Sagging floor repair
Floors over a crawl space shouldn't bounce or dip. When they do, the fix is usually under the house.
Sagging floor repair adds support under floors that dip, bounce or slope. For Murfreesboro and Rutherford County homes on crawl spaces, contractors install new piers or adjustable steel supports, add or upgrade beams, sister new lumber onto weak joists and replace wood that has decayed.
Signs your floor needs support
- A noticeable dip in the middle of a room or a hallway
- Floors that bounce or make dishes rattle when you walk
- Doors that drift open, stick or won't latch
- Gaps between baseboards and the floor
- Cracks in drywall over doors and windows
Common causes here
- Moisture damage: joists and sills that have softened from years of damp air or standing water
- Spacing: beams or piers too far apart for the load
- Settled supports: piers or blocks sitting on soil that has softened or washed out
- Cut framing: joists notched or cut for plumbing and ducts
On Rutherford County's clay over limestone, a support set on soft, wet soil can settle, while one bearing on rock may not move at all. That difference can show up as an uneven floor.
Typical repairs
- Adjustable steel posts or new masonry piers on proper footings
- A new beam under a long span
- Sistering new joists to damaged or undersized ones
- Replacing rotted sill plates and subfloor
Is it the floor or the foundation?
A crawl space contractor can usually tell whether the problem is in the wood framing or the supports. Cracked foundation walls, piers that have moved or signs of ground movement may call for an engineer's evaluation, especially on karst ground.
What affects the cost?
- Number of supports and length of beam needed
- How much wood is damaged
- Crawl space height and access
- Footing work, including digging around rock
- Permit or engineering needs
The contractor prices the job after an inspection. We don't publish prices.
Common questions
Can a sagging floor be fixed without tearing up the floor?
Usually. Most floor support work is done from inside the crawl space, though damaged subfloor sometimes has to be replaced from above.
Is floor support work permitted in Murfreesboro?
Structural work often needs a permit. The contractor can confirm with Murfreesboro's Building and Codes department or Rutherford County Building Codes.
Will the floor be perfectly level afterward?
It can often be improved a lot. Framing that has sagged for years is usually lifted gradually to avoid cracking walls and finishes.
Where this service is available
Related services
- Crawl space encapsulation
- Crawl space drainage and sump pumps
- Dehumidifier installation
- Crawl space mold cleanup
Background on Tennessee licensing, the city code and the limestone under Rutherford County is in the Rutherford County crawl space guide.
Water on the rock, a musty house, or a floor that dips?
Call and we'll put you in touch with an independent crawl space contractor who works in Murfreesboro and across Rutherford County.