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Structural Repair · Glossary

Structural Repair glossary

Plain-English definitions of 0 structural repair terms you will see on quotes and inspection reports.

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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.

Before you sign

Three rules for every term

  • 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.
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In residential use they're often used interchangeably for extending support to deeper, stable soil. Fixr lists underpinning/piering at $10,000-$40,000 in 2026 and calls it the most expensive type of foundation repair.
Water-logged soil pushing sideways on your foundation wall. It is the mechanism behind horizontal cracking and bowing, which is why drainage work often appears alongside structural repair.
How much each part of your floor deviates from level, measured across the whole plan. It gives an engineer a baseline, and repeating it later shows whether movement is continuing.
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Who wrote and checked this

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Reviewed by

Michael Thompson

Senior Home Improvement Reviewer · 20 years

Senior technical reviewer.

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