Foundation Repair Questions and Answers

Sending a request through this site costs nothing and commits you to nothing. The contractors who answer requests here offer a free in-home inspection and written estimate. Confirm it when they call, before the visit. A report from an independent structural engineer is a separate, paid service.

It ranges widely. Sealing a crack or lifting one sunken slab is a few hundred dollars. Re-leveling a pier and beam home or setting piers under a slab house usually runs into the thousands, and a full encapsulation or a large pier job can go higher. Our cost guide starts from what you see in the house. Only an inspection gives you a real number.

foundation repair cost in Corpus Christi

Look along the base of the outside walls. Vents or a small access door near the ground, and a few steps up to the front door, point to pier and beam with a crawl space under the house. Walls that meet the ground with no vents and a floor close to yard level point to a slab. Our house leveling page has a fuller checklist.

Slab or pier and beam: how to tell

For foundation repairs inside the city, the City of Corpus Christi asks for an engineered, sealed foundation plan with the permit, so an engineer is part of the job. Ask the contractor whether they arrange it. An independent engineer of your own choosing is also worth it before a large repair or when buying or selling.

Permits and engineered plans in Corpus Christi

Sealing a crack or leveling a slab section usually takes a few hours to a day. Piers under a slab house and re-leveling a pier and beam home usually take one to a few days, depending on how many points are needed. Encapsulation takes a few days. The contractor should give you a schedule in writing.

Not often. Standard policies usually exclude settling, soil movement and wear. A claim is more likely to be covered when a covered event caused the damage, such as a plumbing leak that washed out soil under the slab. Flood damage is usually a separate flood policy. Check your policy and talk to your agent before work starts.

Does insurance cover foundation repair?

Steady moisture around a slab on clay helps limit the shrink and swell that moves it, and a soaker hose a foot or two from the slab is the usual method. In Corpus Christi, water restriction stages set when foundation watering is allowed, so check the current stage and your watering day first.

Watering your foundation in Corpus Christi

Thin cracks in a slab or garage floor are common as concrete cures and shrinks. Cracks that keep widening, cracks where one side sits higher, and new cracks in brick, drywall or over doors at the same time deserve a prompt inspection.

Foundation crack repair in Corpus Christi

Usually, yes. Piers under a slab go in from outside, pier and beam work happens in the crawl space, and concrete leveling is outdoors. Expect noise, digging and limited access to the work area. The contractor will say if water or another utility must be shut off for a while.

What to expect during foundation repair

Many do, with very different terms. Ask what it covers, for how long, whether it transfers when you sell, and what it excludes. Get it in writing as part of the contract.

Texas sellers of most homes fill out a seller disclosure notice, and buyers often ask about past repairs. Keeping the contract, the engineer report and the warranty makes those questions easier to answer. For your situation, ask your real estate agent or attorney.