Foundation quotes vary wildly, and that scares homeowners more than the price itself. Here is how the number is actually built.
Typical ranges
- Pier & beam leveling and shimming: $4,500 – $12,000
- Pier & beam with beam or sill replacement: $9,000 – $20,000
- Slab piering, partial (one side of the house): $6,000 – $15,000
- Slab piering, full perimeter: $15,000 – $28,000+
What drives the number
Pier count. Almost everything else is noise. Perimeter piers are usually spaced six to eight feet apart, and each one carries a price. A quote with far fewer piers than the competition is usually not a bargain — it is a different, smaller scope.
Pier type. Pressed concrete cylinders are the Houston standard. Steel piles cost more and are used where soil or load conditions require them. Drilled bell-bottom piers cost the most.
Access. A pier location behind a deck, under an AC pad, or inside a fenced-in courtyard costs more to reach. Interior slab piers mean cutting flooring and patching concrete.
Rotted structure. On pier & beam homes, replacing sills, beams, and joists is separate from leveling and is priced by the linear foot.
Drainage and plumbing. A static plumbing test is cheap insurance and sometimes finds the leak that caused the movement. Grading, gutter extensions, and root barriers are commonly added.
What should be included
- Before and after elevation surveys
- Permit where required
- Backfill and basic landscape restoration
- A written, transferable warranty on the piers
What is usually not included
Cosmetic repair. Drywall patching, repainting, mortar tuckpointing, and re-setting cracked tile are typically separate. Ask up front which cracks are likely to need patching after the lift so it lands in your budget instead of as a surprise.
A note on cheap quotes
The two cheapest ways to underbid a foundation job are to use fewer piers and to skip the depth needed to reach load-bearing soil. Both look fine on the day the crew leaves, and both show up again in a couple of dry seasons.
