Concrete footings in Quincy MA - a solid base sized for what you're building
Planning an addition, garage or deck, or seeing posts sink? We dig, form and pour footings sized for what goes on top.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Expect a reply within 1 business day.
What goes into a concrete footing job in Quincy?
Concrete footings are the wide concrete base, dug into the ground and built with forms and steel, that spreads the weight of an addition, garage, deck or wall so it stays put, and in Quincy we lay them out, dig, form, reinforce and pour them, usually before any framing starts.
Most people call me when they have plans for an addition, a garage, a deck or a new foundation, and the builder needs the concrete in before anything else can start. The price mostly comes down to how wide and deep the footings are, how much digging it takes to reach good ground and what that ground turns out to be, while the schedule turns on the weather, the permit and when your builder needs to start. Your written estimate spells out what's included, so you can see which of those is driving your number.
How do you know you need new or bigger footings?
Deck posts sinking or leaning
Posts set on a loose block or straight into the dirt usually drift because nothing under them spreads the weight over enough ground. The longer you wait, the more the frame racks, which loosens railings and connections and turns a footing job into a deck repair too.
An addition or garage on paper
If you have plans for an addition, a garage or a big shed, the footings go in first, and the plans should say what kind and how big. Getting a footing estimate early keeps your builder's start date from waiting on the concrete.
Cracks over a sinking wall
A stair-step crack in a foundation wall or a door that sticks over one corner usually means the footing under that spot has settled. Those cracks tend to widen as the wall keeps moving, so it's worth having someone look before the damage spreads upstairs.
How we build concrete footings
I start by asking what the footings will carry, whether that's a deck, a garage wall or a two-story addition, because the load decides how wide and deep they need to be and where they go. Then our crew lays out the lines, digs down to firm subgrade, the undisturbed soil the footing sits on, and clears out loose dirt, roots and any standing water, because footings disappear once the building goes up and nobody gets a second look at what's under them. We set the forms and the rebar, the steel bars that hold the concrete together when the ground pushes back, then pour and let it cure, the wait while the concrete gains strength before anything gets built on it. If you're trimming a budget, this is the last place I'd cut, since a nice wall on a footing that settles is still a wall that cracks.
Sometimes the trouble is an old footing that has already sunk, and foundation raising can be a better fix than tearing out and starting over. When a new footing has to go through existing concrete, like a post inside a garage or an addition tying into the house, we handle the concrete cutting so the opening is clean and sized right.
Continuous strip footings
A strip footing runs in one long band under a wall, so it suits additions, garages and foundation walls where the weight comes down along the whole length. Trench footings and thickened slab edges work on the same idea, and your plans usually say which one they call for.
Pad and pier footings
Separate pads or piers sit under single posts or columns, so they suit decks, porches and beams where the weight comes down at points. Each one is sized for what its post carries, which is why I ask about the whole structure and not just the footprint.
Get a written price for your footings
Send the address, what the footings will carry and your timing, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your place. You get it in writing, with no obligation.
(617) 691-5008- Based in
- Quincy, MA 02169
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens after you call about footings in Quincy?
Here's how a footing job runs from your first call to the walk-through, and what you'll have in hand before you agree to anything.
Call and set a visit
Call or send the form, and we'll set a time for me to come out, look at the site, measure and talk through what's going on top. Have your plans or a rough sketch handy if you've got them.
Get your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, from the digging to the concrete. That way you can see what's moving the price before anything gets dug.
Dig, pour and walk through
We pick a pour date with the forecast in mind, then dig, form and pour. When it's done, I walk you through how to care for the new concrete while it cures.
Why Quincy homeowners call Cornerstone Quincy Concrete for footings
I estimate it, I run it
We're based in Quincy, and I'm the one who comes out to look at your job and write the estimate, then I run the work with our crew of finishers and laborers. The person who heard what your footings need to carry is the same one checking the trench before it's poured.
Pouring concrete since 2017
I came to concrete after years in another line of work, learned it on a finishing crew under people who'd done it their whole lives, and started this business in 2017. That crew taught me to care most about the parts nobody sees once the job's done, and footings are all that.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're fully licensed and insured. It's the first thing to ask any contractor before they dig on your property.
Have the project address, what the footings will hold and when you hope to build, then send us the details or call (617) 691-5008, and I'll come take a look.
Footing permits, foundations and soil around Quincy
When a footing job needs a building permit, we pull it ourselves and check with Quincy's building official before we set a pour date. That's how the state's home improvement rules expect it to work, because a homeowner who applies for the permit may lose compensation from the state's Guaranty Fund if the job goes wrong. The state's guidance on construction supervisor licenses also says to check with the local building official for any extra licensing rules, so we cover that in the same call.
Soil is the other site check that shapes the footing and the quote. State soil maps rate how likely the ground is to weaken concrete, mostly by its sulfate and sodium, texture, moisture and acidity, but a map doesn't replace looking at your actual site, and where the risk is severe the footing may need special testing and design. We open the trench and look at what's down there before anything gets formed, and we're based in Quincy and work across the cities around it, so we see the same mix of ground on jobs in Braintree and Weymouth.
Questions about concrete footings in Quincy
How much do concrete footings cost in Quincy, MA?
Across the US, installed concrete footings usually cost about $4 to $20 per linear foot, counting the concrete, the labor and the digging. That's a national market figure, not our price, and a wider, deeper footing on weak soil can cost several times what a shallow one does. For a Quincy number, I'll come out, measure and put yours in writing.
Can you pour concrete footings in cold weather?
Yes, but only with protection, because concrete that freezes before it gains strength ends up weak. The residential concrete standard says that when temperatures of 35°F or less are expected, the concrete has to be kept from freezing until it reaches a set strength, and the ground, forms and rebar it touches have to be clear of ice, snow and frost. If your job lands in a cold spell, ask any crew exactly how they'll do both.
Who has to oversee footing work on a house in Massachusetts?
On a one- or two-family home, a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional, such as an engineer or architect, has to oversee the construction, though the state code has an exemption for some homeowners. A contractor working on an existing, owner-occupied home of one to four units also has to be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor, but that rule doesn't cover new construction or investment, vacation and second homes.
Do I need a written contract for a concrete footing job?
Under the state's home improvement rules, a contract over $1,000 has to be in writing, so a footing job on your home above that amount comes with a contract to sign. Like the registration rule, it covers existing, owner-occupied homes, so a landlord or someone building new should read it with that in mind.
What causes concrete footings to settle or fail?
Most footings that settle were poured on soft, wet or dirty ground, or were too small for what they carry. The residential concrete standard calls for the area to be clear of debris and contaminants and for confined footing areas to be free of water before the pour. If an old footing is already sinking, that's often a raising job rather than a new pour, and I can tell you which fits once I see it.
How do I get an estimate for concrete footings in Quincy?
Call (617) 691-5008 or send the form with the project address, what the footings will support and your planned timing. With that, I can come out knowing what to look for and write you a number that matches the job.
Footing work often comes with these jobs
Foundation raising
When an older house shows cracked walls or sticking doors over a corner that's dropped, raising the foundation can bring it back up without pouring all new footings.
Concrete cutting
Need a drain line, a doorway or a new support set into an existing slab? We saw clean, square openings so the new work sits right.
Cities we pour footings in around Quincy
Cornerstone Quincy Concrete is based in Quincy, MA, and we pour footings across the cities around it, from Milton to Randolph. These 12 cities have their own pages, and we work in others nearby too.
Quincy, MA
Get your footings measured and priced
Booking a visit before your builder sets a start date gives us time to check the ground and line up the pour so the framing isn't left waiting on concrete.