Pier and beam foundations are common in older Oklahoma homes. Many houses built in the early and middle 1900s, including plenty from the oil-boom years in towns across the state, sit on concrete or masonry piers with wood beams and joists above a crawl space. That design is repairable, which is good news, but it does move. Expansive clay soil swells after wet springs and shrinks in summer droughts, and piers ride along with it.
Over decades, wood shims crush and rot, piers settle or tilt, and beams sag between supports that were spaced too far apart. Inside the house you see sloping floors, doors that swing or stick, cracked drywall at corners and gaps along baseboards. Most of these problems can be fixed from inside the crawl space without lifting the whole house.
Every repair starts with a free inspection. We take floor elevation readings, check each pier and beam line and look at moisture, since wet soil and rot are often part of the cause. You get a written quote listing each repair. We work statewide from our Oklahoma City shop at 7220 S Western Ave, and Mark Bennett oversees each project.
Oklahoma tip: level in stages, not all at once
Old houses on clay have often been out of level for years, and the plaster, trim and door frames have settled into that shape. Lifting too fast can crack walls and bind doors. Gradual leveling, sometimes with a follow-up adjustment after a season, is gentler on an older home.
Signs You Need Pier and Beam Foundation Repair
- Floors that slope or feel bouncy
- Interior doors that stick or swing open on their own
- Diagonal cracks in drywall or plaster near door corners
- Gaps between baseboards and the floor
- Leaning, cracked or crumbling piers in the crawl space
- Loose, split or missing shims on top of piers
Choosing the Right Repair for Your Piers and Beams
The simplest repair is reshimming: replacing crushed or rotted wood shims with steel or composite shims and bringing the beam back to level. That works when the piers themselves are sound. Where a pier has sunk, tilted or broken, or where supports are spaced too far apart, we add adjustable steel support posts or new interior piers on proper footings. Steel posts can be adjusted later if the soil moves again, which is useful on Oklahoma clay. Our blog compares steel and concrete piers in more detail.
Wood damage changes the scope. A beam or girder that is cracked, rotted or eaten by termites may need a section replaced before the house can be leveled. Sill plates sitting on the perimeter foundation often rot where water has been getting in. We also look at drainage and crawl space moisture, because leveling a house on wet, soft soil without fixing the water tends to be a short-term repair. If the floor sags between the beams, see sagging floor and joist repair.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Services We Help With
Reshimming and minor leveling
Crushed or rotted shims replaced and beams brought back toward level.
Adjustable steel support posts
Steel posts added under beams to shorten spans and allow future adjustment.
New interior piers
Piers set on new footings where old ones have failed or are missing.
Beam and girder replacement
Cracked, rotted or termite-damaged beam sections removed and replaced.
Sill plate repair
Rotted sill plates along the perimeter foundation cut out and replaced.
Drainage and moisture review
Water problems under the house identified so repairs are not undermined.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Cost in Oklahoma
| Project | Typical Range | What Affects It |
|---|---|---|
| Reshimming and minor leveling | $500 to $2,000 | Number of piers, how far out of level |
| Adjustable steel support post | $300 to $900 each | Height, footing, access |
| New interior pier with footing | $400 to $1,200 each | Depth, soil, access |
| Sill plate repair | $100 to $300 per linear ft | Extent of rot, siding and wall access |
| Beam or girder section replacement | $2,500 to $8,000 | Length, load, temporary shoring |
| Typical pier and beam leveling project | $2,500 to $10,000 | Combination of repairs needed |
How It Works
- 1
Inspection and floor readings
We measure floor elevations, check each pier and beam and note moisture and wood damage.
- 2
Written repair plan
The quote lists each pier, post, beam or sill repair and what it will cost.
- 3
Support and leveling
Supports are added or replaced and the floor is raised gradually toward level.
- 4
Final readings
Elevations are measured again and we review the results and any follow-up adjustment.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair by City
Local details on soil, housing and common pier and beam repairs in each city we serve: