Concrete footings in Peoria IL - a steady base for whatever you build on top
Building a deck, garage or addition that needs to stay put? We dig, form and pour the footings that carry it down to steady ground.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do I need concrete footings for my deck, garage or addition?
Concrete footings are the buried concrete that carries the weight of a deck, porch, garage or addition down into the ground, and in Peoria we dig, form and pour them so what you build on top has a steady base. Most of the calendar time on a footing job goes to waiting on the city's inspection and letting the concrete cure, not to the digging.
Usually you've got plans for something, a new deck, a three-season room or a detached garage, and somebody told you it needs footings before anything else can happen. The price moves with how many footings you need and how long the runs are, how deep we have to dig, and what the site throws at us, like a tight backyard, a slope or an old slab in the way. The schedule turns mostly on the city's sign-off and the weather, and when I come out I'll give you a figure for your job and walk you through the order things happen in. We're based in Peoria and work across the cities around it, out toward Bloomington and Normal, so if yours isn't on our list, call and ask.
How do you know your project needs new footings?
Deck posts sitting on blocks
If your deck or porch posts are resting on concrete blocks or bare dirt, there's usually no real footing under them at all. Frost can nudge those posts around every winter, and the longer it goes, the more the frame racks and the railings loosen.
One corner sitting lower
A deck, stoop or porch roof that's tipped toward one corner usually means a footing was too shallow or landed on loose fill and settled. Waiting lets the boards, posts and anything bolted to the house take the strain, which can turn a footing fix into a rebuild.
Plans for something new
A garage, an addition or a covered deck starts with footings, and the type and depth get decided before anything else. Getting us out early beats finding out at the inspection that the holes need to go deeper.
What our concrete footings work includes
We lay out every footing from your plans with stakes and string, then dig down to the depth the city sets, which is the part I won't let anybody hurry. We clean the bottom of each hole down to firm, undisturbed soil, because a footing sitting on loose dirt that fell back in will settle right along with that dirt, and we look at where your yard and downspouts drain so water isn't pooling around the new concrete. Then we set the forms and the rebar, the steel bars inside that help the concrete hold together when the ground pushes on it. Where the city wants an inspection before the pour, we build room for it into the schedule and settle who's booking it at the first visit, so nobody has a concrete truck idling at the curb. Once it passes, we pour, early in the day when it's hot so the top doesn't cure weak, let it cure, meaning sit and gain strength before anything heavy goes on it, then backfill and clean up. If a footing budget gets trimmed anywhere, it's usually the digging and the bottom prep, since nobody sees them once they're buried, and that's exactly where I'd rather you spend your money.
Pad footings for posts
A pad is a separate block of concrete under a single post or column, so it suits decks, porches, pergolas and carports. Each post gets its own footing placed for what it carries.
Thickened-slab footings
Here the footing is poured as part of the floor slab, thicker at the edges, all in the same pour. It suits garages, sheds and slab-floor additions, and it's how a lot of our slab foundation building jobs come together.
Continuous wall footings
A continuous footing runs in one line under a wall and spreads the load along its whole length. It's what most room additions and garages with block or poured walls sit on.
Get a price on your footings, measured on site
We reply within one business day of your call or message. Then I come out myself to walk the site, measure and give you a free estimate, with no obligation and no pressure to book.
(309) 306-3513What changes concrete footings work in Peoria
Peoria's permits come from the Development Center at City Hall, and its permit list names adding or moving a deck but doesn't name footings, so whether your footing job needs a permit is a question for the city, not one I'll answer with a guess. The inspection is settled, though. The city wants a building inspection before any concrete goes into footings, post footings or garage footings, so the pour date waits on the inspector, and that's why our schedule leaves room for that visit instead of booking the truck first.
The city's design rules also assume how much weight the soil can carry unless the soil gets tested, so when a site looks like filled ground or stays soggy, I'll bring up a test before you commit to a plan. Beyond that, we see plenty of older decks and porches sitting on blocks and backyard additions on tight lots, the same kind of work we do in East Peoria and Morton.
What happens after you call about footings in Peoria?
Call or send the form
Call (309) 306-3513 or send the form and tell us what you're building and roughly how big. We'll set a time for me to come out.
I walk and measure the site
I come out myself, measure, ask a lot of questions and go over what goes underground before anything goes on top. You get a price, the footing type we'd use and a straight answer on who books the inspection, so you know the number before anything gets dug.
We line up the city and calendar
Once you're ready, we look into what your city or village wants and put the job on the calendar with room for the inspection. In Peoria, nothing gets poured until the inspector has seen the holes.
We dig, pour and clean up
I work alongside our crew from the first shovel to the last sweep, and the concrete gets its time to cure before we backfill around it. We haul off the extra dirt and leave the site ready for whoever's framing next.
Frequently asked questions
How deep do footings need to be in Peoria, IL?
Peoria's design rules set a minimum footing depth of 36 inches, which is the city's frost line. Every footing plan in the city starts from that depth, so we dig at least that far before any forms or concrete go in, because a footing above the frost can get pushed up when the ground freezes.
How do I schedule a footing inspection in Peoria?
You book it by calling the city at 309-494-8600 before any work begins, and the inspection has to happen before concrete goes into footings, post footings or garage footings. A homeowner working on their own house can make the call, or a hired contractor can call for the owner. We settle which of us is calling at the first visit.
How much do concrete footings cost in Peoria?
Concrete footings across the US usually cost about $5 to $18 per linear foot, measured along the length of the footing. Where your job lands in that range comes down to how much footing there is, how deep it goes and what the site's like. I'll measure yours and give you a figure for your job before anything gets dug.
Can I pour footings for my own house in Peoria?
Yes, if you live in the house as your primary residence, the city lets you do the building work without a licensed contractor. The city also recommends a licensed professional if you're unsure of your abilities, and the inspection before the pour still applies. If you'd rather hand it off, or just want someone to look over your plan, give us a call.
What causes deck footings to heave or sink?
Most of the time it's a footing that's too shallow, so freezing ground lifts it, or one sitting on loose dirt that settles under the weight. Water makes both worse, which is why we check where your yard drains before we dig. If an old footing has already moved, have someone look at it before you build anything new on it.
Can footings be shallower than the frost line if you use insulation?
A national builders' guide describes a method called a frost protected shallow foundation, where insulation warms the soil and raises how deep the ground freezes around the building, so footings can sit shallower. The guide calls it most suitable for homes on a ground-level slab on sites with moderate to low slopes, and for remodels, since it disturbs less of the yard. The guide also says foam insulation below ground needs termite protection, Peoria's design rules rate termite exposure here as moderate to heavy, and you'll want to ask the city whether it accepts this method before planning on it.
Peoria, IL
Tell us what your footings will carry
If you have the project type and its rough size handy when you call or fill out the form, I can usually tell you on that first call what kind of footings you're looking at.