Honest budget and schedule expectations for converting a wood-pier RGV home to a permanent concrete foundation.
Wood-to-concrete conversion is the biggest foundation project most RGV homeowners ever take on. Here's an honest look at what it costs, how long it takes, and what shifts the numbers.
Cost Ranges in the RGV
For a typical 1,200–2,000 sq ft single-story home:
- Straightforward conversion: $18,000 – $32,000
- With sill plate replacement: $25,000 – $42,000
- With significant beam/joist replacement: $35,000 – $55,000+
Larger homes, multi-story homes, and homes with severe rot can run higher. These ranges reflect real RGV jobs — expect higher numbers from out-of-Valley contractors trucking crews in.
What Drives the Price
Home size and weight. More square footage means more cribbing, more piers, and more concrete. Two-story homes need heavier-duty cribbing and more conservative lifts.
Existing structure condition. If sill plates and beams are in good shape, conversion is faster and cheaper. If we have to replace significant wood while the home is up on cribbing, costs climb.
Soil conditions. Areas of the Valley with deeper expansive clay or high water tables (Brownsville, near the resacas, river-edge homes in Hidalgo) need deeper piers or pier-and-grade-beam combinations.
Access. Tight lots, mature landscaping, decks, AC units, or close-by outbuildings add labor.
Engineering and permits. Most cities in the RGV require permits for foundation conversion. Engineering is usually included in our scope; permit fees vary by city.
Timeline
A typical conversion runs 2 to 4 weeks from first day on site to final cleanup:
- Days 1–3: Lift and cribbing
- Days 3–5: Remove old piers, excavate new footings
- Days 5–8: Form, place rebar, pour foundation
- Days 8–15: Concrete cure to design strength
- Days 15–20: Lower home, anchor, replace sills as needed
- Days 20–25: Backfill, cleanup, walkthrough
We can compress this for smaller homes and have to extend it for larger or more complex jobs.
Living in the Home
Most homeowners stay in the home through most of the project. Power, water, and gas typically remain on. We'll usually ask you to be out for the actual lift day and the pour day for safety. We'll tell you exactly which days during the inspection.
What's Included
Every conversion quote we write includes:
- Engineering and city permits
- Lift, cribbing, and pier removal
- New concrete foundation (piers, grade beam, or combination per engineering)
- Sill plate replacement where needed
- Anchoring and tie-downs
- Backfill and basic cleanup
- Lifetime transferable warranty
What's not included: cosmetic interior repair, exterior skirting/lattice replacement, and any utility work that needs a licensed plumber or electrician.
Financing
We work with several RGV-area lenders that specialize in foundation projects. Most homeowners finance conversions over 5–10 years. We can connect you during the inspection.
Get the Real Number
Wood-to-concrete is too big a project to ballpark. We'll come out, inspect the home and the soil, and give you a written scope and quote for free.
Can I get a rough quote over the phone?
We'd rather not — there are too many variables in a conversion to quote responsibly without seeing the home. The free inspection is fast and gives you real numbers.
Will my homeowners insurance go up or down after conversion?
Almost always down, sometimes significantly — and many insurers will write new policies on the converted home that they wouldn't on the wood-pier version.
Is the lifetime warranty the same as on a regular pier job?
Yes. Lifetime transferable warranty on the new concrete foundation. Standard wood structure warranties (sills, beams) follow industry practice.
Worried about your foundation? Let's look.
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