Preparation for Concrete Foundation Footing

Mark the perimeters of the foundation on the ground using lawn flags and a laser level to keep the line of flags straight along each side.

Consult with a local building inspector to find out the building codes for your area regarding the necessary footer depth. Depths change by region, as they must extend beneath the frost line.

Excavate the foundation footing using a spade to dig a trench along the perimeter of the foundation 30 inches in width and to the depth required by the local building codes. Compress the soil at the base of the trench using a tamper to create a hard surface capable of supporting the weight of the concrete footing.

Build the forms for your foundation footing, lining the sides of the footing excavation with wooden planks and using double-headed nails to hold the joints of the form together. Make certain that you level the boards, checking them with a carpenter’s level along the board length. Add additional footing excavations, if needed, for the foundation below areas that need extra support, such as chimneys.

Dig any pipe trenches through the foundation area for the placement of underground pipes. Lay the pipes down into the trenches and then cover the trenches with a layer of gravel. Compact the gravel with a vibratory plate compactor to the level of the foundation surface.

Place two parallel 1/2-inch reinforcing rebar down the length of the footing. Raise the rebar by placing them onto 1 1/2 wooden support blocks, tied to the bottom of each bar every 12 inches with a metal tie.

Construct the foundation form over the footings using the same process used to build the footing forms, keeping the edge of the foundation centered over the footing so that the footing extends outward from the foundation as well as beneath the foundation.