Inside
- Doors that rub at a top corner
- Drywall cracks running from door and window corners
- Cracked floor tile
- A floor that runs downhill
Foundation Repair in Blanchard, LA
Blanchard, LA, north of Shreveport, LA on the way toward Caddo Lake, nearly tripled in population between 1990 and 2025. Most of its homes are newer, and geologic maps place the area on upland ground. Describe what you see once, and independent foundation companies serving north Caddo Parish can reply with free, no-obligation quotes.
Get a Free Quote Call (318) 633-1685How Blanchard grew
Population counts from the Census, with a 2025 estimate.
1990: 1,203
A small north Caddo town.
2010: 2,906
More than double in twenty years.
2020: 3,561
Up again by the 2020 Census.
2025: about 3,360
An estimate, a little below 2020.
That growth left a young housing stock. About 42% of Blanchard's roughly 1,352 homes were built in 2000 or later, only about 26% before 1980, and the median home dates from 1996 (Census ACS 2020–2024). About 77% are owner-occupied, with a median value of about $208,600. Most of those newer houses are likely on slabs. Some of the roughly 26% built before 1980 may sit on piers over a crawl space, where sagging or bouncy floors and damp wood are the usual first signs; see pier and beam repair.
Upland ground, not river bottom
Louisiana Geological Survey map summaries for the Blanchard area describe upland Eocene sediments of the Wilcox and Claiborne groups, which suggests higher ground than the Red River valley: clayey fine sand in places, with reddish sand and ironstone northwest of Shreveport, Louisiana.
Upland soils in Caddo Parish include Eastwood and Keithville, which pair clay subsoils high in shrink-swell with very slow permeability. Parish-wide, about 43% of Caddo is mapped in clay soils with high to very high shrink-swell potential (USDA NRCS). The mix changes from one lot to the next, so check yours on Web Soil Survey.
Caddo Parish reached D3 "extreme" drought in both 2022 and 2023, with 88.9% of the parish in D3 on September 19, 2023 (U.S. Drought Monitor). On a sloped lot, water is the next thing to watch: very slowly permeable clay tends to shed heavy rain, so a yard that drains toward the house can keep one side of a slab wetter than the rest. See drainage and grading.
What to watch in a newer Blanchard home
Outside
- Stair-step cracks in brick veneer
- A gap opening between brick and a window frame
- A cracked or sunken driveway
- Downspouts emptying at the slab
One crack is not a diagnosis. Track it with dated photos for a few months. If it grows or more signs appear, get quotes. See foundation crack repair. A sunken driveway or patio is usually a separate job; This Old House puts mudjacking at about $550–$1,300. See concrete leveling and mudjacking.
Permits and licenses in Blanchard, LA
Permit directories report that the City of Shreveport issues permits and inspections on Blanchard's behalf, with the town issuing the certificate of occupancy. That fits the wider rule that Shreveport's Permits and Inspections office covers Caddo Parish except Greenwood, LA, but confirm with Blanchard Town Hall before work begins. Structural repairs generally need a permit from your city or parish; your contractor should pull it.
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.
Farther north, around Mooringsport, LA or Vivian, LA? Use the same form with your ZIP code; if a participating company works there, it can contact you.
Free foundation quotes for Blanchard
Shreveport Foundation Services is a free quote service, not a contractor. Describe the problem once and independent companies serving north Caddo Parish reply to you directly. Companies may pay to receive requests.
Nearby towns:
National price ranges: Shreveport foundation repair cost guide.
Blanchard, LA foundation questions
Who issues foundation repair permits in Blanchard, LA?
Permit directories say the City of Shreveport issues permits and inspections for Blanchard, while the town handles certificates of occupancy. Shreveport's office covers Caddo Parish except Greenwood. Structural repairs generally need a permit, and your contractor should pull it, so ask which office it will use and get the number.
Why do newer slabs in Blanchard crack?
Many slabs carry small shrinkage cracks from curing that never change. Movement is different: upland clays with high shrink-swell potential can lift or settle a slab as moisture swings between wet springs and dry late summers. A crack that widens, or comes with sticking doors, is the one to have looked at.
How much does it cost to fix a sunken driveway in Blanchard?
This Old House puts mudjacking, also called slabjacking, at about $550 to $1,300 nationally, and no local figure is published. Size, access and how far the slab has dropped change the price. Polyurethane foam lifting is another option, so ask each company to quote its method and explain why.
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.