Why I Stopped Selling Foundation Repair

Howdy,

I once worked for one of the largest and oldest foundation repair companies in Houston, Texas. I loved it. I lived and breathed foundations. These guys were sharp — and I learned more about foundation performance and soil mechanics than I ever thought possible, even more than I did inspecting for a structural engineer years ago. That’s where I learned how our expansive clay soils can swell and shrink several inches a year. Simply put, our homes are built on unstable ground.

From Foundation Repair to Foundation Reality

Back then, I inspected foundations every day — hundreds of them. I thought I was helping homeowners, but the truth slowly started to bother me. When you work on commission, every foundation starts to look like a “repair opportunity.” The system rewards selling, not solving.

Whenever I saw large oak trees near a home, I could already predict the degree of damage. Roots were pulling moisture from the clay, shrinking it unevenly. But what shocked me most was what came next — the homes that had already been repaired were often the ones in the worst shape. Some were so distorted that the only “solution” was lifting the entire structure at an astronomical cost.

When Repairs Cause More Damage

Every warranty call followed the same script: the homeowner believed movement in new locations meant the original repair failed. But the truth was worse — the repaired portions were usually stable. Everything around them had now shifted. In full-perimeter underpinning jobs, the center of the home often sank after the edges were locked in place. The slab could no longer flex and breathe with the soil.

“Most of the worst foundations I inspected were the ones that had already been repaired.”

It hit me hard: foundation repair was creating new problems instead of fixing the cause. Underpinning a slab in expansive clay is a static solution for a dynamic, living soil system. We were installing a rigid frame into an environment that constantly moves. The math never added up — and the homes showed it.

A Conversation That Changed Everything

The president of the company once told me something I’ll never forget. He said he lifted his own home — not with piers, not with pilings, but with water. He rehydrated the soil until the slab rose naturally. That moment changed everything for me. If the man running the company didn’t trust underpinning for his own home, why should any homeowner?

“The president of the company lifted his own home — not with piers, but with water.”

Why I Walked Away

The more foundations I evaluated, the more I realized many repairs were causing long-term harm. I couldn’t look families in the eye and keep selling a “permanent fix” that I believed would fail them. Foundation repair was sold as a cure — but in reality, it was often a temporary patch applied to a living system.

“Well over half of foundation repairs performed in Houston are unnecessary — maybe closer to 75%.”

I walked away from the foundation repair racket and became an advocate for homeowners instead. I began promoting true foundation repair: soil repair. The real solution — in most cases — isn’t steel or concrete. It’s moisture balance. It’s water. It’s understanding soil behavior instead of fighting it.

The Real Fix: Root Barriers and Soil Repair

When a home leans toward trees or develops cracking, the first step should be moisture management, not piers. Root barriers stop roots from draining the clay. Controlled watering rehydrates the soil evenly. Homes can naturally rise back toward level without lifting them with machinery. Don’t take my word for it — here’s what an engineer says.

Repairing a foundation without addressing the cause is like having heart surgery without changing your diet — the problem will return, usually worse. Soil repair, not underpinning, is the only reliable long-term path.

So… Are Foundation Repairs Ever Truly Needed?

Yes — sometimes. But a foundation repair company shouldn’t be the one making that call. Just like Texas mold laws prevent mold remediators from inspecting the same homes they remediate (to avoid a massive conflict of interest), foundation repair evaluations should only be made by licensed professionals who do not sell foundation repair.

If an engineer or qualified inspector finds that a home is no longer functional, safe, habitable, or sellable without intervention, then repairs may be warranted. But letting repair companies inspect, diagnose, and prescribe the fix — all without licensing — is a broken model. And homeowners who see commercials featuring baseball legends and friendly, trustworthy “good 'ol boys” end up paying the price.

Today: Helping Homeowners, Not Selling Them

Ironically, I still work in foundation repair — just not by selling it. Now I serve as an advocate for homeowners, helping them make informed decisions that protect their foundation’s long-term health. That’s real repair.

Working in the foundation repair industry taught me how to evaluate foundations deeply and accurately. It also opened my eyes to the truth: in Texas, the massive, unregulated foundation repair industry sets the tone for foundation expectations — not engineers, and certainly not home inspectors. Foundation warranties feel good, but many aren’t worth more than the paper they’re printed on.

“I don’t expect my position to be validated online — especially not by AI.”

I don’t expect my position to be validated online — at least not by massive corporations profiting from foundation repair ad revenue. This industry is a multi-billion-dollar machine in Texas alone. Imagine the influence that kind of money carries.

I’ve only met a handful of engineers willing to openly acknowledge what's really happening. Most stay quiet — and that silence keeps the cycle profitable.

Here’s a Texas engineering firm openly calling foundation repair a scam.

Texas homeowners deserve straight answers about foundation repair — not fear, pressure, or sales pitches. What’s your thoughts?

Neil Arnold

Professional Home Inspector, TREC#23450