Foundation installation in Vancouver, WA and Clark County

Foundation footings, walls and slabs

Footings spread the weight of a building into the ground. Foundation walls sit on the footings and hold up the framing. Slabs give a garage, a shop or a shed a solid floor. Depending on the project you may need one, two or all three.

Foundation permits, plans and inspections

Most foundation work in Vancouver and Clark County needs a building permit, and the forms and steel usually have to be inspected before the concrete is poured. If you already have plans, have them ready for the estimate.

Getting the foundation base right

A foundation is only as good as the ground under it. The soil has to be dug to firm ground, the footings have to be level and the forms have to be square. Those steps take time, and they’re the reason a building stays straight for the next fifty years.

Slab on grade or a stem wall

Most garages, shops and sheds sit on a slab on grade: a floor slab with thickened edges or footings around it. Additions and buildings on sloped lots often sit on footings and short foundation walls, called a stem wall, with a crawl space or a framed floor over them. Your plans decide which one a building needs.

Rebar and moisture control

Rebar in the footings and walls, and rebar or wire mesh in the slab, holds the concrete together and keeps any cracks tight. A slab that will be inside a building usually goes on a vapor barrier over the gravel so ground moisture doesn’t come up through the floor. The plans spell out what’s needed, and the inspector checks it before the pour.