Are you building a home and wondering which is better, a pier and beam or slab foundation? These are the two most common, and depending on the soil, both are excellent choices. Are you curious if one is better than the other? The answer to this is it probably depends on who you ask.
What’s better—Pier and Beam Foundations or Slabs?
In a nutshell, both types of foundations are designed to support a home’s load-bearing walls. The main difference between them is how they’re constructed. With a pier and beam system, the supporting structures are placed on top of the ground; with slab foundations, they’re dug into it. This can have an effect on the foundation repair process if you need to replace any portion of your home’s structure.
A slab foundation can be constructed in one of three ways: concrete block construction, poured concrete, or precast slabs. Concrete block construction is generally used for low-rise residential buildings such as single-family homes or townhouses. The blocks are laid out horizontally to form what’s called a monolithic slab—a single layer of concrete that covers the entire floor area of the building. This type of construction makes it easier to cut out sections of blocks if necessary because there’s only one layer instead of multiple layers, as there would be with poured concrete or precast slabs (where each layer must be removed before cutting).
Poured concrete foundations are more common than monolithic slabs because they’re less expensive than precast slabs but still provide structural strength due to their weight (up
Pier and beam foundations are built differently than slabs, however. In this type of foundation system, each column is supported by beams at its base. This means that if there is an issue with one column, you will have to replace all of them instead of just one section of concrete. Visit our website for further information.
Pier and Beam Foundation Repair Cost
The cost of pier and beam foundation repair depends on a variety of factors, including the type of foundation and its location.
In general, the cost can range anywhere from $500 to $8,000 per linear foot or $5,000 to $100,000 for an average-sized home. The size of the house and its location play a big role in determining how much it will cost to repair your foundation.
If you have foundation issues, don’t wait for them to get worse give us a call today!
