The short answer
Leveling means raising the low part of a house, using piers, shims or injected material, until the floor is closer to level. It is not a guarantee of a flat floor, and it is not a cure for the cause. If soil moisture keeps swinging, the house can move again.
Worth it, or not yet?
Level it when:
- Doors and cabinets bind and floors slope enough to feel.
- Cracks keep widening, or a second elevation survey shows more movement.
- A buyer, lender or insurer wants it fixed.
Wait and monitor when the slope is small, the house is young, and the cracks are stable. ASCE’s Texas Section says monitoring may be a prudent approach before structural work in some cases.
Call to schedule an inspection
How “out of level” is measured
Engineers judge it two ways. Tilt is the slope across the whole house. ASCE’s Texas Section says tilt of 1% is usually noticeable. Deflection is how far a stretch of floor sags between two points; the ASCE and FPA use a limit of L/360 for foundations, meaning a sag of the span divided by 360. The FPA recommends measuring over 20 feet.
A number alone doesn’t prove damage. The ASCE says deflection over that limit with only minimal symptoms is not enough on its own: additional information needed.
Leveling a slab and a pier and beam house
On a slab, leveling means underpinning at the low spots. The slab page compares pier types. On a pier and beam house, it’s often shimming the floor framing on piers that are still sound, which is the cheapest version of leveling. Angi puts re-shimming at $1,600 on average.
Call to schedule an inspection
What leveling can’t do
- It can’t straighten a house built out of level. The FPA lists houses built out of level among the lookalikes.
- It can’t undo cracks. Brick and drywall may stay cracked.
- It can’t stop movement outside the lifted area. ASCE’s Texas Section says repair documents should state that underpinning will not improve the performance of the foundation in non-underpinned areas.
- It can’t fix a leaking pipe. ASCE says water and drain lines should be tested for leaks when a repair includes lifting.
Other kinds of lifting
For sunken sidewalks, patios and driveways, there are cheaper options. HomeAdvisor lists slabjacking at $500–$1,300, and Angi lists polyurethane foam at $5–$25 per sq ft. These lift flatwork, not the house. The FPA calls mudjacking and foam a shallow repair system, and so subject to the soil moving beneath it.
Call to schedule an inspection
After the house is level
Re-set doors and trim, repair cracks once the house has had time to settle, and keep soil moisture even with good drainage. San Antonio requires an engineer’s inspection letter for foundation repair permits, and that letter belongs in your file along with the new elevation readings.