Foundation piering for Alexandria, Louisiana homes
Two bids on the same house can call for different pier types and counts. Here's how the common systems compare, so you can read the bids side by side.
A foundation pier is a column driven or screwed beneath the house so that a sunken section rests on deeper, steadier soil instead of the clay that's been changing volume. Along the Red River, where point bar sand, levee silt and backswamp clay are layered differently from one block to the next, the depth to firm bearing isn't the same everywhere. That's part of why contractors in Rapides Parish favor different systems.
How do the pier types compare?
| Pressed concrete | Steel push | Helical | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed by | Pressing short precast cylinders down, one on another | Hydraulically driving steel pipe against the house's weight | Turning a steel shaft with helix plates into the soil |
| Stops when | The stack stops moving under pressure | It reaches refusal on firm soil | It reaches a target torque |
| Often used on | Slab perimeter beams on typical houses | Heavy walls where firm soil lies deeper | Porches, additions and other light loads |
| Ask about | Usual depth reached nearby; cable or rod through the stack | Recorded depth and drive pressure | Final installation torque |
Pressed concrete piers
A jack set beneath the beam forces short precast cylinders into the soil, stacking one on the last until they refuse to go farther; the top is then capped and shimmed tight. This system is a staple on clay-soil houses. Find out the depths the contractor usually reaches in your neighborhood and whether a cable or rod runs through the stack.
Steel push piers
Steel brackets bolt to the footing, and lengths of steel pipe are pushed down with the house itself acting as the counterweight. Driving continues to refusal, so each pier has a recorded drive pressure. Make sure those numbers come to you in writing.
Helical piers
These are screwed in with a hydraulic drive head. Because they don't depend on the house's weight to install, they're often picked for lighter structures. The torque needed to turn them is used to estimate capacity.
What should any pier plan spell out?
- Why this system suits your house and your soil
- How many piers, where they go, and how far apart
- A written log, after the job, of every pier's depth and its final pressure or torque
- Who places the Louisiana 811 locate request, which state law requires 48 hours or more before excavation, weekends and holidays excluded
- What the warranty covers and whether it transfers if you sell
Pricing comes from the contractor, after they've measured the house and worked out what's causing the movement. We don't quote prices. A pier count or leveling plan guessed over the phone isn't worth much until someone has walked the slab or crawled under the floor.
Where we connect you with help
Common questions
Is one pier system better than the others?
Not across the board. House weight, the layering of sand, silt and clay under the lot, and the depth to firm soil all matter. A good contractor can explain in plain terms why their system fits your house.
What should I do with the pier log?
File it with the warranty. It shows where each pier went, how deep, and at what pressure or torque, and a future buyer or their inspector will likely want to see it.
Related services
- Slab foundation repair
- Pier-and-beam and raised house leveling
- Drainage and moisture control
- Foundation evaluations and crack repair
More background: Alexandria, Louisiana foundation guide.
Brick cracking, a door that won't latch, or a floor that suddenly slopes?
Call and a foundation contractor who works in Rapides Parish will come measure the house and explain what's moving.