What are you seeing? Start with the symptom
Two taps take you to the right guide. It's a reading guide, not a diagnosis: only an inspection can tell what is moving and why.
- Cracks: Bowing basement wall repair, Foundation crack repair, Foundation settlement repair, Slab foundation repair
- Sloping or bouncy floors: Slab foundation repair, Pier and beam foundation repair, Foundation settlement repair
- Doors or windows sticking: Foundation settlement repair, Foundation inspection
- Water or damp: Foundation waterproofing, Crawl space encapsulation
- Sunken concrete outside: Concrete leveling (mudjacking & foam), Garage foundation repair
- I have a quote already: Is my quote fair?, Foundation inspection
Cracks, settlement and inspection
Work out what is happening before you pay for a repair: cracks, sinking, sloping floors and who should inspect.
Piers and underpinning
How piers and underpinning stabilize a settling house, and how helical and push piers differ.
Which foundation is under your house?
Each type fails differently and is repaired differently. Click a drawing for its guide.
- Slab: concrete poured on the ground; settlement, heave and slab leaks.
- Crawl space: short walls or piers with a space under the floor; sagging floors and moisture.
- Basement: full-height walls below ground; cracks, bowing walls and water.
- Pier and beam: the house sits on beams over piers; leveling and shimming.
By foundation type
Slab, pier and beam, crawl space and garage foundations each fail and get repaired differently.
Basement walls and water
Bowing walls, leaks, wet basements and damp crawl spaces.
What foundation repairs cost in the U.S. (installed)
- Crack injection (epoxy or polyurethane), non-structural$250–$800 per crack
- Settling or sinking foundation repair$4,500–$20,000
- Underpinning a foundation$10,000–$30,000
- Bowing basement wall repair$5,000–$15,000
- Concrete slab foundation repair$1,000–$10,000
- Pier and beam foundation repair$1,500–$15,000
- Crawl space foundation repair$2,500–$8,000
- Interior basement waterproofing$6,000–$12,000
- House lifting$10,000–$40,000
Source: HomeGuide, Foundation crack repair cost (updated Jul 2025); HomeGuide, Foundation repair cost (updated Feb 2026); HomeGuide, Pier and beam foundation repair cost (updated Dec 2025); HomeGuide, Basement waterproofing cost (updated Jan 2026). Checked October 2026.
Repairs companies name most often on their websites
Commercial foundation repair
The methods are the same for commercial buildings (piers, underpinning, crack injection, waterproofing), but the work is designed by a structural engineer and priced from drawings, not from residential cost guides. Use the company lists in each guide and ask for commercial references.
Foundation repair: common questions
What are the most common foundation repairs?
Sealing cracks, stabilizing settlement with piers, repairing bowing basement walls, leveling pier and beam homes and waterproofing basements and crawl spaces.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation repair?
Standard homeowners policies usually exclude settling, cracking and earth movement. Damage can be covered when it's caused by a covered event, such as a sudden plumbing leak - read your policy and ask your insurer before work starts.
Who should I hire first?
A foundation repair company designs its own repair and sells it; a licensed structural engineer (PE) works for you and has nothing to sell. For large or disputed repairs, a home sale or a repair plan you're unsure about, an independent engineer's report is worth paying for.