Planning an addition, porch or deck on Boston ground you're not sure about? We test the soil, then pour footings sized for it.
Concrete footings are the wider concrete base under a wall, pier or column that spreads its weight into the soil, and at Heartland Boston Concrete Company we build them for homes and small properties in Boston and the cities around it.
Most people who call us are planning an addition, a porch or a deck, or they've got an old wall or post that's started sinking and they want to know what's under it. The price mostly comes down to the ground, because weaker soil needs wider footings, and a wider, deeper footing takes more concrete, digging and labor than a shallow one. The schedule usually depends on the permit and the weather, since a pour close to freezing has to be covered and protected while it cures, which is the wait while new concrete hardens. I'll come out, look at the site and give you your own number.
I come out to see the job and give you the estimate myself, and our own crew does the work with me running it. The person who walked the ground with you and explained the plan is the same one there when we dig and pour.
We've been in business since 2017, and I learned the trade beside older finishers who cared more about the prep than the finish. We still work that way on footings, because what's under the concrete decides how well it holds up years from now.
We're licensed and insured. Before we start, I'll go over what your footings need and why, so you know what you're paying for, and I'd rather explain it twice than leave you wondering. Call (857) 770-0722 or use the form on this page to set up a visit.
Send us the property address, the type of home and a plot plan if you have one, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a time. I'll come out, look at the site and give you a free estimate on site, with no pressure to book.
When footings are part of building, changing or repairing a foundation, the City of Boston issues the permit. You can start the city's foundation permit application online, but you'll still need to come into the office. The paperwork includes proof that you're working with a licensed rodent control exterminator and an approval from the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, so it's worth getting started early. If it's not clear whether your job falls under it, that's something we ask the city, because before work starts we check with the city about the permits your job may need and help you get the paperwork in order.
The ground here is usually the bigger surprise. Much of the soil near the surface around Boston is fill left over from building up the land, and when we dig it's common to turn up rubble, old wood, sand and gravel instead of firm soil, which is why the soil test matters so much on a Boston job. Parts of the city also sit in a Groundwater Conservation Overlay District, a zoning district that protects buildings standing on wood piles from damage when groundwater levels drop, so if your house is in one of those sections we raise it when we check with the city. We see a lot of the same older houses and filled lots in Cambridge and Somerville too.
Installed concrete footings across the US usually cost about $4 to $20 per linear foot. The price comes from the concrete, the labor and the digging, and a wider, deeper footing on weak soil can cost several times as much as a shallow one. Your own number depends on what the ground and the load call for, which is what I look at when I come out.
Ask the local building officials, because one footing tube maker's guide says to dig deep enough that frost can't get under the footing and notes that local building officials can tell you the frost depth. A footing that frost can reach can lift and move over the winters. We plan the dig around that depth and around what the soil shows.
One footing tube maker's guide says to keep new concrete damp or covered with plastic for at least three days and to protect it from freezing for at least 48 hours. That matters most here in late fall and winter, when a pour close to freezing needs a plan for covering it. Cold weather is one of the main things that can move your schedule.
Usually it's the ground under it, not the concrete itself. A footing that's too narrow for weak soil, sits on loose fill or isn't deep enough to keep frost out can settle or crack over time. The same footing tube maker's guide says the bottom of each hole should rest on undisturbed soil strong enough to carry the load.
Sometimes, if it's a 1- or 2-family home that you own and live in. In Boston, those owners can apply for a Long-Form Permit to do the work themselves, while an owner of a unit in a building with 3 or more homes has to hire a licensed contractor. The state requires a licensed construction supervisor or a registered design professional to oversee construction on 1- and 2-family homes, with an exemption for homeowners. The permit also asks for design plans stamped by a Massachusetts registered engineer or architect and a certified plot plan, and if you don't have one you'll need a land surveyor.
