Concrete footings in Mobile, AL - solid support sized for the load and your soil
Planning an addition, deck or carport and need it to stay put? We size and pour footings that carry the weight down to firm ground.
What do concrete footings involve, and what sets the price?
Concrete footings are the buried concrete supports that carry the weight of a building, a wall or a post down into the soil, and at Quickset Mobile Concrete Company we dig, form and pour them for homes and small businesses in Mobile, AL.
A pad footing is one block of concrete under a single post or column, like the ones under a porch beam or a carport. A continuous footing runs in a strip under a wall. Continuous footings cost more to put in than pads, and a wider, bigger footing costs more than a smaller one, so the type and size your job needs set much of the price.
Price also moves with depth and with the ground, and the schedule mostly turns on the permit, the weather on pour day and how easily the site digs. If an old slab sits where the footings go, we cut it out first. Alabama's home builder law covers anyone paid to build, repair or improve a home on a job over $10,000, so ask any contractor bidding yours about their license. Your written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't.
What goes into a solid concrete footing
Footings end up buried, so nobody sees them once the walls go up, and that's exactly why they're the last place I'd cut corners to save money.
Digging to firm ground
We dig the trench down to firm, packed soil, not loose fill, because a footing sitting on soft dirt settles right along with it.
Where the water goes
Before we dig, I look at where roof and yard water runs, because water that sits around a footing softens the ground holding it up.
Steel in the concrete
We set rebar, steel bars tied inside the forms, so the footing holds together and keeps carrying the weight even if the ground under it shifts a little.
Curing before weight
Curing is the time fresh concrete needs, kept damp and protected, to reach its strength, so we don't let anyone build on it until it's ready.
Footing questions from Mobile homeowners
How much do concrete footings cost in Mobile, AL?
Across the US, concrete footings usually cost about $5 to $18 per linear foot, and that's the general market range, not our price. Where a job lands in that range depends on its size, depth and site, along with the footing type and width. Your written estimate shows the figure for your job.
Why does soil change the cost of concrete footings?
Weak soil needs wider footings to carry the same load, and wider footings cost more. A soil test before work begins helps show how much to make up for weak ground, so testing early helps you set a realistic budget. When I come out, I'll ask whether your ground has been tested, and if you have a report, I'll want to see it.
Is summer a good time to pour footings in Mobile?
It can be, but summer is when hot-weather trouble with concrete usually shows up, so a summer pour takes more planning. Concrete industry guidance says sun and wind on pour day matter along with the heat, and a sunny, windy day calls for stricter precautions than a calm, humid one. We plan the pour, and how we protect the fresh concrete, around the forecast.
Who issues permits for concrete footings in Mobile?
Both the City of Mobile and Mobile County issue permits, so the right office depends on your address, and we check with the one that covers yours. The city's Permitting Department handles city permits, and its Inspections Department does the building inspections. Mobile County requires permits for almost any work, and its list of exceptions names jobs like painting and cabinets, not footings. We handle the permit paperwork when the job needs one.
How do I find out if my Mobile property is in a flood zone?
You can look up your property's flood designation on the city's FEMA flood map, and it's worth doing before you plan footings because flood risk varies across Mobile and the building standards differ by area. In a flood hazard area, the city requires older buildings that predate the flood maps to be raised once repair costs reach a set share of their value, whatever caused the damage and whether or not there was flood insurance. If that could apply to you, ask the Permitting Department for its current flood packet.
What causes concrete footings to crack or sink?
Most footing trouble starts underneath, with a footing poured on loose fill, sized too small for its load or left sitting in water. Rushed curing and missing steel make it worse. If a building you already own has settled, that's usually a job for foundation raising rather than new footings, and I can look at both.
Why Mobile homeowners call Quickset Mobile Concrete Company for footings
I started this business in Mobile in 2013 and kept the standards an old-school boss taught me, and I added the part he skipped, explaining why, so you can judge any bid, ours included.
I write your estimate
I come out to look at the job and write the estimate myself, then run it on site with our crew.
Fully licensed and insured
We're fully licensed and insured, and I'm happy to show you the paperwork when I come out.
Forms checked before concrete
We check that the forms sit square and at the right depth before the pour, because a buried mistake stays there.
The why behind the price
I explain why a bigger footing costs more before you ever see the number on paper.
Mobile and the cities nearby
We work across Mobile County, over the bay in Baldwin County and into Mississippi, so if your city isn't listed, call (251) 219-6382.
Talk to us about your footings
Call before your plans are final, since footing size and price are easier to settle while the drawings can still change.
What happens after you call about footings in Mobile?
I plan each footing job around what you're building and when, so the permit, the dig and the pour line up with the rest of your project.
You get in touch
Call (251) 219-6382 or use the form, and I'll get back to you. I return calls myself, so you're talking to the person who'll run your job.
I look at the site
I come out, look at where the footings go and what they'll carry, and walk you through what the job needs and why.
Written estimate and permit
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included and what isn't, and we sort out the permit side before any work starts.
The pour and handover
I run the job on site with our crew, and when we're done I show you how to take care of the new concrete.