Use Call Now when you are ready to describe what you found and an independent provider serving the Corpus Christi area will answer.
Signs inside the house
- Gaps between walls and ceilings or floors
- Cabinets pulling away from the wall
- Sloping or bouncy floors and cracked tile
- Diagonal cracks above door and window frames
- Doors and windows that stick, jam or do not latch
Signs outside the house
- Cracks in the slab, stucco or exposed foundation wall
- Soil pulling away from the foundation
- Gaps around the chimney or porch
- Stair-step cracks in brick or block
- Poor drainage, ponding and downspouts that empty near the wall
What an inspection should include
- A clear difference between cosmetic and structural findings
- A written summary with photos and recommendations
- Review of drainage, grading and plumbing
- Measurements of floor elevations and crack widths
- Soil and moisture conditions
What you can do now
- Photograph and date cracks, and measure them
- Fix plumbing leaks and irrigation near the foundation
- Keep soil moisture steady, avoiding extremes
- Call for an inspection if cracks grow or doors stick
- Clean gutters and extend downspouts
A checklist for this week
- Check doors and windows for sticking
- Gather inspection and repair records
- Check that downspouts discharge several feet away
- Look for plumbing leaks and unusual water bills
- Walk the outside of the house and photograph cracks with a coin for scale
Myths and facts
- Myth: you can skip an engineer. Fact: an independent opinion is useful for big repairs.
- Myth: a repair means the house will never move again. Fact: soil still changes, so drainage and monitoring matter.
- Myth: foundation problems come only from old age. Fact: water and soil are the main drivers.
- Myth: all cracks mean a failing foundation. Fact: many cracks are cosmetic.
- Myth: bigger piers are always better. Fact: the design depends on the load and the soil.
Foundation terms explained
- Underpinning: strengthening or deepening an existing foundation
- Hydrostatic pressure: pressure from water in saturated soil
- Slab-on-grade: a concrete slab poured directly on the ground
- Differential settlement: uneven movement of one part of a foundation relative to another
- Pier: a column placed deep under the foundation to carry load on stable soil
- Elevation survey: measurements of floor heights to show movement
- Expansive clay: soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry
What shapes the written scope
Neighboring houses can need very different foundation work. A written scope should state what was found and which of these factors applied.
- The foundation type: slab-on-grade, post-tension slab, pier and beam, basement or crawl space
- Drainage, grading, gutters and plumbing leaks that feed the problem
- Access for equipment, utilities and landscaping, and any permit or engineer requirements
- The soil, especially expansive clay, and how wet or dry it has been
- How much the structure has moved and where, from elevation readings
Safety and when an engineer should be involved
A structural engineer can evaluate movement independently of anyone selling a repair, and can design the repair. A report from an engineer is useful for a sale, an insurance claim or a large repair. Do not enter a crawl space or basement that has standing water or visible structural distress, and keep utility lines in mind before any digging.
Questions to ask a foundation repair company
- How will you verify the result?
- What happens to landscaping, utilities and flooring during the work?
- What caused the movement, and how will you address the cause?
- Is the repair engineered, and can I see the design?
- What is the warranty, and is it transferable if I sell?
Prepare your Corpus Christi home for the assessment
- Check gutters and downspouts and see where water goes near the foundation
- Take dated photos of cracks with a coin or ruler for scale
- Gather any earlier inspection reports, repair invoices and the home's construction year
- Look for leaks, wet spots and unusual water bills
- Note when doors started sticking and when cracks appeared
Mistakes that make foundation problems worse
- Repairing cracks cosmetically without finding the cause.
- Choosing a repair before getting measurements and a cause.
- Ignoring drainage. Water at the foundation is the most common driver of movement.
- Planting large trees too close to the foundation.
- Over-watering or letting soil dry out completely around a slab in clay soils.
When to call a professional
Wide or growing cracks, sticking doors and windows, sloping floors, water entering the basement or crawl space, or a home purchase or sale are all reasons to call. Use Call Now at the top of the page and describe what you found; an independent foundation provider will answer, confirm your address and inspect the property in person.
What this means for a home in Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi sits on the Gulf coast with clay soils that swell when wet and shrink in drought, and many homes are built on concrete slabs. Wet and dry cycles move the soil under a slab and can cause cracks, uneven floors and sticking doors.
Coastal storms and flooding saturate soil and can undermine foundations and drainage. A high water table and salt air affect concrete, rebar and plumbing. Use these local details when you compare advice, and ask any provider how they apply to your house.
Getting help in Corpus Christi and nearby cities
Independent foundation providers around Corpus Christi, Texas, among them providers in Portland, Ingleside, Robstown, Flour Bluff and Aransas Pass, are reached through Foundation Repair Corpus Christi. Each address is confirmed separately.
Describe what you found through Call Now, at the top of the page. The provider then confirms the address, inspects the property and writes up the scope.
Keep reading
Related pages for Corpus Christi homeowners: Foundation inspection; Comparing foundation repair quotes; Foundation drainage assessment; Foundation crack assessment. For the area list, see the service areas page.