Concrete Foundations & Footers in Statesboro, Swainsboro & Metter, GA

Everything else sits on this

A foundation is the one part of a building you cannot easily go back and fix. Walls, framing, roof and finishes all depend on footers that are the right width and depth, sitting on undisturbed or properly compacted soil, with steel placed where the plans call for it. We work with homeowners, builders and building suppliers to pour foundations that pass inspection and stay put.

Foundation and footer work we do

• Monolithic slab foundations, where the footing and floor are poured together, common for homes, garages and shops in this area.
• Continuous footers for block or brick stem walls, crawl space homes and additions.
• Stem wall and raised slab foundations for lots that need the floor lifted above grade.
• Pier and column footings for porches, decks, carports, pole buildings and steel columns.
• Home addition foundations tied into the existing structure.
• Garage, shop and barn foundations with thickened edges and anchor bolts.
• Mobile and manufactured home footers and pads.
• Retaining wall and fence footers.

Need a plain floor or equipment pad instead? That is covered under slabs and pads.

How footers are done right

Layout

We lay out from the plans or the building dimensions, square the corners and set grade so the finished floor ends up where it is supposed to, above the surrounding ground so water drains away.

Digging to solid ground

Footers bear on undisturbed soil or engineered, compacted fill, never on loose topsoil or backfill. Frost is not much of a concern in South Georgia, but building codes still require footings to extend below grade, generally at least 12 inches, and soft or wet spots have to be dug out until firm ground is reached.

Steel

Continuous rebar runs through the footer, lapped and tied at splices and corners and held off the dirt on supports. Vertical dowels, anchor bolts and hold-downs are placed to match the plans before or during the pour.

Pour and inspection

Where a permit applies, the footing is typically inspected before concrete is placed. We schedule around that inspection, then pour, consolidate and level the concrete so the wall or slab above starts on a true surface.

Soil and water in the Coastal Plain

Much of the ground around Statesboro, Swainsboro and Metter is loamy sand over a clay subsoil, with low areas that stay wet after heavy rain. Sand compacts well when it is done properly, but a house pad that was pushed up with a dozer and never compacted in lifts will settle under a foundation. If your site has fresh fill, a high water table or a known soft area, tell us up front. Sometimes the answer is deeper or wider footings, more base, or a compaction test before the pour, and it is far cheaper to deal with that now than after the walls crack.

Working with builders, owner-builders and kit buildings

We pour for general contractors, for owners acting as their own builder, and for customers putting up metal buildings, barndominiums and pole barns. Send us the plans or the supplier's foundation drawing and we will price it from that. We serve Statesboro, Swainsboro, Metter and the surrounding parts of Bulloch, Emanuel and Candler counties.

Types of foundations we pour in Southeast Georgia

Monolithic slab. The floor and the perimeter footing are poured together in one piece. It is the most common and most economical foundation for homes, garages, barndominiums and metal buildings on our flat Coastal Plain lots.

Stem wall with slab. A footer is poured in a trench, block or poured walls come up to floor height, the inside is filled and compacted, and a slab is poured on top. It works well on sloped lots and where the floor needs to sit higher above grade.

Crawl space footers. Continuous perimeter footers plus interior pier pads for homes built on block piers or curtain walls, still common for traditional houses in Bulloch, Emanuel and Candler County.

Pier and post footings. Individual pads for decks, porches, pole barns, carports and mobile home piers.

Addition footers. New footers tied to an existing house foundation for a bedroom, sunroom or garage addition.

Footer dimensions and reinforcement basics

Georgia does not have a deep frost line, so footers here are sized for load and soil rather than freeze depth. Under the residential code, footings bear on undisturbed soil at least 12 inches below grade. A typical one story house footer is around 16 to 20 inches wide and 8 to 12 inches thick with two continuous runs of number 4 rebar; two story homes and heavier buildings go wider.

These are general figures. The actual size comes from your house plans, your engineer or the building department, and we pour to those drawings. Anchor bolts, hold-downs, plumbing sleeves and stepped footers on slopes are all set before the truck arrives.

Permits and inspections

Structural concrete is inspected for a reason: once it is poured, mistakes are buried. In most of our area, a footing inspection is required after the trenches are dug and steel is set but before concrete is placed, and a slab inspection is required after plumbing, vapor barrier and reinforcement are in.

The permit is normally pulled by the builder or owner-builder through the city or county building office. We schedule the pour around the inspection and do not place concrete until it has passed.

Our process for a foundation pour

1. Review the plans and stake the building corners.
2. Clear, grade and compact the building pad, bringing in fill where the plans call for it.
3. Dig footers to plan depth and width on undisturbed soil.
4. Set forms, vapor barrier, rebar, anchor bolts and sleeves.
5. Hold for inspection.
6. Pour, screed, float and finish the slab or footers.
7. Cure, strip forms and backfill so the framers have a clean start.

Frequently asked questions