Education · Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex
Foundation Types in North Texas
Most houses in North Texas sit on either a concrete slab at ground level or a raised floor supported above a crawl space. Those labels are useful, but real houses can combine details from more than one system, especially after additions. These pages explain the basic load path, the clues a homeowner can see, and the records that can confirm what is hidden.
These pages explain construction and identification. They do not judge the performance of a particular foundation or choose a repair method; those questions belong in an evaluation and on the service pages.
Foundation Types
What Type of Foundation Does Your House Have?
Start with one simple question: is the finished floor close to the ground, or is there a usable space beneath it? A floor near grade usually points to a slab-on-ground foundation.
Foundation Types
How a Slab-on-Ground Foundation Works
A slab-on-ground foundation combines the first-floor concrete with a foundation that transfers the house loads into the supporting ground.
Foundation Types
How a Pier-and-Beam Foundation Works
A pier-and-beam foundation holds a wood-framed floor above the ground. Floor joists carry loads to beams, and beams carry loads to posts, piers, foundation walls, or a combination of supports.
Seeing more than one of these?
Symptoms mean more in combination than alone. The check weighs them together and is honest when nothing needs doing yet.