Slab foundation leveling
Most of the newer houses around San Angelo sit on a poured concrete slab. When one side drops on drying clay, this is how it's usually handled.
A slab-on-grade foundation is a concrete slab poured on the ground, with deeper beams around the outside and often across the middle. The soil right under the outside beams dries out fastest in a West Texas summer and gets wet first in a storm, while the soil under the center of the house changes more slowly. In smectite clay, that difference is enough to pull a corner or an entire side down relative to the rest of the slab.
What does a dropped slab look like from inside?
- Cracks in brick veneer climbing from one corner of the house
- Doors on one end of the house that rub at the top of the jamb
- A line of cracked tile, or a crack visible in the slab when flooring is pulled
- Windows that are hard to open on the same side as the brick cracks
- Trim or frieze boards separating from the brick under the eaves
How does a leveling job usually go?
- Floor elevations. The contractor takes readings across every room to map high and low areas.
- Looking for the cause. Drainage, nearby trees, downspouts emptying at the beam and signs of a plumbing leak all get checked.
- Pier plan. Piers go under the beams in the low section, spaced according to the system being used. Interior piers are added only where the readings call for them.
- Lift and lock. After the piers are set, the slab is raised as far as it will safely go and secured.
- Cleanup. Excavations are backfilled and compacted, and cracks are dealt with once the house has settled into its new position.
What if the middle is high instead of the edges low?
That happens, often when water from a leak or poor drainage gets under the slab and the clay swells. Lifting the edges to match a high center can make a house worse. A careful contractor reads the elevation pattern before proposing piers and may recommend a plumbing test first.
How level will it get?
Usually better, rarely perfect. A slab that has been out of level for years may crack tile or drywall as it moves back. Ask for the target in writing and what the contractor does about doors and finishes after the lift.
Pricing comes from the contractor after they've shot floor elevations and figured out what's driving the movement. We don't quote prices, and no honest contractor can price a pier job over the phone without seeing the house.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Do my floors get torn up?
Most slab leveling is done from outside, digging along the perimeter beam. Interior piers, when they're needed, mean cutting small openings through the floor at those spots.
Should I have the plumbing tested first?
If the readings show a high area near bathrooms or the kitchen, a plumbing test can rule out a leak before you pay for piers. Ask the contractor whether they think one is warranted.
Related services
More background: San Angelo foundation guide.
Doors binding, brick splitting or a floor that's out of level?
Call and get connected with a foundation contractor who works around San Angelo.