Slab foundation repair
Most houses built in Bell County in recent decades sit on a concrete slab. Here's what happens when part of it settles, and how it's put back on solid support.
A slab-on-grade foundation is a reinforced concrete slab with thicker beams around the edges and across the middle, poured right on the prepared ground. On blackland clay, the soil at the edges goes through the biggest wet-dry swings: it bakes in summer sun and gets soaked by roof runoff, while the soil deep under the middle of the slab stays steadier. When the edge soil shrinks, that part of the slab loses support and drops.
What does slab settlement look like?
- Stair-step cracks in the brick near the low corner, wider at the top or bottom
- A line of cracked floor tile running across a room
- Doors near the low side that rub at the top corner
- A widening gap where the brick meets window frames or the frieze board
- The garage door sitting crooked against the slab
How do contractors fix a settled slab?
- Take readings. A floor elevation survey across the whole house shows where it's low, where it's high, and by how much.
- Find the cause. Drainage, trees, poor fill and plumbing leaks all show up differently in the readings.
- Lay out piers. Piers go under the perimeter beam along the settled section, with interior piers only where the readings call for them.
- Install and lift. Each pier is advanced to its stopping point, then the slab is raised as far as it can safely go and set on the piers.
- Close up and recheck. Holes are backfilled, and cracks are repaired once the house is stable.
What if the middle is high instead of the edge being low?
That's heave, and it's common in swelling clay. The usual cause is water getting under the slab, often from a leaking supply or drain line, or from water ponding against the house. Piers at the edges won't bring a heaved center down. A contractor who sees a high spot near the kitchen or bathrooms may suggest a plumbing test before anything else.
Will the house end up perfectly level?
Rarely. Slabs are lifted to a practical target, not to flat, and some cracks close while others don't. Ask what the target is, what may happen to tile, drywall and doors during the lift, and whether cosmetic damage is covered.
We don't quote prices. The contractor prices the work after taking floor readings and working out why the house is moving, and any number offered before that is a guess.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Will they have to tear up my floors?
Usually not. Most slab piering is done from outside, digging beside the perimeter beam. Interior piers, if needed, mean cutting small openings through the floor in those spots.
Do I need a plumbing test before foundation repair?
If the readings show a high area near plumbing, or the water bill has jumped, a test can rule a leak in or out before you pay for piers. Ask the contractor whether they'd recommend one for your house.
Related services
- Pier-and-beam foundation repair
- Foundation piers
- Foundation drainage and moisture control
- Foundation evaluations and crack repair
More background: Bell County foundation repair guide.
Brick cracking, doors binding, or a floor that's started to tilt?
Call and a foundation contractor who works in Bell County will come take readings and explain what's moving.