Why are foundation problems so common in Louisiana?

Louisiana's expansive clay soils expand when wet and shrink when dry, causing significant ground movement. Combined with high water tables, frequent flooding, and poor drainage, this creates ongoing stress on foundations. Most Louisiana homes will experience some foundation movement over time—the key is addressing problems before they worsen.

How do I know if my structural problem is serious?

Warning signs like doors that won't close, diagonal cracks near windows, sloping floors, or gaps between walls and ceilings often indicate structural movement. While some settling is normal, progressive changes warrant professional assessment. We evaluate whether issues are cosmetic, stable, or actively worsening—and recommend appropriate action.

Do I need a structural engineer for foundation repairs?

For significant foundation work, we often involve a structural engineer to assess conditions and specify appropriate repair methods. This protects you by ensuring repairs are properly designed. Engineering costs are typically a small percentage of total project cost but provide important documentation for insurance and future resale.

Will foundation repair damage my landscaping or interior finishes?

We minimize disruption where possible, but some interior and exterior work requires access to foundation components. We discuss access requirements upfront so you know what to expect. Most landscaping and interior cosmetic repairs can be addressed after structural work is complete.

How long do foundation repairs last?

Properly executed foundation repairs using appropriate methods should provide long-term stability. We use proven techniques suited to Louisiana soil conditions and provide warranties on our work. However, addressing the underlying cause—usually drainage—is essential to prevent future problems.

Structural Repairs

Diagnose the Root Cause. Repair It Once. Done Right.

Foundation stabilization, termite damage restoration, water damage repair, and load-bearing modifications by a licensed Louisiana general contractor. Serving Metairie, New Orleans, and Jefferson Parish, with additional work on the Northshore and select projects in the Baton Rouge area — we diagnose root causes and implement engineered solutions, not cosmetic patches.

Featured Insurance Repair — Gretna, LA

Truck-Through-Wall Structural Repair & Insurance Rebuild in Gretna

A pickup truck jumped the curb and drove straight through the front wall of a Gretna home, taking out the brick veneer, exterior framing, sheathing, and interior finishes in one hit. Cajun Home Services responded the same night with an emergency board-up, then delivered an insurance-approved estimate and rebuilt the home back to like-new condition — coordinating directly with the homeowner\'s insurance adjuster from first call through final walkthrough.

The Challenge

A vehicle impact destroyed a load-bearing section of the exterior wall — brick veneer, studs, sheathing, sill plate, and interior drywall were all compromised. The home was open to the weather, the slab edge was chipped, and the homeowner needed both an immediate secure-up and a full insurance claim scope before any real work could start.

Our Solution

We tarped and shored the opening the first night, then produced an insurance-approved, line-item repair estimate the homeowner could hand directly to their adjuster. Once the claim was approved, our crew handled demo, slab repair, re-framing, sheathing, new window rough-in, brick veneer rebuild, and full interior finish — one licensed general contractor managing every trade.

The Result

The home was restored to brand-new condition — structurally sound, weather-tight, and visually seamless with the surrounding brick and interior finishes. The homeowner dealt with one contractor, one estimate, and one crew from the night of the accident through final walkthrough, and the insurance claim closed cleanly.

Scope of Work

Emergency board-up and weatherproof tarping to secure the home overnight
Insurance-approved scope, line-item estimate, and adjuster coordination on the homeowner's behalf
Full demolition of damaged brick veneer, sheathing, framing, and interior finishes
Slab edge repair, sill plate replacement, and re-framing of the exterior wall to code
New window rough opening, plywood sheathing, house wrap, and prep for brick and interior rebuild
Rebuild back to like-new condition: brick veneer, drywall, trim, paint, and finish work

Start an Insurance Repair Gretna Projects

Pickup truck crashed through the front exterior brick wall of a Gretna Louisiana home, viewed from the interior living room at night — Night of impact — truck through the front wall from inside

Exterior night view of pickup truck through the brick veneer wall of a Gretna Louisiana home with debris in the flower bed — Night of impact — exterior brick veneer blown out

Blue emergency tarp covering the damaged front wall of a Gretna home the morning after a vehicle impact — Emergency board-up and tarping to weatherproof the opening

Daytime interior view of the damaged living room in Gretna with brick debris, blown-out framing, and torn drywall after truck impact — Daylight assessment — full extent of interior damage documented for insurance

Cajun Home Services crew member removing damaged brick veneer during structural demo on a Gretna insurance repair — Controlled demo — brick veneer and damaged framing removed

Interior of Gretna home cleared to studs with damaged wall framing exposed and prepped for structural rebuild — Cleared to framing — ready for slab and structural repair

Crew measuring the damaged slab edge and sill plate on a Gretna insurance repair project before re-framing — Slab edge and sill plate measured for structural repair

Pile of salvaged and broken brick from the damaged Gretna exterior wall staged for disposal and color-match sourcing — Brick salvaged and staged for color-matched replacement

Interior view of new plywood sheathing and rough framing installed on the rebuilt exterior wall in Gretna — Rebuild — new framing and plywood sheathing from inside

Exterior view of the rebuilt Gretna wall with plywood sheathing, new window rough opening, and prep for brick veneer — Rebuild — sheathed, wrapped, and framed for the new window

Exterior of Gretna home with Elephant Skin house wrap installed over new sheathing and three rough window openings ready for windows — House wrap installed — weather barrier over new sheathing

New white vinyl double-hung windows installed in the rebuilt front wall of the Gretna home with house wrap still exposed — New energy-efficient windows set and flashed

Interior view of the new window rough-in showing fresh framing, header, and cripples on the rebuilt Gretna exterior wall — Interior view of new framing and window header

Cajun Home Services crew member measuring the new window opening from inside the Gretna home with fresh batt insulation installed in the wall cavities — Insulation installed and openings measured for drywall

Moisture-resistant green board drywall hung around the new windows on the rebuilt Gretna wall, ready for tape and finish — Drywall hung — moisture-resistant board around the openings

Interior of the Gretna room with drywall mudded, taped, and sanded around the new windows, ready for primer and paint — Mudded, taped, and sanded — ready for primer

Color-matched replacement brick staged in the front yard of the Gretna home next to the existing brick veneer for the rebuild — Color-matched brick staged on site for the veneer rebuild

First courses of new brick veneer laid on the rebuilt Gretna wall against the house wrap, tying into the original foundation — First courses of new brick laid against the house wrap

Exterior of the Gretna home with the front brick veneer nearly complete, new windows and roofline finished, homeowner's shadow in the foreground — Exterior nearly complete — brick veneer rebuilt to match

Interior of the rebuilt Gretna room with fresh paint, new baseboards, and clean wood-look flooring during final finish work — Interior finished — paint, trim, and floors like new

Hallway in the Gretna insurance repair with baseboards removed and existing laminate flooring pulled back to prep for new flooring throughout — Baseboards pulled — flooring prepped for continuous replacement

Interior wall with drywall patches primed around the new windows in the Gretna rebuild, drop cloth on the floor ready for finish paint — Drywall primed around the new windows

Ceiling HVAC duct boot opened up during the Gretna insurance repair to service the return-air and re-hang drywall trim ring — HVAC boot serviced and prepped for new grille

Wide interior view of the rebuilt Gretna living room with primed walls, new windows on two exposures, and ceiling fan ready for final paint — Room primed and ready for final color coat

Finished hallway in the Gretna home after insurance repair with freshly repainted walls, doors, and trim in warm neutral tones — Finished hallway — repainted walls, doors, and trim

Detail of freshly repainted white bifold closet doors in the rebuilt Gretna home showing clean finish and hardware — Closet doors repainted and rehung

Subfloor prepared with plywood underlayment across the main living area of the Gretna home ready for new laminate flooring installation — Subfloor leveled and underlayment set for new floors

Old vinyl composition tile removed down to the original subfloor in the Gretna home during flooring replacement — Old vinyl tile pulled — down to the subfloor

New wide-plank laminate flooring being installed through the Gretna hallway and living area with fresh planks staged for the next row — New laminate flooring going in — hallway to living area

New laminate flooring installation in progress in a Gretna bedroom with moisture barrier underlayment down and planks stacked for install — Bedroom flooring install — moisture barrier and planks staged

New wood-look laminate flooring installed across the Gretna living room during finish walkthrough with the installer on site — Living room flooring installed — final walkthrough underway

Cajun Home Services truck loaded with new white vinyl trim and J-channel staged in front of the Gretna home for exterior finish work — New vinyl trim staged for exterior finish work

Finished bedroom in the rebuilt Gretna home with new laminate flooring, fresh paint, and clean white baseboards — Bedroom complete — new floors, paint, and baseboards

Exterior side view of the rebuilt Gretna wall with new brick veneer around a fresh vinyl window and house wrap remaining above for soffit tie-in — Side elevation — brick veneer rebuilt around the new window

Rebuilt brick veneer wrapping into the porch column and front door of the Gretna home with clean mortar joints and color-matched brick — Brick veneer tied cleanly into column and front door

Detail of the finished white PVC column capital where the new porch column meets the vinyl soffit on the Gretna rebuild — New column capital finished tight to the soffit

New white round porch column installed and painted on the Gretna front porch with paint supplies staged during exterior finish — New porch column set, painted, and taped off

New black exterior lantern-style wall light reinstalled on the rebuilt brick veneer at the Gretna front porch — Exterior lighting reinstalled on the rebuilt wall

Existing alarm door and window sensor reconnected to the new window and trim in the rebuilt Gretna living room — Existing alarm sensors reconnected to the new windows

Interior finished view of the new double-hung window with clean paint, trim, and a clear view to the finished porch on the Gretna rebuild — Finished window and trim — inside view to the new porch

Existing white horizontal blinds rehung on the two new front windows in the rebuilt Gretna living room — Existing blinds cleaned and rehung on the new windows

Finished new laminate flooring in the rebuilt Gretna living room with Cajun Home Services shop vac and tools staged for final cleanup — Final cleanup — new floors down, tools packing out

Wide view of the finished rebuilt Gretna living room with new windows, fresh paint, new laminate flooring, and the crew's tools staged for punch-list walkthrough — Punch-list walkthrough — room restored end to end

Exterior corner detail of the rebuilt Gretna home showing the T1-11 porch gable soffit, aluminum gutter, and rebuilt stone-look brick veneer column tie-in — Porch gable, soffit, and brick veneer tied together cleanly

Wide exterior finish view of the rebuilt Gretna front elevation with new brick veneer, lantern light, mailbox, and windows fully restored after the truck impact — Final exterior — brick, lantern, mailbox, and windows restored

Why Structural Problems Require a Licensed General Contractor

Louisiana's unique soil conditions, moisture levels, and weather patterns create specific challenges for residential structures. Expansive clay soils in Jefferson Parish and Orleans Parish shift seasonally, causing foundation movement that cascades into cracked walls, sticking doors, and uneven floors. Formosan termites—among the most destructive in the nation—silently weaken floor joists, studs, and beams. And our annual hurricane season delivers wind and water damage that compromises roofing, framing, and exterior systems.

Cajun Home Services provides structural repair services for homeowners facing foundation problems, framing damage, or other issues affecting their home's integrity. Unlike specialized contractors who handle only one aspect, we address the full scope of structural work: foundation leveling and pier installation, termite damage wood replacement, water damage restoration, load-bearing wall modifications, and steel beam integration. We focus on identifying root causes and implementing repairs that address the underlying problem—not just the visible symptoms.

Storm damage frequently requires both structural repairs and roof replacement — typically architectural shingle roof replacement services for most Louisiana homes, or upgraded standing seam metal roofing systems when homeowners want a 50-year envelope. As a full-service contractor, we coordinate these related services to restore your home efficiently—addressing damaged rafters, decking, and framing alongside your new roof installation. This matters because roofing-only companies aren't licensed to repair structural framing, and handymen lack the expertise for engineered solutions.

All work is performed by licensed, insured, and documented crews. We coordinate with structural engineers when required and manage all permits and inspections.

Request an Assessment

What We Handle

Foundation assessment and stabilization
Load-bearing wall repairs and modifications
Beam, joist, and framing repairs
Floor leveling and structural support
Storm and water damage restoration
Permit and engineering coordination

Structural Repair Services

Click to learn more about our specialized structural repair services.

Framing Repairs

Load-bearing wall modifications, beam and joist replacement, header rebuilds, and engineered LVL/steel beam integration for sagging floors, opened-up floor plans, and post-damage reconstruction.

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Fence Repairs

Wood and composite fence rebuilds, post resetting, gate re-hangs, and full replacements after storm damage or rot — coordinated with our exterior renovation crews.

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Deck Repairs

Reframing sagging or rotted decks, composite and pressure-treated decking installs, joist and ledger board replacement, and code-compliant railing rebuilds.

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Termite Damage Repairs

Structural wood replacement, floor joist and sill plate repair, and framing restoration after Formosan and subterranean termite damage.

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Water Damage Repairs

Subfloor repair, wall framing restoration, rotted rim joist replacement, and structural drying coordination for water-damaged homes.

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Featured Structural Project — Jefferson Highway

ADA Sidewalk & Ramp Replacement for a Jefferson Highway Facility

A local facility on Jefferson Highway had become a liability risk after invasive roots uplifted the concrete and created an abrupt, non-compliant transition at the entrance. Cajun Home Services rebuilt the approach from the ground up with stabilized subgrade, precision forming, reinforced concrete, and industrial-grade ADA handrails so patients and visitors could access the entrance safely again.