02 / Signs
Six things houses do when the slab moves.
- 1Stair-step cracks in brick
- 2A door that sticks or swings on its own
- 3Drywall cracks from a door corner
- 4A gap at the frieze board or trim
- 5Windows hard to open
- 6A floor that slopes or a tile that cracks
One sign alone can be ordinary settling or seasonal movement. Several together are worth a survey.
03 / Pier types
Three ways to reach soil that does not move.
Pressed concrete pilings
Stacked cylinders pressed under the beam with the weight of the house.
- Depth
- pressed to refusal, often 10 to 20 ft
- Sample, per pier
- $300–$500
Steel push piers
Galvanized steel tube driven deeper, with a bracket on the beam.
- Depth
- driven to load-bearing strata, often 15 to 30 ft
- Sample, per pier
- $1,000–$1,500
Drilled bell-bottom piers
A reinforced concrete pier with a wide bell, poured in place.
- Depth
- drilled about 10 to 12 ft with a belled base
- Sample, per pier
- $700–$1,000
04 / The repair
Measured before, during and after.
- 01
Elevation survey
We read the slab at points across every room and draw the result.
- 02
Engineer review
An independent structural engineer reviews the survey and signs the repair plan.
- 03
Permit
Where your city requires one, we pull it.
- 04
Install and lift
Piers set, the slab lifted in steps while we read it, then shimmed.
- 05
Plumbing test
When interior piers are set, a licensed plumber tests the drain lines.
- 06
Post-lift survey
The same points read again and drawn, before and after on one sheet.
05 / After the repair
Piers hold the beam. Water decides the rest.
Clay that stays evenly moist moves less. Most of keeping a slab level is keeping water even around it.
- Gutters and downspouts
- Carry roof water at least a few feet from the slab.
- Grade
- Soil slopes away from the house on every side, not toward it.
- Even moisture
- In drought, water the foundation edge steadily where your city allows it.
- Trees
- Large trees close to the slab draw moisture from one side. Ask about root barriers.
06 / Cases
Before, after, and the piers it took.
L-118Richardson · built 1978 · 2,100 sq ft
2.6before→0.5after, in
11 exterior · 2 interior · Pressed concrete · 2 days
L-112Plano · built 1994 · 3,200 sq ft
1.9before→0.4after, in
14 exterior · 0 interior · Steel · 3 days
L-107Garland · built 1971 · 1,650 sq ft
3.1before→0.7after, in
9 exterior · 3 interior · Bell-bottom · 3 days
L-101Rowlett · built 2004 · 2,800 sq ft
1.4before→0.3after, in
7 exterior · 0 interior · Pressed concrete · 1 day
L-096Rockwall · built 1999 · 4,100 sq ft
2.2before→0.6after, in
18 exterior · 4 interior · Steel · 4 days
Out-of-level figures are the largest difference across the slab, before and after. Sample cases for a fictional company.
07 / Homeowners
Including the one we told to wait.
Sample reviews written for this fictional company
The before-and-after sheet showed every point they read. Our buyer’s inspector took one look at it and moved on.
Priya · Richardson 75080 · Front corner, 11 piers
They told us which cracks would close and which would not, and they were right about both.
Gerald · Garland 75043 · Interior and exterior piers
The survey said our slab was within normal movement. They told us to fix the gutters first and come back in a year.
Marisela · Rowlett 75088 · Drainage, no piers
08 / Where we work
East of US-75 to Lake Ray Hubbard.
- Richardson1960s and 70s slabs on Blackland clay, many on their first repair.
- PlanoLarger 1990s houses, post-tensioned slabs and long spans.
- GarlandOlder slabs and pier-and-beam houses near the original town.
- RowlettLake-side lots with drainage questions as much as foundation ones.
- RockwallNewer houses on fill and slopes toward the lake.
Elevation survey
Book the survey. You get the readings, drawn, either way.
About an hour in the house. If the slab is within normal movement, we say so and draw it anyway.
Or call (469) 555-0186. Hablamos español.
New text ·
New survey request
- Name
- Mobile
- Sees
- Why
- Foundation
- ZIP
- Option deadline
- Language
Demo: nothing was sent. On the live site this goes straight to Lodestar Foundation & Structural.