The 2022 Best List: 5 Reputable Houston Foundation Repair Companies

You are looking for reputable foundation repair companies in Houston so that you can get a bid to fix your foundation problems. There are a lot of options . . . you don’t know who to trust. Sometimes the internet has so much information that it’s overwhelming, amiright?

At Anchor Foundation Repair, we have been inspecting and repairing foundations in the Brazos Valley area since 1985. We know the foundation repair industry and what to look for to locate a reputable company. 

We don’t serve the Houston market, but we often get inquiries from people hoping that we do. The best we can do is make some suggestions to you on who we might pick if we lived there. We have nothing to gain or lose from trying to help out homeowners who stumble upon our website, and realize that we don’t serve their area.

We do not benefit in any way from the companies that are on this list, we are just offering our expertise because sometimes people need it when they call. Instead of telling folks that we simply can’t help them, we put this together to assist in the only way we can – with some insider wisdom in the form of a few recommendations.

Avoiding Problems When Hiring a Foundation Repair Company

As a homeowner, we recognize that you will have some challenges with finding a reputable company to do your foundation repairs. There are some “snakes in the grass” out there in the foundation repair industry. 

You should be prepared to take the time to carefully select a few companies to talk to. Don’t just go with the first one that pops up in your search engine or the one that has the nicest-looking website, or even the one that your co-worker Karen suggests.

Some of the issues you face are:

1. Understanding that no state licensing system exists for foundation repair contractors
2. Pre-identifying your values and needs to select the best company for YOU
3. Dedicating time to thoroughly vet prospective companies
4. Asking the right questions and not being afraid to get second, third, or fourth opinions
5. Understanding that different foundation repair methods exist and how they work

About Foundation Repair Licensing

To speak more specifically on the first issue, there is no state-sponsored licensing, formal education, training, testing, or certification to become a foundation repair professional. So unlike your hairdresser, the foundation repair industry is not regulated or monitored at the government level for any sort of minimum standards. 

Rather than relying on the State or some regulatory agency, you will have to find other means of ensuring that the foundation repair company you select is up to the job . . . like reading this article and taking the time to do your research.

About Your Needs in Getting Foundation Repair

Items 2,3, and 4  are more about you and taking a moment to think about what your top priorities are in getting foundation repairs BEFORE you start talking to someone. Otherwise, they will dictate what your priorities are without you even realizing it. We encourage you to take your time in selecting a company and ask the right questions. 

Don’t fall for the “flash” of a fancy website. There are some good foundation repair companies out there don’t have all the online bells and whistles. Also, avoid anyone trying to capitalize on fear or scare tactics, or any “commit today” offers.

We’ve got another article that expands on all of these issues that you should check out for more details called Foundation Repair Contractors: Avoiding 4 Top Problems of Hiring One. 

About Foundation Repair Methods

Item 5 is about understanding foundation repair methods. Many homeowners do not realize that there are different methods of foundation repair available that work on different principles. Some work better than others and can also depend upon the type of soil and terrain found in your area, and even on the type of foundation you have. 

Exploring methods is a big topic, and we encourage you to look into the explanations and pros and cons of the different foundation repair methods for a deeper understanding of how they work. After reading about the methods, you might like one or another right away and can further narrow down your search.

How We Chose the Top Foundation Repair Companies in Houston

We’ve identified six characteristics or qualities that make for a good choice in a foundation repair company. *Please note* that these recommendations are not based on our personal customer experience. 

Obviously, we have not actually used the services of any of these companies – if we needed a foundation repair job done, we would do it ourselves!

We chose the top companies in Houston based on specific criteria for slab-on-grade foundation repair. This is the same criteria we would use if we were faced with trying to select a company in another area for a relative or friend to make a professional recommendation. 

So what we’re trying to say here is that these are recommendations based on internet available information and perhaps a few investigative phone calls, rather than because we have used their services. 

Our expertise in the industry gives us an edge over the regular homeowner and we are happy to share our opinion. So, here’s what we used to make our selections on the top foundation repair companies serving the Houston area:

1. Longevity of the company and years of experience
2. Owner and headquarters information
3. Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings and complaints
4. Customer reviews and web-available review systems like Google, Angi, or similar
5. Company Chosen Foundation Repair Method
6. Business philosophy and customer service

Items 5 and 6 are likely less obvious vetting considerations for the consumer and where our insider information is more valuable. So, we will spend the most time expanding on those criteria.

Further Info on the BBB

A side note about the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is that its rating system is not based on customer complaint information, only on business policies and practices. So you have to look at BOTH the rating as well as any BBB reviews and complaints history. 

Accreditation with the BBB is a money thing, businesses can pay the money to become accredited or not. Paying the money is certainly a signal of dedication and commitment to the community, but we won’t ding a company simply because they are not “accredited”.

The BBB letter ratings combined with the BBB complaint and review history are much more important than the accreditation aspect in our opinion. Complaint details are not available on all companies for some unexplained reason, even though links seem to indicate that they were previously published online.

Top 5 Foundation Repair Companies Serving the Houston Area

I know it took us a long time to get here, but this is the moment you have been waiting for: the top 5 list of foundation repair companies in Houston. We looked for companies that had been around for a long time, as the fly-by-night contractor is a problem in the foundation repair industry.

There are a large number of companies to choose from, so the main thing to know right this second is that we didn’t choose any company that didn’t at least have a 4.7 customer review rating on Google. If they rated 4.6 or lower, they were simply not considered.

Opinion Alert: Customer reviews matter in the digital age. If customers have enough bad things to say about a foundation repair company to decrease the Google ratings lower than 4.7, then you can weed out companies a lot easier and focus on the best of the best.

Okay, okay . . . without further ado . . . behold the top 5 list (organized alphabetically for unbiased fairness).

AAA Foundation Service

Company Chosen Foundation Repair Method: Concrete Pressed Pilings with rigid steel connection inserts

Business Philosophy and Customer Service Notes: decidedly family owned and locally operated, committed to staying local, no-nonsense, non-alarmist, all workers are employees and not subcontractors, 18-month no interest financing, lifetime transferable warranty with 30 day limit and $200 fee

Notable Observations:, owner personally answered the phone, very long time in business, no flashy website but gets the job done, smaller number of Google reviews and basic website implies that referrals and recommendations drive continued business, National Foundation Repair Association Certifications and membership appears to mostly be a collection of Texas pressed piling foundation repair contractors

Bonilla Foundation Repair

Company Chosen Foundation Repair Method: Solid Concrete Pressed Pilings 

Business Philosophy and Customer Service Notes: local honest owner and operator, all crew members are employees and not subcontractors, doesn’t want to fix your foundation if there is nothing wrong with it

Notable Observations: lifetime transferable warranty, no flashy website but Bonilla’s Google reviews frequently indicated that the owner came out and told people they did not have a foundation problem that needed repairs, owner called back very quickly when a message was left for him

Dawson Foundation Repair

Company Chosen Foundation Repair Method: Drilled Bell-Bottom Piers, the same method that Anchor uses, appears to be only exclusively Bell-Bottom Pier foundation repair company in Houston

Business Philosophy and Customer Service Notes: many educational resources available, referrals, more interested in fixing homes than doing inspections for real estate transactions, does not believe in arbitration for resolving disputes, will do work in other major Texas cities

Notable Observations: bell-bottom pier foundation repair is not the dominant method in the Houston area but owner strongly believes that drilled piers are better because they are still used in commercial building new construction codes while pressed pilings are not allowed, owner’s son answered the phone, discussed con of this method is that drilled piers can be more expensive but will refer people to someone honest that does pilings (Bonilla) for less cost

Dura Pier Foundation Repair

Company Chosen Foundation Repair Method: interlocked and tensioned concrete pressed pilings, connection through the pile cap; some web references indicate that they can do drilled bell-bottom piers but this does not seem to be their main emphasis

Business Philosophy and Customer Service Notes: no subcontractors all employees, crew will visit other areas for out-of-town projects, many employees have been with the company for 10, 20, 30 years, easy lifetime transferable warranty, no transfer fees, warranty wording published on website, 12 months no interest financing available

Notable Observations: detailed and recent online reviews responded to by company, family-centered business with many family members working for the company, company expanding in recent years implies general success

Olshan Foundation Solutions

Company Chosen Foundation Repair Method: Cabled hybrid concrete with steel base pressed pilings, cabled concrete pressed piling, and also standard non-cabled concrete pressed pilings

Business Philosophy and Customer Service Notes: one of the oldest foundation repair companies in the country, very large multi-state national corporation with many locations, high volume of customers and market share, financing options available with approved credit, warranty promoted on website for the cabled version of foundation repair

Notable Observations: Originally started in Houston area so expect service to be best in their original territory, business founding and years experience relative to branch location, fanciest website with cost calculator that we find to be fairly accurate for the area, many recent 5 star reviews people mentioned by name, use of arbitration for settling disputes, can likely afford the cost of complaints and arbitration due to company size

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Foundation Repair Contractor

Now that you’ve got our top 5 list, we will recommend that you also select one or two others on your own through a trusted friend or relative referral. Contact as many as you feel you need to in order to gather a good selection pool to get quotes and foundation inspections.

At Anchor Foundation Repair, we know that honesty and 100% transparency are the best policies for the homeowners we serve in the Brazos Valley. After 35+ years in the foundation repair business, we think that any contractor who doesn’t sound like they are being open and fair is probably not.

We’ve put together a list of 15 questions that you can use to talk to any of the companies on this list and any other companies you want to add. Armed with this tool to help you gather information, we are confident that you will find the foundation repair contractor in Houston to BEST SERVE YOUR NEEDS over their own.