How to Choose a Foundation Repair Contractor in Texas

Here’s the fact that should shape your whole process: Texas has no state licensing requirement for foundation repair contractors. Anyone with a truck and a jack can legally sell you piers. The burden of vetting is entirely on you — so make it systematic.

The document checklist

Before price comes up, ask for:

• Proof of insurance — general liability and workers’ comp. Uninsured crews under your house are your financial problem if something goes wrong.
• A written scope with a pier diagram — locations, count, pier type, expected depths. A lump sum with no diagram is not a bid, it’s a vibe.
• The actual warranty document — read before signing, not after. What’s covered (perimeter only? interior? adjustments?), for how long, what voids it, and whether it transfers to a future buyer (that transferability has real resale value).
• References from jobs 3+ years old. Anyone can point to last month’s happy customer; piers prove themselves over years of seasons.

The questions that separate pros from pitches

1. “Why this pier type for my soil?” — The answer should reference your actual soil (find your region here), not a one-size sales script.
2. “What depth do you expect, and what happens if you don’t reach it?” — Depth-to-refusal varies; the contract should handle the surprise case.
3. “Should I get an independent engineer’s report?” — The only safe answer is some version of “yes” or “that’s your call and here’s what it costs.” Active discouragement is a red flag with sirens.
4. “How does your scope address the cause — drainage, trees, plumbing — not just the elevation?”
5. “What’s your plumbing-test procedure after the lift?” — Lifting slabs stresses old drain lines; pros test.

Red flags

• Price drops dramatically the moment you hesitate (“today-only” structural repair pricing)
• Refuses or dodges the engineer question
• No physical address or verifiable history under the same business name
• Wants a large deposit before any engineering or measurement
• Diagnoses your foundation from the driveway in ten minutes, no elevation readings
• Pressure framing: “this house is dangerous,” “won’t last the summer”

Getting comparable bids

Give every bidder the same engineer’s plan and make them bid the same spec. Without a plan, normalize the bids yourself: price ÷ pier count, pier type, warranty terms, drainage scope. The cheapest total is frequently not the cheapest per pier or the most complete scope — the cost guide breaks down what drives the number.

Where we fit (honestly)

This site is a referral network: we connect homeowners with local foundation repair contractors we work with and may be compensated for it — full details in our disclosure. Vet anyone we refer with exactly the checklist above. A good contractor survives vetting; that’s the point of the checklist.