Pier and Beam Foundation Repair San Antonio
Re-shimming, beam and joist replacement, and new piers for older San Antonio homes.
Older Home, Bouncy Floors? Start Here
If you need pier and beam foundation repair in San Antonio, odds are you live in one of the older homes this city is known for, and the floors have started to feel like a trampoline in a couple of spots.
Pier and beam houses are some of the best-built homes in town. Plenty of the bungalows and Craftsman houses around Monte Vista, Tobin Hill, Beacon Hill, and King William have stood for 80 or 100 years. But wood and clay soil don’t stay put forever. Shims compress, beams sag, and piers settle.
The upside is that pier and beam problems are usually very fixable, and often for a lot less than people expect. Because there’s a crawl space under the house, a crew can get right to the problem instead of digging through concrete.
San Antonio House Leveling Co. connects you with local crews who work under these homes every week. Call 210-899-6040 for a free inspection, or keep reading to see what the repair looks like.
FREE INSPECTION
Soft spots in the floor? Get a free crawl space inspection.
How a Pier and Beam Foundation Works
A pier and beam foundation raises the house off the ground. Concrete or block piers sit in the soil, wood beams run across the top of those piers, and floor joists sit on the beams. Thin shims fill the gaps so everything sits level.
That gap between the floor and the dirt is the crawl space, and it’s the reason these homes handle our shifting clay better than you might think. When something moves, a crew can crawl in and adjust it.
The catch is that every part of the system can wear out. Wood shims dry out and crush, beams soak up moisture and sag, and piers that were set shallow decades ago can sink when the clay shrinks during a long dry summer.
Signs Your Pier and Beam Home Needs Repair
Pier and beam problems tend to show up in the floors first. Watch for these:
- Floors that bounce or feel spongy when you walk
- Hallways that slope toward one side of the house
- Doors that drag or won’t latch
- Gaps between baseboards and the floor
- Cracks above door frames
- Musty smell or standing water in the crawl space
- Visible sagging in the roofline or porch
If the crawl space smells damp or you can see water under the house, mention it when you call. Moisture is the usual reason wood beams fail, and fixing it is part of a repair that lasts.
Pier and Beam Repair Options in San Antonio
Most jobs use one or more of these repairs. The inspection decides which ones your house actually needs.
Re-Shimming and Leveling
Re-shimming is the most common pier and beam fix. The crew jacks up the low areas, pulls out old crushed shims, and replaces them with new steel or hardwood shims to bring the floor back to level.
It’s a fast job, often finished in a day, and it’s usually the least expensive repair on this page. Many older homes need a re-shim every several years as the soil shifts with the seasons.
Beam and Joist Replacement
When a beam has rotted, cracked, or sagged too far, shims won’t fix it. The crew supports the house, removes the damaged beam or joists, and installs new treated lumber in their place.
This is common in homes where the crawl space has stayed damp for years, or where termites have done some work. A good crew will show you the damaged wood so you can see why it needs replacing.
Adding New Piers
Some older homes were built with piers too far apart, which lets beams sag between them. Others have piers that sank or cracked. Adding new piers shortens the span and gives the floor solid support again.
New piers are usually set deeper than the originals so they’re less affected by the clay swelling and shrinking near the surface.
Crawl Space Moisture Fixes
Ventilation, a vapor barrier, and getting rainwater away from the house all help keep beams dry. If water is running under the house, our drainage correction in San Antonio page explains how crews fix it.
What Does Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Cost in San Antonio?
Every house is different, but these are the typical ranges San Antonio homeowners see:
| Repair | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Re-shimming and adjustment | $1,500 to $5,000 |
| Beam or joist replacement | $2,500 to $8,000 |
| Adding new piers (each) | $300 to $800 |
| Full pier and beam repair with new piers and beams | $4,000 to $12,000 |
Access makes a big difference. A roomy crawl space is quicker to work in than an 18-inch one, and a house with lots of wood damage costs more than one that just needs new shims. The free inspection turns these ranges into a real number.
Pier and Beam Repair FAQs
How long does pier and beam foundation repair take?
Most re-shimming jobs take one day. Jobs with new beams or piers usually take two to three days. You can stay in the house while the work is done.
How often does a pier and beam house need leveling?
It depends on the soil and moisture under the house. Many San Antonio homes need a minor adjustment every five to ten years, especially after a long drought or a very wet season.
Can you level a house that has been added onto?
Yes. Additions are often built on a different foundation than the original house, which is why the floor dips where the two meet. A crew can level both sides and tie them together better.
Do you need to go inside my house?
The main work happens in the crawl space, but the crew will take floor readings inside before and after so you can see the difference.
Get a Free Pier and Beam Inspection in San Antonio
An older home is worth taking care of, and most pier and beam problems are a lot easier to fix when they’re caught early.
Call 210-899-6040 or fill out the form above. A local foundation pro will crawl under the house, check the beams and piers, take level readings, and tell you exactly what’s going on.
Want the bigger picture first? Head back to our house leveling San Antonio page for how leveling works, what it costs, and the areas we serve.
