Crawl space inspection
Beams, joists, piers and shims are checked from underneath, along with moisture, ventilation and anything that has rotted or crushed.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair
Homes built in San Antonio before the 1960s often sit on piers and wooden beams with a crawl space underneath. San Antonio Foundation Fix gets under the house to see what the beams, blocks and shims are doing, which is usually a very different job from repairing a slab.
- Upfront Quotes
- Slab & Pier and Beam
- Residential & Commercial
Signs That Need Attention
- Floors that bounce or feel soft when you walk across them
- A visible dip in the middle of a room or along one wall
- Gaps between the baseboard and the floor
- Damp, musty air or standing water in the crawl space
- Doors in older rooms that have been planed to fit more than once
What the Work Includes
What is needed depends on what the crawl space looks like. The quote follows the inspection under the house.
Beam and joist repair
Timber that has decayed or split gets replaced or sistered. A beam that is still sound but unsupported is a different, smaller job.
New or reset piers and shims
Piers that have settled are reset or replaced and shims are renewed so the load sits where it should. Old shims crushing under load are common.
Drainage under and around the house
A crawl space that stays wet will undo the repair. Grading, gutters and vents get looked at as part of the same visit.
Your Options
Pier and beam has one real advantage: you can get under it and see the problem. That usually makes the diagnosis clearer and the repair more targeted than work on a slab, where everything has to be inferred from measurements and access holes.
Older homes in Alamo Heights, Monte Vista and Highland Park often have an original pier and beam section with a slab addition attached from a later remodel. The two move at different rates, which is why the joint between them cracks. See the Alamo Heights page for how that plays out locally, and foundation leveling for how the low side is brought back up.
If part of the house is on a slab, the slab repair page covers that side of the work. A foundation inspection establishes which parts of the house are on which system before anything is quoted.
Pier and Beam Questions
How is pier and beam repair different from slab repair?
Under a pier and beam house there is a crawl space, so the beams and piers can be seen, adjusted and replaced directly. A slab has to be supported from outside and underneath instead. San Antonio Foundation Fix explains which system your house has at the inspection.
Can a sagging floor be leveled without replacing the beams?
Sometimes. If the timber is sound and has simply lost support, resetting piers and shims can bring the floor back. Rotted or split beams have to be replaced, because shimming under damaged wood does not last.
What causes a crawl space to stay wet in San Antonio?
Usually water running toward the house rather than away from it, blocked vents or a downspout discharging at the wall. Drainage correction is often the first thing to fix.
Should I try jacking up the floor myself?
No. Lifting any part of a house without knowing the load paths can crack walls, break lines under the floor or bring something down. Leave it to someone who has measured the house first.
Arrange a foundation inspection in San Antonio
Tell us what the house is doing and we will plan the right inspection.