Concrete Footings in Renton WA - a firm base that keeps your deck or addition steady
Building a deck or addition and unsure what goes under it? We dig to firm ground and pour footings that keep it steady.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
What does a concrete footing do, and how is it built in Renton?
A concrete footing is the base of concrete under a foundation wall or a deck post. In Renton we set it on firm, undisturbed ground and below the frost line, the depth winter freezing reaches, which is a local number. That keeps your structure steady when wet soil freezes and pushes up.
Most of these calls come from people planning a deck, porch, addition or shed, or from someone whose older deck has started to lean and who wants to know what's holding the posts up. The price turns mostly on how many footings you need, how wide and deep they go and what the soil looks like once we dig, since weak ground calls for bigger footings and more concrete. The schedule turns on whether the city wants a permit and inspections, and on the curing time, the days the concrete needs to harden before it carries a load. If you're pouring a full slab for a garage or shop instead, that's our slab foundation building work. Either way, I put the scope in writing at the estimate so you can compare it with any other quote.
How can you tell if your deck footings aren't doing their job?
Deck posts leaning or sinking
If a post leans, has dropped below its neighbors or sits in a puddle every winter, the footing under it is usually too shallow or resting on loose fill. Left alone, the framing keeps shifting with it, and a repair that started with one post can turn into several.
Pier blocks cracked or tipping
Older decks and sheds often sit on precast blocks set on top of the dirt. When those blocks crack or tilt, the ground under them is usually moving with the seasons, and waiting tends to mean bent hardware and boards pulling loose.
A gap opening at the house
A gap where the deck meets the siding, or a deck that slopes away from the house, usually means the outer footings have moved while the house end stayed put. That's worth a look soon, because the connection at the house carries a lot of the load.
How we dig and pour concrete footings
Before anyone digs, we call 811 so the utilities can mark their lines, and we lay the footings out clear of septic tanks, drain fields, buried lines and meters. We dig each hole or trench down to firm, undisturbed ground, the soil nobody has ever moved, because loose fill settles and takes the footing with it. If what we uncover looks soft or questionable, I'll stop and talk with you about a soils check before we pour, since the right footing size depends on the soil we actually find and the dig can change the plan. Then we set the forms, add rebar where the footing calls for it, which is the steel that helps the concrete carry weight without cracking apart, and pour. The concrete cures before anything gets built on top. On a deck, I take extra care with the footings under the outer posts. The house end rests on the ledger, the board where the deck joins the house, and if the outer posts heave while that end stays put, the joists rack and the ledger connection can fail. The depth and the ground are the part you'll never see once the deck is framed, and they're the first thing people want to trim. I'd rather spend the time there than anywhere else.
Footing work often sits next to other jobs. If part of your house has already settled, foundation raising may need to come first. When a new post has to land where a patio or garage floor already sits, we use concrete cutting to open a clean hole rather than breaking up the whole slab.
Deck and porch post footings
Round footings under each post suit most decks, porches and landings, because each one carries a single post's load straight down to firm ground. We lay them out to match your post spacing.
Wall footings for additions and garages
A continuous footing runs the full length of a foundation wall, so it suits additions, garages and other structures with walls that bear on the ground. These are bigger jobs that often involve a designer's or engineer's plans.
Footings for sheds, pergolas and carports
Lighter structures still need something better than bare dirt or loose blocks, because a pergola or carport that settles unevenly pulls out of square. We size these to the structure and the soil we find.
Get a free on-site estimate for your footings
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free and comes with no obligation, and I'll put the scope in writing so you can compare it with other quotes.
(425) 264-4089- Based in
- Renton, WA 98057
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call us about footings in Renton?
From the first call to the final walk-through, here's how a footing job runs and what you'll see from us at each point.
Call to set a visit
When you call or send the form, I'll set a time to come out, look at the site and ask how you plan to use the space. A hot tub, a heavy roof or a shed full of tools changes what the footings have to carry.
Walk the lot together
I take measurements, and then you get a written estimate that explains the prep, the concrete work and anything we'll ask of you before pour day. We also go over what the city or county may want to see, so the cost and the steps are clear before anything is dug.
Dig, inspect and pour
Our crew digs, forms and pours while keeping the area neat and covering what needs covering, and I check in as the work goes. On permitted work, the city reviews the plans and makes inspections, so you can expect city visits during the job.
Walk the finished footings
Before we pack up, I walk the finished work with you so you can see the layout and the cleanup for yourself. The concrete then cures before any framing goes on.
Why Renton homeowners call Form & Pour Renton Concrete Company for footings
I come out to measure myself
I walk the lot, take the measurements and answer your questions myself, and the small crew I work with does the work while I check in as it goes. You're dealing with the person who saw your ground before the quote was written.
In business since 2017
I started out pouring walkways and fixing steps for neighbors on weekends and learned the trade beside experienced finishers before making it a full business in 2017. Nine years in, I still start every job by looking hard at the ground.
Licensed and insured for your project
We're licensed and insured, which matters when a crew is digging holes and running equipment on your property. If something goes wrong, you aren't the one left carrying it.
Footing sizes worked out to code
Renton's plan checkers review plans but don't design anything, so sizing the footings and spacing the supports falls to the owner or builder and has to meet code. We work that out with you, and when a job needs an engineer, I'll say so plainly.
With footings, the ground decides most of the job, so seeing your lot is the best place to start. Please contact us or call (425) 264-4089.
Footings, permits and soil in Renton
In Renton, the city's building official issues permits to build, alter or repair a structure. Whether your footing job needs one depends on what sits on top, so I won't guess at it. We go over it at the estimate, check which city or county office covers your address and can handle the application or help you with yours. If your lot is in or near a wetland, a steep slope, a creek or a coal mine hazard area, the city's Planning Division at 425-430-7294 can explain the added studies that may come with it, such as a geotechnical report, which is a soil study. A report like that can change how deep and wide the footings go.
On jobs here we see plenty of hillside lots, long wet winters and ground that changes from one corner of a yard to the next, which is why I'd rather dig and look than assume. We see the same mix on jobs in Kent and Bellevue, and we work the same careful way there.
Questions about concrete footings in Renton
How deep do concrete footings need to be in Renton?
A footing's bottom has to sit below the frost line and at least 12 inches below undisturbed ground. Frost depth is a local number, so the right depth for your lot comes from local rules rather than a national chart. I go over it with you at the estimate, and we keep digging past that depth if we haven't reached firm soil.
How much do concrete footings cost?
Across the US, installed concrete footings usually cost about $4 to $20 per linear foot, including the concrete, labor and digging. That's the market's range, not our price, and the spread comes from size and soil, since a wider, deeper footing on weak ground can cost several times as much as a shallow one. Your own figure comes in the written estimate after I've seen the lot.
Does my deck need a permit in Renton?
Yes, the city requires a building permit for a deck more than 30 inches above grade. For a lower deck, it's best to check with the city before work starts rather than assume, and I'll go over it with you at the estimate.
How do I know if my lot is near a critical area in Renton?
The city's interactive map shows whether a property sits on or near a critical area like a wetland, steep slope, creek or coal mine hazard. The map is a starting point, since professional reports and the city's approval set the exact boundaries. If it flags your lot, bring that result to the estimate and we'll talk about what it may mean for the footings.
What causes concrete footings to heave or crack?
Frost is the usual cause, because when moisture in the soil around a footing freezes, it pushes the footing upward. Repeated freezing and thawing can crack foundations and break slabs apart. Setting the bottom below the frost line on firm ground keeps the footing out of that zone.
How long does it take before I can build on new concrete footings?
Framing waits until the concrete has cured enough to carry a load, and cool, damp weather slows that down. On permitted work, the city's inspections also have to fit in, so we plan the pour around both and tell you when your framer can start.
Related work that often goes with footings
When part of your house has already settled and floors slope or doors stick, lifting the foundation back up may come before any new footing work.
If a new post has to land where a patio or garage floor already sits, a clean saw cut opens the spot without breaking up the rest.
Service areas for footings around Renton
Form & Pour Renton Concrete Company is based in Renton, WA, and the 12 cities with their own pages here include Tukwila and Auburn. Those aren't the only places we go, so if you're not sure we come out your way, please just ask.
Renton, WA
Book a footing estimate before you frame
If you have your lot address, project type, planned deck height and the city map result handy when you call, I can come out ready to talk about depth and permits.