Hiring a Concrete Subcontractor

When you construct a concrete foundation for your small house it is very important to get it right the first time because back tracking over errors will cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars later. Additionally, during peak season, concrete subcontractors are usually very busy people so you will want to do your homework and get an idea of what you want prior to approaching a concrete subcontractor for your project.

The first thing you need to do is make sure your structural drawing clearly indicates the proper dimensions and specifications of your small house foundation. Your concrete subcontractor will also need the dimensions and specifications for the structure that will be supported by the foundation walls. This is a key factor in determining the thickness of the foundation walls. If your structure is made of wood the foundation wall will not be required to be as thick as if your structure contains stone or brick.

Next you will need to decide what type of foundation you desire for your small house.

Footings Go Down

Here the concrete footings are poured into the simple wood forms layed out on the subsoil. The wetness of the soil doesn't hinder the setting of the concrete. Actually, letting concrete dry out before it cures is a bad thing.

You will want to research the different types of foundations and determine if the one you choose is going to be appropriate for your structural type. Although there are generally building code specifications for foundations, you also want to be sure you choose a foundation type that will effectively support the load of the structure.

You also need to consider the location where your small house foundation is being placed on the building lot. This is an especially important consideration. If you omit this step it could cause you to exceed the budget you estimated with your financial provider.

For example, if the structure is being built on a slope or into a hillside, you will need to increase the amount of steel reinforcement rods inside the concrete to prevent continuous cracking during the future life of the foundation. This means an additional expense that you must calculate into the project budget. Your concrete subcontractor will need this information when quoting you a price for the project.

If the small house is on a steep sloping hillside it may be necessary to employ a concrete pump truck in addition to the regular concrete delivery trucks. A concrete pump truck has the capability of pumping the concrete to a location that a regular concrete truck cannot access and will unexpectedly cost you a few extra thousand dollars. You will want to discuss this possibility with the concrete subcontractor when obtaining a price quote for the project.

When choosing a concrete subcontractor it is a good idea to get price quotes from several and then do a comparison. The price quote should include costs for materials such as the footer frames, sill plates, use of the forms, reinforcing rods, amount of concrete in pounds per square inch, delivery of materials, and labor for installing the footers and walls as well as pouring the concrete.

You may also want to factor in any miscellaneous labor or material that may be required for the foundation. Your small house foundation budget should allow some breathing room for any unexpected obstacles that may occur as they often do during any building project.

More Footing Pictures

The perimeter footings are poured out despite the muddy conditions.
The two small circles of concrete in the middle will be the pads onto
which the steel supporting posts will go.