Concrete footings in Menlo Park, CA - sized to the load so the house sits level
Adding a room, a deck or a wall? We give each footing the width its load needs, so the soil carries the house evenly.
A concrete footing is the wide strip or pad under a wall, post or pier that spreads your house's weight into the soil. When it's too narrow, the house can settle unevenly, and if that's already showing at yours, read about foundation raising first.
I care most about the steps people rush, the ground, the forms and the measurements, and a footing is almost nothing but those. The price comes down to how much concrete goes in, the digging and the labor, and in Menlo Park the schedule mostly turns on the city's permit and inspections. My estimate spells out what we'll build and what it costs.
What our concrete footing work covers
- Each footing sized to its load. A wall footing and a pad under a post or fireplace carry weight differently, so we size each one on its own instead of using one width everywhere.
- Clean cuts through old concrete. When a new footing has to go through an existing patio or slab, we use concrete cutting to open only what's needed instead of breaking out more.
- Owner on site. I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, and when our crew digs, forms and pours, I'm there running it.
- In business since 2023. I learned on other people's crews pouring flatwork and foundations, spent years away from the trade, then came back and started this business in 2023.
- Licensed and fully insured. In California, forming, pouring and finishing concrete is licensed work under the Contractors State License Board, and we're licensed and fully insured.
What goes wrong under a house
| Problem | What it looks like | Usual fix |
|---|---|---|
| Footing too narrow | What it looks like: Cracked walls, sloping floors and doors that start to stick | Usual fix: A wider footing or a redesigned foundation |
| One pad sinking | What it looks like: A post, porch or deck corner sitting lower than the rest | Usual fix: Raise it, then pour a pad sized for its load |
| Soft or wet trench | What it looks like: Mushy spots or standing water in the dug trench | Usual fix: Clear soft pockets and water before the pour |
| Trench off the plans | What it looks like: Trench narrower than the drawings or laid out in the wrong spot | Usual fix: Re-dig and measure against the plans before inspection |
New footings, a fix or a redesign
- New footings. For an addition, a deck, a garden wall or a new post, we size each footing from your plans and the load it will carry.
- Widen one spot. When one post or one stretch of wall has settled and the rest is sound, adding footing under that spot so it rests on more soil can be enough.
- Redesign the foundation. When settling shows along much of the house, the fix is often a wider footing all around or a redesigned foundation, rather than patching one spot at a time.
How we plan and pour footings
- Call or send the form. Tell us your address, what the footings will hold up and whether you have plans, and we'll set a time for me to come out.
- I look and measure. I measure, look at the ground, nearby trees and where water runs, then write down in plain words what we'll build before I put a price on it.
- Permit first. We find out what the city asks for at your address, handle the permit paperwork or help you with it, and don't start until it's in place.
- Forms, then inspection. We set the forms before ordering concrete, and leave room before the pour because the city says inspections can be limited in busy and wet seasons.
- Pour and walk-through. Our crew pours the footings and cleans up, and I walk the finished work with you so you know what's going in under your house.
Keeping footings sound for the long run
A footing does its work out of sight once the house is built, so what keeps it sound is mostly decided before the pour, by the right width, firm ground under it and water kept away. After that, keep downspouts sending water away from the walls, and call us if a door starts sticking.
We're based in Menlo Park and pour footings here and in the cities around it, from San Mateo down to Cupertino and beyond. If your lot falls in one of the state's mapped liquefaction zones, where the ground may turn loose in a strong quake, the permit can call for studying and reducing that hazard. Call or use the form to ask for an estimate.
Tell us about your footing job
Send your address, the kind of project and any plans you have. We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out.
(650) 582-0556- Free estimate at your property
- Plain written scope of work
- No obligation to go ahead
Footing questions we hear
How much do concrete footings cost in Menlo Park, CA?
Installed concrete footings across the US usually cost about $4 to $20 per linear foot, which is the national range, not a Menlo Park quote. A wide, deep footing on weak soil can cost several times a shallow one. I'll give you the figure for your job when I come out.
Does a low retaining wall in Menlo Park need a permit?
Not if it's two feet or less from the top of the footing to the top of the wall and doesn't hold back extra weight, like a driveway above it, or hold water, because Menlo Park exempts those walls. Exempt work still has to meet the state building code. We confirm it with the city's Building Division first.
Will a stronger concrete mix fix a footing that's too narrow?
No, a stronger mix doesn't make up for too little bearing area, the soil under the footing that actually takes the weight. A narrow footing overloads the ground, not the concrete, so we get the width right before we pour.
What does the inspector check before a footing is poured?
Inspectors typically check the open trench for undisturbed soil or approved fill, soft pockets, standing water and a width that matches the plans. Most of the important inspection happens at this stage, before any concrete goes in, so we have the trench and forms ready before we book it.