Foundation repair in Rowlett, TX

Rowlett has the oldest housing of the three cities we serve. The Census Bureau puts the median Rowlett home at 1997, and about half the houses are now 25 to 45 years old. Some have already had a foundation repair, and some are due for a second look. Every USDA soil sample we checked across town came back Houston Black or Heiden clay, both rated very high for shrink-swell.

We connect Rowlett homeowners with one local foundation contractor. You call or send a short form, and one company calls you back.

Call (972) XXX-XXXX Tell us what you're seeing

Calls may be recorded. We call you back first. We share your details with a contractor only after you say yes, and we tell you who it is.

A lake town that grew up after 1971

Rowlett sits in northeastern Dallas County and western Rockwall County, bordered by Lake Ray Hubbard on the east and south and Rowlett Creek on the west. It incorporated in 1952, but the real building boom came after the lake was finished in 1971. By the early 1990s the city had more than 30 miles of shoreline. That timing is why so much of Rowlett's housing dates from the 1980s and 1990s.

What's under Rowlett homes

USDA map units at sample points; your lot can differ, especially where fill was brought in. "Urban land" means the soil has been graded and built over.

Houston Black clay can crack 0.5 to 4 inches wide and more than a foot deep in a dry spell, and stay open for months. A house that's been through 30 summers of that has had a lot of cycles.

Rowlett homes by age

• About 28% built in the 1990s and 20% in the 1980s
• About 8% in the 1970s, and about 21% in the 2010s
• Median year built: 1997, the oldest of Rockwall, Rowlett and Wylie

What that means if you own (or are buying) an older Rowlett house:

• Second-round repairs. If the house was piered in the 1990s or 2000s, ask for the old pier map and warranty. Some warranties transfer to new owners; some lapse.
• Old piers, new movement. Movement in a different part of the house from the original repair is common. It doesn't always mean the first repair failed.
• Plumbing. Older drain lines under slabs can leak, and a leak can soften the soil under one spot. Ask whether a plumbing test makes sense before lifting.
• Buying during the option period. If the inspection flags the foundation, an independent engineer's report gives you something neutral to negotiate with.

Rowlett neighborhoods

The City of Rowlett's subdivision map lists more than 450 residential subdivisions. Some of the largest by platted lots are Waterview (about 1,500 lots across more than 20 phases), Springfield Addition, Princeton Park, Lakewood Pointe and Westwood Estates. Closer to the water you'll see names like The Peninsula, Dalrock Heights, Toler Bay Estates, Spinnaker Cove, Waters Edge and Bayside West. Big subdivisions were built in phases, often years apart, so tell the contractor which phase you're in and roughly when your house was built.

The EF4 tornado of December 26, 2015 crossed into Rowlett from Garland and ended over Lake Ray Hubbard. The National Weather Service rated its damage in Rowlett EF3. Homes rebuilt after it can be much newer than the houses around them, so a rebuilt house can have a different foundation story from its neighbors.

Signs to watch for in a Rowlett house

• New cracks near an old repair, or cracks reopening after patching
• Doors that stick on one side of the house only
• Floors that slope toward a corner, or tile cracking in a line
• Brick separating from window frames
• A water bill that jumped for no reason (possible slab leak)

What a foundation inspection involves

What foundation repair costs in Rowlett

Published DFW cost guides put most residential foundation repairs between about $4,000 and $15,000, with a typical slab pier job around $5,000–$8,500 (often 8–12 piers). Older homes sometimes need plumbing tests, drainage work or pier-and-beam repairs on top. These are general DFW ranges, not Rowlett prices. Full cost guide.

Permits in Rowlett

The City of Rowlett lists foundation repair among the projects that need a building permit. Permits and inspections are requested through the city's MyGov online portal, and the city's forms include an engineer's foundation letter for verifying an engineering inspection of structural components. Questions about your project: City of Rowlett, (972) 412-6100 (ask for Building Inspections). Ask your contractor to confirm they'll pull the permit.

How it works

1. Call or send the form. Tell us your street, what you're seeing and roughly when the house was built.
2. We call you back first. We'll hear what's going on. If you want a contractor to look at it, we'll name the one independent local contractor we'd refer you to in Rowlett, and share your details only after you say yes. Your details aren't sold to a list.
3. They inspect and explain. Ask to see the floor-elevation readings and what they think is causing the movement.

You don't pay us. We may be paid by the contractor for the referral. How this works.

Rowlett foundation questions

My house was already repaired. Why is it moving again?

Often it's a different part of the house, or a moisture change (a new leak, a tree, drainage). Pull out the old pier map and warranty before anyone comes out.

Does the lake make it worse?

Not by itself. Lakeside lots can be hillier, so drainage matters more. The soil type and how water moves around your house matter more than distance to the shore.

Does homeowners insurance cover it?

Usually not for soil movement. Damage from a sudden plumbing leak may be covered. Check your policy.

Is Two Lakes a contractor?

No. We're a referral service. The contractor does the inspection, the quote and the work.

Also serving nearby

Foundation repair in Rockwall · Foundation repair in Wylie

House leveling · What an inspection involves · Cost guide

Call (972) XXX-XXXX Tell us what you're seeing