A placement plan from the readings
Positions come off the elevation survey and the structural layout, so you can see why each support is where it is.
Foundation Piers and Underpinning
Underpinning means transferring the weight of the house off the moving surface clay and onto something steadier below it. Ask the provider to explain where supports are needed, how many, how deep they will go and what the paperwork should say about all three.
- Referral Service
- Slab & Pier and Beam
- Residential & Commercial
Signs That Need Attention
- One corner or wall reading consistently lower than the rest
- Cracking that keeps coming back after being patched
- A previous repair on the same wall that has moved again
- Separation visible between the slab edge and the brick above it
- An engineer report recommending support at specific locations
Supports are placed where the readings and the structure say they should be, typically along an exterior wall at regular spacing, and sometimes inside where the middle of a slab has dropped. Spacing is not decorative. Too few supports too far apart lets the slab sag between them, which is a common reason a repair does not hold.
What the Service Includes
A good underpinning quote reads like a plan, with positions and depths, not like a package with a number of units in it.
Driving to resistance or depth
Supports are pressed down until the ground resists at the agreed level. What that level is, and what happens if it is not reached, belongs in the contract.
Excavation and reinstatement
Holes are dug at each position and backfilled afterwards. Ask what happens to flower beds, patio sections and sprinkler lines in the way.
Bracket and cap detail
How the support meets the slab or beam is what actually carries the load. The quote should describe the bracket, not just the pier.
The lift, taken in stages
Once supports are in, the structure is raised gradually across them together while readings are rechecked.
Written warranty terms
Coverage length, which supports are included, what voids it and whether it passes to a future owner must be in writing before you sign.
Your Options
The main choice is the type of support. Pressed concrete pilings are the common option on typical Fort Worth homes; steel goes deeper and is used on heavier structures, deep fill, or where a previous repair has already failed. Our full comparison of pressed concrete and steel piers covers when each one earns its cost.
Underpinning is the treatment, not the cause. If the soil is moving because water is running the wrong way or a tree is pulling moisture from under the footing, drainage correction and a root barrier belong in the same conversation, or you will be back here.
See how supports fit into slab repair and the lift itself, or ask about the survey that decides all of it.
Foundation Piers and Underpinning Questions
How many piers does a house need?
As many as the readings and the structure call for, which is why nobody can answer it honestly over the phone. Some houses need support along one wall; others need most of the perimeter. Beware a quote that names a number before anyone has measured the floor. Ask the provider for a placement plan from the elevation survey and explains each position.
How deep do foundation piers go?
Until they meet ground that resists driving, which varies enormously across Tarrant County. On deep clay east and south of the city that can be a long way down; on the sandier, rockier ground west toward Parker County firmer material is often shallower. The quote should state the target depth or driving resistance and what the crew does if the pier does not reach it.
Will the yard be dug up?
Yes, at each support position, and along the wall being worked on. Grass, beds, part of a patio and any sprinkler lines in the path may be affected. Most of it is backfilled and tidied, but it will not look untouched. Ask specifically what is put back, what is not, and who is responsible if an irrigation line is cut.
Does the warranty transfer if I sell the house?
Sometimes, sometimes not, and it is entirely a matter of what the contract says. Do not take a verbal answer on this. Read the written terms, check whether a transfer fee or inspection applies, and keep the paperwork and the placement plan with the house records; buyers and their inspectors will ask for both.
Arrange an underpinning quote in Fort Worth
Get the readings and the placement plan before anyone talks about pier counts.