Should The Foundation Repair Industry be Licensed?

Howdy,

At first glance, it sounds reasonable — if plumbing and electrical work are licensed, foundation repair should be too. But that logic collapses when you realize this: licensing would only rubber-stamp bad science and give a false sense of safety to homeowners across Texas.

“We’ve seen bad science rubber-stamped throughout society — and foundation repair is no different. The cost this time is our homes, our wealth, and ultimately, our health.”

The illusion of regulation

The foundation repair industry looks regulated because engineers sign off on repair plans for permits. But many of those engineers are employed by the same repair companies pushing the work. Others stamp plans for methods they’ve never seen installed. Some projects skip permits entirely. To make matters worse, several large companies formed their own “certification boards” — complete with seals that mimic an engineer’s PE stamp. That kind of look-alike legitimacy should be outlawed, not licensed.

Why licensing doesn’t work

There is no single “standard” foundation. Older slabs were thin and brittle. Newer slabs are thick, heavily reinforced, and far less forgiving. The soils beneath them differ drastically — even from one side of a street to the other. Despite that, the industry overwhelmingly relies on the precast pressed pile system, which pins portions of the perimeter until they stop moving. The result? Interior settlement — the exclusive side effect of perimeter underpinning — begins as the rest of the structure continues to move naturally with the clay.

“Foundation repair is a static solution to a dynamic problem — a patch applied to moving soil that never stops shifting.”

Licensing would not make these methods more effective. It would only formalize what already fails. It would place government approval on a system that addresses symptoms, not causes. Until soil mechanics are properly understood and respected, no amount of paperwork can protect a homeowner’s foundation.

What should be regulated instead

If we truly want to protect Texans, we should regulate prevention and transparency, not unproven “fixes.” Require root barriers whenever trees are planted near new homes. Require disclosures about the risks of perimeter-only underpinning. Audit companies that misuse engineering stamps or deceptive seals. These steps prevent damage before it starts, instead of profiting from it after the fact. What are your thoughts?

“You can’t regulate what doesn’t work — you can only expose it and replace it with prevention.”

The real consequence

Bad science doesn’t just cost money — it steals stability. Every unnecessary repair drains equity from homeowners, weakens confidence in the market, and erodes generational wealth. And since financial stress is one of the strongest predictors of poor health, we can’t separate the two. When we protect our homes, we protect our families. When we protect our families, we protect our health.

Neil Arnold

Professional Home Inspector, TREC#23450