Foundation repair in Fort Bend County

Why foundations move in Fort Bend County

Much of Fort Bend County, including Richmond, Rosenberg, Sugar Land and Fulshear, sits on expansive clay. That clay swells when it soaks up water and shrinks as it dries. After a wet spring followed by a hot, dry summer, the ground under a slab can rise and fall enough to bend the concrete. Homes don’t settle evenly, either. The edges of a slab dry out faster than the middle, the shady side stays wetter than the sunny side, and the corner next to a big oak loses moisture to the tree’s roots.

The result is the familiar list of symptoms: cracks above doors and windows, stair-step cracks in brick, doors that drag, and floors that slope toward one corner. It happens in older homes in Pecan Grove and in brand-new homes in Harvest Green. Newer homes are not immune, because the soil does not care how old the house is.

What foundation repair usually involves

Most homes around Richmond are built on a slab-on-grade foundation: a single concrete slab poured on the ground. Some older homes sit on pier-and-beam foundations with a crawl space. The repair approach depends on which you have.

For slab foundations, the common fix is to install piers (also called pilings) under the parts of the slab that have dropped. A crew digs small access holes along the edge of the house, or tunnels under it for interior areas, and drives supports down to firmer soil. Then they carefully lift the slab back toward level and rest it on the piers. The two most common types in the Houston area are:

• Pressed concrete pilings: stacked concrete cylinders pressed into the ground with a hydraulic jack. Widely used and usually the most affordable option.
• Steel piers: steel pipe driven deeper, sometimes much deeper, to reach more stable soil. They usually cost more per pier and are often recommended for heavier homes or tougher soil.

Some jobs also use drilled concrete piers or helical piers. You can read more on the slab repair and piers page.

For pier-and-beam homes, repair often means shimming (adding steel shims between the beam and the pier to re-level the floor), replacing rotted or failed piers, or adding new supports. It is usually less disruptive than slab work because the crew can reach everything from the crawl space.

What happens during a free inspection

A specialist will usually:

1. Walk the outside of the house looking at brick, the exposed slab edge, drainage, gutters and trees.
2. Walk the inside, checking doors, windows, drywall and tile.
3. Take elevation readings across the floor with a digital level or manometer. These numbers show which parts of the slab are high or low, and by how much.
4. Explain what they found and whether they think repair is needed now, later, or not at all.
5. Give you a written proposal if repair is recommended, showing the number and type of piers, where they go, the warranty, and the price.

You are under no obligation, and it is completely reasonable to get a second opinion before a big repair.

Questions to ask before you hire anyone

• How many piers do you recommend, where, and why?
• What type of pier, and how deep do you expect to go?
• Is plumbing testing included? Lifting a slab can stress drain lines, so many companies recommend a plumbing test before and after.
• Who pulls the permit, if your city requires one?
• What exactly does the warranty cover? Is it transferable? Is the company that backs it local?
• Will you provide an engineer’s letter when the job is done?

Don’t skip drainage

Repair fixes the damage, and drainage helps keep it from coming back. Water that pools against the slab after a storm, gutters that dump right at the foundation, and flower beds that hold water against the brick all make the clay swing harder between wet and dry. Many foundation specialists will point this out during the inspection. If your yard holds water, see French drains and yard drainage. If you have large trees close to the house, read about root barriers.

How much does it cost?

Prices depend on the number and type of piers, access, and whether tunneling or plumbing work is involved. Our foundation repair cost guide gathers the typical published ranges for the Houston area so you know what to expect before anyone comes out.