Nearly every house around Gonzales stands on a concrete slab, and many newer ones are post-tensioned. Basements are almost unknown here, because the ground is flat, wet clay. The standard foundation questions get local answers below.
The prices on this page are national figures that HomeGuide published for 2026. They are not quotes from The Gonzales Concrete Company. What you pay in Ascension Parish depends on local labor and material costs, how easy the site is to reach, and how much base work the clay needs. Last checked October 2026.
Are the cracks in my foundation serious or cosmetic?
Thin, even cracks in a foundation slab are usually cosmetic shrinkage. Treat a crack as serious if it is wide, if one side stands higher, if it keeps growing, or if doors stick and brick cracks in stair-steps above it. Clay movement in a drought can open cracks that close again after rain, which is a reason to keep moisture around the house even. We are concrete contractors, not engineers. For a suspect crack, have a structural engineer look before buying any repair.
What does foundation repair cost?
National figures are $250 to $800 for minor crack repairs, $2,000 to $12,000 to fix foundation leaks and $4,500 to $20,000 for settling, sinking or bowed walls. Soil and foundation type shift those ranges considerably from house to house.
My garage floor has dropped on one side. Is that leveling or a foundation problem?
Look at the walls. When a garage floor has dropped but the walls and the brick above are unmarked, the floor is probably a separate slab that sank on loose fill, and it can be lifted or replaced. When the wall has cracked or moved with it, the foundation is involved and an engineer should see it. In a post-tensioned house, do not let anyone drill the floor until the slab type is confirmed.
Why are my front steps pulling away from the house?
Steps are heavy, small and usually sit on shallow fill beside the foundation, so they move more than the house does. As the clay shrinks and the fill settles, the steps tilt outward and a gap opens, and you see them pulling away from the house. A small gap can be closed by lifting. Cracked or badly tipped steps are rebuilt on a compacted base. No national price was published for concrete steps, so we quote them on site.
My retaining wall is leaning after heavy rain. Can it be saved?
Possibly. A retaining wall found leaning after a wet spell is being pushed by soaked, swollen clay and by water with no way out. If it has moved only slightly and has not cracked, relieving the soil and adding drainage may hold it. If it has cracked, bulged or slid, plan to rebuild with a wider footing, steel and a drain. Stay clear of a wall that is still moving.
One company quoted $18,000 for piers. Another says $1,500 to seal the crack. Who is right?
Each is answering a different question. Sealing for $1,500 keeps water out of a crack. Piers for $18,000 hold up a foundation that is going down. The $16,500 between them is reason enough to hire an independent structural engineer, one who sells no repairs, to say whether the slab is moving at all. Piers under a stable slab waste money. Sealant on a sinking one wastes less money but fixes nothing.
My slab floor is damp or has a white powder on it. What is that?
The white powder is efflorescence: mineral salts carried up by moisture and left on the surface as it dries. It tells you water is moving through the slab, often because there is no vapor barrier or because water stands against the outside edge. Sweep it off, fix the outside drainage and test for moisture before laying flooring. With no basements here, we see it mainly on garage and shop floors. A persistent wet patch can be a leaking pipe under the slab.
Does insurance cover a retaining wall, slab or foundation?
Ask your agent, because it depends on the policy and the cause. Homeowner policies are generally written for sudden events and tend to exclude settling, earth movement and gradual wear. Flood is a separate policy, which many households here have carried since 2016. Check how yours treats driveways, walls and detached structures. If you file an insurance claim, we can write up the damage and price the repair.
Can you pour the slab for an addition or a new building?
Yes, to the engineer's drawings and the permit. The permit sets the floor height under the flood rules, and fill under the slab must meet the parish or city requirements. Sheds, carports and equipment pads are simpler and usually sit on a rebar slab with thickened edges over compacted fill.
Want a real number for your property? We measure on site and write the quote down, free. Call (225) 529-0954 or text a photo of the concrete.