Deck posts sinking, or a new deck on the way? We dig past frost and pour footings sized for what they'll carry.
Concrete footings are the concrete bases set below ground that carry the weight of a deck, porch or other structure, and most decks and porches in Post Falls, ID need them. Post Falls Concrete digs and pours them, usually as the first step before anything gets framed.
Most calls start with a deck. You're building one, or the posts on the old one have started to lean and sink because they were never set deep enough. Once the deck's built, nobody sees the footings again, which is exactly why I care about them most. The first thing I ask is what they'll hold up and whether they tie into the house, since that changes how we dig.
Price and timing come down to the same few things: what the footings hold up, how hard the spot is to dig and what the weather's doing. If the deck needs a permit, that's a step before we dig too. I'll go over all of it on the visit, and the estimate gives you the figure for your own job.
Call (208) 981-9070 or use the form, and we'll set a time for me to come see the spot. I look at every job myself, so you're talking with the person who'll be there for the pour.
I walk the yard with you, ask how you'll use what goes on the footings and what's underneath the spot, and measure it out. The estimate tells you how many footings, how deep they go and what the job will cost.
Once you're ready, we check with the building office for your address about permits. Then we pick a pour day around the weather and the ground.
I'm on site with our crew from the dig through the finish and cleanup. Post Falls inspections don't come with a set morning or afternoon slot, so the holes are ready that morning, and the pour time can be left with the city so inspectors try to work within it.
Every hole gets dug to the depth your job calls for and as wide as the load needs, then cleaned out at the bottom so the concrete isn't sitting on loose dirt that fell back in. We set forms or tubes where the footing rises above ground, so the top comes out square and at the right height for your posts.
Where the job needs it, we add rebar, the steel bar that holds concrete together if it cracks, and we set the post anchors while the concrete's wet so they line up with your framing plan. Then it cures, the wait while concrete gains strength, before anybody builds on it, because loading it early is how a good pour gets cracked.
What our footing work covers:
If one or two posts have sunk on a deck that's otherwise sound, we can usually shore up that corner, dig out the bad footings and pour new ones without pulling the deck apart. When most of them are shallow or crumbling, I'd replace the whole set, because chasing them one at a time costs more over a few years. If it's the house itself that's settling, that's a foundation raising job instead.
Cost follows what the footings carry, since a bigger deck or a roof over it means bigger, deeper footings. Holes we have to dig by hand behind a fence take longer than ones a machine can reach, and an old patio in the way means concrete cutting before we dig. Depth is the one place I won't trim, because a shallow footing saves a little now and costs you a deck later.
I started Post Falls Concrete in 2020, and what we're known for is explaining a job before we pour it. I'll tell you why a footing goes where it goes and how deep, and I'm glad to give you the questions worth asking any contractor, us included.
Footing work puts holes in your yard, so we keep the dig neat, cover open holes when we leave for the day and haul off what we dig out. When something isn't settled yet, I'll tell you I need to check on it instead of guessing. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Call (208) 981-9070 with your deck's size, its height and whether it ties into the house, so we can talk depth on the first call.
Tell us what the footings will hold up and whether it attaches to the house. We reply within one business day to set up my visit, with a free estimate and no obligation.
Footings in Post Falls go at least 24 inches below grade, because that's the frost depth the city sets and every footing has to meet it. Kootenai County's building guide lists the same 24 inches. We dig every hole to at least that, and deeper when what it carries calls for it.
Yes, a deck that isn't attached to any other structure can use footings as shallow as 12 inches below grade, but it can't sit on pier blocks. It still needs one of the footing types in the city's deck guide, so less digging doesn't mean skipping the footing. That's why I always ask whether your deck ties into the house.
A home deck in Post Falls needs a building permit if it's over 200 square feet or attaches to any structure, and those permits come from the city's Building Division. It also needs one when any part of the walking surface sits more than 30 inches above the ground, or when the deck is the house's main way out. We check with the building office for your address before we schedule and handle the applications for our part of the work when the office says one is needed.
They can, but only into a hole that's free of frost, because frozen ground expands and whatever sits on it settles as the ground thaws. A Michigan concrete trade group's cold-weather guide also says to cover fresh concrete right away with insulated blankets, straw or a heated enclosure to keep it at 50°F or above for at least 3 days. We'd rather wait than pour into a hole with frost in it.
Yes, Idaho's contractor registration law exempts an owner doing construction on their own home property, with limits if you're building to sell it soon after. The law also exempts casual, minor work under $2,000 total for labor and materials, unless it's part of a larger construction project. If you'd rather hire it out, Idaho contractor registration goes through the Idaho Contractors Board, and we're licensed and insured.
Footings are priced job by job, after I've seen the spot, because the count, the size and how hard each hole is to dig change from yard to yard. The estimate gives you the figure for your job and what it covers. Call (208) 981-9070 to set up a visit.
We're based in Post Falls and pour footings in cities on both sides of the state line, like Coeur d'Alene and Spokane Valley. Pick your area, or call if yours isn't listed.
