Where the permit line is
| Work | Permit? | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation repair of 128 sq ft or less (one- and two-family homes, townhouses up to three stories) | Exempt, but must still meet code | Work exempt list |
| Foundation repair "without increasing impervious cover in excess of 128 sq. ft." | Express permit | Express permits page |
| Repair that moves or replaces plumbing | Express permit plus a plumbing permit "depending on the work" | Express permits page |
| Property in a floodplain or historic district | Express permit, slower than one day | Express permits page |
Exempt work still has to meet the building code. The City's pages do not mention leveling as its own item and do not list an engineer's letter for foundation work (they require extra documents only for fire and vehicle damage), so ask the company whether its own engineer designs the pier layout and whether you get the report.
How the permit works
- Registration. "A registered General Contractor must be assigned and linked to the building permit," the Express permits page says; a homeowner can be that contractor after registering. The City's contractor registration page says general contractors, trade contractors and homeowners acting as contractors must register before any work on a building permit.
- Application. The Residential Express Permit Application, filed through Austin Build + Connect. Mark it if a plumbing permit is needed.
- Fees and inspections. Fees are invoiced in the AB+C portal; the contractor needs an AB+C account to pay, manage the permit and schedule inspections. The City's page does not list the foundation fee amount.
Texas has no state license for foundation or general contractors (how to check a Texas contractor), so the City registration and the permit record are the two checks you have. If the quote includes tunneling under the slab to repair drains, the plumber doing that part needs a Texas plumbing license.
What the Austin record shows
Our Austin "Remodel & Repair" category includes foundation repair along with remodels, windows and other repair permits.
| Measure | Austin remodel and repair |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 7,109 |
| Firms | 837 |
| Busiest firms, last 12 months | Renewal by Andersen (262), We Level It (Formally Centex House Leveling) (195), Foundation Support Specialists (130) |
| Share held by the five busiest | 34.4% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 67 |
| Finished (permits a year or more old) | 82.5% |
| Firms with 10+ permits that finished under 70% | 16 of 66 |
| Busiest / quietest month | March / February |
The finished share is the thing to check on a foundation company: the permit should reach Final, because an open permit on a foundation repair is a question a buyer's inspector will ask years later. Among firms with ten or more permits, the finished share runs from 45.6% at the 10th percentile to 97.0% at the 90th, so the spread between companies is wide. Austin permits carry no filed value, so our file cannot price a pier job.
Compare Austin remodel and foundation firms by permit record →
Check a foundation company in five minutes
- Ask for the permit number for the job, or for two past addresses.
- Look them up in the Austin building permit search and check the status reads Final.
- Open the company's page from our compare list and read its finished share against the 82.5% citywide figure.
Related
Other remodel permits: Austin remodel permit. The general question: do I need a permit for foundation repair. Permit counts by year: Austin permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our Austin file does not separate foundation repairs from other remodel and repair permits, so the counts above are the whole category; the firm names are how foundation companies show up in it. Repairs of 128 sq ft or less need no permit and are not in the record at all.
How we know this
The permit rules are from the City of Austin's work-exempt list, Express permits page and contractor registration page, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Austin issued construction permits on homes in our remodel and repair category, October 2023 to September 2026; the finished share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Austin issued construction permits, data through October 10, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for foundation repair in Austin?
Yes, unless the repair is 128 sq ft or less. The City's list of work exempt from building permits includes 'a foundation repair that does not exceed 128 square feet' on one- and two-family homes and townhouses; anything larger needs a permit (City of Austin, read 23 October 2026).
- How long does an Austin foundation repair permit take?
Foundation repair that does not add more than 128 sq ft of impervious cover is an Express permit, and the City says most Express permits are issued in one business day. Floodplain and historic-district properties can take longer.
- Can a homeowner pull a foundation repair permit in Austin?
Yes, after registering. The City requires a registered general contractor on every Express permit and says the homeowner can act as the general contractor once registered. The registration is separate from an Austin Build + Connect account.
- Do foundation repair companies need a license in Texas?
There is no state license for foundation repair or general contractors in Texas. The checks are the City of Austin contractor registration and the company's permit record; if the job reroutes plumbing, the plumber needs a Texas plumbing license and a City plumbing permit may be required.
- Does pier and beam leveling need a permit in Austin?
The City's pages do not single out leveling. They exempt a foundation repair of 128 sq ft or less and list larger foundation repair as an Express permit, so ask the contractor how much area the work covers and get the permit number before the crew starts.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Austin building permit search: how to look up permits on an address
- Do I need a permit to remodel in Austin? Express, interior remodel and what is exempt
- Do I need a permit to remodel a bathroom? The rule in 14 cities, and what is exempt
- Do I need a permit to remodel my house? The rule in 14 departments, and what gets filed
- Do I need a permit to remodel in Cambridge, MA? Who can pull it, fees, review time and the HIC catch
- Do I need a remodel permit in Cleveland? The 10% repair rule, drawings, the $5 per $1,000 fee, and why half of permits never close
For one city
- Austin contractor license lookup: which license, where to search, and what the permits show
- Do I need a demolition permit in Austin? The 45-year historic review, the pre-demolition inspection and neighbor notice
- Do I need a driveway permit in Austin? The right-of-way line, the DS permit and the $220 review fee
- Work Exempt from Building Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Express Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Contractor Registration — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)