Concrete footings in Hastings NE - a solid start for your deck or addition
Deck posts leaning, a corner sinking or a new addition on paper? We dig and pour footings that give it firm ground to sit on.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Do you need new concrete footings for a deck or addition in Hastings?
Concrete footings are the pads of concrete under a deck or foundation that sit on undisturbed soil, and in a cold place like Hastings, NE they usually go below the frost line so winter frost can't push your deck or addition up.
Most people call us when they're planning a deck, a porch or an addition, or when an old deck post has started to lean because it was sitting on a block or in a shallow hole. The price moves with how many footings you need, how deep the holes have to go, how hard the digging is and how easy it is to get our crew and the concrete to the spot. The schedule mostly turns on the permit, the footing inspection and the weather, because we don't pour until the inspection is set and the forecast suits it. Your written estimate spells out what's included, so you know what you're paying for before we dig.
How do you know if your deck or addition needs new footings?
Deck posts on blocks
If your posts sit on concrete blocks or bare dirt instead of a footing dug down into firm ground, the deck moves whenever the ground does. Left alone, the boards, stairs and railings keep working loose and the fix gets bigger.
Deck rises in winter
A step that stops lining up in January, or a gap at the house that closes again in spring, usually means frost is lifting a shallow footing. Every winter it goes up and comes back down, and that loosens the fasteners holding everything together.
A corner that's sinking
A porch or addition corner that has dropped, often with cracks showing in the wall above, usually sits on dirt that was never packed or was dug loose. That settling tends to keep going, and the cracks open a little more each year.
How we build concrete footings
The city puts the 811 call to Diggers Hotline on you as the owner, so before anyone digs I make sure the utility lines are marked. We dig each hole down to undisturbed soil, the ground nobody has moved, at the depth the building office sets for your address, and we look at the bottom to be sure it's firm before anything goes in. Footings end up buried where nobody sees them again, so we set up the footing inspection before any concrete goes in, then pour and let the concrete cure, which is the wait while it hardens and gains strength, before we backfill around it.
Footings often come up alongside other work. If a wall, porch or slab you're tying into has already dropped, foundation raising can bring it back up first, and when a new footing has to go under an existing patio or garage floor, concrete cutting opens a clean hole so we're not breaking up more slab than we need to.
Footings for a deck or porch
This suits a new deck, a porch rebuild or a deck that's been sitting on blocks, where each post needs its own footing. We place each one so the post lands right where the plan puts it.
Footings under an addition or new building
This suits a room addition, a garage or another building that needs footings under its foundation. That's permit work, so the inspection comes before the pour and we plan the schedule around it.
Footings poured in cold weather
This suits a job that can't wait for spring. The fresh concrete needs more protection on cold days, so we plan for that when we walk the job and set the timing.
Get a written estimate for your footing job
We reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll come look at the job myself, free and with no obligation, and you'll get a written estimate that says exactly what's included.
(402) 512-8901- Based in
- Hastings, NE 68901
- Hours
- Mon–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
What happens when you call about footings in Hastings?
Here's how a footing job goes from your first call to the last bit of cleanup, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call us and set a visit
I'll ask about the address, what you're building and whether the lines have been marked through 811, then set a time to come out. Have your deck or addition plans handy if you've got them.
Walk the job with me
I look at the spot myself and write an estimate that says what's included, so you know what you're paying for before we start. We'll talk through the choices that change how it turns out, like the mix, the timing around the weather and where the water runs.
Sort out permits and inspection
Once you're ready, we handle the paperwork with whichever office covers your address and get the footing inspection on the calendar. No concrete goes in the holes until that's done.
Dig, pour and clean up
Our foreman leads the crew that digs and pours, and I stop by to check on it until it's finished. We backfill around the footings and leave the yard cleaned up.
Why Hastings homeowners call Hastings Concrete for footings
I write your estimate in person
I come out, look at the ground and write the estimate myself, and our foreman leads the crew that does the work. You're talking to the person who actually stood in your yard, not someone guessing over the phone.
In business since 2013
Before I started this business in Hastings in 2013, I spent years running crews for another contractor and learning the trade one pour at a time. That's where I learned that what sits under the concrete matters as much as what's on top.
Licensed and insured before we dig
We're licensed and insured. Footing work means digging near utility lines and right up against houses, so it's worth knowing the crew in your yard is covered.
Footings are the part nobody sees again once the deck or addition goes up, so the depth and the ground under them are worth getting right. Send us the details or call (402) 512-8901 and I'll come take a look.
Concrete footings, permits and inspections in Hastings
The City of Hastings issues building permits for any new building, addition or alteration, and its list names work like fences and re-roofing but doesn't name footings, so ask before you count on going without one. Some addresses around Hastings fall to Adams County Planning & Zoning instead, which sees people by appointment Monday through Thursday at 402-461-7174. We find out whether the city or the county covers your address and help you through the permit and inspection steps your job calls for. Once a permit is in place, inspections are mandatory, and footings come first on the city's list.
Most of the ground in Adams County is Hastings silt loam, a soil that feels smooth as flour, with Holder and Kenesaw soils the next most common. Silt like that holds well when it's left alone and goes soft once it's dug loose or soaked, so we dig past the loose dirt to ground nobody has disturbed. We take the same care on jobs in Grand Island and around Hastings.
Questions about concrete footings in Hastings
How deep do concrete footings need to be in Hastings, NE?
They need to reach undisturbed soil below the frost line, and the frost line for your address comes from the local building office. A national deck building guide sets deck footings at least 12 inches below the ground or below the frost line, whichever is deeper. Many codes also allow shallower footings when they're protected from frost, but that takes the local officials' approval and sometimes extra engineering, so bring it up early.
How do I find out if I need a permit for footings in Hastings?
Ask the city or Adams County before anyone digs, because the city's permit list covers any new building, addition or alteration but doesn't name footings by themselves. Which office answers depends on your address, and we'll sort that out with you when we come out.
What is the best way to pour footings in cold weather?
The best way is to plan the protection before the pour, because concrete poured in the cold still reaches its strength when it's placed and protected properly. Industry guidance counts it as a cold-weather pour when the air drops, or is expected to drop, below 40°F while the concrete is being protected, and colder days call for more protection in the plan. We'll go over the forecast and how we'd cover your pour when we walk the job.
Who schedules the footing inspection in Hastings?
In Hastings the contractor arranges all inspections, so on our jobs we book the footing inspection ourselves. A missed inspection can mean tearing out whatever covers the work, fines or both, which is why it's worth asking any contractor you talk to who books it.
How much do concrete footings cost in Hastings?
It comes down mostly to how many footings you need, how deep they have to go and how hard the digging is at your place. A backyard behind a fence or a tight spot by the house means more hand work than an open lot, and a cold-weather pour adds protection to the plan. I'll walk the job and give you a written estimate that says what's included.
Do concrete contractors have to be registered in Nebraska?
Yes, Nebraska requires contractors and subcontractors doing business in the state to register with the Nebraska Department of Labor. The department points out that registration doesn't ensure quality of work or protect against fraud, so ask about insurance too and get to know the person writing your estimate.
Other concrete work that often goes with footings
Foundation raising
If a wall, porch or slab next to your new work has already settled, raising it first gives the new footing something level to line up with.
Concrete cutting
When a footing has to go under a garage floor, patio or basement slab, we saw a neat opening so the rest of the concrete stays whole.
Service areas for our concrete footing work
Hastings Concrete is based in Hastings, Nebraska, and we work in Grand Island and the cities around it. Hastings and Grand Island are the 2 areas with their own page here, so start with yours.
Hastings, NE
Get your footings planned before you build
Calling while you're still drawing up the deck or addition lets us work the depth, the permit and the inspection into the plan before you've bought the lumber.