No Tyler foundation company publishes its prices, and no public dataset exists for East Texas. So we gathered every published range we could check, named the source for each one, and put them on one page.
Checked September 21, 2026 · 25 sources · 13 min read
Most Tyler-area slab repairs that need piers cost $5,000 to $25,000. Pier and beam houses that only need shimming and adjusting often run $1,200 to $4,000. Where your house lands depends on four things: how many piers it needs, what kind, whether any go under the inside of the slab, and what else rides along (an engineer, a permit, a plumbing test, drainage work).
Every number on this page is an industry estimate from a named source, checked September 21, 2026. None of them is a Tyler price quote, and the next section explains why that is the honest way to do it.
Why there is no Tyler price list
Nobody publishes one. We checked the websites of ten foundation companies that work in Tyler and Longview on September 21, 2026. Not one lists a price. At least eight advertise a free inspection or estimate instead.
There is no public dataset to fall back on either. We looked for a government or university record of what foundation repair costs in Texas and found none. Permit records are no help: when we pulled the City of Austin’s 2025 building permits that mention foundation repair, 667 of the 791 listed a job value of $1. The value is typed in by the applicant, and most people leave a placeholder.
The Tyler figures you will find on lead-generation and price-quote websites disagree with each other by thousands of dollars, and none of them says where its numbers come from. So this page does the opposite: it uses published prices from Texas foundation contractors and engineers outside this market, plus the national cost guides, and names each one. When a Tyler company gives you a written estimate, you can hold it against these ranges.
What one pier costs, by method
Texas foundation contractors price the common slab methods at $300 to $1,500 per pier. National cost guides often quote $1,000 to $3,000 “per pier” without naming the method, which mostly reflects steel and helical piers used in basement markets. Here is what the sources say for each method:
Industry estimates compiled from the sources named in each row, checked September 21, 2026. These are not Tyler prices. No Tyler foundation company publishes its prices, and no government or university dataset of foundation repair costs exists for Tyler or East Texas.
Common underpinning methods under a slab. Depths vary by site; an engineer or the company's own testing sets them.
The method changes the price more than any other single choice. Pressed concrete piles are the lowest-cost option Texas contractors list. Drilled concrete piers, including bell-bottom piers, cost more because each hole is drilled and filled with reinforced concrete. Steel push piers and helical piers cost the most. Our methods guide walks through how each one goes in and where each is used.
How many piers a house needs
The pier count usually matters more than the price of one pier. Published contractor figures put a repair to one corner at roughly 4 to 10 piers, a whole side at 12 to 20 or more, and a full perimeter job at 15 to 25. One Central Texas contractor spaces perimeter piers about 7 feet apart; its worked example needs 13 piers for 84 feet of wall.
Here is what that arithmetic looks like, as an illustration only:
If the plan calls for
At $300 to $700 per pressed pile
At $750 to $1,200 per drilled pier
6 piers (one corner)
$1,800 to $4,200
$4,500 to $7,200
13 piers (84 feet of wall at 7-foot spacing)
$3,900 to $9,100
$9,750 to $15,600
20 piers (a large side or most of the perimeter)
$6,000 to $14,000
$15,000 to $24,000
These are pier costs only. Breaking through the slab for interior piers, the engineer, the permit, plumbing tests and drainage are extra. One contractor prices an interior pier at about $1,000 against $800 for an exterior pier, because the crew has to cut the floor and patch it afterward.
What whole jobs cost
Published job totals follow the pier math. Contractors in Texas report averages from about $5,300 (a Dallas area company) to about $11,000 for pressed-pile jobs and $13,000 to $18,000 for bell-bottom pier jobs (a Central Texas company). National guides put underpinning with piers at $10,000 to $30,000 for about ten piers.
What whole jobs cost
Job
Typical total
Where the figure comes from
Slab repair with piers (a corner to the whole perimeter)
$5,000 to $25,000
Contractor averages: Stratum about $5,300 (DFW), Anchor about $11,000 for pressed piles, Olshan $11,950 (national, 2026); HomeGuide and Angi put underpinning at $10,000 to $30,000
Industry estimates compiled from the sources named in each row, checked September 21, 2026. These are not Tyler prices. No Tyler foundation company publishes its prices, and no government or university dataset of foundation repair costs exists for Tyler or East Texas.
If your house is on pier and beam, the range is wider at the bottom. A re-shim or re-level with no new structure can be $1,200 to $4,000. Once beams, sills or piers need replacing, published figures run $5,000 to $15,000. Our house leveling page covers what that work involves.
A crack you can seal for $250 to $800 is not a foundation repair. Injection closes the crack; it does not stop the movement that made it.
Engineer and inspection costs
A company inspection is usually free. An independent engineer’s evaluation is usually $300 to $800. The difference matters: the company that inspects for free is also the company that will sell you the repair, while an engineer’s report gives you a repair plan you can hand to any company.
What an inspection or evaluation costs
Service
Typical price
Where the figure comes from
Inspection by a foundation repair company
Usually free
Most Tyler-area foundation companies advertise a free inspection or estimate (at least eight of the ten company sites we checked, September 21, 2026)
Structural engineer’s evaluation and written report
$300 to $800
HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor, Olshan, Stratum; complex or disputed cases can cost more
Engineer’s letter after the repair
$200 to $500
Stratum (one source)
Industry estimates compiled from the sources named in each row, checked September 21, 2026. These are not Tyler prices. No Tyler foundation company publishes its prices, and no government or university dataset of foundation repair costs exists for Tyler or East Texas.
Texas takes the engineering part seriously. The state engineering board has said that working out why a foundation moved, or recommending how to fix it, is the practice of engineering. Our guide on whether to call an engineer or a foundation company first explains when each makes sense.
Plumbing tests and leak repairs
Many foundation jobs in Texas include a plumbing test before the lift, and sometimes after. A hydrostatic (static) plumbing test runs $100 to $800 in published Texas figures. If the test finds a leak under the slab, the repair is a separate plumbing job, done under a licensed plumber.
What under-slab plumbing work costs
Work
Typical price
Where the figure comes from
Hydrostatic (static) plumbing test
$100 to $800
Published Texas figures: Stratum $100 to $300, Anchor about $300, Two Brothers $350 to $600, A-1 Engineering $800
Industry estimates compiled from the sources named in each row, checked September 21, 2026. These are not Tyler prices. No Tyler foundation company publishes its prices, and no government or university dataset of foundation repair costs exists for Tyler or East Texas.
Tyler Water Utilities can credit part of a bill run up by a concealed leak on your property, after the leak is fixed and documented. Our slab leak page has the details.
Drainage work
Drainage is often the cheapest part of a foundation job and the part most likely to decide whether the repair holds. The Texas section of the American Society of Civil Engineers recommends ground that slopes at least 6 inches in the first 10 feet away from the house, and downspouts carried well past the foundation.
What drainage work costs
Work
Typical price
Where the figure comes from
French drain
$10 to $50 per linear foot; $2,000 to $7,000 for a typical job
Industry estimates compiled from the sources named in each row, checked September 21, 2026. These are not Tyler prices. No Tyler foundation company publishes its prices, and no government or university dataset of foundation repair costs exists for Tyler or East Texas.
See drainage correction for what each fix does and when it is worth doing before any piers go in.
Permit fees in Tyler and nearby towns
Permit fees are small next to the repair, but they vary a lot from town to town, and unincorporated county land has none at all. The company usually pulls the permit and adds the fee to your price. Ask whether it is in the estimate.
Where the house is
What the permit costs
Source
Tyler
$0.35 per square foot for “All Additions, Alterations, Repairs”, plus a plan check fee of 20% of the permit fee
Two cautions on Tyler. First, the city publishes no rule written specifically for foundation repair, though its FAQ says a permit is required “even if you are only replacing sheetrock”. Second, the fee is per square foot, and the city does not say how it measures square footage for work under a house. Building Services at (903) 531-1151 can answer both before you sign. Every town’s office is listed in our permit guide.
Why two bids for the same house can be thousands apart
Bids differ because they usually describe different jobs. A Texas homeowner asking a forum about two quotes put it plainly: “curious if y’all had any thoughts on the drastic difference in bids?” One bid was 37 piers for $21,000; the other was 13 piers for $5,900.
When two estimates disagree, line them up on these points:
Pier count and layout. Ask for a drawing that shows every pier. A bid with more piers is not automatically padded, and a bid with fewer is not automatically a bargain.
Method. Pressed piles, drilled piers and steel piers are priced very differently. Make sure you are comparing the same thing.
Interior piers. Piers under the middle of the slab mean cutting through floors. They cost more and are sometimes left out of a low bid.
Who designs the repair. A plan signed by a licensed engineer costs money and is worth having.
Permit, plumbing test and drainage. Each is either in the price or it is not.
The warranty. Read what it covers, whether it transfers when you sell, and what voids it. Our warranty guide lists the clauses to find.
If the plans themselves disagree, an independent engineer’s evaluation ($300 to $800) is the cheapest way to settle it.
How to read a written estimate
A good estimate lets you check every line against this page. Before you sign, look for:
The repair method, the number of piers, and a drawing of where they go.
Whether an engineer evaluated the house and designed the repair, with the engineer’s name.
The permit: who pulls it and whether the fee is included.
Plumbing tests before and after, and who does them.
Drainage work, backfill, cleanup and landscaping repair.
The warranty in writing, including transfer terms.
The payment schedule. Be wary of large payments before work starts.
Two Texas laws are worth knowing. Before you sign a contract to remodel a home, the contractor must give you a disclosure statement that begins “KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE LAW.” And for a company to put a lien on your homestead, the contract must be in writing and signed before work starts, and both spouses must sign if you are married. This is general information, not legal advice. Our hiring checklist covers the rest.
Does insurance cover any of it?
Usually not the movement itself. The Texas Department of Insurance says most homeowners policies don’t cover “Earthquakes or earth movement”, “Wear and tear” or “A continuous water leak”. Many do cover a “Sudden and accidental release of water or smoke”, and some insurers sell an endorsement that adds “Damage to foundations or slabs”. Our insurance guide covers what to check in your policy.
Before you hire anyone
Check the company yourself
Texas does not license foundation repair companies. Bills to create a license passed the Senate in 2011 and died in the House, and a second attempt in 2013 also failed (SB 1399, HB 613). So the checks that matter are yours to make. Each takes a few minutes.
Ask who the engineer is. The Texas engineering board says working out why a foundation moved, or recommending how to repair it, is the practice of engineering (Advisory Opinion 43). Get the engineer's name and look up the license on the state roster.
Check the plumber's license. If the job includes a plumbing test or a leak repair, the plumbing has to be done under a licensed plumber. Look the license up with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
Read the warranty before you sign. Get it in writing, see whether it transfers when you sell, and find the clauses that void it. Watering and plumbing conditions are the ones homeowners most often learn about too late.
Ask who pulls the permit. Most cities here charge a permit fee for repairs, and Canton names foundation repair in its fee schedule. Unincorporated county land has no building permit at all. Our permit guide lists each office.
Keep the paperwork. If a job goes wrong, Texas law makes you give the company written notice at least 60 days before you sue under the Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Bus. & Com. Code §17.505). Estimates, contracts, photos and emails are your record.
We pass it to one independent foundation repair company that works in your area. Not a list, and not an auction.
2
They call to set up a visit
Most Tyler-area foundation companies advertise a free inspection or estimate. Ask on that first call, so there are no surprises.
3
You get a written estimate
It should name the repair method, how many piers and where, who designs the repair, the permit, the warranty and the price. Compare it with our published price ranges.
4
You decide
There is no obligation. If you want a second opinion, an independent structural engineer's evaluation usually costs $300 to $800.
Cost questions homeowners ask
My home is starting to shift, this is my first home and am trying to figure out how much this is going to cost me?
Most slab repairs that need piers land between $5,000 and $25,000. A small corner might take 4 to 10 piers; a whole side or the full perimeter can take 12 to 25 or more. Pier and beam houses that only need shimming often cost $1,200 to $4,000. The only way to get your number is a written estimate that lists the method, the pier count and where each pier goes. Have an engineer look first if the estimates disagree.
Why is one foundation repair bid so much higher than another?
Usually because the bids are for different jobs. Compare the number of piers, the method (pressed piles, drilled piers, steel or helical), whether interior piers are included, who designs the repair, the permit, the plumbing test, drainage work and the warranty terms. One Texas homeowner got bids of 37 piers for $21,000 and 13 piers for $5,900 on the same house.
Is a free foundation inspection really free?
The visit usually is. At least eight of the ten Tyler-area company websites we checked advertise a free inspection or estimate. Keep in mind the company that inspects also sells the repair. An independent structural engineer’s evaluation and written report typically costs $300 to $800 and gives you a plan you can hand to any company.
Do I have to pay for a permit on top of the repair?
Often, yes, and the company usually pulls it and adds it to the price. Tyler charges $0.35 per square foot for repairs and alterations plus a 20% plan check fee. Canton charges a flat $50 for foundation repairs with an engineer’s design. Unincorporated county land has no building permit at all. Ask whether the permit is in the estimate.
Does homeowners insurance pay for foundation repair?
Usually not for movement or settling. The Texas Department of Insurance says most policies don’t cover earth movement, wear and tear or a continuous water leak, though many cover sudden and accidental water damage and some offer a foundation or slab endorsement. Read your own policy and ask your agent.
Sources
Each source was opened and checked on the date shown. If a link has moved, tell us and we will fix it.
Get a written estimate from a local foundation company
Tell us what you are seeing and where the house is. Your request goes to one independent foundation repair company that works in your part of East Texas. Ask them the questions on this page before anyone lifts a shovel.
