Foundation Repair in Friendswood, TX

Four creeks, one inland city

The City describes Friendswood as "an inland City" that is still affected by storm surge from Galveston Bay and by riverine flooding from four major creeks and their tributaries: Chigger Creek, Clear Creek, Cowards Creek and Mary's Creek. It says heavy rainstorms produce most of the flood damage, and it lists stream monitoring sites such as Clear Creek at FM 528, at FM 2351 and at Country Club Drive, Mary's Creek at Winding Road, and Chigger Creek at Windsong Lane (City of Friendswood, Flood Risk in Friendswood, official city page, checked 2026-10-15). For homes built before the City's first FEMA map, the same page suggests looking at historical flood maps to see which zone applied when the house went up, and it says Community Development staff can tell you about past flooding in your area. Why that matters for a foundation: water that sits against a slab, or soil that swings between soaked and dry, can lead to uneven movement on expansive soils, according to the Foundation Performance Association (FPA-SC-07-0, 2003, checked 2026-10-13).

The Friendswood permit, step by step

• Does foundation repair need a permit? Yes. The City's fee schedule names foundation repair as its own line item at $50, with no plan check fee shown for that line (Permit Fee Schedule, checked 2026-10-15).
• What if work starts first? The same schedule says "Work started without a permit shall be double permit fee."
• Where do you apply? Friendswood handles permits and inspections online. Contractors register by uploading a general liability certificate of insurance for $1,000,000 and a state trade license where one applies (City of Friendswood, Online Permits & Inspections, official city page, checked 2026-10-15).
• Which codes? That page lists the 2024 International Building and Residential Codes as effective March 1, 2026.
• Who to call? The Building Division at 281-996-3201 (City of Friendswood, Build Responsibly, checked 2026-10-15).

Texas does not have a statewide license for foundation repair contractors; cities may require permits. Ask your contractor whether they're registered with Friendswood and who will pull the permit.

In the floodplain? A separate rule

Friendswood says all development in the FEMA floodplain requires a permit under Chapter 34 of its code, and that before any work on a structure in the floodplain you should call the Building Division to check whether a permit is needed. It also says repairs or improvements that reach 50% of a building's market value require building permits and elevation certificates and are held to new-construction standards, including building 2 feet above base flood elevation (Build Responsibly, checked 2026-10-15). The City's flood ordinance adopts FEMA's Flood Insurance Study for Galveston County dated August 15, 2019, and notes the incorporated areas include both Galveston and Harris counties (City of Friendswood, Flood Ordinance, official city document, checked 2026-10-15).

What the soil survey says near FM 528

The 1988 USDA soil survey of Galveston County describes its typical example of Aris fine sandy loam at a spot measured from FM 528 in Friendswood. It calls Aris soils nearly level, somewhat poorly drained and loamy, and, for one map unit that includes them, names "soil wetness and high shrink-swell potential" as the main limitations for urban use (Soil Survey of Galveston County, USDA, 1988, checked 2026-10-15). The survey covers Galveston County only, so it says nothing about the Harris County side of town, and a county map can't tell you what is under one lot.

Price, insurance, and next steps

Before you compare Friendswood bids, ask each contractor whether the $50 City permit is in the price; the fee schedule doubles it when work starts without one (see the permit section above). We haven't gathered local quotes, so for general Houston-area ranges and their sources, see the Houston cost page. Insurance: whether a policy pays for foundation work depends on that policy, so ask your insurer or agent. The Texas Department of Insurance explains policies and claims in its consumer guide (TDI home insurance guide, updated 6/1/2026, checked 2026-10-13). Quote requests are coming soon. For now, call (832) 646-1494 or email [email protected].

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