Despite Houston’s environment appearing mild, Texas experiences the most foundation problems in the entire United States. The city’s humid subtropical climate and clay soils are especially damaging to concrete slab foundations, causing them to crack and crawl spaces to develop mold and mildew. If you’re a homeowner in the greater Houston area noticing these issues, it’s time to have your foundation repaired. A damaged foundation can be costly and complicated to repair. The This Old House Reviews Team has created this guide to help you learn about the top foundation repair companies in Houston and accurately compare their services, cost, and financing options.
Top Foundation Repair Companies in Houston
1. Best Overall in Houston: Ram Jack
Ram Jack is a large, nationwide foundation repair company with a branch in Houston. Founded in 1975, the company now has 24 franchises and 32 dealerships that offer residential and commercial foundation services. Ram Jack offers the most comprehensive selection of foundation repair services in Houston, as well as excellent financing options.
Ram Jack Services & Pricing
Ram Jack provides a wide selection of foundation repair solutions in the Houston area. The company states that the average cost for pier and beam repairs runs from $1,000 to $3,000, but if you require this service for a single corner with multiple piers it can cost between $3,500 to $5,000. Some of Ram Jack’s popular repair methods include:
Helical Pier Systems: If you notice wall cracks or uneven floors, Ram Jack offers helical piles (or piers) systems for a long-term solution. This service has the company install large, screw-like beams beneath your home vertically to help lift it back to its proper level. Timber Pile Support: Portions of your home, such as the wood columns that hold up your back porch, may be supported by timber piles. If you notice any sinking in these areas, Ram Jack can restore their integrity through installing helical piers or brackets to connect all the piles together. It is one of the few companies on this list that provides timber pile support, which is perfect for any homeowner with a tall back porch. Wall Tie-Back Services: If you have bowing walls in your home’s basement, Ram Jack can supply helical tie-back anchor installation to fix them. These function similarly to helical piers, but they are installed horizontally into the soil outside the bowing wall to realign the wall through an attached plate.
2. Best for Waterproofing in Houston: Olshan
Founded in 1933, Olshan is another large, nationwide foundation repair company that offers a wide range of services. The company features numerous branches throughout the Lone Star State. The company also provides custom payment plans on its services. Free Quote: Get your foundation repair quote from Olshan today.
Olshan Services & Pricing
Olshan provides a comprehensive selection of foundation repair services with certified structural technicians assigned to each job. Olshan combines this expertise with innovative foundation technologies. Services with Olshan in Houston will cost around $3,000–$7,500. Though basements are not popular in Houston, you may be one of the homeowners in the city with a basement. If so, we recommend Olshan for basement repairs, waterproofing, and preventative services. It is one of the few companies on this list that provides these services. Learn about some of Olshan’s popular services here:
Foundation Repair: For general foundation issues, such as cracks around doors, windows, and in your brickwork, Olshan provides a free estimate for its solutions. Olshan also offers its exclusive Cable Lock™ ST Plus Hybrid Foundation Repair System. This system uses steel piers that are then reinforced by a layer of concrete. This creates a deeper, stronger, and more reliable repair. Interior Waterproofing: Olshan helps waterproof basements and crawl spaces through a variety of solutions the company customizes according to its detailed assessment. Most scenarios will involve the installation of a sump pump, but other options include vapor barriers and drainage system installation. Exterior Water Management: If you experience standing water outside your home, Olshan offers its Olshan Drainage System to remove excess water, improve foundation performance, and prevent cracks.
3. Best for Plumbing in Houston: Atlas Foundation Repair
Atlas Foundation Repair has provided successful foundation repairs to more than 25,000 homes across Texas. The company offers lifetime warranties on its services, and it provides comprehensive financing options through GreenSky. Atlas Foundation Repair can extend its service to both your residential and commercial properties.
Atlas Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
Atlas Foundation Repair offers a wide range of services including foundation repair, house lifting, tunneling, and plumbing repairs. You should expect Atlas Foundation Repair to cost around the average price for foundation repair in Houston, $4,764. Here are a few services the company provides:
Foundation Repair: The company offers its own Residential Foundation Plus™ System. This is a patented pier system that features elements of both steel and concrete piers. It also offers its Residential Foundation Plus™ HD for heavy-duty jobs. Tunneling: If your foundation repair requires the technicians to reach parts of the foundation under the interior of your home, Atlas Foundation Repair is prepared with its tunneling services. This service has the company dig access tunnels beneath your home for an efficient repair. Plumbing: Houston’s conditions can lead to a variety of plumbing issues beneath your home’s concrete slab foundation. Atlas Foundation Repair only staffs licensed plumbers to assist with such issues. This service is an excellent alternative to hiring just a foundation repair company or a plumbing company.
4. Best for Commercial Services in Houston: Dura Pier Foundation Repair
A family-owned company with more than 35 years of experience, Dura Pier Foundation Repair has repaired more than 15,000 foundations in the Houston area. Dura Pier Foundation Repair includes a lifetime warranty on its services. The company also offers custom financing options.
Dura Pier Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
Dura Pier Foundation Repair offers foundation repair services all across Houston. The company also extends its financing and foundation repair service to businesses in the city. The company’s jobs tend to range from $3,500–$8,000. Here are some of Dura Pier Foundation Repair’s most popular services:
Concrete Foundation Repair & Leveling: Concrete slab foundations are popular throughout Houston. If you are a homeowner with a slab foundation and you notice cracking on your walls or uneven floors, Dura Pier Foundation offers various solutions to concrete slab settlement. The company offers its own DuraLock® Piling System to raise your foundation back to its proper level in a cost effective manner. Preventive Services: If you are concerned about potential threats to your Houston home’s foundation, Dura Pier Foundation Repair offers preventive services before anything happens to your foundation. Services include drainage system installation and root barrier systems. Commercial Services: Dura Pier shines with its commercial services. In addition to its lifetime warranty, the company offers free assessments, meetings with HOAs or board members, and its DuraLock® technology for offices, churches, warehouses, public buildings, and multi-family residents.
5. Best for Brickwork in Houston: Two Brothers Foundation Repair
Since 2015, Two Brothers Foundation Repair has provided foundation repairs services and free structural foundation assessments for home and business owners in Houston. The company provides a lifetime transferable warranty on its foundation repairs, and it offers financing through GreenSky. We find Two Brothers to be an especially good choice for homeowners with brickwork.
Two Brothers Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
Two Brothers Foundation Repair offers industry-standard services adapted for Houston’s climate. Services with Two Brothers will most likely cost around $4,764. Below are some of the company’s service options:
Structural Foundation Assessments: Two Brothers Foundation Repair offers detailed, free structural assessments with its services. Its assessments include a visual foundation inspection for both your home’s interior and exterior, elevation readings, and recommended next steps. Exterior Brick Damage: The company remedies cracks in your brickwork based on its structural foundation assessment, Two Brothers may either fill the cracks or level your home’s foundation to position the brickwork back in place. Garage Door Gaps: If you are struggling to pull your car into your garage due to a gap, Two Brothers can get things back to normal. The company can level your garage through either concrete filling or leveling to mitigate damage to your vehicle’s wheels.
6. Best for Piers Services in Houston: All Texas Foundation Repair
This locally-owned company has served Texas homeowners for over 42 years. Services with All Texas Foundation Repair include a transferable lifetime warranty and trained technicians that must abide by the company’s Code of Ethics. If you are looking for pier services with a personal touch to customer service, we recommend All Texas Foundation Repair for you.
All Texas Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
All Texas Foundation Repair offers industry-standard foundation solutions, as well as house lifting and a specialized concrete slab division. This specialized division makes All Texas Foundation Repair one of the best choices for pier services in Houston. Services with the company will cost around $4,764, the average cost of foundation repairs in Houston. Here are some of All Texas Foundation Repair’s most popular services:
Pier and Beam Repairs: All Texas Foundation Repair provides a pier and beam specialist for all of its lifting and leveling services. The company also provides a variety of pier options ranging from pressed pilings to bell bottom piers. Tunneling: If your repair requires extensive repairs deep beneath your home, All Texas Foundation Repair offers tunneling services to assist in these repairs. This service is especially useful for plumbing repairs. Re-Adjusting Existing Pilings or Piers: You may be able to receive a more cost-effective repair if All Texas Foundation Repair finds it can simply re-adjust your existing piers or concrete pilings during one of its assessments. The company can reinforce existing piers and help return your slab foundation to its proper level.
7. Best for Real Estate Evaluations in Houston: Structured Foundation Repair
Though it was founded in 2003 to provide its services for real estate agents and mortgage professionals, Structured Foundation Repair now offers its services to homeowners throughout North and East Texas. Structured Foundation Repair’s background makes it an excellent choice for foundation repair if you are buying or selling a home and require a structural engineer’s evaluation. The company also provides a transferable lifetime warranty on slab repairs and foundation drainage solutions.
Structured Foundation Repair Services & Pricing
Structured Foundation Repair offers industry-standard foundation repair services, including detailed structural engineer reports and concrete slab repairs. You should expect your cost with the company to be around $4,764. Learn about some of Structured Foundation Repair’s options below:
Pilings Services: Structured Foundation Repair’s pilings are specifically designed for Houston’s clay soils. These pilings can reach bedrock and provide a more stable foundation for your home thanks to its steel-thread design encased in concrete. Certified Professional Engineer’s Completion Reviews: Structured Foundation Repair provides detailed reviews tailored for real estate transactions, providing a record of all foundation issues in writing before selling your home. Hydrostatic Pressure Test: Through this service, the company provides an accurate report on all under-slab plumbing. It can then recommend steps to repair your foundation in order to not damage your plumbing based on the water pressure in the surrounding soil.
Foundation Repair Terms
Foundation repair can be a confusing and complicated process. You may come across many unfamiliar terms that differ from those related to day-to-day home maintenance. Below is a list of common foundation repair terms:
Hydrostatic Pressure Test: This is a test that measures pressure vessels such as pipelines, plumbing, gas cylinders, boilers, and fuel tanks for their structural integrity and how likely they are to leak. Helical Tie-Back Anchors: This refers to when a steel helical pier fastens to the end of a plate in a bowing wall. They provide lateral support for bowing walls. These are sometimes called wall anchors and soil anchors. Piers: Piers are large beams that are installed vertically beneath a home’s foundation. They are most often used when a foundation experiences settlement. They are raised by using a hydraulic machine in order to position a foundation at its proper level. Some types of piers you will come across include push piers, which are used for smaller homes with concrete slab foundations, and helical piers, which feature a screw-like design and are used for large homes or projects. Pilings: These are heavy stakes or posts installed to support the foundations of a superstructure. Piers are a type of piling. Root Barrier Systems: These are zones constructed around your landscape and hardscape areas to prevent root growth getting near your foundation. Slab Foundation: This is a type of foundation that consists of 4”–6” thick concrete that the home rests on, and it does not include a crawl space or basement. The concrete slab is often placed on a layer of sand for drainage and to act as a cushion. Sump Pump: This refers to a device installed in a home’s crawl space or basement to collect water. They work to redirect the standing water from leaks to an exterior drainage system. Timber Pile Support: This refers to when wooden beams beneath your home receive additional reinforcement. Whether it is through brackets or carbon fiber products, this service sully helps support porches for decks that are experiencing settlement problems. Underpinning: This term refers to when a solid foundation is laid to support or strengthen a home’s foundation using piers. Vapor Barrier: This refers to products used to create a barrier of sealant between your basement or crawl space and the home’s exterior in order to control the amount of moisture entering the foundation.
Our Conclusion
There are many foundation repair companies in Houston that provide specialized services. If you’re interested in the most comprehensive provider in the area, we recommend Ram Jack as ‘Best Overall in Houston.’ If you’re looking for the rare perk of waterproofing services in Houston, look into Olshan. Ultimately, we recommend getting a quote from a few foundation repair companies to compare pricing for different foundation repair jobs. Free Quote: Get your foundation repair quote from a local installer today.
Our Rating Methodology
This Old House aims to provide objective, well-researched reviews of foundation repair companies through a transparent and detailed methodology. We rate each foundation repair company on a 100-point scale in order to back up our findings and recommendations. Learn more about our rating methodology below:
Foundation Repair Services (20 Points): Does the company provide comprehensive foundation repair services from the following options: pier installation, soil nails, leaning chimney repairs, mudjacking, retaining/stabilizing walls, cracked brick or block repairs, new construction piers services, timber pile support, wall anchors, or carbon fiber reinforcement? Basement Waterproofing Services (12 Points): Does the company offer comprehensive basement waterproofing services, such as drainage system installation, sump pumps, basement dehumidifiers, vapor barriers (wall coverings), window wells, or emergency waterproofing services? Crawl Space Services (10 Points): Does the company provide comprehensive crawl space services including crawl space support jacks, crawl space encapsulation, dehumidifiers, vapor barriers, or insulation services? Concrete Services (8 Points): Does the company provide industry-standard concrete services for both slab foundation and concrete structures, such as new construction concrete services, sinking concrete slabs repairs, concrete leveling, or concrete caulking for cracks? Financing Options (18 Points): Does the company offer financing options that include desirable plans such as a reduced interest loan or same-as-cash option? Does it customize the payment plan for each customer? Warranty Options (15 Points): Does the company include or not include a transferable lifetime warranty? Does it only provide a manufacturer’s warranty? Additional Benefits (17 Points): Can customers expect additional benefits or resources from the company, such as commercial services, a blog, online videos, an online gallery, an online customer portal, or eco-friendly options?
What is the average cost of foundation repair in Houston?
Overall, foundation repair in Houston, Texas, ranges from $3,000 to $7,000. Many projects cost around $4,764. Factors such as the severity of the damage, how long it takes to compile an evaluation, the services required, and the resale value of the home influence the overall cost of a foundation repair job.
What are common signs of foundation issues?
There are a few universal signs of foundation problems. If you notice cracks in drywall, brick, or concrete, then there may be an issue with the foundation below. Other indicators include uneven floors, doors or windows pulling away from their frames, and the development of mold and mildew.
What is the best foundation for a house in Texas?
Texas primarily features concrete slab foundation and pier foundations. A concrete slab foundation is great for a Houston home, given that it is cost-effective, simple, and it stands up well against the environmental factors present in Houston.
Why do houses in Houston have foundation problems?
There are a few major causes for foundation issues in Houston. Common ones include the city’s clay-based soil becoming unstable due to moisture, tree and plant roots breaking through foundations in search of water, and improper construction practices.
Why are there no basements in Houston homes?
Though some Houston homes feature basement foundation, they are a rarity in the city. This is because the up-front cost of building a basement in Texas is greater than in northern states. Houston’s clay soils can also easily push into basement walls causing cracking and/or flooding. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
