Re-shimming
Where a beam has dropped away from a pier, it is jacked up and the gap filled with new shims: the lightest form of leveling. Shims can need adjusting as the soil moves.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair and House Leveling in Shreveport, LA
Sloping or bouncy floors, doors that drift out of square and cracks above door frames are common signs that the piers under a raised house have moved. Describe it once, and independent pier and beam and house leveling companies serving Shreveport, Louisiana, Bossier City, LA and nearby towns can reply with free, no-obligation quotes. Shreveport Foundation Services is a quote service, not a contractor.
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Signs a pier and beam house needs attention
- Floors that slope toward the middle of the house or toward one wall
- Bouncy or soft spots when you walk across a room
- Doors that stick, swing open on their own or show an uneven gap at the top
- Diagonal cracks in plaster or drywall above doors and windows
- Gaps at baseboards, or stair-step cracks in brick veneer or a skirt wall
Under the house, look for leaning or cracked piers, crushed or missing shims, wet soil, and dark or soft wood. Photos from the access door, if it is safe, help companies quote.
Why pier and beam homes move around Shreveport, LA
A pier and beam house rests on short brick, block or concrete piers that carry wood beams, joists and the floor over a crawl space. Each pier sits on its own footing and can move a little differently, so these houses tend to develop dips and humps rather than one even tilt. Local conditions that can contribute:
- Older housing. 65% of Shreveport homes were built before 1980, and the median home dates to 1973 (ACS 2020–2024). Older districts such as Highland (c.1890–1933), Fairfield (1900–1936) and South Highlands (1912–1949) date from an era when many houses were built on piers over a crawl space, though no survey counts how many there are.
- Clay soil. Much of Caddo and Bossier parishes is mapped in clay soils with high to very high shrink-swell potential (USDA NRCS soil data): roughly 43% of Caddo's and 55% of Bossier's mapped soil acres, including Red River clays like Moreland and Buxin and upland soils like Eastwood and Keithville. On clay, a pier can sink when the soil dries and shrinks, or lift when it swells.
- Drought and heat. Caddo, Bossier, Webster and De Soto parishes each reached D3 "extreme" drought in 2022–2023 (U.S. Drought Monitor), and Shreveport averages about 99 days a year at 90 °F or above (NOAA).
- Wood under the house. Damp crawl spaces raise the risk of rot and termites, which can let a floor sag even when the piers are fine.
Soils change from lot to lot, so the readings under your own house matter more than any map. Compare the two home types in pier and beam vs slab foundations.
Pier and beam house leveling and repair options
Most jobs combine two or three of these.
Rebuilding or adding piers
Cracked or leaning piers are rebuilt, and new piers go in where beams span too far. Ask for a per-pier price in writing.
Beam repair or replacement
A beam that has cracked, sagged between piers or rotted at a bearing point can be supported, doubled or replaced.
Sistering joists
A new joist is fastened alongside a cracked or sagging one so the pair carries the floor.
Whole-house leveling
Beams are jacked up in stages while readings are taken, then set on rebuilt piers and shims.
Fixing the moisture
Drainage and a vapor barrier or encapsulation keep the soil and wood drier. See crawl space repair and crawl space encapsulation.
House leveling is not the same as house raising
Louisiana's contractor rules (LAC 46:XXIX-303) limit raising a house, meaning separating it from its foundation or changing its elevation, on jobs over $7,500 to specific license classifications, but raising does not include lifting part of a structure to level it after settlement. If a proposal raises the whole house, ask which LSLBC classification the company holds and confirm it with the LSLBC.
What a pier and beam company typically does
Inspect the crawl space
Floor elevations, piers, beams, sills, joists, moisture and termite damage. A free inspection is a sales visit.
Write a plan
Which piers are shimmed, rebuilt or added, which beams or joists are replaced or sistered, the lift target and moisture work.
Permit and pest work
The contractor pulls the permit. An LDAF-licensed pest control operator treats any termites.
Lift in stages
Jacks raise the beams gradually, piers and shims are set, and doors and finishes are checked as the floor comes up.
Re-read and document
Final elevations, photos, the invoice, warranty terms and any follow-up adjustment, in writing.
Pier and beam foundation repair cost
| Item | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pier-and-beam foundation repair | $2,000–$15,000 | Fixr |
| Piers, per pier (underpinning) | $1,000–$3,000 | Fixr, This Old House |
| 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 |
| Structural engineer inspection | $300–$1,000 (avg ≈ $600) | This Old House, Oct 2026 |
| Permit | $75–$150 | This Old House |
Typical national ranges from published 2025–2026 cost guides (Fixr, This Old House, Angi), not quotes. Your price depends on an on-site inspection.
Shimming, per-pier leveling and sill plate replacement prices are not reliably published, so get written quotes for those items. Crawl space access, how far the floors are out of level, how many piers are added or rebuilt and how much wood is rotted move the price.
Try the Shreveport cost calculator or read pier and beam leveling cost in Louisiana.
When to get a structural engineer first
Engineer first for a large leveling job
Whole-house leveling, many new piers, beam replacement, conflicting quotes or a home sale are good reasons to 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?
- Which piers will be shimmed, rebuilt or added, marked on a sketch of the crawl space?
- What shim material, how much lift per stage, and readings before and after?
- What does the warranty cover, does it transfer to a buyer, and can I have it in writing?
- Are you connected to the 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.
Pier and beam repair FAQs
How much does it cost to level a pier and beam house?
Fixr puts pier-and-beam foundation repair at about $2,000 to $15,000. Adding piers, replacing beams or repairing rot pushes a job higher. Shimming-only prices are not reliably published, so compare two or three written quotes on the same scope.
How often does a pier and beam house need re-shimming?
There is no fixed schedule. On clay soils that swell and shrink with the seasons, some houses need small adjustments after a dry summer or a very wet spring, and others hold for years. Ask whether a follow-up adjustment is included, for how long, and what a later visit costs.
Will leveling close the cracks in my walls?
Sometimes, partly. Some cracks close as the floor comes back toward level; others stay and need patching and paint. Lifting too far or too fast can open new cracks, which is one reason companies lift in stages. Ask in writing what cosmetic repairs, if any, are included.
Do I need an engineer before leveling a pier and beam house?
Not always. For light shimming, comparing written quotes may be enough. For adding many piers, replacing beams, conflicting quotes or a home sale, an independent LAPELS-licensed engineer is worth the typical $300 to $1,000 (This Old House). They work for you, not for the company selling the repair.
Get free pier and beam repair quotes
Say which rooms slope or bounce, how high the crawl space is and how old the house 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.