Foundation Repair Questions From New Braunfels, TX Homeowners
Homeowners in New Braunfels, TX, and across Comal County tend to ask the same handful of things before anyone measures their floors. We keep these answers short and sourced, and none of them is a sales pitch or a price for your house.
What People Ask About Foundations
Some questions are about money, some about Texas law and a few about how a request with us works. The slab foundation repair and pier and beam repair pages go deeper.
Who comes out to look at my house?
A local foundation specialist who works around New Braunfels and Comal County. We take your request and set up the visit; the specialist, a separate company, checks the floors, prices the work and does any repair. We never write bids or sign contracts with you. Sending a request costs nothing, and you can still say no.
What does foundation repair usually cost?
Angi's 2026 national figures put a typical job at about $2,225 to $8,133, with an average near $5,174. HomeGuide (2026) lists steel piers at about $1,000 to $1,600 each, so the pier count drives much of the total. Both are national ranges, not quotes. The cost guide breaks the numbers down, and the cost calculator turns your home's size into a rough planning range.
Does Texas license foundation repair contractors?
No. The state has had no license for this trade since the Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished in 2009. Inside New Braunfels city limits, though, anyone doing foundation repair must be registered with the City. Ask for proof of registration, a certificate of liability insurance, local references and written warranty terms, including whether the warranty transfers when you sell.
Do I need a permit inside city limits?
Yes. The City of New Braunfels lists a Foundation permit, and its building rules require a permit to repair a structure. The Development Services Building Division, 550 Landa Street, (830) 221-4041, issues them through an online portal. Ask the company who pulls the permit, and ask the Building Division before work starts. If part of the lot sits in the 100-year floodplain, a City Floodplain Development Permit may apply too.
What if my home is outside the city?
Unincorporated Comal County does not list a residential building permit. Homes in a mapped floodplain may need a Floodplain Development Permit, so check with the County Engineer's Office at (830) 608-2090. On the Guadalupe County side, Guadalupe County Environmental Health, (830) 303-8858, handles floodplain development permits. Nearby cities run their own permit offices.
Should a structural engineer see the house first?
It often helps when floors slope or cracks keep growing. A professional engineer measures the floors and writes a report the repair company can follow; HomeGuide (2026) puts these reports at about $500 to $3,000 nationally. Ask the company whether an engineer will evaluate the home or seal the repair plan, and ask the City whether your permit needs an engineer's plan or letter.
Will my homeowners insurance pay for this?
Ask your own insurer what your policy covers before work begins. If a claim pays part of the job, the deductible is yours. Texas law makes it an offense for anyone selling the repair to pay, waive or rebate a deductible, or to advertise that they will. We offer no claims help.
Why do so many homes here crack and settle?
New Braunfels sits on the Balcones Escarpment. West of the fault line, thin rocky soil covers limestone; to the east, dark expansive clay takes over. Blackland clays like Houston Black swell when wet and shrink when dry, and the NRCS notes dry-season cracks ½ inch to 4 inches wide. Drought, sudden heavy rain, slab leaks and big trees near the walls feed that cycle.
Which warning signs deserve a closer look?
Stair-step cracks in brick, doors that stick or won't latch, drywall cracks above doorways, sloping floors and gaps where walls meet the ceiling are the usual ones. A single hairline crack is often cosmetic. Widening cracks or tilting floors are worth a foundation company's visit. The warning signs quiz helps you sort what you're seeing.
Can I back out of a contract signed at home?
Often, yes. When a sale over $25 is made at your home after a personal sales visit, Texas law usually lets you cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. Some exceptions apply, so read the contract's cancellation notice. The Texas foundation repair rules page covers this and the other protections.
Get Specific Answers for Your Home
General answers stop at the property line. Only someone in your living room with a level can say how far your floors have moved. Send us a request, and we will line up that visit with a local foundation specialist.