Broken joist under the house

[Andy Hamilton]

I have a floor that has a broken joist under the house.

The floor has caved in. How much will it cost to fix?

The floor is wood.

[home improvement guy]

You definitely want to contact a general contractor or handyman to learn the scope of the work and get a cost estimate to repair your broken floor joist. The floor joist, which is under the flooring, is vital to your flooring system as it supports the weight of the building and provides stability.

The repair cost depends on the location of the joist and how easy - or difficult - it is to access. The cause of a broken floor joist could be a defect in the wood, a naturally occurring split or the weight of a heavy object.

REPAIRING A FLOOR JOIST

Most of the time, the repair is pretty straightforward. A contractor will locate the broken joist and reinforce it by attaching a second joist next to it with structural screws and glue. The repair typically costs $250 to $300, according to experts who've done this type of work.

If the joist is easy to access, but plumbing or electrical wires impede the repair, a contractor can reinforce the broken area with plywood. This, however, could require removing pipes and putting them back in place, thus increasing labor costs. A labor-intensive repair could cost $500, or more.

WEIGHED DOWN SUBFLOOR

If the floor joist broke due to weight from a heavy object, such as a bathtub, then your contractor will likely have a structural engineer take a look before making a repair, so as to avoid a recurring problem.

When hiring for your floor joist repair, be sure to search for companies that have positive reviews on a trusted consumer site, and can provide proof of appropriate licensing, insurance and bonding.