Foundations, the part you can never change.

The foundation carries every load into the ground and ties the house to it. Everything buried must be right before the concrete truck arrives.

In short

Once concrete is poured, a mistake means a jackhammer.
The inspector looks at the steel before the pour. That is the moment that counts.
Floor choices affect the slab: tile, radiant heat and wood each ask for something different.

Anchor boltCast into the concrete to tie the wall to the foundation. It cannot be moved later.
SlabThe concrete floor, with steel inside it.
Vapor barrierPlastic sheet over gravel that keeps ground moisture out of the floor.
RebarSteel bars in the footing, placed and inspected before the pour.
FootingThe wide base that spreads the house’s weight into the soil.
Undisturbed soilFootings bear on firm, original ground, never loose fill.

A half section through a footing, stem wall and slab: rebar in the footing, an anchor bolt cast into the stem wall, a vapor barrier and gravel under the slab.

What you will see

In the order it happens.

NoiseHigh
MessHeavy
Your sayMedium

Step 1
Trenches are dug and forms built. The shape of the house appears at ground level for the first time.
Step 2
Rebar cages and anchor bolts go in, along with plumbing and conduit that will be buried.
Step 3
The building inspector reviews it all, then the concrete is poured, often with a pump truck.
Step 4
The concrete cures. Framing starts after it has gained enough strength, not the next morning.

How it is done well

The techniques that matter.

Steel is placed to the engineer’s drawing and inspected before concrete, never after.
Anchor bolts and hold-downs are set exactly where the structural plan says. Late fixes are costly.
A vapor barrier and gravel base sit under the slab to keep ground moisture out of the floor.
Concrete is vibrated to settle it, finished, and kept moist as it cures. Strength is rated at 28 days.

The hardest parts

Where this trade earns its fee.

Burying everything correctly: under-slab plumbing, electrical conduit and radiant tubing.
Getting a slab flat enough for large tile or wide-plank wood.
Access and weather: pump trucks on steep streets, and rain on a fresh pour.

Think deeply here

Decide this before the trade starts.

These are the choices that decide whether the finished house matches the one in your head. Changing them later costs time and money.

Radiant floor heat or not. It changes the slab.
Final floor materials and thickness, so floor heights match room to room.
Where plumbing, drains and conduit pass through the slab.
Openings and steps in the slab, such as a shower, a garage slope or a sunken room.

Ask any builder

What is inspected before we pour?
Who checks the anchor bolts and hold-downs?
How long does the concrete cure before framing loads it?

Before thisSite work Next on siteFraming

All the trades, in the order you will meet them

General guidance, not a specification. Your drawings, your engineer and your building inspector govern every job. See the whole process · Trade secrets home

Inquiries

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