Structural repair glossary

Settlement — the structure moving downward as soil beneath it compresses or washes out. Heave — the opposite: soil swelling and pushing upward, common with expansive clay after wet periods. These two need different repairs, which is one reason a real diagnosis matters.

Hydrostatic pressure — the sideways force of water-saturated soil against a foundation wall. Fixr attributes bowing walls to it and prices that repair at $4,000-$15,000. Bowing — a wall curving inward under that pressure.

Underpinning / piering — extending support below the existing foundation to reach stable soil ($10,000-$40,000, Fixr 2026; $1,000-$3,000 per pier, This Old House 2026). Slab jacking / mudjacking — pumping material beneath a sunken slab to lift it ($500-$1,900, Fixr 2026).

Tieback / wall anchor — a rod anchored in the yard soil that restrains a foundation wall ($5,000-$15,000, Fixr 2026). Shoring — temporary support while work is done. Elevation survey — measured floor heights across the plan, used to show where and how much the structure is out of level.

How to choose

Know whether you're being sold heave or settlement

They are opposite problems. If two bids disagree on which one you have, you need an engineer, not a third bid.

"Stabilize" is not "level"

In quotes these words are used loosely. Ask the contractor to write which outcome they are contracting to deliver.

"Lifetime warranty" needs definition

Ask whose lifetime, what it covers, what voids it, and whether it transfers. Only the written document counts.

Ask for the elevation survey

It is the objective record of your floor. Without it, "before and after" is just opinion.