Concrete footings in La Verne CA - a base sized for the load it carries
A leaning patio post or a new addition planned? We size the footing to the load and the soil, so it holds.
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What does a concrete footing do, and what sets the price?
A concrete footing is the base that carries the weight of a post, column, wall or slab down into the soil. We build concrete footings in La Verne under patio covers, garden walls, additions and new slabs so that whatever sits on top stays where it was built.
Most homeowners call us when something new is about to go up, or when an old post or wall has started to lean and they'd like to know why. The price turns mostly on how deep the footing has to go, how much of it there is and how easy the digging is. The schedule turns on any soils check, the city's permit steps and the time the concrete needs to cure before anything is built on it. When I come out, I look over the site and leave you a written estimate with the figure for your job.
How do you know a footing is needed or failing?
A post that's started leaning
When a patio cover or pergola post tips out of plumb, the footing under it is usually too small, too shallow or sitting on ground that has moved. If it's left alone, the post keeps pulling on the beam and roof above it, and a simple reset can turn into rebuilding the cover.
Cracks at a wall's base
A stair-step crack in a block wall, or a gap opening where the wall meets the ground, usually means the footing below has shifted. Each wet season and dry season tends to open it a little more, so it costs less to look now than after the wall starts to lean.
A new project being planned
If you're planning a patio cover, a wall or an addition, the footing is the first thing to settle, because it's the one part you can't change once the framing goes on. Getting it wrong means cutting out finished work later to reach what's underneath.
How we build concrete footings
Before I suggest a type of footing, I ask what it will carry and look over the site, because a post for a light shade cover and the wall of an addition need very different things underneath. Where the soil is in question, we'd rather bring in a soils engineer than guess, and where an engineer or the city's approved plan sets the size, we build to it. Our crew then lays out the lines and digs the trench or holes to the depth the plan calls for. They clean the loose dirt out of the bottom, set forms where they're needed and tie in the rebar, the steel bars that keep the concrete from pulling apart. I'm on site for the pour, and the footing is left to cure, the wait that lets concrete reach its strength, before anything is built on top. The trench and what's under it are covered by the end of the day, so if the budget is tight, I'd rather trim something you can see than cut corners in the ground.
Footings often come with other concrete work. When a new post or wall lands inside an existing patio or driveway, we use concrete cutting to saw out a neat opening, so the slab around it isn't cracked by a breaker. If part of the house has already settled, foundation raising brings it back up before any new footing is tied to it.
Patio covers and pergolas
Each post gets its own footing, sized to its share of the roof above it. This suits homeowners adding shade to a yard, and it's also the right fix when an older post has started to lean.
Garden and block walls
A wall needs a continuous footing along its whole length, so the weight spreads evenly and one section doesn't drop away from the next. This suits anyone building a property-line wall, a planter wall or a low wall beside a walk.
Additions and new slabs
An addition or a new slab needs footings that follow the plan the engineer draws and the city approves, and that meet the house cleanly. This suits homeowners adding a room, a garage or a large shed with a concrete floor.
Request a written estimate for your new footing
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation, so there's no pressure to book. After you send the form, I'll visit, look over the site with you and leave you a written estimate.
(840) 588-1377Building concrete footings in La Verne
In La Verne, the city's Building and Safety staff check building plans, issue permits for construction work and inspect it. The city's published guidance doesn't list which footing jobs need a permit, so whether yours does is their decision. We check with the city on each job, and where a permit is needed, we handle the application and set up the inspections. If you'd like to ask them yourself, La Verne Community Development answers at 909-596-8706.
Many of the houses we work on here are well lived in, with covers, walls and slabs added over the years. When we dig, we often find an old, undersized footing right where the new one goes, and we take it out rather than pour against it. We see the same on jobs in San Dimas and Claremont, along with the other cities around La Verne.
What happens when you call about footings in La Verne?
Call or send a request
You call (840) 588-1377 or fill in the form, and we get back to you to set a time for a visit. We'll find a time that suits your schedule.
I visit and write the estimate
I come out myself, look over the site and ask how you'll use what's going on top. You get a written estimate for your footing, so you know the cost before anything is dug.
We go over the plan
Before we start, we go over the plan, the city steps and what to expect while the concrete cures. The city's building inspector's office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 to 10 in the morning, and closed Fridays and weekends, so we plan inspections around those days.
We pour and walk it together
Our crew does the work, with me on site for the pour, and we leave the yard tidy behind us. When we're done, I walk the finished footings with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much do concrete footings cost per linear foot?
Installed residential strip footings across the US usually cost about $5 to $19 per linear foot. That installed price normally covers the concrete, the labor to place and finish it and digging the trench. It also covers forms where needed, any rebar and the contractor's overhead and profit, so check that a lower quote isn't leaving one of those out. Your own figure comes in the written estimate after I've seen the site.
Do I need a city permit for footings in La Verne?
You may, and the city's Building and Safety staff decide that for each project. We put the question to them on every job and take care of the application and inspections when a permit is needed.
What is the difference between a pad footing and a thickened slab?
A pad footing is a separate support under a single post or column, while a thickened slab is a footing built as part of a floor slab. So a lone column for a patio cover sits on its own pad, and a new garage or room floor can include its footing.
What causes concrete footings to crack or shift?
Soil is a common cause, because some clays and bedrock swell when they get wet and shrink when they dry, and that pressure can badly damage a foundation. That's why the soil should be checked and planned for in the footing design before any concrete goes in.
What can be done about swelling soil under a footing?
Older guidance from Los Angeles County lists a few usual fixes, such as a minimum depth for the footing or adjusting the moisture in the soil. Digging the swelling soil out and replacing it with soil that expands less is another option. Which one fits your lot is a decision for the soils engineer and the city, and we build to what they decide.
How do I make changes to a home improvement contract in California?
Put the change in writing, because California requires any change to a home improvement contract to be written, easy to understand and to tell you about your right to cancel. The contract itself must also include the notices and disclosures the state requires to protect you, so please read those before you sign.
La Verne, CA
Plan your footing before anything goes up
If you share the property address and what the footing will hold when you call or write, I can come to the visit ready with the right questions.