Concrete footings in Thousand Oaks CA - a base set to match your soil and plans
Building an addition or a structure that needs footings? We set them where your soil report and approved plans place them.
What goes into concrete footings in Thousand Oaks?
Concrete footings are the base that carries the weight of a house, an addition, a deck or a wall down into the soil, and in Thousand Oaks we build them where your approved plans place them. Some run continuously under a wall, and some are pad footings, single blocks under a post or column that pass its load straight down to the ground.
Most people call us when they're planning an addition, a covered patio, a garage or a block wall and have been told the footings come first. The price moves with how much footing the plans call for, how easy the ground is to dig and haul from, whether the lot slopes and what the soil work finds, and the schedule turns on that soil work, the permit and the weather on pour day. We check with the city before we schedule, and when a permit is needed we take care of the application and arrange the inspections, so you aren't left chasing paperwork. Your own figure comes from the estimate, once I've walked the lot and seen your plans.
How we build concrete footings
Footings follow the soil report and the approved plans, so I read both before we mark anything on the ground. Our crew lays the footings out where the design places them, including the slope setback, the distance a footing has to stay back from a slope, and then digs to the plans so the concrete sits on firm soil rather than loose dirt. We set the forms that hold the shape and the rebar, the steel inside that helps the concrete carry weight and hold together, as the plans call for, and after the pour we keep the concrete damp while it cures, the slow stretch when it gains its strength. If no one has looked at your soil yet, I'll tell you at the estimate so the soil work doesn't hold up the schedule.
Footings often come up alongside other work on the same property. If part of an existing house or slab has settled, foundation raising can bring it back to level before anything new ties into it. When new footings have to land where an old patio or slab already sits, concrete cutting opens a clean spot without breaking up the concrete you want to keep.
Why Thousand Oaks property owners call us for footings
I write your estimate myself
I come out to look at the lot and your plans and write the estimate myself, and our crew lead runs the work on site. You get a straight answer before the job starts and the same people carrying it through once it's underway.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm glad to show you both before you sign anything. That matters on footings, because the state ties permit work to a licensed contractor, as the questions below explain.
Builders call us for footings
Since we opened in 2013, builders and property owners have called us for footings, slabs and lots, alongside the driveways and patios homeowners ask for. We're based in Thousand Oaks and work in Simi Valley, Camarillo, Ventura, Malibu and many other cities around it, so hillside lots and soil reports are a regular part of our work.
Each step explained before we start
We're known for walking you through the soil work, the layout and the pour before anyone picks up a shovel, so nothing about the job catches you off guard. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
On a footing, what matters most is the work nobody sees once the framing goes up, so I'd rather take time on the soil and the layout than rush to the pour. When you're ready, send us your project details with your address, what you're building, whether the lot slopes and any soil report you already have, or call (805) 413-5506. Thank you for considering us.
Request a free on-site footing estimate
We reply to every request within one business day. I'll set a time to come out, look over the lot and your plans, and write your estimate on site, free and with no obligation to book.
Footing and foundation work
Questions before you book concrete footings
How much do concrete footings cost in Thousand Oaks?
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, covering concrete, labor, excavation and forms. That's the national market, not our price, and a sloped lot, hard digging or an engineered design can push a job toward the top of it. Call (805) 413-5506 and I'll come out to price your job.
Does my footing design need a soil analysis in Thousand Oaks?
Yes, the city requires every footing, foundation or slab design to be based on a soil analysis, so the soil work comes first and the footing design is built on what it finds. Before issuing a permit, the Building Official may also require a geotechnical report, a study of the ground by a state certified engineering geologist. If testing puts your soil in the expansive range, the kind that swells when wet, the city requires the soil under footings and slabs to be pre-saturated, soaked ahead of time, which adds a step before the pour.
How close to a slope can a footing be built in Thousand Oaks?
The city requires footings to sit at least five feet back from the top or the bottom of a slope, unless an approved soil or geology report recommends otherwise. That setback protects the footing from runoff and erosion, and on a hillside lot it can decide where the structure goes. On a steep lot, the city requires the Building Official to find the site safe for its intended use, and the Building Official may require a geological investigation, a soil engineer's report or a footing design by a civil or structural engineer registered in California.
Who is allowed to build concrete footings in California?
A licensed contractor has to do any work that needs a permit of any kind, even if the project is under $1,000, according to the Contractors State License Board. The board's C-8 Concrete class covers contractors who form, pour, place, finish and install concrete, and a license is also required when an unlicensed person hires helpers for the work, even on a small job.
What is the best way to pour footings on a hot day?
Pour outside the hottest part of the day when possible, which is what concrete industry guidance recommends for placing and finishing concrete. Concrete that sets too fast in the heat can come out weaker, so on a hot Thousand Oaks day that guidance can move your pour to the morning.
How do I get a permit for concrete footings in Thousand Oaks?
Footings are part of the building permit for the structure they carry, which the city's Building Official issues, and digging footings for a structure with a valid building permit doesn't need a further city permit. That exemption leaves out any excavation left with an unsupported height over five feet once the structure is finished, and it doesn't cover fill made from the soil we dig out, so tell us early if you'd like to reuse that soil on site. For questions about your lot, the city's Building Division answers by phone and email.
Related concrete work
- Foundation raising
When part of a house or slab has settled and floors or doors have gone out of line, lifting the foundation back up can come before any new footing work.
- Concrete cutting
If new posts or a wall have to land where an old patio or slab sits, a clean saw cut opens the spot without cracking the concrete you're keeping.