We live in a bungalow in the Heights Leveled and added beams, additional concrete blocks in 2003 - done by a reputable foundation company that has a months long waiting list. From the get go, I was not very pleased with their work, and by 2008 we had cracks leading from all the windows to ceilings, we could see the light of day through the cracks between the floor and the baseboard (along with all the spiders that would crawl through them!), and our doors would stick throughout the house. Got some new quotes from foundation companies in 2009 - 2 who went under the house and recommended pilings on all interior walls to stabilize the house against the effects of ground shrinkage and swelling, 1 (also reputable) recommended we don't do anything since we had already done significant drainage work with french drains along the perimeter leading away from the house and catch drains where all the gutters come down around the house. He didn't look under the house but from what he saw walking through the house and the exterior he didn't see much of a problem. However much I want to believe the latter guy, our cracks have worsened along all the exterior walls. We had one of the original quotes for pilings come out and now they are recommending additional pilings on all load bearing walls, interior and exterior walls alike. He promises that the pilings will be deep enough to stabilize but someone else (not a foundation guy) gave us feedback that it is impossible to go deep enough in the Heights so that the pilings reach ground that does not move. He says that the best bet would be to shim every couple of years. We asked this most recent foundation company about that approach, and they said that the cost would be the same over time b/c of the labor to go under the house. Basically, 8k for pilings that may or may not work or 2k every couple of years to shim and maintain level. We don't have a showcase house or a lot of money, I just don't want to have to relocate my kids and their furniture every couple of years to avoid exposing them to sanding dust, drywall and paint fumes. I don't mind hairline cracks, but I don't want to deal with the ugly scars that line the walls in every room in my house currently. If there was a guarantee the 8k would work, I would find a way, but someone who spent equal that amount last year, already has cracks again.