Concrete footings in Vancouver, WA and Clark County

What a concrete footing does

A footing spreads the weight of whatever sits on it over more ground, so the soil can hold it without sinking. Continuous footings run under foundation walls. Pad or pier footings sit under single posts, like the ones holding up a deck, a carport or a porch roof.

Footings below the frost line

Ground that freezes swells and lifts, and a footing that sits in that layer moves with it. Clark County’s plan review list puts frost protection for footings at 12 inches, so footings here go at least that deep, and deeper when the plans or the soil call for it. They also have to sit on firm, undisturbed soil, not fill dirt.

Footing size, rebar and inspection

The same Clark County list gives a minimum footing size of 12 inches wide and 6 inches thick for one-story construction. Bigger loads get bigger footings, and most get rebar set in them before the pour. On permitted work, the inspector checks the dug footings and the steel before any concrete goes in.