Concrete footings in Orange TX - a solid base sized to what it has to carry
Building a wall, porch or addition and unsure what it sits on? We size and pour footings to match the weight and the soil.
- Service
- Concrete footings
- Call
- (409) 216-5078
How can you tell a structure needs better footings?
A post sinking at one corner
When a porch or carport post drops, one corner of the roof sags, and usually the post is sitting on a small block or bare dirt that can't spread the weight. Left alone, the beam keeps twisting and starts pulling on the roof and everything tied to it.
Stair-step cracks in a wall
Cracks that step along the mortar lines of a block or brick wall usually mean one end is settling because the footing under it is too small or missing. The longer it goes, the wider the cracks get and the more the wall leans.
Something new on bare ground
If you're planning a shed, carport, wall or addition and nothing is under that spot yet, the footing is the first thing that goes in. It's also the hardest thing to fix later, because by then a building is sitting on it.
What do concrete footings do, and which kind do I need?
Concrete footings are the wider base poured under a wall, post or column so its weight spreads out into the soil instead of pressing down on one narrow spot. In Orange, we build them for porches, carports, walls, additions and other buildings, matched to what each one carries and sized to the ground underneath.
Usually you're about to build something and want to know what it should sit on, or something you already have is sinking at one corner. The price moves with how long and deep the footings run, how many pads there are, how wide the soil says they need to be and how hard the site is to dig, and the schedule turns on the utility locate, the permit, any inspection before the pour and whether rain leaves the trench full of water. The written estimate spells out what's included for your job, so you're not guessing at either one.
Details to note before an estimate
- What the footing will hold up
- Rough length or number of posts
- Any soil test already done
- Old concrete in the way
How we build concrete footings
I start every footing job by asking what it has to carry, because that decides whether it's a run under a wall or a pad under a post. The 811 call goes in before anyone picks up a shovel so buried lines get marked, and then I size the footing to what the soil test shows, going wider where the ground is weaker. Our crew digs the trench or holes, cleans loose dirt out of the bottom, sets rebar so there's steel inside holding the concrete together, and pours. If the budget gets tight, I'd rather you trim something you can see than shave width off a footing, because once a wall sits on it, nobody's widening it. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job, and with footings that starts with the part you'll never see.
Footings often come with other work, and these are the jobs I've liked since I started this business in 2013. When an old slab or patio sits right where a footing has to go, concrete cutting opens a clean strip through it instead of breaking the whole thing out. And when the real trouble is a house that's already settled, foundation raising brings it back up, which is usually the place to start.
Work that often comes with footings
Concrete cutting
When a footing has to run through a slab, driveway or patio, a saw cut opens just the strip we need and leaves the rest standing.
Foundation raising
If doors stick, floors slope or cracks keep opening because the house has settled, getting it back up is usually the first job to look at.
What happens after you call about footings in Orange?
Call and set a visit
You call or send the form, and I come out to look at the job, measure it and ask what it's for and what's sitting under it. Mention anything you already know, like an old slab, a soil test or where water stands after rain.
Get a written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's in it and what isn't. Before any forms go up, we find out whether your address falls under the city, the county or, over the line in Louisiana around Lake Charles and Sulphur, a parish office.
Clear review and inspections
Inside city limits, the city's plans and inspections office reviews the building plans its rules require, and its inspectors check the work against the codes and the approved site plan. Outside city limits in Orange County, any building with living quarters needs a foundation-stage inspection before concrete is placed, so we hold the pour until that's done.
Pour it and walk it
Our crew lead runs the site while our finishers prep the ground, set forms, pour and finish. Then I walk the finished job with you.
What people ask about concrete footings
What is the difference between continuous and pad footings?
A continuous footing runs the whole length of the foundation under a wall, and a pad footing sits under a single pier, post or column. So the structure decides it, and a wall gets a continuous run while a carport post or porch column gets its own pad.
How much do concrete footings cost in Orange, TX?
Across the US, concrete footings usually cost about $5 to $18 per linear foot, and that's a national market figure, not an Orange price and not ours. Size, depth and site conditions move it, a deeper footing or a harder site points to the high end, and weaker soil needs wider footings that cost more, so a soil test shapes the price as much as the design. I measure on site and put what's included in writing so you can see where yours lands.
Where do I apply for a building permit in Orange, TX?
Inside city limits, permit applications go to the City of Orange at 303 N. 8th Street, and outside them Orange County requires a Development Permit for any building built or moved onto a property. We're licensed and fully insured, and we handle the permit side with whichever office covers your address when the job calls for one.
How do I find my property's flood zone in Orange?
Search your address on the city's flood lookup and it shows the flood zone, the Base Flood Elevation and any flood compliance warnings for your property. The city treats that elevation as the requirement for raising or floodproofing a building, so it's worth having in hand before we plan what your footings will carry.
How do I know if my footings need a structural engineer?
Ask early if the soil is weak and the building is heavy, because that's when a structural engineer may need to weigh in. If I can't answer that question at the estimate, I'll tell you so and go find out rather than guess.
What is the best way to pour footings and a slab floor at the same time?
A thickened slab is usually the way to do it, with the footing built as part of the floor slab itself so both go in as one piece. It suits a building that's getting a slab floor anyway, and our slab foundation building page covers that side of the job.
Get a written footing estimate for your site
We'll get back to you within one business day. The estimate is free, done on site and comes with no obligation, and I'll come out, measure, look the job over and put what's included in writing.
Explore our services and areas
Services
- Concrete driveway building
- Concrete patio construction
- Stamped concrete services
- Concrete sidewalk building
- Garage floor concrete
- Decorative concrete
- Concrete retaining walls
- Concrete floor installation
- Concrete pool decks
- Concrete steps construction
- Slab foundation building
- Foundation installation
- Concrete parking lot building
- Foundation raising
- Concrete cutting
Get your footings planned before you dig
Call (409) 216-5078 or send the form with your address, your flood zone result and what you're building, and I'll know what to look for before I get there.