Irving, TX · Slab Foundation Repair
Slab Foundation Repair in Irving
Nearly every house in Irving is built on a concrete slab. When part of it settles, the repair is a matter of finding exactly where the slab has dropped, supporting it with piers that reach stable ground and bringing it back toward level.
01 — What this covers
The work itself
- Elevation survey of the entire slab before any plan is drawn
- Exterior piers where the edge beam has dropped
- Interior piers or tunnels when the low spot is under the house
- Pressed concrete pilings, steel piers or drilled piers matched to the soil
- Lifting the slab in stages and locking each pier with shims
- Plumbing pressure test and leak detection under the slab
- Backfill, cleanup and re-checked elevations
- Written pier diagram and transferable warranty documents
02 — Detail
How the slab under an Irving home actually moves
A slab foundation is a flat concrete plate, stiffened by thicker beams around the perimeter and sometimes a grid underneath. It does not sit on solid rock: it floats on clay that swells with moisture and shrinks as it dries. In Irving that cycle can lift and lower different parts of the slab by an inch or more over several years.
The common result is a house that tilts toward one side or one corner. Rain collecting beside a wall, a large oak drying out the soil on the other side, a downspout that has emptied in the same flower bed for thirty years — any of these gives the ground under one stretch of slab a different moisture history from the rest. The slab bends to follow.
Because the settlement is rarely uniform, a good repair plan is built from measurements, not guesses. The elevation survey records the height of the floor at dozens of points. Plotted on a plan, those readings draw a contour map of the house, and the low area is where piers belong.
03 — Detail
Older slabs, plumbing and the leak you can't see
Irving's housing stock includes a lot of homes from the sixties, seventies and eighties. Their slabs were built to the standards of the day, and many have cast-iron drain lines running through or under them. Cast iron rusts from the inside out. A small crack in a drain under the slab can leak for years and keep the soil underneath permanently wet.
That wet soil softens and washes out, and the slab above it drops. In that situation lifting the slab without fixing the pipe is a short-lived repair. A hydrostatic test — filling the drain lines with water and watching the pressure — finds the leak, and the pipe needs to be repaired or rerouted as part of the plan.
In the other direction, lifting a slab can stress a pipe that was already fragile. Testing before and after the lift protects both the house and you: it shows the pipes were intact when the work began and that the lift didn't damage them.
04 — Detail
Piers: choosing the type for Irving soil
Piers work by passing through the clay that moves and bearing on soil or rock that doesn't. In the Irving area three systems are common. Pressed pilings are concrete cylinders stacked and pushed into the ground with a hydraulic ram until the ground resists; they're economical and suit most single-story homes. Steel piers are driven deeper still, often well into the shale, and are used for heavier houses or where the clay is thick.
Drilled piers are holes bored to a set depth, reinforced with steel and filled with concrete. They take more time but are common for additions and heavier loads. None is automatically better; each has a depth, a capacity and a warranty. The right question is why a company chose a particular type for your house and how many it plans to use.
Pier count is what mostly decides the cost. Look for the diagram in the estimate: it should show each pier's position and how the lift was calculated.
05 — Detail
Post-tensioned slabs in newer Irving neighborhoods
Parts of Las Colinas, Valley Ranch and other newer neighborhoods were built on post-tensioned slabs, where steel cables run through the concrete and are tightened after the pour. Those slabs are stiffer and tolerate soil movement better, but they are not immune, and they come with rules.
Cutting or coring into one without locating the cables can be dangerous and costly. A repair company working on a post-tensioned slab should scan before it digs or drills and plan interior work around the cables. If your house has a small stamp or plate near the garage that mentions post-tensioning, tell the inspector.
06 — Detail
What a clear slab estimate looks like
Look for the elevation readings, a diagram of pier locations, the pier type and depth, what happens to landscaping, patios and flooring in the work zone, whether permits or an engineer's letter are included, the plumbing test and the warranty — in writing, including whether it transfers to the next owner.
If two estimates differ widely, compare the pier counts first. A company supporting one corner and another supporting the whole side may be interpreting the same readings in very different ways, and the gap between the prices usually reflects that difference of scope. An independent engineer can settle a disagreement for much less than the gap between the quotes.
How we work
Step by step
- 01
Free inspection: elevation survey, crack map, drainage and tree review, plumbing clues.
- 02
Written estimate with pier diagram, pier type and count, and warranty terms.
- 03
Scheduling, utility locates and any permit or engineering the job requires.
- 04
Installation, lifting and shimming, then plumbing re-test where included.
- 05
Final elevations, backfill, cleanup and the paperwork for a future sale.
What it costs
The price follows the pier count and the interior work. A repair that supports a single corner is a different job from supporting a full side or the middle of a large slab, and the estimate should show which one you're being quoted.
Questions
Slab Foundation Repair — asked and answered
How do I know whether my Irving slab has settled or heaved?
Settlement lowers part of the slab, usually at the edges; heave raises it, often in the middle after a leak or poor drainage. The elevation survey shows which, and the repair is different for each.
Can piers be installed without tearing up the yard?
Exterior piers need small excavations at each location, and the area is backfilled afterwards. Plants, patios and flatwork in the way are discussed in the estimate.
How long does a typical slab repair take?
Many residential jobs are completed in one to three days of on-site work, after scheduling and any permit or plumbing test.
Should I test the plumbing even if I haven't seen a leak?
On older homes, yes. A leak under the slab is rarely visible until damage appears, and it can undermine a repair.
Also
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Drainage & French Drains
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