Concrete footings in Riverside CA - a solid base for what you build on top
Planning something that needs firm ground under it? We check the soil, dig the trench and pour footings that give it steady support.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What goes into pouring concrete footings in Riverside?
Concrete footings are the strips and pads of concrete buried under a wall, an addition or a post, and in Riverside, CA, we dig, form, reinforce and pour them so the weight of what you build spreads into firm ground instead of sitting on loose dirt.
Usually you're planning something that has to sit on solid ground, and the footing is the part nobody will see once it's buried. The price moves with how much footing the job needs, how deep it goes and what the site is like, so hard digging or a tight side yard costs more than an open lot. The schedule mostly turns on the permit question and what we learn about the ground, and since we check what the city wants before we start, that part gets settled early. When I come out, I'll leave you a written estimate that says what's in it.
How we build concrete footings
Before we dig, I want to know about the soil and how water and plants near the footing will be handled, because ground that gets soaked by a sprinkler or a downspout doesn't behave like ground that stays dry. Then we trench down to firm, undisturbed ground and clean the loose dirt out of the bottom, set forms where the soil won't hold an edge on its own, and tie in the rebar, the steel bars that keep the concrete from pulling apart. After that we pour, finish the top where something will sit on it, and clean up. The digging and trench prep are the first place people want to save money, since nobody sees them after pour day, but that's where I'd rather spend, because a footing is only as good as the ground under it.
Footing jobs often run into concrete that's already on the property. If an old slab or walkway sits where the trench needs to go, we do the concrete cutting to open a clean line through it instead of breaking out more than we have to. And if the real trouble is a house that's already sunk on one side, new footings won't fix that alone, so start with foundation raising.
Strip footings for walls and additions
A long, continuous footing suits walls, room additions and anything else that puts its weight down along a line. It spreads that load along the whole run, so no single soft spot has to carry it.
Pad footings for posts
Separate pads suit patio covers, pergolas and other structures that rest on a handful of posts. The digging is smaller, but every hole still has to reach good ground because each pad carries its post alone.
Call while your plans are still being drawn, not after, since soil and drainage questions are a lot easier to settle before the layout is locked in.
What happens when you call about concrete footings in Riverside?
Here's how a footing job runs with us, from the first call to the day we walk the finished work together, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
You reach us by phone or the form, and we get back to you to set a time for me to come out. I do the estimates myself, so the person looking at your site is the one who runs the crew.
I look at your site
I walk the ground, ask how you'll use what's going on the footings and look at the soil, the access and where the water runs. You get a written estimate that says what's in it, so you know what the price covers before you decide.
We dig, pour and walk it
Once you say go, we settle the permit question, prep the ground, set forms and steel, and pour. When it's done, I walk the finished footings with you so you see what's going under your project.
Get a written estimate for your footing job
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property. I come out myself, and there's no obligation to go ahead.
(951) 589-3080Concrete footings and the permit rules in Riverside
Most construction in Riverside needs a permit from the city's building official, and the exemption closest to footing work is a retaining wall up to 4 feet tall, measured from the bottom of its footing to the top of the wall, with no extra load on it. That doesn't settle every footing job, so we check what the city wants before we dig, and when a permit is needed we pull it ourselves or help you apply, since many permits can go to the owner, the owner's agent or a licensed contractor. A contractor pulling one has to show proof of licensing and a current City of Riverside business license. If the dig moves more than 50 cubic yards of soil, you also need a grading permit from the Public Works Department, and a licensed civil engineer usually draws the grading plans. Doing it in order matters, because the city warns that work failing local codes can lose much of its value, and insurers may not cover work done without the permits it needed, which counts for whatever you build on those footings.
We're based in Riverside and work in many of the cities around it in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, so if yours isn't listed, call and ask. A lot of footing calls come from established lots where the trench has to run between the house, a fence, sprinkler lines and mature trees, so I walk the line first and we hand dig near roots and pipes rather than tear through them. We run into the same tight yards on jobs in Moreno Valley and Jurupa Valley.
Footing questions we hear from Riverside homeowners
How much do concrete footings cost in Riverside, CA?
Installed residential strip footings across the US usually cost about $5 to $20 per linear foot, and that covers digging the trench, forms, rebar, placing and finishing the concrete, plus the contractor's overhead and profit. It's a national range, so treat it as a rough check, and I'll put your own job's price in a written estimate after I've seen the site.
Why does the soil matter so much for concrete footings?
Soil decides how a footing behaves, because soils that shrink and swell lift when they're wet and settle when they dry, and that uneven movement is often more than a house can take. That's why I want to understand the ground before we dig, not after the concrete's in.
Do I need a licensed contractor for a small footing job in California?
Usually yes, because the state requires a licensed contractor even on jobs under $1,000 when the work needs a permit of any kind or the person doing it hires helpers. We're licensed and insured, and you can check any contractor's license with the California Contractors State Licensing Board.
What is the best way to pour concrete footings in hot weather?
Plan the pour around the heat, since one concrete maker's guide suggests considering precautions once the concrete itself reaches 77 to 95°F, though local and national rules vary. The same guide says not to add water to cool the mix or make it easier to work, because that can hurt its strength and how long it lasts. For a summer pour, ask us how we'll keep the concrete cool, and we'll talk through timing with you before pour day.
Will my new concrete footings crack?
They can, and I'd rather you hear that from me now than be surprised later. Concrete often gets fine cracks as it dries, and those are usually harmless, so the real work goes into keeping the footing from moving unevenly, which is where the soil, the water and the digging come in.
How long does a concrete footing job take?
Most of the time on a footing job goes to planning rather than the pour, since the soil check and the permit question come first. Once those are settled, the trench, forms and steel go in ahead of the pour, and I'll talk through timing for your job when I'm out at your property.
Related concrete work that often comes with footings
When an old walkway, patio or slab sits where a new footing has to go, a saw cut opens the trench line and leaves the rest intact.
If part of your house has already settled and doors stick or floors slope, lifting the existing foundation may come before any new footing work starts.
Tell us about your footing project
Call (951) 589-3080, email hi@concreteriversideca.com or send the form with the project type, a rough footing length in feet and the site address, so I can come out already knowing what to look for.