Foundation Inspection in Fort Worth, TX
An independent engineer's written report on your foundation.
HGS Engineering, PLLC (Texas Firm #21268) does structural engineer foundation inspections and damage assessments for Fort Worth, Texas homes. The sealed report is written by Heath Salmon, PE, from what he observes on site, and the firm sells no repair work. Fort Worth is the largest of the eleven cities on this site with 941,311 residents, and 70,472 of its 365,229 homes were built before 1960.
Reviewed by Heath Salmon, PE, October 16, 2026. Figures pulled October 16, 2026.
Fort Worth by the Numbers
| Population, ACS 2019 to 2023 | 941,311 |
|---|---|
| Housing units | 365,229 |
| Median year homes were built | 1992 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 127,332 (35%) |
| Homes built before 1960 | 70,472 (19.3%) |
| Manufactured homes | 6,183 (1.7%) |
| Owner-occupied share of occupied homes | 57% |
| NOAA station used | Fort Worth Meacham Field |
| Normal annual rainfall, 1991 to 2020 | 35.3 in |
| Wettest and driest month | October 4.46 in, January 2.05 in |
| Average July high and January low | 95.7 and 35.3 degrees F |
| Tarrant County soils rated high or very high shrink-swell | 54.2% |
| Measure | Fort Worth | Rank | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing units | 365,229 | 1 of 11 | Fort Worth 365,229 |
| Median year built (1 = oldest) | 1992 | 5 of 11 | Cleburne 1981 |
| Share built before 1980 | 35% | 4 of 11 | Cleburne 48% |
| Manufactured home share | 1.7% | 8 of 11 | Mansfield 3.3% |
| Owner-occupied share | 57% | 6 of 11 | Mansfield 72% |
Method: Census counts are estimates with published margins of error; weather is the 1991 to 2020 normal at Fort Worth Meacham Field.
Why Is Fort Worth's Old Housing a Bigger Story Than Its 1992 Median?
The Census figure that sets Fort Worth apart is the old end. 70,472 homes here, 19.3% of the total, were built before 1960, more than the whole housing count of several other cities on this site. The median year built, 1992, hides that split: a large share of newer subdivisions pulls the middle up while a big block of mid-century housing sits under it.
Fort Worth also has 6,183 manufactured homes and 144,570 renter households, 43% of occupied units. A foundation question in a rental often comes from a landlord or a property manager rather than an occupant, and the report is written to be handed to whoever has to decide on the work.
The survey records 127,332 homes from before 1980. For an engineer that is a long list of houses on which prior repairs, added rooms and changed drainage are likelier than on a 2005 build, and the inspection looks for them.
How Does a 2.2 to 1 Rain Swing Reach Fort Worth Foundations?
The Meacham Field station reports 35.3 inches of rain in a normal year, with October the wettest month at 4.46 inches and January the driest at 2.05. The ratio between the two, 2.2 to 1, is the smallest among the stations used on this site. A drier winter followed by a wet autumn is the pattern the soil sees most years.
How Much of the Ground Under Fort Worth's County Is Active Clay?
Fort Worth shares Tarrant County with Arlington and Mansfield, so the same county rating applies: 54.2 percent of rated soil acres are high or very high shrink-swell, split 41.4 percent high and 12.7 percent very high, with 32 percent rated low. The survey leaves 27.5 percent of county acres unrated, so for a developed city the rating is a guide to the region and not a map of any street.
The drought record gives older Fort Worth houses a second thing to be read against. Tarrant County had 57 weeks since October 12, 2021 with half the county or more in severe drought and 22 weeks with half in extreme drought, and the map dated October 13, 2026 shows 8.26 percent in severe drought or worse. The report records the cracks as they are on the day of the visit.
County detail, with the named soils and the weekly drought record: Tarrant County soil and drought data.
Where Has the Firm Worked in Fort Worth?
Before the firm started, Heath Salmon's municipal design work on intersections and utilities included Fort Worth, and the firm is a member of the Fort Worth Branch of the Texas Section of ASCE. The firm's Fort Worth damage assessment article, linked below, walks through what an engineer examines after a fire, a storm or visible racking in a house.
Damage assessments and structure-fire evaluations are part of the Fort Worth work as well as foundation inspections. The report separates what the engineer saw on the structure from what it recommends, which matters when an insurer and a contractor read the same document for different reasons.
Scale is the other fact about Fort Worth. 365,229 homes and 941,311 residents make it the largest market here by a wide margin, and its homes built before 1980 alone outnumber the whole housing stock of Plano or Irving. A request from one side of the city can look nothing like one from another, so the firm asks for the address and the foundation type before it quotes and sizes the visit to that house.
“Highly recommend HGS! Heath is great at his job and does a great job at explaining his findings. I have used him multiple times for different properties. Quick turn around and super responsive. Will use again.”
Derrick Tribbey, Google review. Reviewer location not stated.
What Does a Fort Worth Report Leave Out on Purpose?
A repair price. The report states the conditions observed, the permitting required for any repair it indicates and the drainage findings, and the firm repairs nothing, so no figure in it serves the firm's own work. Read the foundation inspection page first, then send the address through the request form.
More From HGS Engineering
- Foundation Inspection: Foundation repair inspections by a licensed engineer.
- Structural Design: Single-family, multi-family and commercial: foundations, framing, retaining walls and plot plans.
- Structure-Fire Evaluation: Structural evaluation following a fire.
- Also in Tarrant County: Arlington, TX
- Also in Tarrant County: Mansfield, TX
- Also in Tarrant County: Grapevine, TX
- Structural damage assessment in Fort Worth
- Best structural engineers in Fort Worth for home inspections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who does a structural engineer foundation inspection in Fort Worth, TX?
HGS Engineering, PLLC, Texas Firm #21268. Heath Salmon, PE, inspects, records conditions and signs the report. The firm does not repair foundations.
Who can do a home damage assessment in Fort Worth?
HGS Engineering assesses structural damage to homes after fires, storms and visible movement. The engineer records the damage on site, states the cause he can support, and lists what the repair must achieve.
Do older Fort Worth homes need a different inspection?
Census data shows 19.3% of Fort Worth homes were built before 1960. The visit is the same walk of the property, and the report notes foundation type, prior repairs and drainage as found.
Does the firm price by the square foot?
The firm publishes no fee. It quotes on request after it has the address, the foundation type and the number of structures on the property.
Is the report different from a contractor's estimate?
Yes. A contractor's estimate prices work the contractor would do. The HGS report records conditions, permitting requirements and drainage, and it leaves the choice of contractor, or no repair, with the owner.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 5-year table-based summary filePopulation, housing units, year built, tenure and manufactured home counts in the table (tables B01003, B25001, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035).
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020 monthlyRainfall and temperature normals for the nearest station with a published record.
- Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, Engineering Firm RegistrationThe firm registration number and the licensed engineer seal.
- Texas Section, American Society of Civil Engineers, Guidelines for the Evaluation and Repair of Residential Foundations, Version 3Foundation evaluation practice, drainage away from the foundation and North Texas soil movement.
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