete should be poured at one time.

   • ANSWER:
     Foundations are usually concrete, even pier an beam, or crawl space homes. If your home is brick and built above the ground with brick around the perimeter of the house it is often called foundation, but a true foundation supports the house, not hides it, even in San Francisco.

     A home built with a covering of brick hiding the underside of the home is pier and beam or crawl space foundation so the brick doesn’t really support it, it just covers up what’s hidden underneath.

     The type of problem you describe is common for many homes built on piers. The mortar holding the bricks together will deteriorate over time and gradually the bricks hiding the underpinnings of your house will fall apart exposing the underside of your home to anyone who cares to look.

     This can be repaired or it can be replaced and you can do the work yourself if you don’t mind learning a new skill. If the missing brick is still around you can clean it up and get yourself some mortar mix or mix up your own with a little cement, sand and water. All it takes is time and you’ll learn how to do it best as you go.

     If the brick on your home’s foundation is all that concerns you, it can be done in stages or all at once. But, if it truly is concrete being poured, it should all be done at once to avoid weakness in the finished product and seams where it should be smooth.

     If it’s brick work and you’re willing to do it yourself, the cost can be as little as with you doing all the brick cleaning and re-mortaring, but if you hire it done this can cost several thousands of dollars, depending on the honesty and integrity of who you hire.

     No one can put a price on someone else’s work and without dimensions, height and perimeter or length of distance to cover, it would be impossible for anyone to give you an exact figure, and then only if they were doing the work.

9. QUESTION:
   Repairing my front porch?
   i Just bought my home and attached to the front of the house is a concrete porch that is the same height of the house on its pier and beam foundation but its slowly moving away from the front of the house. there is a 1 inch gap in between the porch and the house and the front right corner is badly sloping towards the ground, the previous owners attached an additional 3 support beams to the existing two that connect the porch to the roofthat extends out over the porch for more support. anyhow is there a way i can repair this and how much it would cost? any ideas? thanks in advance.

   PS – should i rip it out and replace it or repair it? PRICES PRICES

   • ANSWER:
     The ground is sinking on the end not at the house from the weight. The entire thing would sink a little but the end towards the house is sitting on the footers of the house so it will not sink. The only things you can do is leave it alone, replace it, or put some quikcrete in the gap.
     You can not just lift the porch up if it off the ground and has steps because it is filled. But if it is a slab that is on the ground. it is possible to use a bottle jack and raise it up. But then you have the daunting task of getting more concrete under the slab which is a real big pain in the azz.

     Personally, I would replace it with a wood porch.

     Pictures would help explain if it could be fixed or not.

10. QUESTION:
    Is it worth buying a property to demolish the house for salvage and resell the land?
    I am in the process of buying a property in a residential area with a recently condemned house on it.
    It was listed for ,000 but I’ve talked the price down to ,000 and put down earnest money but have not signed the contract yet.

    It’s a pier & beam 1/5 acre lot with a 1265sf timber/wood plank siding (no brick) home built in 1960. The city does not require asbestos abatement for residential properties and it’s definitely beyond repair.

    The whole back of the house is starting to collapse and it has no wiring, limited plumbing, mold, water damage, half destroyed interior, falling ceiling and sagging roof line as well as a faulty unleveled foundation.

    The house is scheduled for a hearing with the city in March (for demolition review…city demo would be 30 days after the review at the soonest) and the only taxes due on the property are last years (00) which I worked into the final price.

    Land in this area seems to go for around k-k for similar sized lots (1/5 acres) and homes sell for anywhere from -0k depending on the condition and size.

    I’ve never done this before and would like to hear from someone who has experience with similar situations – either flipping condemned properties or demolition or salvage.

    Are there common pitfalls involved in buying a condemned property and knocking it down?
    Does it seem like a good deal?
    Is there any money in attempting to salvage the lumber?
    Is there anything else I should be aware of when dealing with condemned properties?

    • ANSWER:
      Well since you know the front and back end of the deals (k to buy and k to sell, the only question is the economics of the demo.

      Unless there is a market for used wood in your area, and if there is sufficient space around the area, have you considered donating the BUILDING to the fire department for training? You can condition the donation to a complete ‘burn’ and possibly even the cleanup.

      That would cover a bunch of permits and reduce your demolition costs significantly…

      PLUS.. you prob. could write off the cost of the building on your taxes against your profit since it is a donation.

11. QUESTION:
    I need law advice in texas about if I am able to sue the previous owner of my home regarding foundation?
    So my husband and I purchased our home about 4 months ago. We knew the home had foundation issues going into it but it came with a lifetime waranty on the majority of the piers inside the home and a 2 year warranty on the piers on the extension at the back of the home so we werent concerned. We specifically asked if the waranty on both would be transferable and valid via email and the sellers realtor said it was (I have this email). Now we had some cracking in the walls at the back of the house near where the extension was and we called the repair company. They come out and say that it is because the extension is sinking however (all the piers in question should of been covered), so I think its fine because we still have a year left on the waranty with the other company. However the foundation guy says that if we have the other company do the repair it will Null the waranty on the house, and that in fact there is very good chance since the foundation work done on the extension happend after the original work was done on the house that our waranty may already be nulled. So essentially I have two options to keep my house fully covered under waranty, both places offer the option to absorb the others waranty for a large price per beam, but in order to get the house fixed I have to pick one, and either pay to absorb the whole house warranty and have the repairs for free under my warranty or pay to have the repairs done from scratch (which would actually be cheaper) and the company will overlook the previous error on the part of the previous owner. This all being said my house needs to be fixed, Can I go back to the original owner for the cost based on the fact that he sold me the home when the warranty was no good because of how he did the repairs? He never lived there and does these home renovations for a liveing, so I am assumeing he knew that by getting the repairs from some one else instead of the original foundation guy he would void the warranty. The fact that I specifically asked if all my warrantys were good- and purchased the home based on this, do I have a case to sue him? And should I take the cheapest route to just redo the repair, when my whole basis for the lawsuit would be that he nulled the other waranty? PLEASE HELP! Either way Im looking to be spending in the thousands which I dont think is fair since this part of the home was promised to be covered when we purchased.
    I did have a home inspection, includeing a specific founcdation inspection. At the time there were no ongoing issues. As for prooveing the owner knew that it would void the waranty it is stipulated on the back of the waranty that if any work is done that it would void it. So by this right he should have known
    I also have an email confirming (as stated above) from my realtor to his asking that all warrantys are valid. And they confirmed, I wouldnt have been allowed to confirm with the companys as the warrantys werent in my name until the house was sold. That being said the first company didnt know about the second pier repair until I mentioned it not knowing myself that this would void the first.

    • ANSWER:
      A couple of points and neither of them are in your favor as far as a successful suit goes.

      You should have had a home inspection done prior to purchase.

      You should have confirmed with what every company was providing a warranty that it was in good standing and that nothing had been done that might void that warranty. An email from the realtor isn’t proper due diligence.

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