Slab Foundation Repair in Georgetown, TX

The quote on the kitchen table says 12 piers and $9,400, and the crew can start Monday. The stair step crack above the garage says something moved. It does not say how much, whether it is still moving, or whether Monday matters. This page slows that decision down: what slab movement means on Georgetown soil, what a pier job actually involves, and what the paperwork should promise before anyone digs.

Confirm the slab needs piers at all

A slab on grade house rides the soil it sits on, so the first question is never which pier. It is whether the movement is seasonal or progressive. Clay swells and shrinks with the weather; cracks that open in August and tighten by February are the soil breathing, not the house failing.

Repair earns consideration when signals stack: doors that quit latching and stayed that way through a wet winter, brick cracks widening past a quarter inch, floor slope you can feel barefoot. One symptom is a note in a diary. Three together deserve measurement. Our warning signs guide ranks the ladder, and repair now vs monitor makes the case that waiting, measured properly, is often the smart move.

Water comes before concrete. Corrected grading, extended downspouts, and a disciplined soaker hose program stabilize plenty of Georgetown slabs for a fraction of pier money, which is why honest evaluators look at drainage first.

Why slabs move here

Georgetown straddles two kinds of ground. East and south of I-35, Blackland Prairie clay expands when soaked and shrinks hard in drought. West of town, thin soil over limestone moves less but sheds water in strange directions. The line is rough, pockets of each occur everywhere, and two streets can genuinely need two different repairs.

The droughts of 2011 and 2022 through 2023 pulled moisture from the clay and dropped perimeters unevenly, which is why repair calls stack up in late summer. Expansive clay, explained covers the mechanics in full.

The job, start to finish

A proper repair begins with an elevation survey: a grid of floor readings that maps which corners sat down and how far. The plan marks pier locations, typically 6 to 8 feet apart along the settled sections. Crews dig at each mark, press concrete pilings to refusal or drive steel to depth, lift the structure in small hydraulic increments, set caps and shims, and backfill.

Perimeter work happens from outside. Interior settlement means tunneling beneath the slab or opening the floor, which adds cost and days. Most jobs finish in 1 to 3 days, and the crew should hand you a post lift elevation map to file next to the first survey.

What it costs

Published industry cost data for the Georgetown area puts pressed concrete pilings at $350 to $600 per pier, drilled piers at $600 to $1,300, and steel at $1,000 to $1,800. Typical jobs run 8 to 15 piers, which is how most slab repairs land between $4,500 and $15,000. Method should follow soil evidence rather than the sales script: steel vs concrete walks that trade, and the cost guide breaks down everything else that moves the number.

Warranty realities

Most warranties cover adjustment of the piers installed, not new movement elsewhere, and clay is patient enough to find the unpiered side of the house. Before signing, get three answers in writing: whether the warranty transfers to a future buyer, what a service call costs after year one, and what maintenance the fine print requires to keep coverage alive.

An independent engineer evaluation, typically $400 to $650, is the cheapest way to confirm the pier count before you commit. Engineers vs contractors explains who should diagnose and why the difference pays for itself.