Rotted sill plates
The sill is the wood on top of the foundation or skirt wall. Replacing it means supporting the house, cutting out the rot and fitting new wood.
Crawl Space Repair in Shreveport and Bossier City, LA
A soft spot in the floor, a musty smell, water under the house after rain or a sill that crumbles when you press it are worth a closer look. Describe it once, and independent crawl space and foundation companies serving Shreveport, LA and northwest Louisiana can reply with free, no-obligation quotes. Shreveport Foundation Services is a quote service, not a contractor.
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Signs of crawl space trouble
- Sagging, bouncy or soft spots in the floor
- A musty or damp smell in the house, often worse in warm, wet months
- Standing water or mud under the house after rain
- Dark, stained or soft wood on sills, joists or beams
- Mud tubes on piers or walls, or wood that sounds hollow when tapped
- Gaps at baseboards, or doors that start to stick
If it is safe, look from the access door with a flashlight and take photos. A screwdriver pressed gently into a sill or joist tells a lot: sound wood resists, rotted wood gives.
Why crawl spaces stay damp around Shreveport, LA
Shreveport averages about 51.4 inches of rain a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals), with April the wettest month at about 5.2 inches. Soils mapped around the area such as the Keithville, Wrightsville and Guyton series drain slowly, and USDA describes Keithville soils as holding water above their clay layers 2 to 3 feet down in winter and early spring.
Then summer turns hot, with about 99 days a year at 90 °F or above. Damp soil, humid air and wood that never fully dries can contribute to rot in sills and joists. With 65% of the city's homes built before 1980 (ACS 2020–2024), much of that framing has had decades of exposure.
Termites are a pest-control job
Damp crawl spaces raise the risk of termites as well as rot. In Louisiana, termite treatment is done by a pest control operator licensed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), not by the foundation company. Formosan termites were first confirmed in a Shreveport-Bossier building in 2016, in Haughton, LA; native subterranean termites are the everyday concern.
Sagging floor repair: sills, joists and beams
The fix depends on which part under the floor has weakened or dropped.
Sistered or replaced joists
A new joist fastened alongside a cracked or sagging one restores stiffness; badly rotted joists are replaced.
Beams and added support
A beam that sags between piers can be supported with new piers or posts, or replaced.
Moisture control
Gutters, grading, crawl space drainage and a vapor barrier or encapsulation keep new wood dry. See crawl space encapsulation and drainage and grading.
If floors slope across the whole house, the piers may have moved. See pier and beam repair and house leveling, and the post on why floors sag.
Crawl space access and height
A low, tight crawl space means slower work by hand, and a small access door may need widening for beams and pier materials. Ask how the crew will get in and whether any opening will change.
What a crawl space repair company typically does
Inspect
Moisture readings, probing of sills and joists, piers, beams, termite signs and photos. A free inspection is a sales visit.
Write the scope
How much wood is replaced or sistered, where support is added, how hidden rot will be priced, and what will be done about the moisture.
Pest work and permit
An LDAF-licensed pest control operator treats any termites. For structural work, the contractor pulls the permit.
Support and replace
Temporary supports go in, rotted wood comes out, new sills, joists or beams go in, and piers or shims are set.
Dry it out and document
Drainage, vapor barrier or encapsulation as agreed, then photos, the invoice and warranty terms in writing.
What crawl space repair costs
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crawl space repair, overall | $500–$7,500 (avg ≈ $4,500 for 1,500 sq ft) | Fixr, Jan 2025 |
| Sagging floor repair | $1,000–$5,000 | Fixr |
| Support beam replacement | $1,500–$5,000 per beam | Fixr |
| Floor joist repair | $100–$300 per joist | Fixr |
| Wood rot repair in a crawl space | $750–$5,000 | Fixr |
| Structural engineer inspection | $300–$1,000 (avg ≈ $600) | This Old House, Oct 2026 |
Typical national ranges from published 2025–2026 cost guides (Fixr, This Old House, Angi), not quotes. Your price depends on an on-site inspection.
Sill plate replacement figures are not reliably published, so get written quotes for that item. Access, the amount of rot, termite damage and any moisture work set the total. Vapor barrier and dehumidifier prices are on the encapsulation page. See the Shreveport foundation repair cost guide for a calculator.
When to bring in a structural engineer
Engineer first for widespread damage
If rot has reached the main beams, many joists need replacing, quotes disagree or you are buying or selling the house, hire an independent Louisiana-licensed professional engineer (LAPELS) before you sign. This Old House puts a typical inspection at $300–$1,000. The engineer should be independent of the company selling the repair. See foundation inspections.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Your LSLBC license number, proof of liability insurance, and who pulls the permit?
- Exactly which sills, joists and beams will be replaced or sistered, in a written scope?
- How will you price extra rot found once work starts?
- Who handles termite treatment, and how will you deal with the moisture?
- What does the warranty cover, does it transfer to a buyer, and can I have it in writing?
- Are you connected to any engineer who assessed the house?
Louisiana license, permit and cancel-right check
Louisiana's contractor board (LSLBC) changed its thresholds on August 1, 2024. Home improvement registration now covers most projects of $7,500 to under $50,000, but structural work such as foundations, footings and floor slabs is excluded from "home improvement", so foundation repair over $7,500 generally calls for an LSLBC-licensed contractor. Look the company up at lslbc.louisiana.gov and ask for the license number, proof of liability insurance and the permit.
Structural repairs generally need a permit from your city or parish; your contractor should pull it. Louisiana's home solicitation law (R.S. 9:3538) gives a 3-business-day right to cancel many in-home sales, but it may not apply when you contacted the company yourself; ask and get it in writing.
Crawl space repair FAQs
What causes sagging floors over a crawl space?
Common causes are rotted sills or joists from long-term moisture, piers that have settled or shifted, beams that span too far between piers, and termite damage. On clay soils, piers can also move with wet and dry seasons. An inspection from the crawl space, with moisture readings and probing of the wood, usually shows which one you have.
How much does crawl space repair cost?
Fixr puts crawl space repair at about $500 to $7,500, with an average near $4,500 for a 1,500 sq ft crawl space, sagging floor repair at $1,000 to $5,000 and joist repair at $100 to $300 per joist. Hidden rot found during the work can change the total, so ask how it will be priced.
Can rotted floor joists be repaired without replacing them?
Often a new joist is fastened alongside the damaged one, called sistering, which avoids pulling the old one out. Joists that are badly rotted or eaten by termites may need to come out. Either way, the moisture source needs fixing too, or the new wood ends up in the same damp conditions.
Is water in my crawl space a problem?
Standing water after heavy rain keeps the soil and wood damp and can contribute to rot, mold and termites. Start outside with gutters, downspouts and grading. If water still collects, a crawl space drainage system and a vapor barrier or encapsulation may be part of the fix.
Get free crawl space repair quotes
Say where the floor sags or feels soft, whether you have seen water under the house and how old the home is. Shreveport Foundation Services passes your request to independent companies serving Shreveport, Bossier City and northwest Louisiana, and they reply to you directly. Companies may pay to receive requests. There is no cost to you and no obligation.
Cracks, sticking doors or a soft floor? Get free foundation and crawl space quotes.
Describe it once and independent companies serving Shreveport, Bossier City and northwest Louisiana can reply with no-obligation quotes.