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
- “Why this pier type for my soil?” — The answer should reference your actual soil (find your region here), not a one-size sales script.
- “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.
- “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.
- “How does your scope address the cause — drainage, trees, plumbing — not just the elevation?”
- “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.