Foundation Types
The short answer
Austin homes have one of two foundations: slab-on-grade (a single poured concrete slab, common in homes built after the 1980s) or pier and beam (a wood structure raised over a crawl space, common in older Central and South Austin homes). Each fails differently and is repaired differently.
Nearly every home in the Austin metro sits on one of two foundation types. Knowing which you have is the first step to understanding any movement, repair quote, or inspection report.
Pick your foundation type below for the full breakdown of how it behaves on Central Texas clay and what repairs typically involve.
If your home has a crawl space you can access (a vent or hatch around the base, floors that sound hollow, a slight bounce when you walk) it's likely pier and beam. If the floors sit directly on concrete with no crawl space, it's slab-on-grade. Homes built in Austin after roughly the mid-1980s are usually slab.
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