Foundation Repair Cost in Houston, TX
Most Houston slab repairs land between $4,000 and $9,000. A corner lift on four to six piers sits at the bottom of that range; a full perimeter on 25 or more piers runs $8,000 to $15,000 and up. The price is pier count times pier type, and pier count comes from an elevation survey, not a walk-around. The survey is free, and financing is $0 down at 0% APR for 18 months.
The crack width on the caliper and the floor elevations that go with it are what a quote is built from. Nothing on this page is priced by eye, and neither is your house.
What one pier costs, by system
| Pier system | Installed, each | Where it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Pressed concrete piers | $300–$650 | The Houston standard. Precast cylinders pressed to refusal under the footing. |
| Steel push piers | $800–$3,000 | Smaller diameter, driven deeper. Specified where the clay runs deep or loads are heavy. |
| Helical piers | $1,200–$4,400 | Screwed in with a torque reading per pier. Common for additions and light structures. |
| Drilled bell-bottom piers | $765–$1,100 | New-construction style. Rarely used under an occupied house. |
Published Houston-area ranges, 2025–2026, from contractor rate cards and cost guides. Estimates, not our quote: your scope and price are set by the on-site elevation survey.
What a Houston job runs, start to finish
Slab-on-grade
- One side, 8–12 piers: $3,000–$6,000
- Typical repair, 6–15 piers: $4,000–$9,000
- Full perimeter, 25+ piers: $8,000–$15,000+
- Switch the same 18 piers to steel and $15,000–$20,000 is realistic.
Pier and beam
- Relevel and reshim: $800–$6,500
- With rotted beams or joists replaced: $6,000–$12,000
- Each added pier: $300–$650
- Details on the pier and beam page.
Drainage, when it is the cause
- French drain, Houston: $23–$36 per foot
- Regrade plus drainage system: $2,800–$8,000
- Why it matters on the drainage page.
Three costs that belong on the scope before the lift
Engineer's report
A Texas-licensed engineer's report runs about $400–$1,000 in Houston. It is what makes the pier plan a plan rather than a sales drawing, and the City will ask for it.
City of Houston permit
Foundation repair in Houston is permitted through the Floodplain Management Office, with sealed engineer plans required for slab-on-grade piers. The fee is in the low hundreds; skipping it is the expensive part when the house sells.
Plumbing test, before and after
Lifting a slab can open an under-slab drain line. A hydrostatic test runs roughly $350–$1,650 depending on the plumber; a leak found afterward costs $1,800–$6,000 to fix, $2,000–$4,000 if it has to be reached by tunnel.
Houston sits on Beaumont-formation clay, and in University of Houston testing about three quarters of samples rated high or very high for swell. That is why piers here go deep and why the count matters more than the brochure price.
- Pier count, read off the elevation survey: how many points are low and by how much
- Depth to refusal — Houston piers commonly go 10 to 30+ feet before the clay stops them
- Pier system: pressed concrete at the low end, steel and helical at the high end
- Access: interior piers need a slab cut; pools, decks and tight side yards add labor
- House size and stories — more load and more footprint mean more piers
- Whether drainage is bundled in to stop the movement from coming back
Two things a low bid is usually quiet about
What the warranty actually covers
“Lifetime transferable” is the Houston norm, and it usually covers only the piers that were installed, with about an inch of movement per 30 feet allowed before anyone comes back. Read the trigger, not the headline.
Who is licensed, exactly
Texas issues no state license for foundation repair contractors. The licensed party on a Houston job is the engineer who seals the plan and signs off on the lift, so ask for that name before you compare anyone's price.
Whatever the survey says your house needs, the payment side is fixed: $0 down, 0% APR for 18 months through Wisetack. How the financing works.
Cost questions
- How much does foundation repair cost in Houston?
- Published Houston ranges put a typical slab repair at $4,000–$9,000, a single-side lift at $3,000–$6,000, and a full perimeter at $8,000–$15,000 or more. Pier-and-beam releveling runs $800–$6,500, more when rotted beams or joists have to be replaced. These are estimates. The real number comes from an elevation survey of your house.
- How much is one foundation pier?
- Pressed concrete piers, the Houston standard, run about $300–$650 installed. Steel push piers run $800–$3,000 and helical piers $1,200–$4,400. Piers are driven until the clay refuses them, often 10 to 30 feet or more, which is part of why steel costs more.
- Why can't you quote foundation repair over the phone?
- Because the price is pier count times pier type, and pier count comes from the elevation survey: where the floor reads low, by how much, and across how much of the footprint. A phone estimate skips the only measurement that sets the number.
- Does a lifetime warranty mean the whole foundation is covered?
- Usually not. Houston foundation warranties typically cover only the areas that were underpinned, and most allow about an inch of movement per 30 feet before they respond. Ask what is covered, what triggers a return visit, and whether the engineer's letter comes with the job.
Get your house's real number
A free elevation survey replaces every range on this page with one figure for your foundation, before anyone asks you to sign.