The short answer
HomeAdvisor’s national average for foundation repair is $5,174, and This Old House’s is $5,179. Those averages hide a wide spread: HomeGuide puts minor crack repair at $250–$800 and underpinning at $10,000–$30,000+. No published source gives Raleigh-specific figures, so use these as national yardsticks and get a written, itemized plan for your house.
Typical costs, by repair
| Repair | Typical cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation repair, national average | $5,174 | HomeAdvisor |
| Foundation repair, national average | $5,179 | This Old House |
| Minor crack repair | $250–$800 | HomeGuide |
| Settling, sinking or bowed walls | $4,500–$20,000 | HomeGuide |
| Underpinning | $10,000–$30,000+ | HomeGuide |
| Crawl space foundation repair (rot, mold and insulation removal plus repairs) | $2,500–$8,000 | HomeGuide |
| Sagging-floor repair, joists or supports | $4,500–$20,000+ (structural) | HomeGuide |
| Sistering a floor joist | $150–$325 per joist | HomeGuide |
| Replacing a floor joist | $350–$1,000 per joist | HomeGuide |
| Permit | $75–$150 | HomeGuide |
Call to schedule an inspection
Evaluations: what they cost and what you get
| Evaluation | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Crawl space inspection | $100–$250 (HomeGuide) | A look at moisture, framing and piers; often part of a contractor’s sales visit |
| Structural engineer, foundation inspection | $300–$750 (HomeGuide) | An independent opinion on whether and how to repair |
| Structural engineer’s report | $340–$780 (HomeAdvisor); $500–$1,000 (This Old House) | A written report, sometimes with a repair design |
| Engineer’s report, HomeGuide’s foundation guide | $500–$3,000 | The high end reflects more detailed reports and designs |
A contractor’s visit and an engineer’s evaluation are different products. The contractor inspects so they can propose and price a repair; the engineer you hire has no repair to sell. The inspection guide covers when each makes sense.
Why the range is so wide on Raleigh houses
Crawl space or slab. On a crawl space house, many “foundation” problems are piers, girders and joists, which can be repaired from underneath without lifting the whole house. On a slab, settlement usually means piers along the outside and sometimes under the floor.
What failed. Resetting a few interior piers on new footings is a small job; rebuilding a bowed section of block wall is a larger one; underpinning a settled corner with steel piers is larger still.
What’s under the house. Settled fill, wet soil and swelling Triassic clay in western Wake County each call for a different depth and type of support.
How many supports. Piers and supports are priced individually, so the count drives the total. A plan should follow where the house actually moved, not a round number.
Access. Low crawl spaces, tight access doors, and interior work under finished rooms take longer.
What’s bundled. Engineer’s letter, permit, drainage, crawl space cleanup, framing repair and cosmetic cracks upstairs may be in the price or not.
Call to schedule an inspection
A worked example
Example: say one plan proposes sistering 6 joists at the top of HomeGuide’s $150 to $325 range, about $1,950, plus a new girder and supports; another proposes replacing 3 joists at $1,000 each, $3,000, and resetting two piers. The totals may land close together, but they’re different repairs. Ask each contractor what they found, where, and why their fix suits it, and if they disagree about the cause, that’s when an independent engineer’s evaluation earns its fee.
Costs that catch people out
- The cause. If water or settling fill caused the damage and isn’t addressed, the repair can be undone. Drainage is often the cheapest part of a lasting fix.
- Hidden rot. Opening up a wall or pulling insulation can expose more damaged wood than the first look showed. Ask how the contract handles it.
- Permits and inspections. Load-bearing work needs a permit in North Carolina at any cost.
- Insurance assumptions. The standard homeowners form excludes settling and earth movement, so don’t plan on a claim unless a sudden covered event, such as a burst pipe, caused the damage.
- Selling later. North Carolina’s seller disclosure form notes that structural issues remain material facts even after repair, so keep every report, permit and warranty.
Call to schedule an inspection
Questions to ask before you sign
- What did you find, and where? Can I have the photos and measurements?
- How many piers or supports, of what type, where, and on what footings?
- Does the price include the permit, any engineer’s letter, cleanup and drainage?
- What happens if more rot or damage turns up once work starts?
- What does the warranty cover, for how long, and does it transfer to a buyer?
- NC DOJ advises inspecting the work before paying and avoiding cash; what’s the payment schedule?
How these figures were gathered
The costs above come from three national publishers: HomeAdvisor (updated June 2026), HomeGuide (2025 and 2026 guides) and This Old House (updated October 2026). They don’t agree exactly, especially on engineer’s reports, so both figures are shown where they differ. None publishes Raleigh data. Each source is linked under Sources.