Repair methods, cheapest first
This ordering is our editorial position, not a standard: fix the water, then the support, then the cosmetics. Contractors who start at step two are not necessarily wrong, but they should be able to explain why step one does not apply to your house.
1. Drainage and grading
Extending downspouts, regrading so soil falls away from the wall, and adding a French drain or a curtain drain where water collects. It is the least glamorous item on the list and the cheapest, and it is the one that protects whatever you spend on the steps below. Ask whether it has been assessed before you buy anything further down this page.
2. Pier underpinning
When a footing has lost bearing, piers transfer the load down to material that can carry it. Two families are common on residential work.
Helical piles
A shafted screw anchor turned into the ground with a hydraulic drive head. Installation torque correlates with capacity, so the installer gets a reading as they go, and they install with low vibration in tight spaces. The acceptance criteria that governs them, ICC-ES AC358, provides methods to establish the allowable loads and deformation capacities of helical pile systems and devices used to resist axial compression, axial tension or lateral loads, and requires that the resulting evaluation report include a description of the helical pile device or system, typical applications, and limitations. Appendix A extends the same evaluation to the International Residential Code. ICC-ES AC358 (April 2025), sections 1.2 and 6.1
Push piers, also called resistance piers
The other steel pier system you will be quoted. We are not going to characterise how they perform or where they fall short, because we have no source we can point you to for it. Ask which ICC-ES evaluation report covers the specific system being proposed, and read what that report says about the application and its limitations.
3. Slab lifting
For a settled concrete slab, driveway or garage floor where the slab itself is sound and the void is underneath it.
Two methods are common: mudjacking, which pumps a cement slurry beneath the slab, and polyurethane foam injection. We are not going to rank them for you. Ask each bidder which one they propose, why it suits your slab, and get the method written into the quote so you can compare like with like.
4. Crawl space structural work
Work under a crawl space can involve adjustable steel posts on proper footings, sistered joists, or new interior piers. Which of those applies is a question for whoever inspects the house, not something to decide from a symptom.
Do the moisture work at the same time. Department of Energy Building America research found that in humid climates the air from outside is often more moist than the air in the crawlspace, leading to structural, mold, and pest problems, and that closed, conditioned crawl spaces cut humidity substantially. U.S. DOE Building America, Unvented Conditioned CrawlspacesMore on crawl spaces, including the detailing references.
5. Cosmetic crack repair
Epoxy or polyurethane injection seals a crack against water and restores some tensile strength. It does not address why the crack opened. Do it last, after the movement has stopped, or you will do it twice.