36,746
Housing units for about 82,900 people. The 2020 Census counted 81,638 residents.
Foundation Repair in Longview, TX
Longview is the Gregg County seat and one of the largest cities in East Texas, with a housing stock that leans older. Describe the crack, the sticking door or the sloping floor once, and independent foundation repair companies that serve Longview can reply with free, no-obligation quotes. Tyler TX Foundation Experts is a quote service, not a contractor.
Get a Free Quote Call (323) 880-1300By the numbers
Longview homes at a glance
Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates for the city of Longview.
1978
Median year built. About 55% of homes went up before 1980 and about 15% before 1960.
62%
Single-family detached houses. About 20% of all homes were built in 2000 or later.
55%
Owner-occupied, with a median home value of about $202,600. In a rental, the owner usually arranges any repair.
Local history
A railroad town that grew up fast
Longview was founded in 1870, when O.H. Methvin Sr. sold land to the railroad, and the town is said to take its name from surveyors who looked out and exclaimed "What a long view." Gregg County was created in 1873 and voters chose Longview as its seat. During World War II the city was a stop on the Big Inch pipeline, which carried more than 261 million barrels of oil to the East Coast between 1943 and 1945 (Wikipedia).
Today Longview calls itself the "Balloon Race Capital of Texas" and is home to LeTourneau University. For foundations, the history matters because so much of the city was built before 1980. Older plumbing, decades of tree growth and dated drainage can all show up as cracks and sticking doors.
Soils
What the ground under Longview is like
Longview falls in the USDA NRCS soil survey for Upshur and Gregg counties. The most common soils there are Cuthbert (about 21%), Bowie (about 20%), Lilbert (11%), Kirvin (9%) and Mattex (7%). Cuthbert and Kirvin are fine sandy loams over red clayey subsoils with moderate shrink-swell potential; Lilbert and Mattex rate low.
Across the survey area, about 57% of the land is mapped with low shrink-swell potential, about 34% moderate and about 6% high. A small share is Sacul, a clayier soil. NRCS rates much of the area "very limited" for houses on slabs, but that rating covers wetness, slope and seasonal water as well as clay, so drainage around the house deserves as much attention as the soil itself.
Lots vary block by block. Web Soil Survey shows what is mapped under your address.
Weather that works on a foundation
The closest long-term records in our research are at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. Tyler averages about 42 inches of rain a year, but July is the driest month (2.1 inches) and the city sees about 98 days of 90°F-plus heat (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport). Tyler got just 25 inches of rain in 2011 and more than 68 inches in 2015 (NOAA).
Wet spring
June is the wettest month. Water pooling at the slab edge can soften soil.
Dry summer
July is the driest. Clay subsoils shrink.
Trees join in
Large pines and oaks near the house can dry out clay soil under a foundation in a drought.
Older Longview houses
With more than half the city built before 1980, some older Longview homes may sit on pier-and-beam, where a floor that dips or bounces is often the first sign and releveling or replacing worn supports are common jobs. See pier and beam repair and house leveling or crawl space repair.
Newer subdivisions
About one in five Longview homes was built in 2000 or later, and nearly all new homes in the region are slabs (NAHB). On a newer slab, watch for diagonal drywall cracks, gaps at window frames and cracked tile, and rule out plumbing leaks before any lift. See slab foundation repair.
Before you sign
Checking a Longview foundation company
Texas does not issue a state license for foundation repair companies, so check experience, insurance, written warranties and reviews yourself, and ask whether a licensed professional engineer (PE) designs or signs off on the repair.
An independent Texas-licensed professional engineer works for you, not the repair company. You can look up a PE's license with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (pels.texas.gov).
- Get the pier type, count and spacing in writing, with a drawing.
- Ask whether a plumbing test is part of the plan.
- Ask whether the warranty is transferable if you sell the home, whether there's a transfer fee, and what it covers.
- Get a written, itemized estimate.
- Whether a repair needs a permit or an engineer's plan depends on the work, so check with the city's building department or have the company you choose do it before work starts.
Texas law gives you until midnight of the third business day to cancel many contracts signed at your home after a sales visit (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §601.051). Ask whether it applies to your contract and look for the cancellation form.
Get free foundation repair quotes in Longview
Tyler TX Foundation Experts passes your request to independent foundation companies that serve Longview and Gregg County, and they reply to you directly. Many also work in nearby Kilgore and Gladewater. Companies may pay to receive requests; there is no cost or obligation for you.
Common requests here:
Nearby areas:
Typical national price ranges are in the Tyler foundation repair cost guide.
Longview foundation questions
Is Longview soil the same as Tyler's?
Broadly similar, not identical. In the USDA NRCS survey that covers Upshur and Gregg counties, Cuthbert and Bowie soils each make up about a fifth of the area, and about 57% of the land is mapped with low shrink-swell potential and about 34% moderate. Only about 6% is high. Your lot can differ, so check Web Soil Survey and watch what the house shows over time.
Are most Longview homes slab or pier and beam?
No local count exists. New homes in this part of the country are almost all built on slabs (NAHB), so many Longview homes built in recent decades are likely slab-on-grade. With 55% of the city's homes built before 1980 (Census ACS 2020–2024), some older houses may sit on pier-and-beam. Look under the house or check the inspection report to be sure.
Do I need a permit for foundation repair in Longview?
It depends on the work. Check with the city's building department, or ask the company you choose to confirm before work starts and to show you any permit it pulls.
Cracks, sticking doors or a sloping floor? Get free foundation quotes.
Describe it once and independent foundation companies serving Tyler, Smith County and East Texas can reply with no-obligation quotes.