Shimming and resetting pads
Interior pads settle into the soil over decades. They are reset or replaced and shimmed so the load sits evenly again across the beams.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair
Houses over a crawl space give you more warning than a slab and are usually easier to correct. An independent provider can get under the floor, find the settled pads, rotted beams and damp spots, and shim the structure back toward level.
- Referral Service
- Slab & Pier and Beam
- Residential & Commercial
Signs of a Sagging Crawl Space
- Floors that bounce or dip toward the middle of a room
- A visible slope you can feel walking from one end of the house to the other
- Gaps opening between the baseboard and the floor
- Squeaking that has got noticeably worse over a season
- Musty air, standing water or soft wood under the house
Central and east Arlington still have plenty of frame houses from the 1920s through the 1950s built this way, and Kennedale has older farmhouse-style properties on larger lots. The good news is that everything is reachable. The bad news is that moisture under the floor does slow damage that nobody sees until the joists start to give.
What the Work Can Include
A crawl space job is usually a mix of support work and rot repair. Ask the provider to list them separately so you can see what is structural and what is maintenance.
Beam and joist repair
Rotted or split members are sistered or replaced. Wood that has been sitting in damp soil is replaced rather than patched.
New support piers
Where the original pads are too far apart or the perimeter has dropped, additional piers are set on proper footings rather than stacked block.
Moisture and ventilation
Water getting under the house is the reason most of this wood fails. Grading, vents and downspout routing get looked at as part of the job.
Your Repair Options
Crawl space work is normally done in stages, lifting a small amount at a time so plaster, tile and door frames above can take it. On an older house it is often better to accept a slight remaining slope than to chase perfect level and crack everything upstairs. A good crew will tell you where that line is.
If the house has had a slab addition put on the back, which is common on Arlington homes extended in the 1970s, the two parts move differently and the join needs its own attention. See slab foundation repair for that side of it and foundation leveling for how staged lifting works.
Getting the water away from the house is half the fight, which is covered under drainage and root barriers. The damp ground, vapor barrier and ventilation side of the same job is set out under crawl space repair. For older housing nearby, see foundation repair in Kennedale or start with an inspection.
Pier and Beam Questions
What affects the cost of pier and beam repair?
How much of the structure needs support, how much wood has to be replaced, and how much room there is to work in. A crawl space you can move around in is far quicker than one with eighteen inches of clearance. Ask for a quote only after the provider has been underneath.
Is pier and beam better than a slab?
Neither is better as such. A crawl space is easier and usually cheaper to adjust later, and the plumbing is accessible. A slab has no wood to rot and no crawl space to keep dry. What matters is the condition of the one you have. Our inspection page explains how both are assessed.
Can I get under the house and shim it myself?
Please do not. Jacking a house is done in small increments with the load supported properly at every stage, and a jack that slips or a beam that rolls under load is extremely dangerous. Looking with a flashlight is fine; lifting is not.
How long does the work take?
It depends on how much of the frame is involved and what the crew finds once the floor is open. Ask the provider for a realistic window after the inspection rather than a number over the phone, and to say straight away if wood damage changes the scope.
Call about a crawl space inspection in Arlington
When you call, mention where the floor dips and any water under the house.