Irving Foundation Repair Pros connects owners of raised houses who need pier and beam foundation repair in Irving, TX with an independent local foundation company that works in crawl spaces.
A pier and beam house sits on a framework of wood beams carried by piers, with a crawl space underneath. Irving was founded in 1903 and incorporated in 1914, and some of its oldest houses near the original town center were built this way. Pier and beam houses have one big advantage: most of the structure can be reached and adjusted from below.
Signs a Raised Floor Needs Work
- Floors that bounce, sag or slope toward the middle of a room
- Interior doors that drag or will not stay latched
- Gaps between the floor and baseboards
- Cracks in interior walls that keep returning after patching
- Musty smells, standing water or heavy humidity in the crawl space
What Usually Goes Wrong Under the House
Several things wear out at once under an older raised house:
- Settled or tilted piers: concrete or block piers sink into soft clay or lean over time.
- Failed shims: wood shims stacked on top of piers crush, rot or slip out.
- Rotted wood: sill plates, beams and joists near damp soil or leaks lose strength.
- Undersized spans: a beam carrying too long a span sags in the middle.
Clay soil adds to it. The Blackland clay around Irving swells in wet weather and shrinks in drought, so piers on shallow footings can move seasonally.
How Pier and Beam Repair Is Done
- Crawl space inspection: the crew checks every pier, beam and joist and takes floor elevations.
- Re-shimming: loose or crushed shims are replaced with steel or composite shims to bring floors back to level.
- New or added piers: failed piers are replaced, and extra piers are added where a beam spans too far.
- Wood repair: rotted sills, beams or joists are sistered or replaced.
- Moisture fixes: drainage, vents or a vapor barrier keep the crawl space from rotting the new work.
Our page on crawl space repair covers the moisture side in more detail.
Re-Leveling Over Time
Clay keeps moving, so many pier and beam houses need their shims adjusted every few years even after a good repair. That is normal. Ask whether the contractor offers adjustments, what they cost and whether they are covered by any written warranty.
Before Work Starts
Crawl spaces can hold standing water, old wiring and plumbing. Ask the crew how they protect plumbing during the lift, how they get in and out without damaging your floors, and whether any wood repair will need a city permit.
Common questions
Is pier and beam repair cheaper than slab repair?
It can be, because much of the work is shimming and replacing parts that crews can reach from the crawl space. A house with widespread rot or many failed piers can still be a big job. Only an inspection under the house gives you a real number.
How often does a pier and beam house need leveling?
There is no fixed schedule. Seasonal swelling and shrinking of the clay can loosen shims, so many owners have floors checked every few years or when doors start sticking again.
Can I add insulation or a vapor barrier while the crew is under the house?
Often, yes, and it can save a second trip. Ask the foundation company whether they do it or can coordinate with someone who does.
How do I know if my house is pier and beam?
Look for vents or an access door along the base of the exterior walls, and a floor that sits a step or more above the ground. Inside, wood floors may feel slightly springy. A slab house sits on concrete at ground level with no crawl space.
What kind of shims should be used?
Many contractors now use steel or composite shims instead of stacked wood, because wood can crush or rot. Ask what the crew will use and whether old wood shims will be replaced.