Concrete footings in Piedmont CA - a firm base under the walls and posts you build
Building a deck, addition or wall? We pour footings planned around what they hold up, so what you build has a steady base.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What do concrete footings do, and when do you need new ones?
Concrete footings are the wider base under a wall, post or column that spreads its weight into the soil below, and Piedmont Advanced Concrete pours them for decks, additions, walls and older homes in Piedmont, CA and the cities around it.
Most footing calls come from people adding a deck or a room, building a wall, or working on an older house where something underneath now has to carry more than it used to. The price moves with what the footings hold up, how many there are and how hard it is to get concrete to them, and the schedule mostly turns on whether the city needs a permit or design review before we dig. I'll give you your own figure in a written estimate once I've seen the site. We're based in Piedmont and work in Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda and other cities around the East Bay.
How we build concrete footings
I start with what each footing has to hold up and how we'll get concrete to it, because a tight side yard changes both the plan and the price. From there our crew marks the layout, digs the trenches or holes, and sets the forms and the rebar, the steel bars that help the concrete carry its load, before we pour. We finish the tops level so whatever sits on them bears evenly, then let the concrete cure, which is the wait while it gains strength, before anything is built on it. We clean up as we go so your yard isn't left torn up.
Footing jobs often connect to other work. When an existing slab or walk is in the way, we use concrete cutting to open a clean section instead of breaking out more than we need, and when part of an older house has already settled, foundation raising may need to come before new footings go in.
Continuous footings under a wall
A continuous footing runs the full length of the foundation under a wall, spreading the wall's weight along the soil. It suits additions, garden and retaining walls, and the long sides of a house.
Pad footings under posts and columns
A pad footing sits under one concentrated load, like a deck post, a pier or a column. It suits decks, porches and covered patios, where the weight comes down at single points rather than along a line.
Concrete footings in Piedmont: city permits and the ground underneath
The City of Piedmont says most construction projects and repairs need a building permit, and its list of site improvements names retaining walls and patios but not footings, so that list doesn't settle your job one way or the other. If the footings will carry something above ground, like a deck or an addition, the city also says most above ground exterior changes need design review approval first. Before we start, we check with the city's building permits office and tell you up front which office your job goes through.
A footing is only as good as the soil it rests on. A federal map models possible earthquake-triggered landslide hazard across Oakland and Piedmont, but it's drawn for the region and not for one lot, and because ground can change quickly below the surface, drilled soil samples called borings are what answer that question for a given site. We meet the same older homes and sloped lots on jobs in Oakland and Berkeley, and we plan footings there the same careful way.
Why Piedmont homeowners call Piedmont Advanced Concrete for footings
The owner sees every job
I come out to look at every job and give the estimate myself, then I work on site with our crew while they form, pour and finish. The person who priced your footings is there when they go in.
In business since 2020
I started this business in Piedmont in 2020 after learning the trade on an East Bay finishing crew, so we've been at this six years. Most of our calls come from homeowners who want the job planned properly before anyone breaks ground.
Licensed and insured for your job
We're licensed and insured. The Contractors State License Board licenses and regulates construction work in California, so a license is the baseline for anyone you hire.
Piedmont applications filed for you
Piedmont takes building permit applications online and no longer accepts paper or email, and owners can track them there. When your job needs one, we handle the application and paperwork so you can simply follow along.
In a kitchen a plate is only as good as the setup behind it, and a footing works the same way, since once the concrete is poured there's no taking it back. When you're ready, send us your details or call (510) 738-1848, and I'll come take a look.
Request a quoteGet a written estimate for your footings
Thank you for reaching out. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to visit, and the estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation. I'll measure, look at how we'll reach the footings and send you a written estimate.
What happens after you call about footings in Piedmont?
Call or send the form
Call (510) 738-1848 or send the contact form, and we'll get back to you to set up a visit. Tell us a little about what you're building so I come prepared.
I visit and measure
I come out myself, look at what the footings will carry and how we'll get concrete to them, and listen to what you have in mind. You get a written estimate, so you know the figure before anything is dug.
We line up city steps
Once you're ready, we take care of any permit or design review the job needs. Then our crew preps the site for the pour.
Pour, clean up, walk through
We pour and finish within Piedmont's construction hours, which run Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Then we clean up and walk the finished footings with you.
Frequently asked questions
How much do concrete footings cost in Piedmont, CA?
The cost of footings depends mostly on how many you need, whether they run under a whole wall or sit under single posts, and how we get concrete to them. If a truck can't reach the spot, moving concrete by wheelbarrow or pump adds labor or equipment, and ready-mix carries a delivery fee that bagged concrete doesn't. Your written estimate after the site visit gives you the figure for your job.
Do I need a permit to pour footings in Piedmont?
You may, and the city's site improvement list doesn't name footings, so we check with the city for your job before we start. If a permit or design review is needed, we handle it as part of the work.
Should my footings use bagged concrete or ready-mix?
For a handful of deck-post footings, bagged concrete mixed on site is usually the economical choice, especially where access is tight. Once a job has many footings or one continuous footing, ready-mix from a truck usually wins on consistency and total cost, even with its delivery fee. I'll tell you which fits your job at the estimate.
How much can a contractor ask for up front in California?
In California, a contractor's down payment on a home improvement job is capped at $1,000 or 10 percent of the total contract price, whichever is less. Any other payments have to be listed in the contract and tied to work completed or materials delivered, so you can match each one to what's been done.
What causes footings and foundations to crack?
One common cause is clay soil that swells when it's wet and shrinks when it dries, and national research on footings notes this uneven movement often goes past what a home can handle, cracking floors and walls. That's general guidance, not a reading of your lot. If an older footing on your property has already moved, show me at the visit so we can look at it before planning new work.
How do I know if my footing job needs an engineer?
We'll tell you at the estimate visit, before we price anything. If a question comes up that needs an engineer, whether from what a footing has to carry or from the ground under it, like the soil borings mentioned above, we say so up front so it doesn't surprise you halfway through.
Other work that often goes with footings
Foundation raising
If part of your house has dropped and doors stick or floors slope, lifting it back toward level may need to happen before any new footing work is planned around it.
Concrete cutting
When a patio, walk or garage slab sits where a footing has to go, a clean saw cut opens just that section and leaves the rest of the concrete in place.
Piedmont, CA
Plan your footings before anyone digs
Have your address, what the footings will hold up and whether a truck can reach the spot ready when you call (510) 738-1848, and we can plan the visit around it.