Bouncy, sagging or sloping floors in an older home? Get a free crawl space inspection and a written price from a local crew, usually with a call back the same day.
We connect property owners in Tallahassee and nearby areas, including Midtown, Killearn, Betton Hills, SouthWood, Lafayette Park and Frenchtown, with one independent local foundation repair specialist.
What it costs
Typical published ranges for Tallahassee. The contractor's written estimate is the price, and the inspection is free.
Many of Tallahassee's older homes sit up off the ground. Midtown grew from about 1900 with bungalows and Craftsman homes. Most of Lafayette Park's more than 500 homes were built in the 1920s and 1930s. Frenchtown dates back to the 1800s. Homes from those years often rest on piers and beams with a crawl space under the floor.
These houses can last a long time. But after decades of Tallahassee rain and humid summers, the supports under the floor can sink, slip or rot. That is when floors start to slope, bounce or sag.
The contractor we connect you with will check floor levels inside, go into the crawl space, look at every support, beam and joist they can reach, check for moisture and give you a written price.
What the crew can fix
Floors that slope, so a marble rolls to one side of a room
Bouncy or soft spots when you walk across the floor
A sag in the middle of the house, often near a hall or a heavy bathroom
Doors that stick or will not latch
Cracks in plaster or drywall over doors and windows
Wet or rotted wood under the floor
A musty smell coming up from the crawl space
Old shims or stacked blocks that have slipped or crushed
Why pier and beam homes move in Tallahassee
Damp crawl spaces. Tallahassee gets close to 60 inches of rain in a normal year, based on National Weather Service records, and summers are hot and humid. Water that runs under the house, or damp air that sits in a closed-up crawl space, keeps wood wet. Wet wood gets weak and draws rot and insects.
Supports that sink. Many old piers sit on small footings or right on the soil. When the ground around them stays wet, they can push down into it. In clay soils with layers that drain slowly, like the Dothan soils found across this region, water can linger under the house after a storm.
Low ground. Some older parts of town sit low. Frenchtown, for example, grew on low-lying land northwest of downtown. Low lots tend to collect runoff, and some of that water ends up under the house.
Decades of changes. Older homes have had additions, new bathrooms, new kitchens and new heavy tile put in over the years. Some of that weight lands where the original supports were never meant to carry it.
Old repairs. Stacks of loose blocks, wood shims and car jacks under a house are common in old crawl spaces. They can slip or crush over time and need to be replaced with proper supports.
How pier and beam repair works
Re-shimming. Where a gap has opened between a pier and the beam above it, the crew lifts the beam a little and sets new, solid shims. This is often the quickest fix for a bouncy floor.
New supports. Where piers have sunk or are spaced too far apart, the crew adds new steel or concrete supports with proper footings. Adjustable steel posts let the crew fine-tune the level.
Beam and joist repair. Rotted or cracked wood is cut out and replaced, or a new board is fastened alongside the old one to make it strong again.
Leveling. The crew raises the floor slowly, in small steps, so plaster and tile have time to adjust. Lifting too fast can crack walls.
Moisture control. A plastic vapor barrier over the dirt, better vents or a sealed crawl space with a dehumidifier can keep the wood dry. Drainage fixes outside keep rain from running under the house. See drainage correction.
What it costs
These are typical ranges from published cost guides by Fixr and Angi. They are not a quote. The price depends on how many supports you need, how much wood is bad, and how easy the crawl space is to get into. See the Tallahassee foundation repair cost guide.
What to ask before you hire
Will you measure floor levels in every room, before and after?
How many new supports, and where? Can I see a drawing?
How much rotted wood did you find, and is replacing it in the price?
What will you do about moisture so this does not happen again?
What is your Florida license number, and is the warranty in writing?
Book your free crawl space inspection
Bouncy and sloping floors tend to get worse, not better. Call (850) 988-3375 or send the short form. A local foundation crew will call you back, usually the same day, to set up your free inspection and written price.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pier and beam foundation?
The house sits up off the ground on posts, called piers, with wood beams across them. Floor joists rest on the beams. The open space under the floor is the crawl space.
Why are my floors bouncy or soft?
Most often the supports underneath have sunk, shims have slipped, or the wood has gotten wet and weak. In damp crawl spaces, rot and insects can weaken beams and joists over time.
Can pier and beam homes be leveled?
Yes. The crew jacks the floor back up a little at a time, then adds new supports or shims. Older homes may never be perfectly level, so ask how much lift is safe for your plaster, tile and doors.
Do I need to seal my crawl space?
Not always. Many crawl spaces just need a vapor barrier on the ground and water kept away from the house. Sealing and a dehumidifier help when the space stays damp. Ask the inspector what your crawl space needs.
How long does pier and beam repair take?
Adding supports and shims often takes one or two days. Replacing rotted beams or joists takes longer, depending on how much wood is bad and how easy it is to reach.
Is it worth fixing an old house on piers?
Usually yes. A pier and beam house is easier to reach and adjust than a slab, because the crew can get under it. Fixing it now protects your floors, walls and plumbing.
Will the crew need to come inside?
Most of the work happens in the crawl space. The crew may need to check floor levels and doors inside before and after leveling.