The Denton rule, step by step
| Step | What the City requires |
|---|---|
| Permit | Required for all foundation repairs; listed under Residential Permits |
| Application | Residential Application (PDF) |
| Engineering, at submittal | Foundation repair letter and plan, signed and sealed by a Texas registered engineer |
| Where | Online in eTRAKiT, or in person with paper plans at the Development Services Center, 401 N Elm St |
| Inspection | One: building final |
| Engineering, at the end | Engineered seal report uploaded to eTRAKiT before the final |
| Questions | 940-349-7311 |
That is stricter than some Texas cities. Waco, for comparison, requires a Repairs & Alterations permit for foundation repair and its page does not ask for an engineer (Waco foundation repair rules). In Denton the engineer's seal is on both ends of the job.
What the engineer requirement means for hiring
- Ask whose engineer. Ask whether the engineer is employed by or regularly works with the company. Either satisfies the City, but you can also hire an independent engineer to assess the house first and then hand the report to bidders, so every quote prices the same pier layout.
- Get the sealed plan before you sign the final contract. The number of piers, their locations and the depth target are on it. A quote that does not match the plan is not a quote for the permitted job.
- Make the sealed report part of the last payment. The final inspection cannot happen until it is uploaded, and an open permit is something a buyer's inspector will ask about.
- Plumbing under the slab is separate. If the repair includes tunneling to replace drain lines, that is plumbing work for a licensed plumber with its own permit. Our Denton water and sewer line category holds 1,237 permits from 192 firms; see Denton contractor license lookup for the plumbing license check.
- No state license. Texas has no state license for foundation companies, so the permit record and the engineer's seal are your checks.
Compare Denton foundation repair companies by permit record →
What Denton permits show
| Measure | Denton foundation repair |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 517 |
| Companies | 54 |
| Usual filed value | $7,000 |
| Middle half of companies' usual job (21 companies) | $6,250 to $8,500 |
| Usual days, issue to final | 59 |
| Finished (a year or more old) | 96.6% |
| Share held by the five busiest | 66.7% |
| Companies with a single permit | 50.0% |
| Busiest / quietest month | October / January |
Three things stand out. The market is concentrated: Structured Foundation Repairs filed 32 permits in the last 12 months and Olshan Foundation 32, and the five busiest held 66.7%. Finishing is unusually good: 96.6% of permits a year or more old reached final, and among the 9 companies with 10 or more permits, 0 finished under 70% and the lowest-tenth mark was 90.1%, which fits a rule that makes the engineer's report the last step. And permits peak in October (index 142, 100 = an average month); January is the quietest month.
The filed values are tight, $6,250 to $8,500 for the middle half of companies. A quote far above that for a few piers deserves a second engineer's look at the plan.
Five-minute check
- Ask for the engineer's name and the sealed plan, and for the permit number once filed.
- Look the permit up as in Denton building permit search and check it is in the company's name.
- Open the company's page from our Denton foundation repair list and compare its finished share with the 96.6% citywide figure. Prices by home value are on Denton foundation repair cost; counts by year on Denton permit statistics.
Related: do I need a permit for foundation repair and hiring a foundation repair contractor.
What this does not tell you
The filed value is what the company wrote on the permit; warranty transfers, drainage work and later adjustments may not be in it. Repairs done without a permit, and homes outside the city limits, are not in our file.
How we know this
The rule is from the City of Denton Development Services Foundation Repair page, read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Denton permits on homes in our foundation repair and water and sewer line categories, October 2023 to September 2026; the finished share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Denton Building Safety permits on homes (the city's yearly permit reports), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit for foundation repair in Denton, TX?
Yes. The City of Denton says all foundation repairs require a permit, with a Residential Application and a foundation repair letter and plan signed and sealed by a Texas registered engineer.
- Does Denton require an engineer for foundation repair?
Yes, twice over. The repair letter and plan submitted for the permit must be signed and sealed by a Texas registered engineer, and the engineered seal report must be uploaded to eTRAKiT before the building final inspection.
- How much does foundation repair cost in Denton?
The usual Denton foundation repair permit was filed at $7,000, and the middle half of companies usually file between $6,250 and $8,500 (517 permits, October 2023 to September 2026). That is the value on the permit, not always the full contract.
- How long does a foundation repair permit take in Denton?
The usual Denton foundation permit reached its final 59 days after issue, and 96.6% of permits a year or more old were finished. The final waits on the engineer's sealed report.
- Who are the biggest foundation repair companies in Denton?
By permits in the last 12 months, Structured Foundation Repairs (32) and Olshan Foundation (32). The five busiest companies held 66.7% of all Denton foundation repair permits.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Home improvement costs in Denton, TX (2026): what 15 kinds of jobs were filed at
- Do I need a permit to replace a sewer line? The rule in 9 departments, and how many get filed
- Do I need a permit for foundation repair? The rule in 10 departments, and how many get filed
- Do I need a permit for foundation repair in Colorado Springs? PPRBD's rules, fees and the specialty license
- Do I need a plumbing permit in Portland? Homeowner work, water heaters, sewer lines and 15,031 permits
- Do I need an electrical permit in Prince George's County? Master electricians, the homeowner exception, fees and 32,079 permits
For one city
- Foundation Repair — City of Denton Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)