Leveling and stabilizing are two different jobs
Stabilizing stops the low part of a house from going lower: piers under a slab, sound supports under a pier and beam floor. Leveling raises it back toward where it was. Most plans do both, in that order, and a quote should be clear about each.
They can be separated. A house that has settled a little and stopped moving may need no lift at all; ASCE Texas notes an owner may reasonably choose cosmetic repairs instead of underpinning. And a house can be lifted without being stabilized, with mudjacking or new shims on old piers, which is cheaper and less likely to last.
How a slab is leveled
- Survey. Floor elevations are measured to map the low areas and set lift targets.
- Piers. Piers are installed under the beams in the low area, from outside or through the floor.
- Lift. Hydraulic jacks on the piers raise the slab gradually, a few at a time, while someone watches the readings, the doors and the brick.
- Set. The slab is supported on the piers with shims or blocks, the jacks come out, and the holes are backfilled.
- Test and re-measure. Plumbing is tested for leaks, and the floor is surveyed again.
ASCE Texas says lifts should be governed by field judgment to limit damage to the foundation and finishes. That’s the reason a careful crew stops short of the target when the house starts to complain.
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How a pier and beam house is leveled
Here the floor frame is lifted with jacks from the crawl space and new shims are set on the pier caps. Where piers have sunk or rotted, they’re replaced first. ASCE Texas describes the method as adjusting the framing with hardwood or steel shims atop the pier caps. Because the wood frame flexes, pier and beam floors can often be brought closer to level than a slab, but sagging beams and rotted joists have to be repaired before a lift holds. The pier and beam page covers those repairs.
How level is level?
Not dead flat. The ASCE Texas guidelines are explicit that perfection is not attainable by remedial measures, and that a level result after a lift is unlikely. Many houses weren’t level the day they were built; the Foundation Performance Association lists a slab built out of level among the things mistaken for movement.
What engineers judge instead is tilt and deflection against tolerances. ASCE Texas notes a tilt over 1% is usually noticeable, and the Foundation Performance Association’s guideline sets deflection at no more than L/360. A reasonable leveling plan names its target in those terms, or in inches of lift at named points, and says what happens if the house resists.
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What can happen during a lift
| Effect | Why it happens | Ask before the work |
|---|---|---|
| New drywall cracks | The frame moves as the floor rises | Who patches and paints them? |
| Doors and windows need adjusting | Frames shift back toward square, or past it | Is door adjustment included? |
| Brick cracks close, or new ones open | Masonry follows the slab | Is mortar repair included, and to what match? |
| A plumbing leak under the slab | Pipes cast in the slab flex during the lift | Is a test included before and after, and who repairs a leak? |
| Gas line strain | Service lines connect a moving house to fixed ground | Will the gas line be checked? |
On plumbing, ASCE Texas says water supply and drain lines should be tested for leaks whenever a repair includes jacking or lifting.
What leveling costs
| Method | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Leveling with shims (pier and beam) | $1,000–$3,500 | HomeGuide |
| Lifting and leveling, upper end | Up to $23,000 | This Old House |
| Re-shimming piers and beams, average | $1,600 | Angi |
| Piers for a slab lift, per pier | $1,000–$3,000 per pier | HomeAdvisor |
| Mudjacking or slab jacking | $4–$9 per sq ft | HomeGuide |
| Polyurethane foam lifting | $5–$25 per sq ft | Angi |
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Foam and mudjacking: cheaper, with limits
Mudjacking pumps a cement slurry under a slab; foam injection does the same with expanding polyurethane. Both lift without digging. The Foundation Performance Association’s review of post-repair performance calls them a shallow repair system and lists the ways they fall short on expansive soil: the slab still moves when the soil moisture changes, nearby trees and leaks keep working on it, and over-injection can crack or bulge the slab. They’re a reasonable fix for sunken flatwork. Under a house on this clay, ask what holds the slab up when the soil shrinks again.
McKinney’s permit
McKinney’s foundation repair guidelines count any leveling as foundation repair, so a lift needs a city permit, an engineer’s letter and drawings first, and a final engineer’s report at the end. The permit guide compares McKinney with Allen, Frisco and Plano.
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After leveling
- Get the readings. ASCE Texas says floor elevations should be measured after the repair, with a copy to the homeowner. Compare them with the plan’s targets.
- Re-measure later. The Foundation Performance Association suggests a second survey six to twelve months after the first to see whether movement has stopped.
- Wait on cosmetic repairs until the house has settled onto its new supports, if the contractor agrees.
- Fix the drainage. A level house on wet-then-dry soil won’t stay level. See drainage and soil moisture.
Work is done by independent local contractors. Pricing and availability are set by the contractor serving your area.