Concrete footings in Santa Maria CA - a firm base under your post, wall or slab
Adding a deck, wall or addition and need footings that hold? We dig to the plans, get the trenches checked, then pour.
A concrete footing is the base that carries the weight of a post, wall or floor slab down into firm soil. Most calls I get for concrete footings in Santa Maria, CA are for decks, patio covers, garden walls and additions. Some come after an old footing has sunk and cracked a wall, and that's a job for foundation raising first. We treat the hole as the most important part, because once it's filled in nobody gets a second look.
The price moves with how wide, deep and long the footings run, how hard the digging is and what the plans call for. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspections and whether the ground is dry enough to work. I'll give you your own number in a written estimate that lists each part of the job.
What our concrete footing work covers
- I see every site first. I come out to look at every job myself, so the person measuring your site and checking the soil is the same one you talk to on the phone.
- Trenches checked before steel. We dig to the plans and have the trenches looked at before we set rebar, the steel that ties the footing together, so a soft spot gets fixed early.
- Our own crew pours. Our own crew forms, pours and finishes every footing, then lets it cure, which gives the concrete time to gain strength before anything is built on it.
- Licensed and insured crew. We're licensed and insured, which matters on a footing job because we're digging beside your house and running equipment through your yard.
- Doing this since 2017. I started this business in 2017 after learning on another finisher's crew, and I still explain each step the way I wish someone had explained it to me.
Footing problems we fix
| Problem | What it looks like | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sunken footing | What it looks like: Leaning post, cracked wall corner or a door that sticks | Usual fix: Raise and support it, or replace the footing |
| Post on bare dirt | What it looks like: Deck or cover posts resting on blocks or plain soil | Usual fix: Dig out and pour proper pad footings |
| Soft trench bottom | What it looks like: Ground feels spongy or holds water once the trench is open | Usual fix: Dig to firm soil before setting any steel |
| New load on old slab | What it looks like: Slab cracking under a new post, wall or heavy equipment | Usual fix: Cut the slab and pour a footing below |
Choosing the right footing type
- Pad footings. A single pad under each post or column, which suits decks, patio covers and carports where the weight comes down in separate spots.
- Wall footings. One continuous footing running under a wall, for garden walls, retaining walls and additions where the weight spreads along a line.
- Thickened slab. The footing is poured with the floor slab and made deeper at the edges or under the load, which suits garages, sheds and some additions.
How we plan and pour your footings
- Call or send the form. Tell us what the footings will carry and where they go, and we'll set a time for me to come see the site.
- Site visit and estimate. I measure, look at the ground and how we'll get equipment in, then send a written estimate that lists each part of the job.
- Permit and inspections. Once you say go, we handle the permit application with the city or county office and set up the inspections your job needs.
- Dig, form and walk through. We dig to the plans, set the forms and look them over with you, and keep the city-stamped plans and inspection card on site.
- Pour, cure and clean up. Once the inspection clears, we pour, finish and let the footing cure before anything goes on it, then clean up the site.
What keeps a footing solid after we leave
A footing's strength comes from what's under it and what's in it, so we pack the bottom, set the steel where the plans show it and let the concrete cure before the build goes on. If a budget gets tight, I'd cut somewhere you can see later, not the hole.
Most of our calls come from homeowners and small property owners in Santa Maria and the cities around it. We work across the Santa Maria Valley, from southern San Luis Obispo County down to Lompoc and Buellton, including Orcutt and Nipomo. If you've got footings coming up, ask for an estimate and I'll come take a look.
Tell us about your footings
Send the site address, what the footings will carry and any plans or soils report you have. We reply within one business day to set a visit.
(805) 268-7763- Free on-site estimate
- No obligation
- Written out line by line
Footing questions we hear in Santa Maria
How much do concrete footings cost in Santa Maria?
Installed concrete footings across the US usually cost about $4 to $20 per linear foot, according to one national price guide, and that's the market's range, not our price. A wide, deep footing on weak soil can cost several times what a shallow one does, because it takes more digging, concrete and labor.
Who decides if my footing job needs a permit in Santa Maria?
The city's Building Division checks that construction projects have the permits they need, and its permit staff can give you a fee estimate. When a job calls for a permit, we handle the application and set up the inspections. The city notes some projects also need a special inspection, also called a deputy inspection.
What happens if the dig turns up different soil than expected?
The footing design may need to change, which is why we get the trenches checked before any steel goes in. One soils engineering report recommended exactly that check for the same reason. Some ground can't be shown on plans, so any change has to meet code or go back to the city for review.
Is the rainy season a bad time to dig footings in Santa Maria?
It can be, because wet ground near the surface may not pack down or hold up equipment. A soils report for one Santa Maria site found loose to medium dense, moist sand near the surface and warned it could be saturated in the rainy season. When a trench is soaked, we sort the ground out before we pour.