Concrete footings in Glendora CA - a solid base for posts, walls and additions
Leaning posts or a cracked wall usually start below ground. We dig to firm soil, pour with care and let the concrete cure fully.
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When do you need new concrete footings, and what goes into them?
Concrete footings are the buried concrete pads or strips that carry a patio cover, a garden wall, an addition or a row of posts. In Glendora we dig, reinforce, pour and cure them so the weight above sits on firm ground instead of loose dirt.
Most people call us because something they've planned needs support, or because a post or wall they already have has started to lean, and on a new house or addition the footings are usually part of foundation installation. The price mostly comes down to how many footings the job needs, how deep and wide they have to be, and how easy the spot is to dig and reach. The schedule turns on the weather, any permit the job needs, and curing, the days fresh concrete stays covered and damp so it hardens fully before anything is built on it. I'll tell you what I see when I visit, and the written estimate lists what's included.
How do you know your footings need attention?
A leaning post or cover
When a patio cover or pergola post starts to lean, or the beam above sags at one corner, the footing under it is usually too shallow or the ground beneath it has moved. Left alone, the lean pulls the frame out of square, and the repair grows from one footing into rebuilding part of the structure.
Cracks along a garden wall
Stair-step cracks in a block wall, or a wall that tilts toward the yard, usually mean the footing under it has dropped at one end. Patching the cracks won't stop that, and the longer it goes, the more of the wall has to come down.
Crumbling at the top
An old footing that flakes, dusts or chips where the post anchor sits was often poured in the heat or allowed to dry out too fast. As the top weakens, the anchor loosens, and a simple footing replacement can turn into reframing.
How we build concrete footings
Before I plan a footing, I'll ask what you already know about the lot, such as how it drains, whether anything on it has settled before and how the ground behaves after a wet winter. Then we mark the footings, dig down through loose fill to firm ground, clean out the bottom and set the forms and the rebar, steel bars that keep the concrete from pulling apart when the ground shifts. We pour, finish the top and keep the fresh footings covered and damp while they cure, and we set the schedule so they get that time before anything is built on them. The digging and ground work disappear once the job is done, so they're usually the first thing a tight budget trims, but I'd rather spend there and keep the rest simple, because a footing is only as good as the ground it sits on.
Some footing jobs begin with other work. If part of your house has already settled, foundation raising brings it back up before new support goes in, and when a footing has to go through an existing patio or slab, concrete cutting lets us open just that spot with a saw instead of breaking up more than we need.
Patio covers and pergolas
Each post needs its own footing, sized to what it carries, because a post set on a thin pad or loose dirt tends to lean within a few seasons. This suits anyone adding a cover or replacing one whose posts have moved.
Garden and block walls
A wall spreads its weight along a continuous strip of concrete, so this suits anyone building a new wall or replacing one whose footing has cracked or dropped. We dig and pour the full length so the wall sits evenly from end to end.
Additions and outbuildings
Room additions, sheds and small outbuildings need their footings planned alongside the rest of the build. That way the framing lands exactly where the concrete is.
Get a written estimate for your footings
We reply within one business day and set a time for me to come out and look at the job. The estimate is free, done on site and carries no obligation, and I put it in writing with everything that's included.
(626) 513-4658Planning concrete footings on a Glendora lot
Before a footing is planned on a Glendora lot, it's worth finding out whether the lot falls in one of the state's Seismic Hazard Zones, because California cities and counties use those maps when they plan and control construction. A single family frame house of up to two stories that isn't part of a development of four or more units is exempt from the state's requirements, but local agencies can be stricter, so for your lot the answer isn't settled until the local agency gives it. I'll ask about this at the estimate, and if you're adding onto the house, we plan the footing around whatever the agency tells us.
Most of our footing calls here are for patio covers, block walls and additions on established lots, and the long hot stretches mean we plan the pour and the curing around the heat. We're based in Glendora and do the same work across the San Gabriel Valley and the Pomona area, including jobs in San Dimas and Azusa and many cities this site doesn't list.
What happens when you call us about footings in Glendora?
Call or send the form
We get back to you and set a time for me to come out to your property. If you know anything about the soil or whether the lot is in a hazard zone, please mention it.
Walk the site with me
I look at the ground, the drainage and how we'll get concrete to the spot, and I answer your questions. You get a written estimate that lists what's included, so you know what you're paying for before you decide.
We prep, pour and cure
If you'd like to go ahead, we handle any permit and inspections with the city or county office that covers your address, and I'll have told you at the estimate if I expect one. Our crew does the digging, forms and pour with me on site, and the schedule leaves room for curing before anything goes on top.
Walk the finished work
When the work is done, we clean up and walk it with you. I go over how to care for the new footings and what to watch for as the structure goes on.
Frequently asked questions
Who can legally pour concrete footings in California?
A licensed contractor, and the C-8 Concrete Contractor license is the California class that covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing concrete. The state's minor work exemption lets an unlicensed person take a job within a $1,000 limit, but only when the work needs no permit and they work alone with no one employed on it. State guidance also notes that when you want work in only one trade, you may want a contractor licensed in that specialty, so it's fair to ask which class a contractor holds and check it with the state licensing board.
What time of day is best for a concrete pour in hot weather?
Outside the hottest part of the day, when that's possible, which is when the concrete industry's guidance says crews should place and finish. Concrete that cures at high temperatures early on ends up weaker later than concrete cured around 70°F, so the hour of the pour has a lot to do with how strong the footing is years from now. On hot stretches we talk through the start time with you when we set the date.
How long does new concrete need to cure in hot weather?
At least 3 days, starting as soon as finishing is done, is what the concrete guidance calls for in hot weather, with the concrete kept covered, for example under wet burlap and plastic sheeting. Those covered days keep water from leaving the concrete before it has finished hardening. That's why the schedule I give you holds off on posts or framing until the footings have had that time.
How do I find out if my lot in Glendora is in a seismic hazard zone?
Start with the county, because each county's assessor, recorder and planning agency has to post notices on where you can see the state's Seismic Hazard Zone maps. If you're still unsure about your lot after that, the local agency is the place to ask. If you already know the answer, please tell me at the estimate so I can plan the footing around it.
How much do concrete footings cost in Glendora?
It depends on the job, so I give you a figure only after I've seen it. The main things that move the price are how many footings you need, how big and deep they have to be, how hard the ground is to dig, how easily we can get concrete to the spot, and whether old concrete has to be cut out first. Your written estimate lists each of those, so you can see what you're paying for.
What causes concrete footings to shift or crack?
Moving soil is a common cause, since ground that heaves when it's wet and settles when it dries can shift unevenly, often more than a house can tolerate, one research review reports. Trouble while the concrete is mixed, placed or cured in hot weather can also hurt how well it holds up over time. That's why the questions I ask about your lot come before any digging starts.
Glendora, CA
Start your footing job with a site visit
Have the project type, the lot's address and anything you know about the soil or the zone ready, and that first conversation will go quicker.