Foundation Repair Cost: What Published Sources Say, and Why They Disagree
Published averages for foundation repair sit around $5,000,[1, 2, 3, 4] but one repair company's own page says nearly $12,000,[5] and individual repair types range from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands. This page shows each figure as its publisher states it, with the date, so you can see the spread instead of one reassuring number.
Summary
Overall cost, as stated by each publisher
| Source and date | Average / typical | Stated range |
|---|---|---|
| Forbes Home, last modified Feb. 10, 2025[2] | $5,400 average | $2,250 to $8,600 typical; as low as $200 and as high as $52,500 for extensive work |
| This Old House, update date shown 10/08/2026[3] | $5,179 average | $2,224 to $8,134 |
| HomeAdvisor, no date shown[4] | $5,165 average | $2,218 to $8,111 |
| Angi, last updated May 12, 2022[1] | About $4,530 (about $4,500 in text) | $2,010 to $7,060 for most repairs, attributed to HomeAdvisor; minor repairs from $500 |
| HomeGuide, no date shown[6] | No average given | Ranges by method only (below) |
| Olshan Foundation Repair (a repair company), no date shown[5] | $11,950 average | $8,641 to $34,000 or more |
The marketplace and media averages cluster closely, which is not the same as independent confirmation: none of those pages says whether it draws on common data. The company figure is more than double. A repair company's own price page reflects the work that company sells, and the page's range starts above where the others' typical ranges end, so it may describe a different mix of jobs; it does not say.
By repair type: where the sources conflict
| Method | Forbes (Feb. 2025)[2] | Angi (May 2022)[1] | HomeGuide (undated)[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crack or general repair | Forbes' "Repair" category: $1,200 to $3,500 (not defined as crack repair; its only stated average is for concrete slab leak repair, about $3,100) | Minor from $250; major about $800 | $250 to $800 per crack |
| Piers / underpinning | Underpinning: $12,000 to $52,500; $1,400 to $3,200 per pier | $1,000 to $3,000 per pier | $10,000 to $20,000 per job; $1,000 to $3,000 per pier; 8 to 10 piers for an average house |
| Slabjacking / mudjacking / lifting | "Jacking": $7,100 to $48,000, based on $3 to $20 per square foot for a 2,400 sq ft home; "Leveling": $600 to $4,000 | Slabjacking or leveling: $500 to $1,300 | Slabjacking: $4,500 to $9,000 |
| Bowed wall stabilization / reinforcement | Reinforcement: $4,300 to $13,000 | $4,000 to $12,000 for 12 carbon fiber or steel strips | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Replacement | $20,000 to $100,000 | Not given | Not given |
| Method | This Old House (10/08/2026)[3] | HomeAdvisor (undated)[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Crack repair | $250 to $800 | $250 to $800 |
| Piers | $1,000 to $3,000 per pier | $1,000 to $3,000 per pier |
| Slabjacking | $550 to $1,300 | $500 to $1,300 |
| Bowed wall | Not given | $4,000 to $12,000 |
| Full lifting of a house | $20,000 to $23,000 | Not given |
| Structural engineer's report | $500 to $1,000 | $340 to $780 (foundation inspection report) |
Look at slabjacking: Angi, HomeAdvisor and This Old House say about $500 to $1,300, HomeGuide $4,500 to $9,000, and Forbes' "jacking" category starts at $7,100. One possible reason is scope: the low figure may describe a small slab such as a walkway or patio, while a house-sized lift is a different job. The pages do not say. That is exactly why you should never compare totals without comparing what is included. On per-pier price, Angi, HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor and This Old House all give $1,000 to $3,000 and Forbes gives $1,400 to $3,200, and HomeGuide notes an average house uses 8 to 10 piers, which it uses to derive a job total of $10,000 to $20,000.[1, 6, 4, 3, 2]
An important caveat: Angi attributes its range to HomeAdvisor and gives no method; HomeGuide shows no date or data basis. Treat these as indicative.
What drives the price
- How much has to be done. Number of piers and their depth, area to be lifted, linear feet of wall repair.
- Soil and depth to stable ground. Deeper piers cost more.
- Access. Interior work, tight yards, hardscape and landscaping that must be removed and restored.
- Design and engineering. Whether a stamped design is part of the job.
- Cause-related work. Drainage, leak repair, tree management and plumbing testing after lifting; the ASCE Texas Section guidelines recommend testing water, sewer and gas lines after lifting.[7]
- Cosmetic repair. Wall, finish and trim repair is usually separate.
- Hidden problems. This Old House suggests setting aside $1,000 to $2,500 beyond the quote for surprises such as tree roots or remnants of old repairs.[3]
- Local labor and permit costs. These vary by market, and we have no reliable national dataset to cite for the effect.
Older publications also include cost figures, such as the Colorado Geological Survey's 1978 estimates; those are historical and we do not use them for current budgeting.[8]
How to compare bids
- Get the same scope in writing. If one bid has 10 piers and another has 14, ask why.
- Ask for unit prices per pier, per foot of wall, per square foot lifted, and what is included (permits, engineering, restoration, post-repair survey).
- Get at least three written bids, as the Federal Trade Commission advises, and ask why prices differ; the lowest bid is not automatically best.[9]
- Consider an independent engineer first. An engineer's repair scope lets bidders price the same job. See do you need a structural engineer?
- Check what the warranty covers before comparing prices; see contracts, warranties and permits.
See also the cost calculator, paying for foundation repair and whether insurance covers it.
Common questions
How much does foundation repair cost on average?
Why do published prices disagree so much?
How much does one foundation pier cost?
Is an engineer's report worth paying for?
Related guides
Sources
Figures and claims marked with a number come from these sources. Dates are the publication or last-update dates shown by the publisher, where one was shown. Older sources are flagged in the text.
- How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost? (Angi). Angi; last updated May 12, 2022.A home-services marketplace that connects homeowners with contractors. The page cites HomeAdvisor for its overall range and gives no method.
- Foundation Repair Cost (Forbes Home). Forbes; first published June 29, 2023, last modified February 10, 2025.A media site's cost guide. It says it surveyed five contractors and retailers, one financing resource and four cost databases; method ranges are not explained.
- Foundation Repair Cost (This Old House). This Old House; update date shown on the page: 10/08/2026.A media and reviews site; the page does not explain its method.
- How Much Does Foundation Repair Cost? (HomeAdvisor). HomeAdvisor; no update date shown (the page says it is updated using automation).A home-services marketplace that connects homeowners with contractors.
- Foundation Repair Costs (Olshan Foundation Repair). Olshan Foundation Repair, a foundation repair company; no date shown (the page says "in 2026").A repair company's own price page, so it reflects the work the company sells and has an interest in selling it.
- Foundation Repair Cost (HomeGuide). HomeGuide; no date shown.A home-services marketplace that connects homeowners with contractors. No data basis or date is shown.
- Guidelines for the Evaluation and Repair of Residential Foundations, Version 1. Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers; adopted October 3, 2002, effective January 1, 2003.Written for Texas conditions and by its own terms not a standard of care. Widely used as a reference for slab and pier-and-beam evaluation. Published in 2002.
- Home Construction on Shrinking and Swelling Soils (Special Publication 11). Colorado Geological Survey; Wesley G. Holtz and Stephen S. Hart, October 1978.Published in 1978. We use it for soil behavior and landscaping distances, not for costs or current practice.
- Hiring a Contractor. Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Information; March 2014.2014 publication. Cancellation-right and licensing rules vary by state.