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A soft or bouncy floor: decking, joists or piers?

A floor that gives underfoot, springs when you walk across it or has a dip you can feel comes down to one of three things in a mobile home: the floor decking, the joists under it, or the piers under the steel beams. They need different repairs, so the first step is finding which one it is. If it is the piers, a relevel typically runs $450 to $800 on a singlewide and $750 to $1,400 on a doublewide. We go under the home, look at the piers, the underbelly and the underside of the floor where we can, and write you a price.

Check this first

  • Where is the soft spot? Over a beam line, or between beams? In a doublewide, near the marriage line?
  • Is it near water? Soft floor in front of a sink, tub, toilet, washer or water heater usually means the decking has been wet.
  • Does the floor slope, or only flex? A slope toward the soft spot points to a pier. A flat floor that only flexes points to decking or joists.
  • Do doors nearby stick? If so, read doors and windows sticking too.

What causes it

CauseWhat you noticeTypical fixTypical cost
Pier under the beam droppedFloor slopes toward a soft area over a beamReset or rebuild the pier, relevel$150 to $400 per rebuilt pier; relevel $450 to $1,400
Wet deckingSoft spot near plumbing, may smell mustyFix the leak, replace deckingQuoted after we see the extent
Torn underbelly, fallen insulationFloor feels cold or uneven, belly hangingPatch belly, rehang insulation$300 to $800 for patches
Joist damageFlex across a wide areaSister or replace joistsQuoted after we see it

The valley side of this

The sands under most valley homes drain fast. Myoma fine sand on the valley floor is described by NRCS as loose with rapid permeability, and the north side is Carsitas sand and gravelly sand. So when a floor goes soft, we look first for water from the home itself: a slow drip under a sink or from a water heater that soaks the decking and the bottom board.

Where water does collect under the home, NRCS notes that irrigation or seepage can raise a seasonal water table to 2 to 5 feet in Carsitas sand, that perched water is common where Coachella soils are irrigated, and that summer thunderstorms can briefly flood the sand. A pier footing in that wet patch can settle, and the floor above it starts to dip. We check both possibilities.

How we work it out

  1. We look at the soft spot from inside and note where it is against the beam lines.
  2. We go under the home and look at the pier or piers below it.
  3. We look at the underbelly in that area for tears, wet insulation or a leak.
  4. Where we can see the underside of the decking, we check it for water damage.
  5. We write a quote that says which cause we found and what the fix is.

When to call

Call when the soft area is growing, when a dip appears, or when the floor near plumbing feels spongy. If a pier is the cause, it tends to affect the doors and walls around it as well.

In California, if the fix alters or replaces piers or other supports, it is a reinstallation that needs a permit, pulled by a contractor who must show a valid licence. The licence class for this work is the CSLB C-47. Ask for the number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a soft floor a leveling problem?

Sometimes. If the soft spot is over a main beam and the floor around it slopes, a pier under that beam may have dropped, and a relevel or pier rebuild is the fix. If it is between the beams, in front of a sink, tub or toilet, the decking is the more likely cause, which is a floor repair rather than leveling.

What does it typically cost?

If it is the piers, a relevel typically runs $450 to $800 on a singlewide and $750 to $1,400 on a doublewide, with rebuilt piers at $150 to $400 each. Underbelly patches typically run $300 to $800. Floor decking repair is quoted once we see how far the damage goes.

Is it safe to keep walking on it?

We cannot judge that from a description. If the floor flexes a lot, has a dip you can see, or gives noticeably, keep weight off that area until someone has looked under the home.

📞 Call (760) 626-0446