Foundation repair and house leveling in Monroe, Louisiana

How it works

1. Call or send a request

   Tell us your town and what you're noticing, and whether the house is raised or on a slab.

2. We connect you

   We connect you with an independent foundation contractor that works in Ouachita Parish.

3. They call you back

   They take readings, explain what's moving and why, and quote the repair directly.

Who is this site for?

Homeowners in Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington, Calhoun and the rest of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, who think their foundation is moving. That includes raised houses on piers over a crawl space, which are common in older parts of both cities, and slab-on-grade houses in newer subdivisions. It also includes buyers and sellers holding a home inspection report that says "recommend evaluation by a foundation specialist."

Why do houses move so much in Ouachita Parish?

Because of what they're sitting on and how much it rains. Monroe grew up on the Ouachita River, and much of the ground on both sides is river sediment. The Louisiana Geological Survey's map of the Monroe South area shows fine-grained backswamp deposits in the flood basins and low natural levees along the river, which near Monroe are described as grayish brown silty clay. East of the city, USDA soil scientists mapped the Hebert series, whose type location is about 4.7 miles southeast of Monroe on Highway 15, alongside Perry soils. Perry is classed as a very-fine, smectitic Vertisol: a heavy clay of the kind that shrinks and opens deep cracks when it dries, then swells when it gets wet.

Then add the weather. Monroe averages about 55 inches of precipitation a year under the 1991 to 2020 normals, and July highs average about 93°F. Wet winters and springs soak the clay; late-summer dry spells pull water back out. A house rarely moves evenly through that cycle, because one side gets the downspout, another gets the afternoon sun, and a third has a big oak.

Which signs should I take seriously?

• Floors that slope, dip in the middle of a room, or feel soft and springy
• Interior doors that drag on the floor, won't latch, or swing on their own
• Stair-step cracks in brick veneer, especially near corners and windows
• Diagonal drywall cracks running up from door and window corners
• Gaps opening between baseboards and the floor, or at the ceiling line
• Water standing in the crawl space, or crushed and tilted supports under a raised house
• Cracks that keep coming back after they've been patched

One hairline crack in a garage slab isn't an emergency. Several of these at once, or signs that get worse over a season, are the reason to have the house measured. Our inspection and crack repair page explains what a good evaluation covers.

What kinds of repair are there?

• Raised (pier-and-beam) houses are usually leveled from the crawl space: re-shimming, adding or replacing interior supports, and repairing sills, beams and joists. More on house leveling.
• Slab houses with a settled corner or edge are usually supported with piers installed under the perimeter beam. More on slab repair.
• Pier type differs a lot between bids: pressed concrete, steel push and helical piers each have tradeoffs. Compare pier types.
• Water control through gutters, grading and drains is often what decides whether a repair stays put. More on foundation drainage.

Is leveling or piering always the fix?

No. In shrink-swell clay, some movement is seasonal: a house drops a little in a dry August and comes back up after a wet winter. Leveling it hard in the driest month can leave it humped by spring. A careful contractor asks when the problem showed up, looks at drainage, trees and plumbing, and may suggest watching the house through a season before committing to a big repair. If a bid calls for a lot of piers and the reasoning isn't clear, get a second opinion, or pay a Louisiana-licensed professional engineer for an independent one.

What should I do before anyone comes out?

• Write down which doors stick and roughly when it started
• Photograph cracks with a coin or tape measure for scale, and date the photos
• Walk the house in a hard rain and see where the downspouts and runoff go
• If the house is raised, look through the crawl space vent with a flashlight for standing water
• Watch your water bill; an unexplained jump can mean a leak under a slab

Does a foundation contractor need a Louisiana license?

For most jobs, yes. The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors requires a Home Improvement Registration for work on an existing home that costs $7,500 or more, and a residential license once a project tops $50,000. You can look a company up on the board's contractor search before you sign anything. The Monroe, Louisiana foundation guide covers permits and what to ask.

Are you a foundation repair company?

No. Monroe Foundation Repair is a referral service. We connect you with an independent contractor that serves your address, and that contractor inspects, quotes, performs and warranties the work. Before you hire anyone, read our tips for checking a contractor.

Areas we cover

• Monroe
• West Monroe
• Sterlington
• Calhoun

Planning ahead? Read our Monroe, Louisiana foundation guide.