Pier and beam foundation repair typically costs $6,000 to $14,000. New or replacement piers run about $800–$4,000 each, beam replacement $1,500–$4,000 per beam, and re-shimming $1,200–$4,000. Small jobs can come in under $2,000; full rebuilds of old raised homes can exceed $25,000.
Foundation Repair Baton Rouge works on a lot of pre-1950 raised homes in Mid City, the Garden District and older towns like Plaquemine and Zachary, where a century of humidity has done its work on piers and wood. Here’s how the price breaks down.
Pier and beam repair costs by item
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Re-shim (whole house) | $1,200–$4,000 |
| New pier added | $800–$4,000 each |
| Failed pier replaced | $2,000–$6,000 each |
| Beam replaced | $1,500–$4,000 each |
| Sill plate replaced | $100–$300 per linear ft |
| Crawl space vapor barrier / encapsulation | $3,000–$15,000 |
| Engineer’s letter (if required) | $500–$2,000 |
Sources: Angi 2026 pier-and-beam data ($6,000–$14,000 typical, $10,000 average); HomeGuide 2026; Abry Bros Louisiana 2026.
What drives the total
- How many piers have failed. Brick piers on shallow footings are common in older Baton Rouge homes, and they tend to fail in groups.
- Rot and termites. Sill and beam damage adds carpentry, shoring and time. It’s often hidden until the crawl.
- Crawl space height and access. Low, wet or cluttered crawl spaces cost more to work in.
- Permits. Structural repair generally needs a City-Parish permit.
- Moisture fixes. Drainage or a vapor barrier keeps the new wood from rotting like the old.
Where people overspend
The most common waste is leveling a house that needed structural repair — the new shims sit on rotted wood and the floors drop again within a few seasons. The second is replacing wood without fixing the water that rotted it. A good quote addresses both: the parts that failed and why they failed.
Reading a pier and beam quote
Ask for a pier map that marks which piers are fine, which get re-shimmed and which get replaced; the linear feet of sill and number of beams being replaced; the lumber specification (ground-contact treated); shim material (steel); and before-and-after floor readings. A quote that says “level house and repair as needed” is not a quote. If it’s only a matter of shims, see house leveling cost.
Bottom line
Pier and beam repair in Baton Rouge usually costs $6,000–$14,000, driven by how many piers, beams and sills have failed. Get a pier-by-pier scope in writing. For a free crawl-space inspection, call Foundation Repair Baton Rouge.