Residential Foundation Repair in McKinney and Collin County: Piers, Leveling and Drainage
Piers from $400 to $700 each; most homes need 8 to 20
The back door stopped latching in July. By September there is a stair-step crack in the brick under the kitchen window and a gap between the baseboard and the floor. That sequence is the most common foundation call we get in McKinney, and it has a cause that can be fixed.
Why foundations move in Collin County
Most of Collin County sits on Blackland Prairie clay, chiefly the Houston Black series, a deep black clay that opens cracks half an inch to four inches wide in dry weather and swells shut again when the rain returns. The soil under the edges of the house dries and shrinks first in a long dry spell, so the perimeter drops while the center stays put. The next wet season swells it back, but never quite to where it was. Over ten or fifteen years the house ends up out of level by an inch or more at one corner.
Three other causes show up again and again. A plumbing leak under the slab that keeps one area wet. A large tree pulling water from under one side of the house. Gutters or grading that dump roof water against the foundation. A repair plan that ignores those does not last.
How we fix it
Piers carry the weight of the foundation down past the active clay to soil that does not move with the weather. Which pier depends on the soil depth and the house.
- Pressed concrete piers are the standard repair for slab homes in Collin County. Precast cylinders are driven under the grade beam with the weight of the house until they reach refusal.
- Steel piers go deeper and are used where the clay runs deep or the soil is too soft to press concrete.
- Drilled bell-bottom piers are poured in place with a wide footing and are common on heavier homes and new construction.
- Pier-and-beam adjustments for homes on a crawl space: shims, new beams, and interior piers.
- Polyurethane leveling for slabs that have settled but are not tied to clay movement, such as garages and patios.
Each pier is listed on the quote with a price. You see the count, the locations and the total before anyone digs.
What the visit looks like
The inspector runs a floor level survey of the whole house and maps the elevations. He walks the exterior for cracks, checks doors and windows, looks at drainage and trees, and asks about plumbing history. You get a drawing showing where the house is low, where piers would go, and what it costs. Where the city or a lender wants an engineer's stamp on the plan, we bring in an independent engineer to write it.
Permits
Pier work needs a building permit in McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie and most Collin County cities, with sealed engineer drawings in McKinney and Plano, and we pull it as part of the job. Driveway and patio leveling and most yard drainage do not need one, and under-slab plumbing repairs go on the plumber's permit. Our crews are insured, and where a plan has been sealed by an engineer, the engineer checks the piers before the holes are backfilled.
What happens if you wait
Foundation movement does not reverse on its own. Cracks widen, doors and windows bind harder, and sewer lines under the slab can shear as the slab drops. Repairing early usually means fewer piers and no drywall or plumbing work after the lift.
A door that stuck in July will not loosen on its own by October. Call (972) 645-5576 and the inspector maps the whole house, not just the wall with the crack.