Slab foundation repair in Wichita Falls
Plenty of Wichita Falls houses sit on a concrete slab poured right on the clay. When part of that slab drops, this is how it usually gets stabilized.
A slab-on-grade foundation is a concrete slab with thickened perimeter beams, poured directly on prepared soil. The ground under the outer edge sees the most change: sun, wind and tree roots dry it out in summer, and roof runoff soaks it in storms. The soil under the middle of the house stays steadier. Over the years that difference can let a corner or one side settle, and the house shows it in brick cracks, binding doors and floors that slope toward the low spot.
What are the signs of slab movement?
- Stair-step cracks in the brick near one corner of the house
- Cracked floor tile, or a crack you can see in the slab under flooring
- Doors out of square, especially on the low side
- A widening gap at the frieze board or around the garage door
- Brick pulling away from window frames
How is a dropped slab repaired?
- Floor readings. The contractor takes elevations across the house and maps the high and low areas.
- Find the cause. They check drainage, trees and signs of a plumbing leak before deciding what's moving.
- Lay out piers. Piers go along the settled section, usually under the perimeter beam, with interior piers only where they're needed.
- Install and lift. Piers are installed to firm bearing, then the slab is raised as far as it can safely go and locked in place.
- Backfill and finish. Holes are backfilled and compacted, and cracks are dealt with once the house is stable.
What if the middle is rising instead?
That's heave, and it changes the plan. When readings show a high spot in the middle of the house or near the plumbing, a leak or trapped water can be swelling the clay underneath. Piering the edges up to match won't fix that. Ask whether a plumbing pressure test makes sense before you commit to piers.
Will the house end up perfectly level?
Rarely, and it doesn't need to be. Lifting can close some cracks but not all, and pushing a slab too hard can crack tile or drywall. Ask what the target is, and what the contractor expects to happen to doors and finishes during the lift.
Pricing comes from the contractor, after they've taken floor readings and worked out why the house is moving. We don't quote prices, and any number offered over the phone before someone has measured the floors is only a guess.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Will they tear up my floors?
Usually not. Most slab piering is done from outside along the perimeter. Interior piers, when they're needed, mean cutting through the floor at those spots.
Should I have the plumbing tested first?
If readings show a high spot in the middle of the house, a plumbing pressure test can rule out a leak before you pay for piers. Ask the contractor whether they recommend one.
Related services
- Pier-and-beam foundation repair
- Foundation piers (steel, helical, concrete)
- Foundation drainage and watering
- Foundation evaluations and crack repair
More background: Wichita Falls foundation repair guide.
A door that won't latch, a crack in the brick, or a floor that tilts?
Call and a foundation repair contractor who works in Wichita County will come take floor readings and explain what the house is doing.