Concrete vs. Hybrid vs. Steel Piers: Which Foundation Repair Is Right for Your Home?
If you've started getting foundation repair quotes in Dallas–Fort Worth, you've probably seen three types of piers come up: concrete, hybrid and steel. They all do the same basic job, which is supporting your home on more stable ground, but they get there in different ways. Here's a plain-language breakdown.
How foundation piers work
North Texas has a lot of expansive clay soil. It swells when it gets wet and shrinks when it dries out, and that movement pushes and pulls on your foundation. Piers are installed under the foundation at specific points to support the house on deeper, more stable soil. Once the piers are in, the foundation is shimmed to bring it back as close to level as the structure allows.
Pressed concrete piers
Pressed concrete piers are made of stacked concrete cylinders that are hydraulically pressed into the ground beneath the foundation until they reach resistance.
A proven, widely used method across DFW
Often a good fit for homes with moderate settlement
Typically the most budget-friendly pier option
Hybrid piers
Hybrid piers combine concrete and steel components. They're designed to reach deeper than standard concrete piers, often 15 to 30 feet or more depending on soil conditions, to transfer the load of the home to more stable soil.
Deeper support than standard concrete piers
A strong middle ground between concrete and steel
Often recommended where soil conditions call for extra depth
Steel piers
Steel piers are driven with hydraulic equipment, often 20 to 60 feet or more, until they reach suitable load-bearing soil or bedrock.
The deepest-reaching option
Well suited to heavier structures, more severe movement or difficult soil
Typically the highest investment of the three
So which one do you need?
The honest answer is that it depends on your house. The right pier depends on how much movement there is, where it's happening, the soil on your property, the size and weight of the home and the type of foundation. Some homes even use a combination, such as concrete piers in some areas and hybrid piers in others.
That's why we never recommend a repair before we've seen the house. During a free inspection, we take elevation readings, look at the problem areas and walk you through the options that fit your home, including what each one would involve.
Our warranty
Onyx Foundation repairs come with a lifetime warranty on covered repair materials and a 15-year warranty on covered labor, subject to the terms of the contract.
Questions about which pier type makes sense for your home? Call us at 214-876-0328.
Learn more about our foundation repair services or book a free inspection anytime.
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