§ Rutherford County · 7.2 mi from Murfreesboro
Foundation repair in the Blackman area
Blackman is the fast-growing community on Murfreesboro's west side, with ZIP codes 37128 and 37129. Many of its homes were built or rebuilt after 2009.
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An old community, mostly new houses
Blackman was founded in 1808 as Blackman's Shop and had its own post office starting in 1898, before it was folded into Murfreesboro's ZIP codes. Today it is better known for Blackman High, Middle and Elementary schools and for the subdivisions that have filled in around them. In ZIP code 37128, which takes in much of the west side, Census estimates put the median build year at 2008, and about 70 percent of homes were built in 2000 or later.
The area also has a hard piece of recent history. In April 2009, an EF4 tornado hit Blackman, destroying hundreds of homes and damaging many more. A lot of houses here were rebuilt or heavily repaired after that. If you own one, it is worth finding out what was done to the foundation during the rebuild, because a slab or footing that was reused rather than replaced may be older than the house on top of it.
Blackman at a glance
- Drive from central Murfreesboro
- About 7 miles west
- ZIP codes
- 37128 and 37129
- Founded
- 1808, as Blackman's Shop
- Median year built, ZIP 37128
- 2008
- Homes built 2000 or later, ZIP 37128
- About 70%
- Mapped soil at community center
- Cumberland silt loam, deep and well drained
Drive distance: OpenStreetMap routing from central Murfreesboro. Housing figures for ZIP code 37128, which covers more than Blackman: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (via Census Reporter). Soil: USDA NRCS Soil Data Access, map unit at the community's center point. Soil maps describe typical conditions, not your lot. History: Wikipedia, Blackman, Tennessee.
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Slab homes on decent soil
The USDA maps the center of Blackman as Cumberland silt loam on gentle slopes. It is deep, well drained and moderate on shrink-swell, and the survey does not reach rock in its normal depth. That is some of the better ground around Murfreesboro. The trouble spots in a neighborhood like this tend to be man-made: fill placed under part of a lot, downspouts that dump water at the slab, or irrigation that soaks one side of the house.
Typical calls from slab homes here are diagonal cracks in drywall near door frames, a crack across the garage floor, and brick veneer separating at a corner. A contractor can measure floor elevations across the house to tell normal concrete shrinkage from real settling.
Before you sign
Blackman is in Rutherford County, so residential repairs from $3,000 to $24,999 require a Tennessee home improvement license, and $25,000 and up requires a contractor license. Check at verify.tn.gov, and ask whether the warranty transfers to a buyer, since this is a busy resale market.
Before a contractor comes out to Blackman
Blackman is about 7 miles from central Murfreesboro. Ask whether the contractor works this far out often and whether the inspection is still free at that distance. Half the homes here were built in 2008 or later, so most sit on a slab. If yours is less than about ten years old, check the builder's structural warranty before you pay for anything.
USDA soil maps show Cumberland silt loam, deep and well drained at the center of Blackman. Soil maps describe typical ground, not your lot, so ask whether the contractor wants a soil test or an engineer's report before quoting piers. Because this is Rutherford County, ask for the contractor's home improvement license number on any job from $3,000 to $24,999.
Repairs we can connect Blackman homeowners with
National cost ranges from Angi, 2026. See the cost guide for detail.
- 01Foundation repairDiagnosis and repair for settling, cracking or shifting foundations.Most pay $2,225 to $8,133
- 02Pier and helical pier repairSteel push piers and helical piers that carry the house on firmer ground.$1,000 to $3,000 per pier
- 03Slab foundation repairFixes for sinking, cracked or heaving concrete slabs.Slab jacking $500 to $1,300
- 04House levelingLeveling sagging floors and out-of-level crawl space homes.Reshimming $1,200 to $4,000
- 05Crawl space structural repairRotted sills, sagging joists, failing piers and damp crawl spaces.New piers $800 to $4,000
- 06Basement wall repairBowing, leaning or cracked basement and block walls.Basement repair $2,300 to $7,600
- 07Foundation crack repairSealing and structural repair for foundation and wall cracks.Cracks $250 to $800
- 08Foundation inspection and estimatesOn-site evaluations, written estimates and engineer reports.Engineer report $300 to $1,000
§ FAQ
Blackman foundation questions
My Blackman home was rebuilt after the 2009 tornado. Should I worry about the foundation?
Not automatically. It is worth knowing whether the original slab or footings were reused when the house was rebuilt. Your closing documents or the county permit history may say. About 70% of homes in ZIP code 37128 were built in 2000 or later, so many sit on slabs that are still fairly young.
Is the soil in Blackman bad for foundations?
The soil mapped at the community center is Cumberland silt loam, deep and well drained, which is better than much of the county. Problems here usually come from fill and drainage. The median home in ZIP code 37128 was built in 2008, so check grading, downspouts and any builder warranty before paying for repairs.
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Tennessee requires a home improvement license for residential jobs from $3,000 to $24,999 in Rutherford County, and a contractor license for jobs of $25,000 or more anywhere in the state. Ask any contractor for their license number and check it at verify.tn.gov.
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About this guide
Written by the Murfreesboro Foundation Repairs editorial team. The facts on this site come from the sources linked next to them: the U.S. Geological Survey, USDA soil surveys, Census Bureau estimates, Angi's 2026 cost guides and the Tennessee contractor licensing board. Have a licensed contractor or engineer inspect your home before you decide on a repair.
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