Foundation Repair Services in Arlington, TX

Slab foundation repair lifts and supports a settled concrete slab, usually by installing piers under the perimeter and, where needed, the interior.

• Evaluation first: outside and inside walk-through, crack mapping and floor elevation readings to find the low and high areas.
• Pier layout: a plan showing how many piers go where, usually under grade beams at the perimeter and under interior beams if the middle has dropped.
• Excavation: holes dug beside the slab edge; interior piers need tunneling under the slab or opening the floor.
• Pier installation: piers are driven, pressed or drilled to the depth set by the design or the installer's resistance criteria.
• Lifting and shimming: the slab is raised in stages with jacks, then held with shims and blocks on top of each pier.
• Backfill and cleanup: soil is replaced and compacted, and landscaping is put back as agreed.
• Final readings and paperwork: after-repair elevations, the permit inspection and, where required, an engineer's letter.
• Watch for: new drywall cracks or sticking doors in the weeks after a lift, which can happen as the house adjusts.

Pier and beam repair works from the crawl space: re-shimming, replacing failed supports and beams, and adding piers where the house has dropped.

• Re-shimming: replacing loose, crushed or rotted shims between the piers and beams to bring floors back up.
• Pad and pier replacement: swapping cracked or sunken concrete pads, block piers or wood posts for sturdier supports.
• Additional piers: adding supports where beams span too far and sag between existing piers.
• Beam and sill repair: sistering or replacing rotted or termite-damaged beams, joists and sill plates.
• Perimeter support: piers under the exterior grade beam if the outside edge has settled.
• Crawl-space access and moisture: checking vents, standing water and wet soil that rot wood and soften support pads.
• Floor feel: bouncy or soft floors often trace back to joists or subfloor, not just the foundation, so ask what was found.

The most common are pressed concrete piers, steel piers and drilled concrete piers, with hybrid and helical piers in some cases. The engineer's design and the soil decide which is right.

• Pressed concrete piers: stacked precast concrete cylinders pressed into the soil under the house until they stop moving.
• Steel piers: steel pipe sections driven down, often deeper than concrete cylinders; a bracket transfers the load to the foundation.
• Drilled (bell-bottom) piers: a hole is drilled, reinforced with steel and filled with concrete, sometimes with a wider bell at the bottom.
• Hybrid piers: combine steel and concrete, such as a steel core inside pressed concrete cylinders.
• Helical piers: screw-shaped steel shafts turned into the soil; used where torque readings can confirm capacity.
• Questions to ask: target depth, how the installer decides a pier is done, the spacing between piers, and whether the proposal includes a pier log you can keep.

House leveling raises the low parts of a house toward level using piers, shims or jacks, within what the structure can take without new damage.

• Elevation survey: readings on a grid across the floor show how far the house is out of level and where.
• Realistic target: older houses are rarely perfectly level; the aim is stability and an improvement you can measure.
• Staged lifting: slow, even lifting reduces the risk of cracking finishes, pipes and brick.
• Plumbing check: lifting can stress old cast iron or clay sewer lines, so tests are often recommended after.
• Cosmetic follow-up: doors may need adjusting and drywall cracks patched after the house settles on its new supports.
• Records: keep before and after readings for warranty claims and for a future sale.

A foundation inspection looks for signs of movement inside and out, measures floor elevations, and ends with findings and, from a repair company, a proposed repair.

• Exterior: brick and mortar cracks, slab edge cracks, gaps at windows and trim, grading, gutters and downspouts.
• Interior: drywall cracks, door and window operation, floor tile cracks and sloping floors.
• Elevation readings: a digital level or manometer reading at points across the house to map high and low areas.
• Crawl space (pier and beam): shims, pads, beams, moisture and ventilation.
• Drainage and trees: where water goes after rain and how close large trees are to the house.
• Plumbing questions: history of leaks, high water bills, or slow drains that might call for a plumbing test.
• Buying or selling: a pre-purchase evaluation helps a buyer understand past repairs and current movement; ask for prior repair records and permits.
• Independent engineer: for a second opinion, or when your city wants engineer documents, hire a structural engineer directly.

Drainage correction keeps soil moisture even around the house, so the clay under one side is not much wetter or drier than the other.

• Grading: soil that slopes away from the walls so rain runs off instead of pooling at the slab.
• Gutters and downspout extensions: carrying roof water well away from the foundation.
• French drains: gravel-filled trenches with perforated pipe that collect and redirect groundwater.
• Surface drains: catch basins and solid pipe for low spots and downspouts.
• Sump pumps: for crawl spaces or low lots where water can't drain by gravity.
• Root barriers: vertical barriers that limit how far tree roots reach under the foundation.
• Even watering in drought: consistent moisture around the perimeter helps limit shrinkage during long dry spells.
• Beds and hardscape: flower beds, edging and patios that trap water against the wall are a common, fixable cause.

A leaking pipe under the slab can cause the movement, and lifting a slab can stress pipes, so testing before and after protects you either way.

• Sewer (hydrostatic) test: the drain system is plugged and filled with water to see whether the level drops.
• Supply-line pressure test: checks the water lines under the slab for leaks.
• Camera inspection: a camera run through the sewer line can locate breaks, sags or root intrusion.
• Separate permits: some cities require separate permits for any water, sewer or gas repair found along the way; Grand Prairie says so on its foundation repair permit page¹.
• Gas lines: if anyone smells gas during the work, leave the area and call the gas utility or 911.

Most jobs also involve getting to the piers, putting the house back together, and dealing with cracks and concrete around the house.

• Tunneling vs. breakout: reaching interior piers from outside under the slab, or opening the floor from inside; ask which is planned and why.
• Concrete lifting: raising sunken driveways, walks and patios with mudjacking or polyurethane foam.
• Crack sealing: sealing slab and wall cracks to keep out water and insects after the structure is stable.
• Brick and drywall repair: tuckpointing mortar cracks and patching interior cracks once the house has settled.
• Engineer letters and permits: design letters, permit applications and final letters where your city requires them.
• Commercial and multi-family: mention it in your request; commercial work follows different permit rules.

1. City of Grand Prairie, Residential Foundation Repair Permit. Accessed Nov. 1, 2026.