Concrete footings in Fremont NE - support that stays put through freeze and thaw
Planning a deck, porch or addition, or watching old posts lean? We dig and pour footings to code so what you build stays level.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into pouring concrete footings in Fremont?
Concrete footings in Fremont are the concrete pads poured into the ground under a deck, porch, addition or other structure, and they typically have to reach below the frost line so they stay put as the soil freezes and thaws each winter.
Most people call me when their plans show footings for something new, or when something they already have has started to lean or rise. The price mostly comes down to how many footings there are, how wide and deep the code and your plans make them, and whether your soil holds a clean trench or needs forms. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspection before we pour and the weather. After I look at the site, the written estimate I give you puts a figure on your own job.
How can you tell your footings aren't holding up?
Deck posts leaning or sinking
A post that tips or drops usually means the footing under it is too shallow or is sitting on loose fill. Left alone, the boards and railings start pulling apart, and the fix grows from one footing to the whole frame.
A porch that rises in winter
If a porch or step sits higher in February than in July, frozen soil is lifting a footing that doesn't go deep enough. Each winter moves it a little more, and the cracks and gaps it leaves get harder to close.
Cracked or crumbling footing tops
Concrete that flakes or splits where you can see it often froze before it set or has simply worn out. A weak footing can stop carrying its share of the load, so it's worth having it looked at before you build on it again.
How we build concrete footings
I start with your plans and the local code, because together they set how wide and deep each footing has to be, and we dig to that rather than to habit. Our crew marks each spot, digs down to firm, undisturbed soil and checks the bottom before anything goes in, since a footing sitting on loose dirt settles with it. If the trench walls won't hold their shape we set forms, which are temporary boards that hold the concrete until it hardens, and we place rebar, the steel bars that help concrete carry weight, wherever the plans call for it. Once the inspector signs off we pour, and then comes curing, the days the concrete needs to harden slowly without drying too fast or freezing. If the ground is cold, we hold off or protect the pour so the concrete cures as it should.
Footings often come with other work, and I'd rather tell you what you actually need. When a porch or slab you already have has sunk, foundation raising is sometimes the better answer than tearing it out for new footings. When a new footing has to go through an existing patio or garage floor, we use concrete cutting to open just the space we need instead of breaking out more than the job calls for.
Trench footings
Poured straight into a dug trench, these usually cost the least because there's no form material to buy. They suit clay-heavy soil that holds its shape once it's dug.
Formed footings
When the soil is sandy or gravelly and the trench walls won't stand, we build forms and pour inside them. It takes more material, but the footing comes out the size the code asks for.
Pier and grade beam
Concrete piers carry a beam that the structure rests on, which works where a slope is too steep for footings that step down the hill, or where the soil is weak or swells and shrinks. The slope and soil of your lot decide whether you need it.
Request a free estimate for your footings
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, done at your property and comes with no pressure to book.
(402) 512-8158- Based in
- Fremont, NE 68025
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 8 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about footings in Fremont?
Here's how a footing job runs with us, from your first call to the walk-through at the end.
Call and set a visit
When you call or send the form, I set a time to come out, look at where the footings go and listen to what you plan to build. Having your plans on hand helps, because they set much of the size and depth.
Go over your written estimate
You get a written estimate that lists the footings, the method that suits your soil and what the price covers. That way you can see where the money goes before you decide anything.
Pass inspection, then pour
Once you're ready, we take care of any permits, pick a pour date with the weather in mind, and our own crew digs the holes. In Fremont, permitted work has to stay open until the building official approves it, so we leave room in the schedule for that before any concrete goes in.
Walk the finished job together
I'm on site to check the crew's work, and when we finish I walk the job with you. I go over how to look after the new concrete while it cures and before anything is built on it.
Why Fremont homeowners call Fremont Concrete for footings
The owner writes your estimate
I come out myself to look at the job and write the estimate, and I'm on site to check the work while our own crew does it. I still answer my own phone, so the person you first talk to is the one checking your footings.
Trained on a Fremont crew
I learned the trade on a finishing crew here in Fremont and started this business in 2017. We've seen what winters here do to concrete, which is why we plan cold-weather pours instead of hoping for the best.
Licensed and fully insured, every job
We're licensed and fully insured. Footings hold up whatever gets built on them, so you want the crew digging them to be covered.
On a footing job, the part that counts most is the part nobody sees again once the deck or addition goes on top. Contact us and I'll set a time to come out and take a look.
Footings and the work around them in Fremont
In Fremont, the city's building department issues permits to build or alter any structure, and footings are usually part of one. When our work needs a permit, we handle the application and book the inspections for our part of the job, and if I'm not sure what the city wants for a particular project, I ask before we start. Fremont also sits in the Platte River floodplain and can flood from ice, snowmelt and heavy rain, so if your lot is in the floodplain, the city's floodplain development permit asks for the foundation design and floor plans with any new structure. That means the footings get settled on paper before anyone digs.
We're based in Fremont and work in the cities around it, and the ground can change from one lot to the next, so I look at what comes out of the first hole before settling on a trench or forms. We plan for the same hard winters on jobs in Blair and Schuyler, which is why pour timing comes up so often on footing estimates.
Questions about concrete footings in Fremont
Do I need a permit for concrete footings in Fremont, NE?
Usually yes, when the footings hold up a structure, because the city requires a permit to build or alter any structure. The exception the city lists is a free-standing deck under 200 square feet and under 30 inches above the ground. If you're not sure which side your project falls on, I check with the city before we start.
How deep do concrete footings need to be in Fremont?
As deep as the local code requires, since the code sets both the minimum depth and the minimum width of a footing. I won't give you a number from memory, because the right one comes from the code and your plans, and I confirm it before we dig.
What is the best way to pour concrete footings in cold weather?
Pour only on thawed ground and keep the new concrete from freezing while it cures, because concrete that freezes before it gains early strength can lose up to 50% of its potential strength. A Michigan concrete trade group's cold-weather guide says to warm frozen ground first with ground heaters or blankets. I'll tell you before we book the date how we plan to handle the cold on your job.
Does a contractor need to be registered to pour footings in Nebraska?
Yes, Nebraska requires a contractor to register with the state before doing any construction work here. Fremont also requires contractors doing paid work on permitted projects inside city limits, or within the two miles around the city where it handles zoning, to register with the city. Under the state law, someone doing work on their own property isn't a contractor.
How much do concrete footings cost in Fremont?
The cost comes mainly from how many footings you need, how big and deep they have to be, and what your soil allows. A trench footing usually costs less than a formed one, while tight access for digging, hauling the dirt away and cold-weather protection all add to it. The written estimate I give after the visit puts a figure on your job.
What causes concrete footings to sink or heave?
Usually a footing that's too shallow, sits on loose fill or was poured on frozen ground, because the soil under it moves and the footing moves with it. Soft or shifting soil can do the same, which is why I look at the ground before choosing a method. If yours have already moved, call (402) 512-8158 and I'll come take a look.
Other work that often goes with footings
Foundation raising
When a porch, step or slab has already settled, lifting it back into place can sometimes save you the cost of tearing it out and starting over.
Concrete cutting
If a new footing has to go through an existing patio, driveway or floor, a clean saw cut helps keep the rest of the slab intact.
Cities we serve around Fremont
Fremont Concrete is based in Fremont, Nebraska, and pours footings in the cities around it, including La Vista and Gretna. The seven cities below each have their own page, and we work in other cities nearby as well.
Fremont, NE
Plan your footings with a site visit
Have the property address, what the footings will hold up and your hoped-for timing ready when you call (402) 512-8158 or send the form, so the visit covers everything.