What the “Experts” Missed About Central Texas “Sinking Homes”

Central Texas headlines are calling it “sinking homes.” Homeowners are being told it’s expansive clay, moisture, and bad luck. The public message is predictable.

But from our field perspective, the bigger problem isn’t what the article missed — it’s what the experts keep missing: the most common real-world driver of uneven foundation movement in many Texas neighborhoods.

If we were gambling people, we would bet that most of these homes are settling toward the front — toward the oak trees.

Not randomly. Not mysteriously. Directionally.

The Soil Isn’t the Villain — Uneven Soil Is

Yes, Texas has shrink-swell clay. Yes, it moves with wet and dry cycles. That’s not new information. In many areas, the Potential Vertical Rise (PVR) is significant — and seasonal cycling is normal.

The Pattern That Shows Up After Oak Trees Mature

In many neighborhoods, oak trees are planted close to the front of the home. At first, they look like harmless landscaping. Then a predictable timeline kicks in: as these trees mature, their water demand ramps up. In our experience, it can take as little as five years for the soil influence zone to become strong enough to create meaningful, uneven drying near the slab edge — sometimes even less.

Oak roots extend well beyond the canopy. During dry cycles, they pull moisture out of the load-bearing clay — and they do it directionally, where their influence is strongest.

Why “Call a Repair Company” Is the Wrong First Step

Most public guidance skips diagnosis and points homeowners toward repair. But repair companies sell repairs. That’s their model. When the first voice involved is a repair-sales voice, the conversation often jumps straight to structural intervention — before anyone identifies the true driver of the uneven movement.

Underpinning Is a Static Answer to a Dynamic Problem

Underpinning can lift a symptom. It does not automatically correct the moisture imbalance that caused the movement. Installing static supports in a dynamic soil environment can create new behavior: one portion of the slab becomes more static, while the rest continues to cycle — which is how secondary movement (including interior settlement) can develop later.

The Builder Warranty Angle No One Wants to Say Out Loud

Here’s an uncomfortable truth: if builders truly accept the primary driver of this pattern, they can stop bleeding money on expensive structural “repairs” under warranty. In many cases, instead of paying for repeat underpinning, the smarter move is to address the cause: stop the uneven moisture loss at the slab edge.

Root barriers are not flashy. They don’t feel like construction. But when oaks are the dominant moisture thief in expansive clay, a properly designed root barrier can be installed for a fraction of the cost of perimeter underpinning — and it’s aimed at preventing the pattern from repeating.

Why Pier-less Exists

Pier-less was built for homeowners who don’t want to be pushed into invasive work without understanding what’s actually happening. Our approach is earth-first: stabilize the soil environment, restore balance, and support the slab within its original engineered intent.

What Homeowners Should Do Next

Don’t chase symptoms. Start with diagnosis from an expert who is not paid on repair volume. The fastest path to the right outcome is an independent evaluation that identifies the direction of movement and the driver behind it.

Source article (context): FOX 7 Austin — Experts weigh in on home foundation issues in Central Texas