C Channel Steel added to reinforce beam of pier and beam foundation

The cost to repair a pier and beam foundation is typically $1500-$2500 for shimming, plus the cost of any additional needed piers or beam replacement. Pier and beam foundation repair is common in the Dallas and Ft. Worth areas. Although it isn’t as involved as slab foundation repair, pier and beam foundation repair is equally important to the health of a home.

In the picture above, Granite Foundation Repair reinforced an existing, structurally sound beam of a pier and beam foundation with C Channel steel.  The repair enabled the addition of a second story to an 85 year old house.

Sadly, over the years we have seen countless budget repairs of pier and beam foundations:

• Treated wood has been replaced with untreated wood.
• Rugged but failed 6″ x 6″ beams that have cracked have been braced with inferior 1″ x 6″ whitewood
• Replacement beam sections abutting old wood with a sistered piece of whitewood.
• Shims using soft wood or sheet rock rather than steel.

These are all temporary fixes that end up costing the home owner a lot more to repair in the end.  The inferior repairs will fail, leading to more cracking and sagging.

If a beam has structurally failed, look closely for the reason.  Original pier spacing too large? Increased loads on the beam due to remodeling, or failure of a pier or failure of shims.

Before you decide to repair your pier and beam foundation, make sure you have several estimates and a good understanding of which foundation repair method each estimate uses. Pier and Beam foundation repair is often easier than slab foundation repair. The reason is the pier and beam house sits off the ground, making it easier to work under the house. However, some pier and beam homes have such a small crawl space that the area needed to repair the home is not able to be reached.

Contact Granite Foundation Repair for a free pier and beam foundation inspection.