Concrete footings in Berkeley CA - a solid base under the walls and posts you build
Planning an addition, deck or wall and worried it'll sink? We check what the footings carry, then give you a price you can compare.
What goes into concrete footings, and what sets the price?
Concrete footings in Berkeley are concrete poured into a trench with rebar, the steel bars that keep it from pulling apart, so the weight of a foundation, wall or post spreads into the ground and the structure is less likely to settle.
Most footing calls I get start with something new going up, like a room addition, a deck, a garden wall or a set of steps, and a question about what it should sit on. If the whole floor is going to be concrete, that's usually slab foundation building instead. The price comes mostly from the type and size of footing the job calls for, because a continuous footing that runs under a whole wall costs more than separate pads under posts, and a wider footing means more digging and more concrete. The schedule mostly turns on the permit and its inspections, and your written estimate lays out the cost piece by piece.
We're licensed and fully insured, and I'd rather spend more time at your site explaining footings than have you guess, since concrete under a wall is about the hardest thing on a property to redo.
- Continuous footings under a full wall, or separate pad footings under posts, piers and columns.
- Footings for room additions, decks, garden and retaining walls, steps and backyard structures.
- Dirt from the trench hauled away or spread on your lot, and the work area left clean.
What happens when you call us about footings in Berkeley?
Footing work starts with what the footings will carry, so the first visit matters more than on most jobs. Here's how it goes from your call to the day I walk the finished work with you.
Call or send your request
Call (510) 345-1330 or use the form, and tell us what's going up, roughly how long the footings run and whether you have plans or a soil test. We'll get back to you and set a time for me to come out.
I look, measure and explain
I come out myself, go over your plans and any soil test, measure where the footings go and walk you through the choices. You get a written estimate that breaks out what drives the cost, so you can compare quotes on the same terms.
We dig, form and pour
Once you say yes, we take care of any permit steps and set up the inspections with you. Then our crew digs, sets the steel and forms and pours, with me running the job.
Walk the finished footings together
When the pour's done, I walk the work with you and explain how to look after it while it cures, curing being the stretch when fresh concrete is still gaining strength. That way you know what you're building on before the next trade shows up.
Concrete work from dug trenches to the finished pour
These photos show the kind of concrete work our crew does, from trenches and steel to fresh pours. They picture the trade in general rather than one job, so bring any questions about them to the estimate.
Stamped concrete patio with a curved stone seating wall, fire pit, dining table and Adirondack chairs in a wooded yard.
Textured gray concrete pool deck with a rounded edge borders a blue swimming pool.
Curved gray stamped concrete sidewalk runs alongside a house, bordered by shrubs, decorative stones, and lawn.
Concrete steps and landing in a covered patio, finished in pale stone-colored surfaces.
Stamped concrete driveway with a brick-patterned apron leads to a suburban home and garage.
Stamped concrete pool deck surrounds a blue swimming pool beside a pergola and landscaped seating area.
Get a written estimate for your footing project
Send the form or call (510) 345-1330, and we'll reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and in writing, with no pressure to book.
(510) 345-1330Questions Berkeley owners ask about concrete footings
These are the questions I hear most when someone in Berkeley is planning work that needs footings. If yours isn't here, ask me at the estimate and I'll walk you through it.
How much do concrete footings cost in Berkeley?
Across the US, an installed residential strip footing, the continuous kind that runs under a wall, usually costs about $5 to $19 per linear foot. That installed figure bundles the concrete, labor, digging and forms, so check that every quote you're comparing covers the same things. It's a national number, and I'll put your own figure in writing after I've seen the site.
Do I need a soil test before pouring footings?
A soil test helps, according to one cost guide, because testing before work begins lets you plan for weak spots in how much weight the ground can carry. Weaker soil calls for wider footings, which cost more, so the result goes straight into your budget. If you already have a report, I'll read it before I price the job.
Will my new footings get inspected in Berkeley?
Yes, every Berkeley building permit comes with inspections, where city staff check that the work matches the plans you submitted. That's one more reason to get the plans right before we dig, since the trench has to match what's on paper.
Does a footing contractor need a California license?
Usually yes, because the state's Contractors State License Board requires a license whenever a project needs a building permit, uses any additional workers or costs $1,000 or more in labor and materials. Most footing work hits at least one of those. We're licensed and fully insured.
How do I find out if my Berkeley property is in an earthquake hazard zone?
Type your address into the state's EQ Zapp tool, which shows whether a property lies in a mapped earthquake hazard zone. If yours does, whoever's building may be required to investigate the hazard and reduce it, and that gets decided during the local permit process. It's also worth knowing that the Hayward Fault crosses built-up parts of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, and its slow creep shifts and bends structures sitting right on top of it.
What causes concrete footings to settle?
Footings usually settle when the ground under them gives, whether that's soft soil, loose dirt left in the bottom of the trench or water collecting around them. Most of that gets decided before the pour, which is why I spend so much of the visit looking at what's underneath and where the water goes.
Concrete footings in Berkeley and nearby cities
Berkeley requires a permit, issued by its Permit Service Center, for construction work not on its exempt list, so we check your address and handle the application when one applies. We also pour footings in Oakland and El Cerrito.