What Texas cities count as a foundation repair
Grand Prairie's permit page spells it out: leveling, installing or replacing piers or footings, and any modification or alteration of any part of the flooring system. Any of those needs a permit there. Dallas's glossary ties its Foundation Repair Permit to the same kind of work, naming piers, underpinning systems and slab corrections.
Why Texas ground moves is a soil question, and two public sources speak to it. A USDA NRCS paper says homes built on expanding smectite clays without due precautions "likely will be structurally damaged as the clay takes up water." The Texas Water Development Board's February 2022 drought report says drought can cause soil movement, especially in parts of the state with vertisol soils. Soil movement, it adds, can damage foundations. Neither source describes a single lot.
Foundation repair in Texas: our estimate and the permit fees cities print
For a repair project, our estimate is $1,800 to $12,000 per project. It's a model and not a quote: 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Texas cement mason wage ratio (0.82) and widened to take in the lowest and highest of the two Texas company prices we could count. No permit fee is folded in, so each city row below stands on its own.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $1,800 to $12,000 per project | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the Texas cement mason wage ratio (0.82), then widened to take in the lowest and highest of the two Texas company prices for this job ($3,500 to $12,000). Ten Texas foundation companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: small sample (2), national estimate joined with the company range. |
| Texas mean pay, cement masons and concrete finishers | $23.69 an hour | Mean hourly pay in Texas, BLS May 2025, for the occupation nearest to repair crews; pay, not a price. |
| US mean pay, cement masons and concrete finishers | $28.87 an hour | National mean from the same BLS release; dividing the Texas figure by it gives the wage ratio. |
| Repair Existing Foundation fee, San Antonio | $184.00 | FY 2027 schedule, revised October 2026; Bulletin 172 doubles the fee when work starts before the permit. |
| Foundation repair permit, Arlington | $150.00 | Schedule effective September 1, 2025; an earlier list in the same schedule reads based on valuation. |
| Foundation Repair, Irving | $125 per building | Irving charges an investigation fee of 100% of the regular fee for work begun without a permit. |
| Foundation Repair, Mesquite | $100.00 | Residential fee schedule for 2026, revised 09/26. |
| Foundation Repair, Frisco | $75.00 | Consolidated fee schedule effective 10/1/2026, under Alterations. |
| Residential Foundation Repair Permits, McKinney | $75.00 | From the McKinney permit fee schedule. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by Texas's cement mason wage ratio to the US (0.82, BLS May 2025). Not a quote. Ten Texas foundation companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Only two Texas companies publish a price we could count for this job, too few for a range of their own, so the range is our national estimate widened to take in their lowest and highest prices. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
Is there a state license to look up?
Not at TDLR. Its page of the 41 programs it licenses and regulates, read on October 23, 2026, has no foundation repair, structural repair, concrete or general contractor program on it. Cities can set their own rules on who may file, which is the question to put to your permit office.
When an engineer has to be involved
Texas's Engineering Practice Act, section 1001.056, exempts someone repairing a private dwelling from the engineer-licensing rules as long as they don't offer engineering services to the public. Subsection (c)(2) pulls one job back out: engineering design for a residential slab on expansive soil that meets the International Residential Code's expansive soil classification where the house sits, unless the work meets that code as the jurisdiction applies it. That wording is from TBPELS's copy effective June 18, 2026. Its flowchart on when an engineer is required is guidance only. Local codes and ordinances may be more restrictive, it says.
Most of the asking happens at the city counter. San Antonio's Information Bulletin 172 says repairs "shall be designed by or performed under the engineering guidance of a professional engineer licensed by the State of Texas," who also inspects. Garland wants an engineer's letter, a stamped pier diagram and a final engineer's report. Grand Prairie asks for a stamped engineer's letter and plans, Denton for a sealed letter and plan, and Dallas says the application in most cases includes a structural engineer's report.
Permit rules in Arlington, Austin, Waco and Houston
Arlington has required permits for structural repairs to foundations since November 1, 2011. Austin files foundation repair under its Minor Repairs permit, though its list of work exempt from building permits includes a foundation repair that doesn't exceed 128 square feet. Waco uses its Repairs & Alterations permit.
Houston's Permitting Center pages don't say whether a residential foundation repair needs a permit, so put that question to the center at 832.394.8899 before work starts. Starting without a permit costs more in two cities. San Antonio charges a double fee, and Irving adds an investigation fee equal to 100% of the regular fee.
If the repair fails: the Chapter 27 notice
Texas Property Code chapter 27, the Residential Construction Liability Act, reaches complaints about the repair of an existing residence and covers a later buyer of the house too. The text we quote is an April 2018 copy of the statute, so the deadlines below are as of that date.
In it, the homeowner sends the contractor written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, at least 60 days before filing suit. The contractor then has 35 days to inspect and until the 45th day after receiving notice to make a written settlement offer, which may include an agreement to repair. If the offer looks unreasonable, you have 25 days to say why in writing.
Foundation trouble that shouldn't wait for quotes
- A floor or wall has visibly shifted since you last looked.
- Doors or windows that closed last week now jam, and the frames have opened up.
- There's water by the electrical panel; keep out of it.
- A hairline crack you've pencil-marked and dated, unchanged for months and letting in no water.
Run through these before anything else, because a yes to any of them changes what you'd do next.
- Is a crack horizontal, getting longer, or opening up from one week to the next?
- Have doors or windows suddenly started sticking, or does a floor slope?
- Is water coming into the basement or crawl space right now?
- Can you see a wall bowing or leaning?
- Is a gas or utility line affected, or does the structure feel unsafe? If it is, get out of the house and call 911.
Said yes to any of the last three? Get everyone clear of the problem, call 911 if the structure feels unsafe, and then send the form with Emergency ticked. If it's only the first two, that's a structural question, so use the form and ask for an engineer's written report before any repair.
Before a foundation company comes out
- Photograph each crack beside a ruler, and pencil the date at both ends.
- Find your city's building office on its city page and ask if a repair needs a permit and an engineer's letter.
- Ask the first company who decided a repair is needed, and whether an engineer who won't be doing the work will review it.
Who issues the permit for a Texas foundation repair
San Antonio, Arlington, Irving, Mesquite, Frisco, McKinney, Garland, Grand Prairie, Denton and Fort Worth each print a foundation repair permit or fee. Several tie it to an engineer's letter. Ask your building office for its submittal list, then check that the written price names the permit.
Texas has no state license for foundation repair, so ask for the contractor's certificate of insurance and call the insurer listed on it before you sign anything.
Questions people ask
Who may apply for a foundation repair permit in Texas?
Each city decides, and San Antonio lets the owner or a City-licensed Residential Building Contractor apply. Dallas's glossary says only a Licensed Professional may obtain its Foundation Repair Permit. Killeen's March 2022 announcement has foundation repair contractors register with the city every year, at $80 plus a $10 technology fee. So ask your permit office whether the company you're talking to is on its list.
What does a foundation repair cost in Texas?
Our estimate is $1,800 to $12,000 per project for a repair project, and it's a model, not a quote. It starts from national ranges adjusted for Texas wages, then stretches to cover the two Texas company prices we could count. A few piers and a whole-house re-level sit far apart in it. Get the method, the permit and the engineer named in writing on the price.
Do I need a permit to repair my foundation?
In Fort Worth, yes for every residential repair; Garland and Austin draw lines. Fort Worth's residential permits page says all foundation repairs require building permits. Garland requires one any time the repairs are valued at $2,000 or more, and Austin exempts a repair that doesn't exceed 128 square feet.
Do I need an engineer before the repair starts?
In San Antonio, Garland, Grand Prairie and Denton, the permit paperwork asks for one. Those cities want an engineer's letter, plan or final report with the permit. At the state level, section 1001.056 lets a private dwelling be repaired without engineer licensing, but not engineering design for a slab on expansive soil that meets the code's classification, unless the work meets the code.
What does a seller have to tell a buyer about the foundation?
TREC's Seller's Disclosure Notice, Form 55-1, asks about Foundation/Slab(s) defects and past structural repair. Each item is answered yes if the seller is aware and no if not. Item 9 also asks about repairs made without necessary permits or out of line with the codes in effect at the time.
- Grand Prairie: Residential Foundation Repair Permit Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Dallas Planning & Development: DallasNow Terminology Reference Guide Read Oct 23, 2026.
- USDA NRCS: Understanding Soil Risks and Hazards Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TWDB: Drought in Texas, 1950-1957 and 2010-2015 (Feb 2022) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDLR: Programs Licensed and Regulated by TDLR Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TBPELS: Texas Engineering and Land Surveying Practice Acts and Rules (effective June 18, 2026) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TBPELS: When is a Professional Engineer required on a project? Read Oct 23, 2026.
- San Antonio DSD: Information Bulletin 172 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Garland: Foundation Repair Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Denton: Foundation Repair Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Arlington: Permitting & Inspections Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Austin Development Services: Types of Permit Applications Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Waco: Do I Need a Permit? Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Houston Permitting Center: Permits Read Oct 23, 2026.
- San Antonio DSD: FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Irving: Fees and Rates Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas Property Code ch. 27 (Wayback copy of 2018-04-12) Read Oct 23, 2026. Confirm it with the source itself before relying on it.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (SOC 47-2051), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (SOC 47-2051), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- FoundationMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Arlington: Planning and Development Services Fee Schedule (9-1-25) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Mesquite: Residential Fee Schedule 2026-2027 Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Frisco: Consolidated Fee Schedule Read Oct 23, 2026.
- McKinney: Permit Fee Schedule Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Fort Worth: Residential Permits (information) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Killeen: Foundation repair contractor announcement (March 1, 2022) Read Oct 23, 2026. Confirm it with the source itself before relying on it.
- TREC: Seller's Disclosure Notice (55-1) Read Oct 23, 2026.