San Antonio, TX · Bexar County · USDA soil survey 2026-08-28
Foundation repair in San Antonio, TX: what the soil says, what it should cost
39% of the mapped ground in Bexar County is high or very high shrink-swell soil (USDA soil survey; acre-weighted LEP 6.05%, class high). 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.
- 39% high or very high shrink-swell
- 77 map units with data
- Every price cited
- No contractor rankings
How much does foundation repair cost in San Antonio?
We do not have San Antonio-specific price data and won't invent an “average for San Antonio.” 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 San Antonio number, and they depend on the soil under that specific house and how far down stable material sits. On high 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 San Antonio quote? Read it against the Bexar County soil record before you sign.
What the soil under Bexar County does
Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO, county legend TX029, top 152 cm, weighted by mapped acreage. Coverage: 99% of mapped acres carry usable data across 77 map units. Built 2026-08-28.
- very high23%
- high16%
- moderate42%
- low20%
The largest mapped unit in Bexar County is Eckrant cobbly clay, 1 to 8 percent slopes (8% of surveyed acres, moderate, LEP 5.67%, well drained); next is Lewisville silty clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes at 5%, high with LEP 7.5%.
Where the expansive soil is: largest map units in Bexar County
The hyper-local view: San Antonio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eckrant cobbly clay, 1 to 8 percent slopes | 8% | 5.67% | moderate | Well drained |
| Lewisville silty clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 5% | 7.5% | high | Well drained |
| Aluf sand, 0 to 5 percent slopes | 5% | 1.5% | low | Somewhat excessively drained |
| Branyon clay, 0 to 1 percent slopes | 4% | 12.37% | very high | Moderately well drained |
| Eckrant-Rock outcrop association, 8 to 30 percent slopes | 4% | 3.7% | moderate | Well drained |
| Eckrant very cobbly clay, 5 to 15 percent slopes | 4% | 4.73% | moderate | Well drained |
| Lewisville silty clay, 1 to 3 percent slopes | 4% | 7.5% | high | Well drained |
| Crawford, stony and Bexar soils, 0 to 5 percent slopes | 4% | 6.4% | high | Well drained |
| Houston Black clay, 1 to 3 percent slopes | 4% | 12% | very high | Moderately well drained |
| Wilco loamy fine sand, 0 to 3 percent slopes | 4% | 3.69% | moderate | 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 in this class swells and shrinks noticeably with moisture. Movement is common; whether your house needs structural work is a question for an engineer, not a salesperson.
- An independent engineer's report costs a few hundred dollars and tells you whether the movement is active and what, if anything, to do.
- Drainage, grading and consistent watering around the slab are the first, cheapest interventions on this soil.
- If piers are recommended, ask for the pier count in writing and compare it to the engineer's.
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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio search for
Monthly Google searches for each phrase with “San Antonio” attached (Google Ads, pulled 2026-08-28). Each links to the cited cost range and when that repair is the right one.
- House leveling in San Antonio, about 140/mo: a sales word, not a method. It means either piers or slabjacking, which are priced very differently; ask which.
- Pier and beam foundation repair in San Antonio, about 50/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.
- Slab foundation repair in San Antonio, about 10/mo: piers under the slab edge or interior, priced per pier; the count is the whole argument.
- Basement waterproofing in San Antonio, 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 San Antonio
Google shows a map pack of 3 contractors for “foundation repair San Antonio”; 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 San Antonio company bid to it. On expansive clay, a bid with no moisture plan is treating half the problem. What a comparable quote itemizes →
San Antonio foundation repair: questions people ask
How much does foundation repair cost in San Antonio?
We don't have San Antonio-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 San Antonio 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 in this class swells and shrinks noticeably with moisture. Movement is common; whether your house needs structural work is a question for an engineer, not a salesperson.
How do I compare foundation repair companies in San Antonio?
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 San Antonio?
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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