How to Pour a Footing for Concrete Wall

Spray paint the outline of the inner and outer edges of the footing onto the ground. The space between the lines should be at least the width of two of the concrete blocks for the wall.

Dig a trench between the two lines, going deep enough to go beneath the frost line. If the footing is shallow, you can dig it with a shovel, but if you have to dig several feet to get beneath the frost line, you may want to dig the trench with a 1-1/2-ton excavator.

Build a form inside the trench for the footing by driving wooden stakes into the ground inside the trench's walls and nailing 2-by-4 boards to them.

Dig a drainage trench between 8 and 12 inches wide along the outside edge of the footer trench that slopes 1 inch every 20 feet.

Fill the drainage trench with 2 inches of gravel and tamp it down.

Place drain tile into the drainage trench and cover it with 10 to 12 inches of gravel. Drain tile is perforated pipe used for drainage.

Check the top of the form for level by laying a carpenter's level across the top of the form. If one of the sides is slightly higher than the other, tap it down with a hammer. Check for level every few feet.

Fill the form with concrete. For a pour this size, you'll want to hire a contractor. If you cannot complete the footing at one time, divide the footing into different sections with plywood.

Screed the form by dragging a 2-by-4 board across the top.

Remove the form from around the footing after the concrete has cured for at least five days.

Fill the area around the footing with dirt.