Many of Oklahoma City's older homes, including a large share of the bungalows and two-story houses in neighborhoods such as Heritage Hills, Mesta Park, Crown Heights, Gatewood, Paseo and the historic parts of Capitol Hill, sit on pier and beam foundations. The house rests on wood beams and joists carried by piers above a crawl space, with a perimeter foundation wall around the outside. Built well and kept dry, these foundations last for generations and are easier to repair than slabs.
Central Oklahoma's clay soils are what make them move. The red clay under much of the metro swells when it is wet and shrinks in dry spells, so piers on small or shallow footings rise and settle unevenly from season to season. Add decades of moisture in a vented crawl space and you get rotted shims, crushed wood piers, sagging beams, soft sill plates and floors that slope toward the middle of the house.
Mark Hayes and our crew measure the floor, inspect every pier, beam and joist, and explain whether you need shimming, new piers, steel supports or framing repair. Quotes are free and written before any work begins.
OKC tip: level slowly and fix the moisture too
A floor that settled over decades should not be jacked back up in one afternoon. Raising it gradually protects plaster, drywall and door frames. And if wet soil or a damp crawl space caused the problem, pair the structural repair with drainage or a vapor barrier so the new supports stay sound.
Signs You Need Pier and Beam Foundation Repair
- Floors that slope, dip or bounce
- Doors that stick or swing on their own
- Gaps between the floor and baseboards
- Cracks above door frames and windows
- Rotted or crushed shims on top of piers
- Soft or damaged sill plates along the foundation
Choosing the Right Pier and Beam Repair
Most pier and beam repairs fall into a few categories. Reshimming replaces rotted or crushed wood shims between piers and beams with steel or composite shims and brings low spots back up. Adding piers or adjustable steel support posts on new concrete footings shortens long spans under sagging beams. Replacing failed piers, such as old brick, block or wood posts that have tipped or decayed, gives the house solid bearing again. Framing repair sisters or replaces damaged joists, beams and sill plates.
For perimeter walls and corners that are settling, deeper solutions like pressed concrete piers or steel push piers may be needed; these are typically driven down to firmer soil or rock and carry the load of the outside walls. Expect a written plan that shows where each support goes and why. Moisture control, such as a vapor barrier, drainage or encapsulation, protects the repair.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Services We Help With
Reshimming and leveling
Replacing failed shims and raising low areas gradually.
New piers and steel support posts
Adjustable steel posts or new piers on concrete footings under sagging beams.
Pier replacement
Removing tipped, cracked or rotted piers and installing solid supports.
Beam and joist repair
Sistering or replacing damaged joists and beam sections.
Sill plate replacement
Replacing rotted sill where the house sits on the perimeter wall.
Perimeter piering
Pressed concrete or steel piers under settling outside walls and corners.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Cost in Oklahoma City, OK
| Project | Typical Range | What Affects It |
|---|---|---|
| Reshimming and minor leveling | $500 to $2,000 | Number of piers, access |
| Adjustable steel support post | $300 to $900 each | Footing size, height, access |
| New interior pier with footing | $400 to $1,200 each | Depth, soil, materials |
| Sistering a floor joist | $300 to $900 each | Length, obstructions |
| Sill plate repair | $100 to $300 per linear ft | Rot extent, access |
| Typical pier and beam leveling project | $2,500 to $10,000 | Scope and number of supports |
How It Works
- 1
Measure and inspect
We map floor elevations and inspect piers, beams, joists, sills and moisture.
- 2
Written repair plan
You get a plan showing each support, shim and framing repair with the price.
- 3
Support and repair
Footings, piers and posts go in, shims are replaced and damaged framing is repaired.
- 4
Level and protect
Floors are raised gradually and moisture control is added so the repair lasts.