Concrete footings in Pasadena CA - a solid base for what you build on top
Adding a wall, deck or addition that needs footings? We clear and dry the ground, pour quickly and tell you how we'll cure it.
What does a footing job in Pasadena involve?
Concrete footings are the buried pads, strips or piers that carry a wall, a post or a building down into the ground, and we dig, form and pour them in Pasadena and the cities around it so what you build on top has something solid to sit on.
Most people call us because they're adding something, like a room, a block wall, a deck or a patio cover, or because an old post or wall has started to lean. What moves the price is the footing type, how many there are, how much digging it takes, how easy it is to get concrete to the spot and whether old concrete needs concrete cutting before we can dig. The schedule turns on the permit question, the weather on pour day and the curing wait before anything goes on top. You'll get your own figure in a written estimate once I've seen the site.
How do you know if you need new footings?
Most footing calls start with something you're about to build or something that's starting to move. These are the things that usually get people to call, and what each one tends to mean underneath.
Deck or patio cover posts sitting on bare dirt or loose blocks usually means they need real footings under them.
A garden wall or fence that leans or has dropped at one end often has too little footing underneath.
Stair-step cracks running through a block wall usually mean the footing below it has moved.
You're planning an addition, a garage or a new wall, and the plans call for footings before anything else.
Water that pools at the base of a wall after rain can soften the dirt its footing sits on.
Sticking doors and sloping floors usually mean the house has settled, which calls for foundation raising rather than new footings.
If a wall or post is leaning more each season, call us rather than wait, because it's simpler to deal with the footing before what's on top moves further.
What happens when you call about footings in Pasadena?
Here's how a footing job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end. I'm the one who looks at the job and writes it up, and I'm on site when our crew pours.
Call or send the form
Call (626) 345-7318 or write to us, and we'll get back to you to set up a time to look at the job.
I measure and walk you through it
I come out myself, measure, ask what the footings will carry and walk you through what I'd do and why. You get a written estimate that lays out that plan, so you know what you're paying for before anything starts.
We settle permits and prep
Once you say go, we sort out the permit question in writing, then dig, form and get the footing area clear and dry. Before pour day, I tell you how we'll cure the concrete.
We pour, finish and walk it
We line the pour up so it moves fast once the truck arrives, and our crew places and finishes the concrete with me running the job. When it's done, I walk it with you.
Get a written estimate for your footing job
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a time. I'll come out, measure and give you a free written estimate on site, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Call
- (626) 345-7318
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
Footing types and the part that matters most
Footings come in a few shapes. A single pad sits under a post or a column. A continuous strip or a trench footing runs under the length of a wall. Some slabs have the footing poured with them as one piece, and piers or pilings go down as columns. When you're comparing bids, ask which type each one uses, because two prices for two different footings aren't the same job.
On a footing, the finish hardly matters because it all ends up buried. What matters is the hole and what goes in it. We clear out loose dirt, debris and standing water before the truck comes, and the rebar, the steel that ties the concrete together and holds cracks closed, goes where the plans put it. If the budget gets tight, that's the last place I'd cut.
Footing questions we hear in Pasadena
Who is allowed to pour concrete footings in Pasadena, CA?
A contractor with a state concrete license, which covers forming, pouring, placing and finishing concrete, is who you want for footing work. California only lets an unlicensed person take minor work up to $1,000 when the job needs no permit and they have no one working for them, so a footing job that needs a permit falls outside that at any price. We're licensed and fully insured.
What is the best time of day to pour concrete footings?
Early morning is usually best, and trade guidance recommends early pours whenever possible, especially in summer when hot weather problems tend to show up. Sunny, windy days call for more care than calm, humid ones, and even a mild Pasadena day can dry concrete too fast when the air is dry and the wind is up. Ask us about pour timing at the estimate.
How do I take care of new concrete footings after the pour?
New footings need curing, which means keeping the concrete from drying out too fast, and it should start right after the pour. Trade guidance lists a few ways to do it, like a sprayed curing compound, seven days of soaking, a wet burlap or plastic cover, or curing paper. We tell you which method we'll use before pour day, so you know whether anyone needs to keep it wet that week.
Does Pasadena review and inspect building work?
Yes, the city's Building & Safety Division does plan review and construction inspection for all buildings and structures, and any contractor pulling a permit there needs a city business license. Pasadena also has hillside grading rules on digging, grading and earthwork, and it may have changed parts of the state code, so local rules can differ from the state's. When a job needs a permit, we sort out who's pulling it before we start, put that in writing and handle the paperwork on the ones we pull.
How much do concrete footings cost in Pasadena?
It depends on what you're building, because the footing type, how many there are and how deep the plans call for them set most of the price. Tight access for the truck, a hillside lot or old concrete that has to come out first all add to it, while a level, open site keeps it down. You'll see your own figure in the written estimate after I've measured.
Which building code applies to an Eaton Fire rebuild in Pasadena?
Eaton Fire rebuilds can follow either the city's current codes or an earlier code set the city still allows as an option for those rebuilds. Ask your designer which set your plans follow, or check the city's codes and regulations page, so the footings match what the plans were drawn to.
Related work that often comes with footings
Foundation raising
When part of the house has dropped, lifting the foundation back toward level may be the real fix, so it's worth sorting out before adding anything new.
Concrete cutting
Old slabs, walks or broken footings sitting where the new footings need to go have to be sawed and pulled out cleanly before we can dig and form.
Get your footing job measured and priced
Call (626) 345-7318 or send the form with your address, what the footings will carry and whether it's a hillside lot or an Eaton Fire rebuild, so I come out ready.
Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM