DIY Footing for Ground-Level Deck

Check with your local building department to obtain any necessary permits and to see if there are specific requirements -- before you begin your deck project. These requirements may include the minimum depth and diameter and the minimum height above the ground for footings.

Measure and mark the location for each footing with landscaping spray paint. Use a post hole digger and dig each hole 6 inches deeper and slightly wider than the code requirements. Measure the cardboard tube forms to the correct length and cut them to size with a handsaw.

Pour 6 inches of gravel into each hole and use a scrap piece of 2-by-4-inch lumber to compact the gravel. Place the cardboard tube forms into the holes. Rest a carpenter's level across the top of each tube to check for level.

Mix the quick-setting concrete mix in a wheelbarrow according to the instructions on the bag. Shovel the mix into the form until it is half full. Use a short piece of rebar and poke it into the mix to help consolidate the concrete and eliminate any air pockets.

Fill the top half of the form until it is slightly over filled. Use a trowel to pack the concrete and smooth the surface. Repeat the process for the remaining forms.

Hammer a stake at each end of a row of footings and tie a taught string between the two stakes so that it runs above the center of each concrete-filled tube. Insert a 1/2-inch concrete anchor bolt into the center of the concrete. Use the string as a guide to align the bolts. Each bolt must stick out of the concrete 1 1/2 inches. Allow the concrete footings to cure for 48 hours.

Place an adjustable post base connector over each anchor bolt. Use the string as a guide and align the connectors. Thread and tighten a nut onto the bolts with a wrench to lock the connectors in place. This type of connector accommodates a short post or two 2-by-6-inch boards doubled up to make a support beam.