Concrete footings in Los Angeles CA - a firm base sized for what it carries
Planning an addition, a garage or a wall and need footings under it? We dig to firm soil and pour a base sized from your plans.
What does a concrete footing do under my project?
A concrete footing is the wider base under a wall, pier or column that spreads its weight into the soil, so whatever you build in Los Angeles sits on firm, even ground instead of sinking or tilting over time.
Most people who call about footings are building something new on the lot, like an addition, a garage, a block wall or a patio cover, and there's usually a set of plans that shows a footing under it. The price moves with how big the design says the footing has to be, how deep we have to dig to reach firm soil, how much steel goes in and how easy it is to get to the spot. The schedule mostly turns on having that design in hand, on any permit the job needs and on getting the trench checked before we pour, so I'll walk the site with you and give you an estimate for your own job.
How we build concrete footings
I don't guess at footing sizes. We take the width, depth and steel from the design for your project, mark the layout on the ground and dig down until we reach firm soil, because a footing resting on loose or soft dirt tends to settle along with it. We keep the trench clean and dry so the bottom doesn't turn to mud, set the rebar, the steel bars that keep the concrete from pulling apart, where the plans put it, and get the trench checked before the concrete truck shows up.
Footings often come with other concrete work. If a new post or wall has to land inside an existing patio or slab, we do the concrete cutting to open it up cleanly before we dig. If the real problem is a house that has already settled, a new footing beside it won't fix that, and foundation raising is the job to look at.
Continuous footings for walls
These run the full length of a wall or a foundation, so they suit additions, garages and block walls where the weight sits along a line. The footing carries that load into the soil the whole way along.
Pad footings for posts and columns
A pad sits under one post or column, which makes it the usual pick for patio covers, decks and porch posts. Each pad carries its own point of weight, so its size depends on how much that one post holds.
Thickened slab edges
Here the footing is poured as part of the floor slab, with the concrete made deeper at the edges or under a wall. It suits a garage, a shed or a small room where the floor and footing go in together in one pour.
Concrete footings and the soil under Los Angeles
In California, cities and counties run construction permits, and state law has them use the state's maps of foundation soil zones when they do. Inside those zones, the soil under a new building people will occupy has to be checked for stability, and the design has to deal with whatever that check finds. A single-family frame house of up to two stories that isn't part of a development of four or more homes is exempt from those state requirements, but a city or county can be stricter, so whether your footing work needs a permit or a soil study is up to the office that covers your address. When a job needs a permit, we figure out which office that is and handle the application and inspections for you.
We're based in Los Angeles and work across the city and many of the cities around it, and the ground can change from one lot to the next, especially on hillsides. We do the same footing work on sloped lots in Glendale and Pasadena, where reaching firm soil often means digging deeper than the lot next door.
Footing work, trench to pour
Why call us for footings
Owner on site, estimate to pour
I come out to look at the job and give the estimate, and I lead the crew that digs and pours it. The person who hears what you want is the same one standing at the trench.
Running this business since 2013
I learned concrete hauling and mixing for my dad before I ever finished a slab, and I started this business in 2013, so we've been at it 13 years. That time has taught me most footing trouble starts in the trench, which is where I put my attention.
Licensed and insured, easy to check
We're fully licensed and insured, and the state licensing board lets you look up any California contractor before you hire. It's worth doing on footings, because they're the part of the job you can't easily see or redo later.
On footings, the soil and the trench decide how the work holds up, so the more I know before I come out, the better. Get in touch with your project type, what the footing will carry and any plans or soil report you have.
(213) 329-1820Get an estimate for your concrete footings
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and I come out, look at the site and your plans, and give you a free estimate on site with no obligation. Tell us the project type and what the footing will carry, and we'll take it from there.
Footing questions from Los Angeles owners
Which type of concrete footing does my project need?
The type depends on what the footing has to carry. A wall or foundation usually sits on a continuous footing, a single post or column on a pad, and a garage or small building on a slab with thickened edges, as the options above lay out. Your plans normally name the type, and I'll go over it with you on site.
How much do concrete footings cost in Los Angeles?
Footing cost follows size, and size follows the soil, so weaker ground means wider footings and a higher price than firm ground. If your lot sits on soft soil, plan on a bigger footing and a bigger bill. Depth, steel and how hard the spot is to reach count too, and I'll give you a figure for your own job when I come out.
How do I know what size concrete footing I need?
The size comes from the design for your building. Width, thickness, steel and how much the soil may carry all depend on the loads, the soil and the code your city or county uses. An online calculator can tell you how much concrete a footing takes once you know the sizes, but it can't pick them. If your soil is weak and the build is heavy, ask whether a structural engineer should weigh in.
Who is allowed to pour concrete footings in California?
A licensed concrete contractor is the one who forms, pours, places and finishes concrete work in California. A license is required for any small job that needs a permit of any kind, even when the work comes to less than $1,000.
What happens before the concrete is poured for a new footing?
Before the pour, the trench gets measured against the plans and any required soil or building inspection is done. The bottom has to sit on firm soil at the required depth and stay clear of water and loose dirt. If a trench gets dug too deep or goes soft, it gets an approved fix, not dirt shoveled back in under the footing.
How long does a new concrete footing need before building on it?
It needs until the concrete is strong enough to carry the load, and that wait shouldn't be rushed. New concrete is kept from drying out too fast while it cures, the early stretch when it gains strength. The supports stay in place, and nobody backfills against a wall until the concrete can take it.
Plan your footings and the work built on them
Call (213) 329-1820 while your plans are still drawings, so questions about digging and access come up before anything is poured.
