How Much Does Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Cost? [2026 Data]

In 2026, the national average cost for pier and beam foundation repair is $10,000. Most homeowners spend between $6,000 and $14,000, depending on the extent of damage and the type of repair needed. Key cost drivers include soil conditions, the repair method used, and whether drainage or crawl space work is required.

Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Cost Factors: What Affects the Price?

Pier and beam foundation repairs can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $14,000, and the exact cost depends on several key factors.

Type of Repair

The type of repair your pier and beam foundation needs is the single most significant factor in determining your total cost. Options range from minor shimming adjustments, which start around $1,200, to full pier replacement or waterproofing systems, which can cost up to $20,000. More invasive repairs require more labor, specialized equipment, and sometimes permits, all of which drive costs higher. 

The table below breaks down average pier and beam foundation repair costs by type:

Adding New Piers

Adding a new pier to your pier and beam foundation costs around $2,000 on average, with most projects falling between $800 and $4,000 depending on accessibility, depth, and soil conditions. This repair is a practical solution when the original number of piers was insufficient or when you're adding onto your home and need extra support for a specific section. In some cases, adding piers can also relieve the load from existing ones that would otherwise need full replacement.

Replacing Beams

Replacing a beam in your pier and beam foundation costs around $800 on average, or between $400 and $1,200 per beam, depending on the scope of work. For a typical home with 10 to 12 beams, replacing all of them runs between $4,000 and $12,000 in total. Beam replacement is more affordable than pier replacement because no excavation is required—the process involves jacking up the affected section, detaching the old beam, and installing a new one.

Replacing Piers

Replacing a single pier costs an average of $3,000, with most projects falling between $2,000 and $6,000 depending on accessibility and pier depth, which is determined by the frost line in your area. The process involves excavating the existing pier, jacking up the surrounding area, and installing a new pier before redistributing the load. Because the work is labor-intensive and the foundation repair timeline can span several days, labor costs can climb significantly when the space under the home limits equipment maneuverability.

Reshimming Cost

Reshimming your piers and beams costs around $1,600 on average, with most jobs totaling between $1,200 and $2,000 depending on how many piers need attention and how many shims each requires. This repair involves inserting steel shims between the concrete piers and the beams, or between the beams and the floor joists, to correct minor settling. Your foundation repair cost will also depend on how your piers are connected to your beams, which affects the complexity of the work.

Underpinning Cost

Underpinning a pier and beam foundation costs between $1,000 and $3,000 per pier, with an average total project price of around $8,000. Most projects total between $2,000 and $20,000. This process installs long pilings beneath the foundation footings to redistribute weight deeper into the ground, where soil movement and frost pose less risk. The type of pier your contractor recommends—segmented, steel, or helical—will depend on your soil consistency, bedrock depth, and proximity to an underground aquifer.

• Segmented piers: $1,000 each

• Steel piers: $2,000 each

• Helical piers: $3,000 each

Segmented piers usually cost around $1,000 each, steel piers are around $2,000 each, and helical piers, ideal for sandy soil, cost around $3,000 each.

Waterproofing and Moisture Management

Waterproofing a pier and beam foundation starts at around $3,000 for a basic water-resistant sealant applied to the underside of the foundation, but costs can climb well over $20,000 for extensive measures like enclosing the space with a concrete block wall and installing a full drainage system. A simple sealant is often enough for mild indoor humidity issues, while more serious moisture problems may require block wall construction, vents, and a sump pump. If you already have a concrete block perimeter wall, waterproofing may only involve sealing foundation cracks and adding a drainage system, which can run between $200 and $800 per crack and around $10,000 for the drainage system itself.

Home Size

The larger your home, the more likely you'll need to repair, shim, or replace multiple supports below. This is especially true since the center piers are the most likely to settle and shift under heavier loads, and larger homes naturally have more piers in the center than around the perimeter.

Although pier and beam foundation repair costs per square foot can vary widely, you can expect an average price of between $6 and $8 per square foot. Prices per square foot can be as low as $0.50 or as high as $17.

Soil Quality

Soil composition directly shapes foundation repair costs and the frequency of long-term maintenance. Loose or sandy soil requires driving piers deeper to reach load-bearing strata, raising installation costs for three to five steel piers to $9,000 to $15,000, compared to $6,000 to $10,000 in dense clay with shallow bedrock. Meanwhile, highly expansive clay soils swell and shrink rapidly with moisture changes, causing aggressive settlement that increases maintenance frequency—often requiring pier-and-beam reshimming every two to three years versus every three to five years in stable loamy soil.

The Extent or Cause of the Issue

Foundation repair costs scale directly with the severity of the damage, ranging from under $1,000 for minor reshimming to over $20,000 for complex structural underpinning. Simple settlement in stable loamy soil can usually be fixed with low-cost reshimming, whereas expansive clay soils cause severe shifting that demands expensive pier stabilization. Underlying moisture problems drive the highest expenses, as permanent structural fixes require adding costly waterproofing systems alongside foundation repairs.

Permits

Many types of pier and beam foundation repair require building permits, which can add a few hundred dollars to your overall repair costs. Minor repairs, such as reshimming, may not require a permit at all, but most municipalities mandate permits for any work involving excavation or structural changes. Underpinning, beam replacement, pier replacement, and high-end waterproofing systems such as French drains typically require permits before work can begin.

Additional Services

A qualified foundation repair contractor should always address the root cause of the problem, not just the visible symptoms. Moisture issues that require sealing your underhome area can cost up to $25,000, while natural shifting and settling may call for a gutter system costing $1,000 to $8,000 to manage runoff and reduce soil movement around your home. The table below outlines standard costs for common additional services when repairing a pier and beam foundation:

Accessibility

A pier that needs replacement in the center of your home might require additional time and special equipment to remove, while a pier around the perimeter of your home will naturally be more accessible and will cost less due to lower labor costs.

You may also need to consider the landscaping features around the affected area, as you could tack on hundreds or even thousands of dollars to your total if excavation around a pier under your home would interrupt a patio, deck, or another structure.

Repair vs. Replace a Pier and Beam Foundation: Which Is More Expensive?

Deciding whether your pier and beam foundation needs repair or partial replacement depends on the severity and type of damage you're seeing. Signs like an uneven or sinking floor, cabinets pulling away from walls, or large drywall cracks around openings typically point to at least a partial replacement, and visible insect or water damage on wooden components usually requires replacement as well. Sudden floor creaking or unlevel floor joists spotted during a foundation inspection may indicate only minor repairs are needed. In either case, it's worth calling in a foundation repair company near you to assess the issue, since foundation problems can be more involved than they appear on the surface.

Why You Should Hire a Foundation Repair Pro: What Does It Cost?

When it comes to the structural foundation of your home, you should always hire a foundation repair pro near you. This is not the type of weekend project for which you can just watch YouTube videos for and feel confident tackling it on your own.

Here’s why it’s ideal to hire a foundation repair pro

Whenever you need to repair your pier and beam foundation, you need to call in an experienced, certified foundation repair professional. Here’s why:

• Working on the actual foundation of your home poses major risks for the structural integrity of the building. Only experienced professionals should attempt this kind of work.

• Pier and beam foundations are difficult to access. Professionals have the necessary tools and experience to safely and efficiently excavate and replace existing piers and beams.

• Local building code usually requires that only certified professionals work on home foundations.

• Pros have a fundamental understanding of the physics behind how foundations work; homeowners typically don’t have that same knowledge and can make costly and dangerous mistakes by tackling the work themselves.

• Before you can repair your foundation, you need a real understanding of what’s wrong; pros are better suited to inspect the pier and beam foundation and determine the issue—and the proper course of action to fix it.

• Pier and beam foundation repair companies carry liability insurance in case of expensive mistakes, and they may also offer warranties on their labor.

How to Save Money on Pier and Beam Foundation Repair: What to Budget For

Pier and beam foundation repair costs can get expensive quickly, especially if you need a multifaceted approach to solve the issue. There are a few things you can do to help keep costs down as you get your foundation issues fixed.

• Address the underlying problem. Foundation damage doesn't just happen for no reason, and unless you find and fix the underlying issue, you'll end up paying far more down the road for ongoing repairs. Solving drainage issues, moisture problems, or soil composition issues can be expensive up front, but it's almost always worth it in the long run.

• Carry out routine maintenance. Pier and beam foundations need more maintenance than many other foundation types, and keeping up with that maintenance with annual foundation inspections and routine reshimming can prevent the need for some of the more expensive repairs, like pier replacement, beam replacement, and even underpinning.

• Install a gutter system. Proper soil drainage is one of the most crucial things for foundation health, and a gutter system is a simple but effective solution for good drainage. Make sure you have gutters, downspouts, and downspout extenders installed to minimize soil expansion, moisture issues, mold growth, wood rot, and pest infestation in and around your foundation.

• Don't relocate during the repair. In some cases, it might be easier to relocate during foundation repair to get away from the noises and distractions. However, in most cases, you can live in your house during foundation repair, and doing so will save you money on alternative living arrangements.

• Get multiple quotes. Finally, get at least three quotes from local professionals to compare based on cost and value. This can help you avoid unnecessarily high pier and beam foundation repair costs from an overpriced contractor in your area.

How Angi Gets Its Cost Data

Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We extensively research project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We rely on reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects. 

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