Concrete footings in Northport AL - a solid base for everything you build on top
Building a deck, porch or addition and need something solid under it? We dig to the plan and pour footings that carry the load.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do I need concrete footings for my deck or addition?
Concrete footings are the poured concrete under a building's walls and support posts that spreads the weight into the soil, and we dig and pour them for decks, porches, additions and garages in Northport, AL.
Most footing calls I get come from people adding onto a house they already live in, so the yard, the driveway and the neighbors are all part of the job. The price mostly turns on how many footings you need, how big and deep they are, and how easy it is to get a machine and a concrete truck to the spot. The schedule turns on the weather and the permit, because a hole that fills with rain sits until it's dry and the paperwork has to line up with the dig. I'll put your figures in a written estimate that lists what's included, and if you're building on a full slab instead, our slab foundation building page covers that side.
How can you tell a footing isn't doing its job?
Deck posts sinking or leaning
If a deck post has dropped or tipped, it's usually sitting on a shallow block or bare dirt that moved with the weather. Left alone, the frame starts to rack and the boards and railings work loose, so the fix grows from one footing to a rebuild.
Porch roof dipping at a corner
A sag at one corner of a porch roof usually means the post under it has settled because the footing was too small or was never there. Waiting puts strain on the beam and the roof framing above it, and that's a bigger repair than a new footing.
Stair-step cracks in brick
Cracks that step up a brick or block wall usually mean the footing under that section has moved. They tend to widen with each wet and dry season, and the longer they go, the more the doors and windows nearby start to stick.
How we pour concrete footings
I start with your plans, because they set where every footing goes, how wide it is and how deep we dig. Our crew marks the spots, digs to the plan and keeps the dirt on tarps so your lawn isn't buried, and I'll tell you when the inspector needs to see the holes so it's on your calendar. If rain leaves water or mud in a hole, we wait it out before we pour, since concrete set in mud isn't resting on firm ground, and I'd rather lose a day than have your deck settle later. Where the plan calls for it, we set forms and rebar, the steel bars that keep a footing from cracking apart under load, then pour and let it cure, which is the wait while the concrete hardens before anything gets built on it. Nobody sees a footing once the deck goes on, so it's the first place people want to save money, and it's the last place I'd cut.
Footing work often runs into concrete that's already there. If a footing under your house has already sunk and taken a wall or floor with it, that's a foundation raising job first, because new work shouldn't go on top of an old problem. When a new post has to land in the middle of a patio or garage floor, we do the concrete cutting to open a clean hole without cracking the slab around it.
Pier footings for decks and porches
A round or square hole under each post suits decks, porches and carports, because the weight comes down in just a few spots. It keeps the digging to small holes instead of a trench, which is easier on a yard you already have landscaped.
Continuous footings for additions and garages
A continuous footing is a long trench of concrete that runs under a whole wall, so it fits room additions, garages and block walls that carry weight along their length. It means more digging and more concrete, which is why it costs more than a handful of piers.
Get a written estimate for your footings
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set a time. I'll come out, look at the ground and your plans, and give you a free written estimate with no obligation.
(205) 756-6874- Based in
- Northport, AL 35476
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 7 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call us about footings in Northport?
Here's how a footing job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and who you'll deal with at each step.
Call or send the form
You call (205) 756-6874 or send the form, and we set a time for me to come out. Have the project type, its rough size and your address handy, since the address tells us which office handles the permit.
I measure and check the ground
I look at your plans and the ground, mark where the footings go and talk through what you want. You get a written estimate that says what's included, so you're not guessing what's left out when you compare prices.
We permit, dig and pour
Once you say go, we set a date, handle the permit paperwork and set up the inspections. Our crew digs and forms, and I'm on site for the pour.
Clean up and walk through
When the forms come off, we backfill around the footings, clean up and walk the finished job with you. The dirt goes back where it came from, so your yard looks the way it did before we showed up.
Why Northport homeowners call Northport Concrete for footings
Owner on site for pours
I come out to look at each job and write the estimate myself, and I'm on site for the pours while our own crew does the forming and finishing. The person who measured your holes is the one watching them get filled.
In business since 2017
I learned concrete on new construction crews and started this business in 2017 to work on homes people already live in. That means planning around your driveway, your kids and your lawn, not an empty lot.
We're licensed and fully insured
Alabama counts anyone paid to build, repair or improve someone else's home as a home builder once the cost tops $10,000, and that takes a state license. Bigger footing jobs are often part of that kind of project, so it's a fair question to ask anyone you compare.
Tell us what you're building and where it's going, then reach us through our contact page or call (205) 756-6874 to set up a visit.
Footings, permits and soil in Northport
Inside Northport's city limits and its police jurisdiction, almost all new construction and alterations need a permit from the city's Chief Building Official, who reviews plans and inspects the work in the field. There are a few exceptions, and I won't guess whether your footings fall under one, so check with the city's inspections office or let us do it for you. We check which office covers your address, and when your job needs a permit, we handle the paperwork and set up the inspections.
The ground is the other thing to plan around. One frost-depth guide says Alabama winters are short and mild and the ground rarely freezes more than a few inches, so frost isn't the worry here that it is up north, though footings should still sit below the frost line. A highway study of roads around Tuscaloosa looked at clay that shrinks and swells as it gets wet and dries out, and while it covers roads, not house lots, it's one more reason I watch how wet the ground is before a pour. We're based in Northport and do the same work in Tuscaloosa, McCalla and other cities around them.
Questions about concrete footings in Northport
How much do concrete footings cost in Northport, AL?
Across the US, fully installed typical residential concrete footings usually run about $15 to $25 per linear foot. That's a national market figure, not our price, and size moves it, since footings smaller than a typical house needs cost less per foot. Your written estimate lays out your number and what's included.
Can deck blocks take the place of poured concrete footings?
Sometimes, for a small, low deck that stands on its own, but not as a general swap. One deck supplier's guide says precast deck blocks can work for certain small, low, freestanding decks where code allows them, and that they aren't a universal replacement for footings set below the frost line. If blocks make sense for your deck and save you money, I'll tell you so.
How do I know if my project needs concrete footings?
If it carries weight and stands on the ground, like a deck, a porch roof, an addition, a garage or a block wall, it usually needs footings. A small, low deck may be the exception covered above, and your plans will show what's required. I'll look them over and tell you what fits.
How long does it take to put in concrete footings?
The pour is usually the quick part, and most of the time goes to digging, getting the holes inspected and waiting out wet weather. A hole with water or mud in it waits until it's dry, so a rainy week can push the date. I'll go over the schedule with you when I write the estimate.
What causes concrete footings to sink?
Footings usually sink because they were poured too shallow, too small for the weight, or onto soft, wet ground that kept moving. Soil that gets soaked and then dries out can shift under a footing that was never sized for it. If one under your house has already dropped, raising the foundation comes before any new work.
Do I need a builder's license to build my own addition in Alabama?
No, the state's Home Builders Licensure Law exempts homeowners building or improving their own residence for their own occupancy or use. If you run the job yourself, keep two steps in mind. Make sure it's your own home that you'll live in or use, and check that any subcontractor whose part of the job costs more than $10,000.00 holds a license.
Related concrete services for footing jobs
Foundation raising
If part of your house has already dropped because the footing under it settled, raising the foundation back to level usually comes before any new work.
Concrete cutting
When a new post or wall has to land where a patio, driveway or garage floor sits, a clean saw cut opens the spot without cracking the rest.
Service areas for concrete footings around Northport
Northport Concrete is based in Northport, Alabama, and pours footings across the area, including Tuscaloosa and McCalla. Each of these three cities has its own page, and we work in other cities around them too.
Northport, AL
Get your footings measured and priced
Booking the visit while your plans are still drawings lets me catch ground or access problems while they're cheap to change.