Many older Houston homes — and a fair number of newer ones in flood-prone areas — sit on pier and beam foundations rather than concrete slabs. The home rests on wood beams supported by piers, with a crawlspace underneath. This design has real advantages: easier plumbing access, better airflow, and individual support points that can be adjusted over time.
That last point matters. Pier and beam foundations are repairable. When wood shims rot, when piers settle, when beams sag — we can fix it without ripping out your floors.
We access the crawlspace, assess every pier and beam, and identify which need work. Our certified inspector documents existing conditions and creates a repair plan.
Hydraulic jacks raise the floor system back to its natural, level position — controlled and gradual to avoid stressing the framing.
Old wood shims (which inevitably rot) are removed and replaced with metal shims and permanent fillers that won't degrade over time.
Where beams have rotted, cracked, or fatigued, we add reinforcement or sister new beams alongside. We don't tear out what doesn't need replacing.
Hydraulic jacks are replaced with concrete cylinders or steel piers — permanent supports that hold the load for the lifetime of the home.
We verify every measurement, walk you through the work, and document everything for your lifetime transferable warranty.
A lot of cheap pier and beam "repair" uses wood shims that rot in 5–10 years. We use metal and engineered fillers because we have to back the work for life — so it has to actually last.
Pier and beam repair almost always involves house leveling — bringing the structure back to its natural level. Our leveling work includes site preparation, stabilizing, shimming, completion, readjustment, and reshim. We use engineering calculations and the latest installation technology to make sure every floor returns to true.
Not every pier is right for every situation. Houston's expansive Beaumont clay soil — which swells when wet and shrinks during drought — demands pier systems designed specifically for deep, stable load transfer. Here's what we use and why:
Pre-cast concrete cylinders are the most common solution for Houston pier and beam homes. They're hydraulically pressed into the soil in segments until reaching a stable bearing stratum — typically 10 to 18 feet down in the Houston area. Fast to install, no curing time, and proven for decades in our clay soil. Most pier and beam leveling jobs in Houston use pressed concrete cylinders.
For heavier structures or situations where the stable soil is deeper than 20 feet, we use galvanized steel push piers. These are driven until they hit refusal — bedrock or dense load-bearing soil — then locked into a bracket welded to the beam. Steel piers offer the highest load capacity and the deepest reach.
Helical piers are screwed into the ground using a hydraulic torque motor. They're ideal when soil conditions are soft near the surface or when immediate load transfer is needed — the helical blades grip soil as they turn. We use helical piers for additions, lightweight structures, and situations where pressed pile installation would disturb surrounding landscaping.
In many older Houston pier and beam homes, the wood beams and girders themselves have deteriorated. We replace rotted sections or add "sister" beams — new lumber bolted alongside the damaged original — to restore full structural capacity before leveling.
Pier and beam foundation repair in Houston varies widely in cost — every job is different, and the only accurate price is the one we give you after inspecting your specific home. The ranges below are general estimates to help you plan, not quotes. Actual pricing depends on how many piers are needed, what type, how deep they need to go, and what beam work (if any) is required. Use our Pier Installation Estimator for a more specific starting point.
| Job Type | Typical Range | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Minor leveling (4–8 piers) | $3,500 – $5,500 | Crawlspace access, concrete piers, shimming, re-level |
| Moderate repair (8–14 piers) | $5,500 – $8,000 | Full leveling, beam inspection, metal shims, warranty |
| Major repair (14+ piers + beam work) | $8,000 – $14,000+ | Beam replacement, sister beams, full re-level, drainage |
| Steel push pier upgrade | $1,200 – $1,800/pier | Deep drive to bedrock, highest load capacity |
These ranges reflect real Houston job costs as of 2025–2026. The only way to get an accurate number for your home is a free inspection — we measure actual elevation changes, count how many support points need work, and give you a written estimate with no surprises.
We offer financing options for qualified homeowners so you don't have to choose between safety and budget. Ask us about it when you schedule your free inspection.
Houston sits on one of the most reactive clay soils in North America — the Beaumont Clay formation. This soil expands when wet and contracts sharply during drought. The result is a foundation environment that constantly pushes and pulls on your home's support structure.
Pier and beam homes handle this movement differently than slab foundations. The crawlspace creates a buffer zone, but it also creates vulnerability: moisture accumulates underneath, wood components are exposed to humidity and pests, and the individual support points can shift independently. A home that looks fine from the outside may have a crawlspace full of problems.
Houston's older neighborhoods — Montrose, The Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest, Eastwood, Woodland Heights — are largely pier and beam construction. So are many homes in Galveston County and coastal areas where flood-resistant raised construction was (and still is) preferred. If your home was built before 1970, there's a very good chance it's pier and beam.
We've been doing pier and beam foundation repair in Houston since 1999. Here's exactly what happens when you call us:
Houston has both. If you're not sure which type of foundation your home has, the quickest way to tell is to look for a crawlspace access door on the exterior — usually on the side or back of the home near the ground. If there's access underneath, it's pier and beam. If the home sits directly on concrete with no space beneath, it's a slab.
Pier and beam repair is different from slab repair in several key ways. Pier and beam work is almost always done from underneath without disturbing your floors, walls, or landscaping. Slab repair typically requires drilling through the slab to install piers. Both are repairable — the approach just differs. We do both, so we'll always recommend what's actually right for your home.
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Most pier and beam repair jobs take 1–3 days. A job requiring 6–10 piers with no major beam work typically finishes in a single day. Larger jobs with beam replacement or 15+ piers may run 2–3 days. We don't schedule open-ended timelines — you'll know the expected completion before we start.
In almost all pier and beam cases, no. We work entirely from the crawlspace underneath. Your floors, walls, and landscaping stay intact. This is one of the biggest advantages pier and beam foundations have over slabs — the repair happens below the living space, not through it.
Shimming adjusts existing support points that are still sound. Full pier and beam repair replaces or adds piers when the original supports have failed, shifted, or are no longer reaching stable soil. Our inspector assesses both during the free inspection — you'll know exactly what's needed and why before we do any work.
Yes. Our lifetime warranty is fully transferable to a new owner at no charge. This is actually a selling point — buyers in Houston know foundation work is inevitable, and a transferable lifetime warranty from a licensed contractor is a strong reassurance. We've helped many homeowners close sales because of it.
Standard homeowners insurance in Texas does not cover foundation settlement from soil movement — this is considered a maintenance issue. However, if a sudden event like a burst pipe caused the damage, your policy may cover it. We can help you document the damage and provide reports your insurance company may accept. We work with homeowners on insurance claims regularly.