Houston, TX · Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery counties · USDA soil survey 2026-08-28
Foundation repair in Houston, TX: what the soil says, what it should cost
34% of the mapped ground in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery counties is high or very high shrink-swell soil (USDA soil survey; acre-weighted LEP 5.3%, class moderate). Published national ranges put a typical repair at $2,224–$8,134, piers at $1,000–$3,000 each. Check the soil under your own address below; then read what an independent engineer costs before you sign.
- 34% high or very high shrink-swell
- 223 map units with data
- Every price cited
- No contractor rankings
How much does foundation repair cost in Houston?
We do not have Houston-specific price data and won't invent an “average for Houston.” What published national guides report, with the figures the guides themselves publish:
- Typical job: $2,224–$8,134, average $5,179. Source: This Old House — Foundation Repair Cost, updated 2026-03-06
- Piering / underpinning: $1,000–$3,000 per pier. Source: This Old House — Foundation Repair Cost, updated 2026-03-06
The pier count and depth move a Houston number, and they depend on the soil under that specific house and how far down stable material sits. On moderate shrink-swell soil, quotes for the same house commonly differ on pier count alone; an engineer's report is what pins it.
| Repair | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crack repair (epoxy / polyurethane injection) | $250–$800 per crack | Bob Vila — How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost?, updated 2024-05-29 |
| Mudjacking / slabjacking | $500–$1,300 per job | Bob Vila — How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost?, updated 2024-05-29 |
| Piering / underpinning | $1,000–$3,000 per pier | This Old House — Foundation Repair Cost, updated 2026-03-06 |
| Drainage system | $2,800–$6,500 per job | Bob Vila — How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost?, updated 2024-05-29 |
| Settling / sinking repair (all methods) | $4,500–$20,000 per job | Bob Vila — How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost?, updated 2024-05-29 |
Holding a Houston quote? Read it against the Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery counties soil record before you sign.
What the soil under Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery counties does
Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO, county legends TX201, TX157, TX339, top 152 cm, weighted by mapped acreage. Coverage: 95% of mapped acres carry usable data across 223 map units. Built 2026-08-28.
- very high22%
- high13%
- moderate17%
- low49%
The largest mapped unit in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery counties is Lake Charles clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes (6% of surveyed acres, very high, LEP 13.09%, moderately well drained); next is Clodine-Urban land complex, 0 to 1 percent slopes at 4%, low with LEP 1.86%.
Where the expansive soil is: largest map units in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery counties
The hyper-local view: Houston neighborhoods sit on different ground, and the address lookup tells you which unit is under a given house.
| Map unit | Share of surveyed acres | LEP | Class | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Charles clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 6% | 13.09% | very high | Moderately well drained |
| Clodine-Urban land complex, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 4% | 1.86% | low | Somewhat poorly drained |
| Conroe loamy fine sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes | 3% | 3.24% | moderate | Moderately well drained |
| Edna loam, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 3% | 5.16% | moderate | Somewhat poorly drained |
| Brazoria clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes, rarely flooded | 3% | 17% | very high | Moderately well drained |
| Lake Charles clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 3% | 13.09% | very high | Moderately well drained |
| Wockley-Urban land complex | 3% | 1.5% | low | Somewhat poorly drained |
| Cyfair-Urban land complex, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 3% | 2.65% | low | Somewhat poorly drained |
| Lake Charles-Urban land complex, 0 to 3 percent slopes | 3% | 11.79% | very high | Moderately well drained |
| Bernard-Edna complex, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 3% | 6.16% | high | Somewhat poorly drained |
By county
| County | Coverage | LEP (acre-wt) | High + very high | Drainage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris | 94% | 4.77% | 32% | Somewhat poorly drained |
| Fort Bend | 97% | 8.67% | 58% | Moderately well drained |
| Montgomery | 94% | 3.32% | 17% | Moderately well drained |
Check the soil under an address
USDA soil survey, read for the top 60 inches under the address. Free, no account, nothing is sent to a contractor.
Usually 1–3 seconds. The USDA service occasionally takes longer.
Is it worth fixing? Do you actually need this?
Soil here moves some with wet/dry cycles. Movement is possible and usually manageable; a large pier job on this soil deserves a second opinion.
- Rule out the cheap causes first: gutters, grading, a plumbing leak under the slab, large trees close to the house.
- If a contractor proposes many piers on moderate soil, get an engineer's read before agreeing.
We are not engineers and this is not an engineering opinion. We report public soil-survey data and published price ranges. Nothing here states that a specific house is or is not structurally sound; a licensed structural engineer who has seen the house can.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation repair in Texas?
Usually no. Standard homeowners policies exclude earth movement (settling, shrinking, expanding and cracking of the foundation), so damage from expansive soil is not covered. Damage that results from a covered sudden event, such as a burst pipe flooding under a slab, can be, and separate earthquake or flood policies cover those perils.
Full answer for Texas → Source: HO-3 Special Form policy text (exclusion: "settling, shrinking, bulging or expansion, including resultant cracking, of pavements, patios, foundations, walls, floors, roofs or ceilings"), as filed with the Oklahoma Insurance Department
Finding a structural engineer in Houston for an independent opinion
A contractor's free inspection produces a bid. A licensed structural engineer who does not sell repairs produces the scope that bid should be written to: whether movement is active, what is causing it, and the pier count and depth if any. Published cost: $300–$1,000. Source: Bob Vila — How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost?, updated 2024-05-29
People in Houston search for a structural engineer about 590 times a month, more than they search for a “foundation inspection” (90). Verify a license with the Texas board; what the report should contain →
Foundation repair types people in Houston search for
Monthly Google searches for each phrase with “Houston” attached (Google Ads, pulled 2026-08-28). Each links to the cited cost range and when that repair is the right one.
- Pier and beam foundation repair in Houston, about 90/mo: shimming or replacing interior piers and sills; usually cheaper than slab piering, and the first thing to rule out on an older house with sloping floors.
- House leveling in Houston, about 70/mo: a sales word, not a method. It means either piers or slabjacking, which are priced very differently; ask which.
- Slab foundation repair in Houston, about 10/mo: piers under the slab edge or interior, priced per pier; the count is the whole argument.
- Crawl space repair in Houston, about 10/mo: water first, then framing and piers; encapsulation only once it is dry from outside.
- Basement waterproofing in Houston, about 10/mo: gutters, downspouts and grading before any system; interior drain and sump on slowly drained soil.
Finding and comparing foundation repair companies in Houston
Google shows a map pack of 3 contractors for “foundation repair Houston”; we don't rank them and don't take money to list them. A good bid and an aggressive one differ in scope, not in company name, so get the engineer's scope first and have every Houston company bid to it. On expansive clay, a bid with no moisture plan is treating half the problem. What a comparable quote itemizes →
Houston foundation repair: questions people ask
How much does foundation repair cost in Houston?
We don't have Houston-specific price data. Published national figures put a typical job at $2,224–$8,134 (average $5,179); piers run $1,000–$3,000 each, and the pier count is what moves a Houston quote.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation repair in Texas?
Usually no. Standard homeowners policies exclude earth movement (settling, shrinking, expanding and cracking of the foundation), so damage from expansive soil is not covered. Damage that results from a covered sudden event, such as a burst pipe flooding under a slab, can be, and separate earthquake or flood policies cover those perils.
Is it worth fixing foundation issues? Do I actually need this?
Soil here moves some with wet/dry cycles. Movement is possible and usually manageable; a large pier job on this soil deserves a second opinion.
How do I compare foundation repair companies in Houston?
Get an independent engineer's report first, then have every company bid to that scope: same pier type, count and depth. Compare the warranty terms (transferable? covers the house or only the pier?) and the moisture plan, not the sales pitch. We don't rank contractors.
Where do I get an independent opinion in Houston?
A licensed structural engineer who is not selling the repair. A report costs about $300–$1,000 and specifies whether movement is active and what work, if any, is warranted.
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