Slab Foundation Repair in Baton Rouge

Most Baton Rouge-area housing is slab-on-grade. That means most foundation questions around Baton Rouge are really slab questions: a crack running across the garage floor, drywall splitting above a doorway, a tile line that has started to separate. This page explains how slab problems usually develop, the signs worth paying attention to, how a slab is typically repaired, and what the quote for that work should list.

How a slab-on-grade foundation moves

A slab-on-grade foundation is a concrete pad poured directly on the ground, usually with a thickened edge around the perimeter. It is strong in one piece, but it can only be as stable as the soil under it. When the soil under one part of the slab changes volume and the rest does not, the slab moves unevenly — and that uneven movement is what cracks concrete, drywall, and brick.

Soils in parts of south Louisiana can shrink as they dry and swell as they get wet. A long dry stretch followed by heavy rain, a downspout that dumps water against one corner, or a large tree drawing moisture from one side can all leave the soil under a slab wetter in one place and drier in another. That is why drainage comes up in almost every slab conversation.

Settlement vs. heave

• Settlement is when part of the slab drops, often at a corner or along one side. It tends to show up as cracks that are wider at the top, doors that drag at the latch side, and floors that slope toward the low corner.
• Heave is when part of the slab rises, often near the middle or where water has collected. It can show up as a hump in the floor, cracks in tile across the high area, and doors that bind at the top.

From inside the house the two can look alike, and they call for different responses — lifting a slab that has heaved, for example, would make the problem worse. That is the main reason an evaluation should include elevation readings across the whole floor, not just a look at the worst crack.

Signs of a slab foundation problem

• Cracks in interior drywall, especially at the corners of doors and windows, that grow.
• Stair-step cracks in exterior brick, or brick separating from window frames.
• Cracks in the slab itself that have one side higher than the other.
• Doors that stopped latching, or that drag or bind in the frame.
• Floors you can feel sloping, or tile that cracks along a line.
• Gaps between baseboard and floor, or between wall and ceiling.
• Water that pools against the foundation after rain.

One or two of these on their own may be cosmetic. Several together, or any that are getting worse, are worth an evaluation. The foundation crack repair page explains how to tell a shrinkage crack from a movement crack.

How slab foundation repair is usually done

Where a slab has settled, the usual structural repair is to support it from below with piers and lift it back toward level. In broad strokes, the specialist:

1. Measures elevations across the floor and maps cracks to confirm settlement, not heave.
2. Plans pier locations — along the perimeter, and inside the footprint if needed.
3. Excavates at each pier location and installs the piers to a stable bearing layer.
4. Lifts the slab toward the agreed target, then locks it on the piers.
5. Backfills, re-measures, and records the after readings.

Interior piers cost more than exterior ones because reaching the soil inside the footprint means breaking through flooring and slab, or tunneling. Published per-pier figures from one Baton Rouge company put exterior piers at roughly $550 to $650 each and interior piers at roughly $1,000 to $1,500 each (published 2021, may be stale). The foundation piering page covers pier types and what a pier plan should state.

Piers stabilize the slab; they do not change why the soil moved. If water keeps collecting against the house, the repair should include drainage and moisture correction so the soil around the slab stays more consistent.

The plumbing question

Many slab houses have water and drain lines running through or under the concrete, and foundation repair specifications commonly call for a hydrostatic plumbing test. It is reasonable to ask the specialist whether they recommend one before the work, after it, or both, and who arranges it.

What a slab repair quote should itemize

A slab repair quote should not be a single number. It should be broken into the same four lines as any foundation quote, each priced separately, so you can see the cause, the structural work, and the finish work on their own:

1. 1Evaluation findingsWhat was measured and found — elevation readings, crack locations, construction type, likely cause.
2. 2Drainage / moisture correctionGutters, grading, downspouts, or crawlspace moisture work that addresses why the soil is moving.
3. 3Structural repairPiers, shims, or sill and beam replacement — with counts, locations, and depths stated.
4. 4Finish / cosmeticDrywall, brick, trim, and door adjustments after the house moves — priced on its own line.

On the structural line, look for the number of piers, a sketch or list of their locations, how many are interior, the pier type, and the target depth or bearing condition. On the finish line, look for what is included — drywall patching, brick repair, door adjustment — and what is left to you. If one bid is far lower than another, these lines usually show why.

Cost, in published ranges

Louisiana foundation companies publish slab repair at roughly $3,500 to $12,000, and one Louisiana company reports an average of about $3,000 for slab foundations. Crack repair on its own is published at roughly $400 to $1,500. These are published ranges, not quotes, and not prices we set. The Baton Rouge cost guide puts the ranges side by side. For a real number, call (225) 535-8057 — your request is routed to one licensed local specialist who evaluates the house in person.