Texas Foundation Repair Rules: What New Braunfels, TX Homeowners Should Know
Foundation work in New Braunfels, TX runs on a mix of city rules and state consumer law, and the two don't always line up. This page lays out what applies in the city, in unincorporated Comal County and in the Guadalupe County side, so you can ask sharper questions before anyone lifts your slab.
The Rules in Brief
Texas does not license foundation repair contractors. The state's Texas Residential Construction Commission was abolished on September 1, 2009, and nothing took its place, so a "state license" for this trade doesn't exist. The rules that do apply are local. The City of New Braunfels makes contractors register before doing foundation repair inside city limits, and the job needs a City permit.
State law adds protections on deductibles, home sales, defect disputes and deceptive practices, covered in the sections below. This is a summary of public law, not legal advice.
Checking a Foundation Contractor's Registration
The City of New Braunfels keeps its own contractor registration. A Building Division bulletin lists foundation repair or modification among the jobs that need a registered contractor even when a homeowner exemption would otherwise apply, so pulling the permit in your own name doesn't get around it. Residential contractors also keep a certificate of liability insurance on file with the City. Registration renews each year, so ask the Building Division before work starts whether a company is current.
Outside city limits the City list doesn't apply, which puts more weight on your own questions. Get these answers in writing:
- Proof of City registration. Needed inside New Braunfels city limits; the Building Division can confirm it.
- A liability insurance certificate. A current copy naming the company that will do the work.
- The engineer question. Will a licensed professional engineer evaluate the house or seal the repair plan, and whose report is it?
- Who pulls the permit. Usually the contractor; put the answer in the contract.
- A written scope. How many piers, what type, and where they go on a drawing of your home.
- Warranty terms. What's covered, for how long, and whether it transfers to a buyer.
- Local references. A few recent jobs in the New Braunfels area.
Plumbing Leaks, Insurance and Your Foundation
A leak under a slab can add water to the clay and let part of the house shift, so plumbing and foundation questions often arrive together. Coverage is a separate matter: ask your own insurer what your policy covers.
If an insurance payment is part of the plan, Texas law sets firm limits. Under Business and Commerce Code § 27.02, anyone selling goods or services paid from a property-insurance claim commits an offense by paying, waiving or rebating your deductible, or by advertising that. You pay your own deductible. A contract of $1,000 or more expected to be paid from a claim must carry a deductible notice printed in bold type.
Insurance Code § 4102.163 also bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster, or advertising to adjust claims, on a property where it does or may do the work. The claim stays between you and your insurer, or a licensed public adjuster you hire yourself.
Cancel Rights for Home Repair Contracts
Business and Commerce Code chapter 601 covers sales made through a personal visit away from the seller's place of business. When such a contract costs more than $25 and you sign it at home, you can usually cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. Some sales are exempt, so read the contract's notice and ask.
If a job goes badly, two more laws apply. The Residential Construction Liability Act, Property Code chapter 27, asks an owner to send the contractor written notice of a construction defect at least 60 days before filing suit, by return-receipt mail as the statute specifies. The contractor may ask to inspect and may offer to repair or settle. Separately, the Deceptive Trade Practices Act, § 17.46, makes false, misleading or deceptive business practices unlawful, and complaints about a contractor can go to the Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Paperwork to Keep After Repair
Licensed professional engineers in Texas are overseen by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS), which has issued policy opinions on evaluating and repairing residential foundations. We found no City document saying a repair permit needs an engineer. Ask the City whether your permit needs an engineer's plan or letter, and ask the company whether an engineer will evaluate or seal the repair. For new construction only, the City requires a sealed engineer's foundation inspection letter.
After the work, keep one folder for warranty questions and a future sale:
- Permit and final inspection record. Proof the City signed off.
- Any engineer's report or sealed letter. Keep before and after versions if there were two.
- Elevation readings. Floor measurements from before and after lifting, dated.
- The pier map. Where each pier went and what type it is.
- Warranty and transfer terms. The signed warranty and any form a buyer would need.
Local Permit Offices
Permit rules change at the city line, and no nearby town should be assumed to work the way the City of New Braunfels does.
- City of New Braunfels. Development Services / Building Division, 550 Landa Street, (830) 221-4041; permits run through the City's online portal. If part of the lot lies in the 100-year floodplain, a City Floodplain Development Permit may also apply.
- Unincorporated Comal County. The 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, 830-608-2090.
- Unincorporated Guadalupe County. Guadalupe County Environmental Health, (830) 303-8858, handles floodplain development permits.
- Garden Ridge, TX. The city has its own building permits and inspections office at 9400 Municipal Parkway; ask whether your repair needs a permit.
- Bulverde, TX. Office of Building Review and Inspection, (830) 438-3612; ask about permits for structural work.
- Spring Branch, TX area. The City of Spring Branch says it issues no building permits. Most homes fall under Comal County; those inside Bulverde's limits or its extraterritorial jurisdiction go to Bulverde.
What People Ask About the Rules
Does a foundation company need a state license in Texas?
No such license exists. Texas closed its residential construction commission in 2009 and never replaced it. Inside New Braunfels city limits, a contractor doing foundation repair must register with the City and the job needs a City permit. Outside the city, check with the county or town office for your address.
Can a company cover my insurance deductible?
No. Texas makes it an offense for a seller of work paid from a property claim to pay, waive or rebate your deductible, or to advertise doing so. If a salesperson hints at it, slow down. Ask your own insurer what your policy covers, and plan to pay the deductible yourself.
Is an engineer's report required before repair?
The City requires a sealed engineer's foundation letter on new homes, but we found nothing saying the same for repairs. Ask the Building Division what your permit needs, and ask the company whether a licensed professional engineer will evaluate the house or seal the plan, and who pays for that report.
Where can I take a complaint about a contractor?
The Texas Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division takes complaints about deceptive business practices. Registration or permit concerns inside city limits go to the City of New Braunfels Building Division. For defects in finished work, follow the notice steps in the Residential Construction Liability Act and consider talking with a lawyer.
Where This Information Comes From
Statute text was read through the texas.public.law copy of the Texas statutes.
- Texas Sunset Commission, Texas Residential Construction Commission: https://www.sunset.texas.gov/reviews-and-reports/agencies/texas-residential-construction-commission (read 2026-10-12)
- City of New Braunfels contractor registration: https://www.newbraunfels.gov/DocumentCenter/View/945/General-Contractor-Registration-Application and https://www.newbraunfels.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6654/Homeowner-General-Contractor (read 2026-10-12)
- City of New Braunfels permits and Building Division: https://newbraunfels.gov/3433/Building-Permits; https://newbraunfels.gov/3430/Building-Safety; and https://newbraunfels.gov/DocumentCenter/View/25737/Development-Guide (read 2026-10-12)
- City of New Braunfels new-construction engineer letter: https://newbraunfels.gov/CivicAlerts.asp?AID=3013 (read 2026-10-12)
- Home solicitation cancel right: https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._and_com._code_section_601.002 and https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._and_com._code_section_601.051 (read 2026-10-12)
- Insurance deductible offense: https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._and_com._code_section_27.02 (read 2026-10-12)
- Contractors and public adjusting: https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._ins._code_section_4102.163 (read 2026-10-12)
- Residential Construction Liability Act notice: https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._prop._code_section_27.004 (read 2026-10-12)
- Deceptive Trade Practices Act: https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._and_com._code_section_17.46 (read 2026-10-12)
- Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: https://pels.texas.gov/policy.htm (read 2026-10-12)
- Comal County Engineer's Office: https://cceo.org/mainpage/buildingreqs and https://cceo.org/flood/floodmain (read 2026-10-12)
- Guadalupe County floodplain permits: https://www.guadalupetx.gov/upload/page/0237/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions-Flood.pdf (read 2026-10-12)
- City of Bulverde Building Review and Inspection: https://bulverdetx.gov/174/Building-Review-Inspection (read 2026-10-12)
- City of Spring Branch permits: https://cityofspringbranch.gov/permits/ (read 2026-10-12)
Request a Pro's Inspection
Tell us about the cracks, sticking doors or sloping floors you've noticed, and we'll book a visit with a local foundation specialist. The specialist handles the inspection, the written estimate and any permit work, and you choose whether to go ahead. Sending the form costs nothing. Bring the questions on this page to the visit.