Clay soil moves. Your foundation doesn’t have to.

Most Georgetown pier jobs land between $4,500 and $15,000, per published industry cost data. The math is per pier: pressed concrete pilings run $350 to $600 each, drilled piers $600 to $1,300, steel piers $1,000 to $1,800, and a typical repair uses 8 to 15 piers. Drainage fixes and minor work cost far less, which is why diagnosis should come before any contract.

Because they are usually pricing different jobs. One proposes 9 pressed pilings, the other 14 steel piers, and the totals land thousands apart. Method, pier count, depth commitments, and warranty terms all hide in that gap. An independent engineer report gives every bidder one neutral repair plan, so the quotes you compare finally describe the same work.

You pay nothing that day, but most free evaluations are performed by salespeople whose income depends on finding repair work. Some are honest and skilled; the incentive still leans one way. Use free visits to gather bids on a problem you already understand. For the question of whether a problem exists at all, neutral eyes are worth paying for.

Call an engineer first when the diagnosis is uncertain, when bids disagree, or when a home sale hangs on the answer. A licensed professional engineer sells no piers, and a written PE evaluation typically runs $400 to $650 in the Georgetown area. Against repair proposals that reach five figures, it is the cheapest neutral opinion in the process.

Combinations and trends matter more than any single crack. Stair step cracks in brick, doors that stop latching, visibly sloping floors, and trim separating at corners mean more together than alone. Hairline drywall cracks above doorways are common and often cosmetic. Photograph everything with dates so you can tell what is growing from what is just sitting there.