Frequently asked questions
What is foundation repair?
Foundation repair is work that stabilizes or levels a home's foundation. Companies in this guide describe different approaches, including pressed concrete piers, steel piers, helical piers, drilled bell-bottom piers and hybrid systems, plus house leveling, pier and beam repair, drainage correction and root barriers. Ask the company which approach it proposes for your home and why.
What is the difference between a slab foundation and a pier and beam foundation?
A slab foundation is a concrete slab poured on the ground; a pier and beam foundation raises the home on piers and beams with a crawlspace underneath. The repair method differs: slab work typically uses piers driven or drilled around and under the slab, while pier and beam work can involve pier adjustment, beam and sill replacement, shims and crawlspace work. Ask the company which type your home has and which method it proposes.
What kinds of piers are there?
Company sites in this guide name pressed concrete piers, steel piers, helical piers, drilled bell-bottom piers, hybrid steel-plus-concrete piers and interior piers. Each has different depth, load and installation characteristics. Ask the company which pier type it proposes for your soil and foundation, and why.
What are signs that a foundation may need attention?
Company sites commonly mention cracks in walls, floors or brick, doors or windows that stick, sloping or uneven floors, and gaps around doors or trim. These signs do not by themselves diagnose a foundation problem: ask the company for elevation measurements and, where offered, an engineering review before agreeing to a scope.
Why is there no state license number in this guide?
Because Texas has no state foundation repair license as such, and no company in this guide publishes a license number on its own website. Cities require local permits for foundation work, so ask the company which permits apply to your job and who arranges them.
Why do some companies show no rating?
Because their own website publishes no rating figure with a review count. This guide never invents a rating and never presents a review-site figure as if it came from the company's own site. No rating means no rating was found on the company's own site, not that the company is bad.
Why do some companies show no street address?
Because their own website publishes none. This guide states that plainly instead of copying an address from a directory, which may be outdated or belong to a different business with a similar name.
Why is there no fixed price in this guide?
Because no company in this guide publishes one on its own website. Foundation repair quotes depend on pier type, pier count and depth, foundation type, drainage, plumbing and engineering review, so a real price comes only after an assessment and a written quote. Ranges, averages and estimates found on company sites are quoted in the cost guide, labeled as such.
Should I choose the cheapest quote?
Compare itemized quotes, not headline figures. Pier type, pier count and depth, drainage, plumbing test, engineering review, warranty and crew can all differ between quotes that look similar at first glance.
What is a service-area company?
A service-area company serves North Dallas but either publishes an office outside the area or publishes no street address on its own site. Those companies are marked as service-area companies in this guide.