Which homes here are pier and beam
Most Collin County houses are slabs, so pier and beam is mostly an older-house question. Only 8% of McKinney’s homes were built before 1980; across Collin County it’s 10%, and in Plano, the older of the big suburbs, 18%. No public data counts pier and beam houses by city, so the house itself is the best evidence:
- Vents in the low wall around the house, or a skirt of brick or siding with openings.
- An access hatch to the crawl space, inside a closet or outside.
- A wood floor that gives a little underfoot, or squeaks, rather than feeling like concrete.
- Steps up to the front door, with the floor sitting well above the ground.
If you’re not sure, a contractor’s inspection will tell you in the first few minutes.
What goes wrong underneath
| Problem | What you notice | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| Piers settled or tilted on drying clay | Floors dip toward one area; doors drift out of square | Re-shim, or replace the pier |
| Shims crushed, rotted or missing | A soft or bouncy spot over one pier | New shims, set tight |
| Beam spans too long for the load | Sagging between supports, bouncy floors | Add supports under the beam |
| Rotted sills or joists | Soft floors, musty smell, damage near plumbing | Replace or reinforce the framing |
| Standing water in the crawl space | Musty air, damp insulation, rust on fittings | Drainage and ventilation, then repairs |
ASCE Texas lists pier and beam repairs as shimming, framing repair, and replacing or adding supports, plus re-establishing the void space under the framing where the design called for one. Its guidance on added supports is that they should be compatible with the original support system, so mixing in a different kind of pier needs a reason.
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Repair options
Re-shimming
The floor frame rests on pier caps, and over time the gap between them grows as piers settle or wood shrinks. Re-shimming fills that gap again. ASCE Texas says floor framing may be adjusted with hardwood or steel shims set atop the pier caps. It’s the most common and cheapest pier and beam repair, and the one most likely to need repeating if the cause isn’t fixed.
Replacing or adding piers
A pier that has sunk, cracked or leaned gets replaced; a beam that sags between piers gets more of them. Angi puts adding a pier at $800–$4,000 per pier. On this clay, ask how deep the new piers go and why. A shallow block on a pad sits in the same soil that moved the old one.
Beam and joist repair
Rotted or cracked members are replaced or reinforced. ASCE Texas recommends treated lumber for general framing repairs. Beam replacement prices vary widely by source: Angi lists $400–$1,200 per beam, HomeGuide $1,500–$4,000 per beam. The difference likely reflects beam size and access, so ask for the length and material on the quote.
Leveling the floor
Once supports are sound, the floor can be brought back toward level with jacks and shims. The house leveling page explains how far that usually goes and what it can crack along the way.
What pier and beam repair costs
| Item | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pier and beam repair, national average | $10,000 | Angi |
| Pier and beam repair, range | $1,500–$15,000 | HomeGuide |
| Re-shimming, average | $1,600 | Angi |
| Adding a pier | $800–$4,000 per pier | Angi |
| Replacing a beam | $400–$1,200 per beam (Angi); $1,500–$4,000 per beam (HomeGuide) | Angi; HomeGuide |
| French drain along one side | $1,200–$4,500 | HomeGuide |
The sources disagree because the jobs do. A plan that re-shims a dozen piers and one that replaces two beams and a run of rotted joists are both “pier and beam repair.” Compare plans item by item, not by total.
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In McKinney, shimming needs a permit
This surprises people. McKinney’s foundation repair guidelines count shimming and replacing any part of the floor system as foundation repair, alongside leveling and pier replacement, and all of it needs a permit. The city also wants an engineer’s letter and drawings before it issues the permit, and a final engineer’s report to close it. A quote for “just re-shimming” should still say who pulls the permit and provides the engineer’s documents. Plano’s handout asks for engineer-sealed plans showing every pier location; the Plano page and the permit guide have the details.
Keeping a crawl space dry
Most pier and beam trouble starts with water. ASCE Texas lists the under-floor moisture controls as cross ventilation, underfloor drainage, ground clearance for the framing, and treated lumber. In practice:
- Keep vents open and clear of soil, mulch and shrubs.
- Run downspouts away from the house so roof water doesn’t drain into the crawl space.
- Slope the ground away from the foundation wall.
- Look in after heavy rain. Standing water underneath is a drainage problem to fix before any leveling.
The drainage and soil moisture page covers grading, gutters and French drains.
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Before you sign a pier and beam plan
- Which piers get shims, which get replaced, and how deep will any new piers go?
- What wood is being replaced, how much, and with what?
- Is moisture in the crawl space part of the plan, or left for later?
- Who pulls the McKinney permit and provides the engineer’s letter and final report?
- Will the floor be re-measured after leveling, and do I get the readings?
Work is done by independent local contractors. Pricing and availability are set by the contractor serving your area.