A pier-and-beam house stands on short piers that hold up wood beams, with a crawl space between the floor and the dirt. Most fixes happen in that crawl space. McKinney treats them as foundation repair, so even a shim job needs an engineer and a permit.
How to know it's pier and beam
Look for screened vents or a small access door near the ground on the outside walls. Floors that flex a little underfoot are another hint. No vents and concrete under the flooring points to a slab instead; see slab foundation repair.
Typical repairs and what they cost
| Work | Published range |
|---|---|
| Most repairs | $1,500 to $15,000 |
| Shimming and leveling | $1,500 to $10,000 |
| Reinforcing a pier | $1,500 to $3,000 each |
| Replacing a beam | $1,500 to $4,000 each |
| Crawl space moisture control | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Support jacks | $5,000 to $10,000 |
| Piering or underpinning | $10,000 to $20,000+ |
Those are national numbers. Add the city's $75 permit and the engineer's letter and final report, which McKinney requires.
Shims count as foundation repair here
McKinney's Foundation Repair Requirements define foundation repair as "any leveling, replacement of piers, footings, shimming, or replacement of any part of the floor system." That covers the most common pier-and-beam fixes. So if someone offers to "just re-shim it" without a permit, point them to the city's sheet. Details are on our permit page.
Older houses
If you own an older crawl-space house in one of McKinney's historic districts and the repair changes anything you can see from outside, such as skirting or visible piers, check with the Historic Preservation Office as well. See historic district homes.
Worth asking
- Is it the soil, the piers, or the wood that's failed?
- Is there water or high humidity under the house, and what's the plan for it?
- Which beams or joists will be replaced, and with what?