Concrete Footings in Aliso Viejo CA - Set deep enough to carry what you build
Adding a room, a wall or a patio cover, and the plans call for footings? We dig and pour them to match, so what you build sits on solid ground.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What does it take to pour footings in Aliso Viejo?
Concrete footings are the buried concrete that a room addition, a wall or a patio cover sits on, and in Aliso Viejo we pour them down in undisturbed ground at the depth your foundation plan shows, so the weight above has something solid to rest on. Most of the calendar usually goes to design and city approvals, not to the pour itself.
Most folks call me because they're adding a room, a garage or a patio cover and the plans say footings, or because an older wall is cracking and they want to know why. The price mostly follows how much footing your plans call for and how hard the dig is, and the schedule turns on the design and the city's approvals more than on our crew, so I'll give you your own figure after I've seen the site.
How do you know your project or house needs footing work?
Plans that show footings
If an architect or engineer drew up a room addition, a garage or a block wall, the foundation plan shows footings under it, and that's the first concrete on the job. Waiting to line up a concrete crew until the framing's booked usually means everyone else sits around waiting on the dig and the cure.
Cracks low on the walls
Stair-step cracks in block or wide cracks in stucco near the ground usually mean the soil under that wall is moving, or the footing was never deep enough to begin with. Those cracks tend to widen with every wet season, and the repair gets bigger the longer they're left.
Water sitting by the foundation
Puddles along the house after rain or a sprinkler cycle mean water is soaking the ground right where the footings carry the weight. On soil that swells when it's wet, that's how small cracks get started, and fixing the drainage costs a lot less than fixing a footing later.
How we build concrete footings
I start with your foundation plan, because it sets where every footing runs, how wide and deep it goes and what goes inside it. We lay out the lines, dig down into undisturbed soil, which is ground that's never been dug up or filled, and clean out the bottom of the trench so the concrete lands on firm dirt and not loose crumbs. Then we tie in the rebar, the steel bars that hold the concrete together when the ground pushes or pulls on it, and set forms wherever the trench needs them. Footings end up buried, but they carry everything above them, so before we pour I check the depth and the concrete order against the plans. After the pour we let the concrete cure, which is the slow hardening that gives it its strength, and we haul off the extra dirt.
Footings often come with other concrete work. When an older house has already settled, foundation raising lifts it back toward level, and new footings are sometimes part of keeping it there. When a new footing has to run under an existing patio, driveway or garage floor, we use concrete cutting to open a clean trench through it instead of breaking out more than we need.
Get a written estimate for your footings
Send your address and your plans or a sketch, and we'll reply within one business day to set up your free on-site estimate. I come out myself, and there's no pressure to book.
- Based in
- Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens when you call about footings in Aliso Viejo?
From your first call to the final walk-through, here's how a footing job runs with us and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call and talk with me
When you call (949) 619-8302, you talk to me. We'll go over your project and set a time for me to come out.
I visit and write it up
I measure, look over the site and your plans, and ask how you'll use what's going on top. You get a written estimate that spells out what's included, like tear-out and hauling, so you can compare it with other bids line by line.
We form, pour and cure
We set the forms, pour and cure the concrete inside the city's construction hours, which run 7am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on Saturday, with no work on Sundays or federal holidays. When the city has an inspection to schedule, a request made before 4pm is usually set for the next business day.
Walk the finished job together
I walk the finished work with you before we pack up, so you see it while it's still in plain view. Then we clean up and leave your site cleaner than we found it.
Why Aliso Viejo homeowners call All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete for footings
The owner writes every estimate
I come out to look at every job and write the estimate myself, then I work on site alongside our crew. The person who measured your footings is the one standing in the trench when the truck shows up.
Licensed and fully insured
We're licensed and fully insured, and I'm happy to go over that with you at the estimate. You shouldn't have to take anyone's word for it before they start digging in your yard.
Learned it on Dad's crew
I grew up pouring concrete with my dad and spent years on his crew before I started this business in Aliso Viejo in 2023. He taught me the work nobody sees matters most, and footings are about as unseen as concrete gets.
Straight talk on what's worth it
I'll ask how you plan to use the space and tell you plainly when something isn't worth the money. I'd rather talk you out of a job than sell you one that won't serve you.
If footings are on your plans, send me your project details or call (949) 619-8302, and we'll set a time for me to come take a look.
Footings, approvals and soil in Aliso Viejo
In Aliso Viejo, your project needs Planning Department approval first, and only then does a complete set of scale drawings go to the Building Department for plan check through the city's online Customer Self-Service Portal. The building office decides what your job needs, so I check with it on each job, handle the permit paperwork when one's needed, and tell you up front whose name the permit goes under.
The ground here shapes the rest of the job. The city's checklist says expansive soils, the kind that soak up water and swell, are common in Aliso Viejo, which is why it sets a minimum depth for footings. It also says high sulfate levels are common, and sulfates wear at weaker concrete over time, so the city requires concrete touching the soil to reach 4,500 psi, a measure of how much load it can take before it crushes. Ask that every estimate you get names concrete at that strength, ours included, so the bids compare on equal terms. We run the same careful checks on jobs in Laguna Niguel and Mission Viejo, and I look up each city's own rules before we dig.
Questions about concrete footings in Aliso Viejo
How deep do footings have to be in Aliso Viejo?
The city's foundation plan checklist calls for footings at least 24 inches below undisturbed soil, because expansive soil is common here. Your foundation plan should show that depth before any concrete goes in, and if your engineer calls for deeper, we dig to whatever the plan shows.
Do I need a licensed architect or engineer to design footings in Aliso Viejo?
Yes, if the footings change or affect an engineered building, because the city requires a licensed architect or engineer to design any structural or seismic part of it. Those plans and calculations come stamped in ink, signed and dated, and the city lists Aliso Viejo's seismic zone as D and E among its design requirements, so plan for that design work before plan check.
How much do concrete footings cost in Aliso Viejo?
There's no set price for footings, because every set of plans calls for a different amount of digging, steel and concrete. Long runs, deep or wide footings, hard digging, tight access for the concrete truck and an old slab to cut through all push the number up, while a simple layout on open ground keeps it down. I'll give you a figure for your job once I've seen the site and your plans.
Does my HOA have to sign off on footings in Aliso Viejo?
If your home is part of a residential management association, yes, because the city's zoning compliance application needs a signature or letter of authorization from the property owner and the association. Having your association's contact ready early keeps that step from holding up everything after it.
How do I keep footings from shifting on expansive soil?
Keep water from piling up around them, because after a structure is built on expansive soil, rain, landscape watering or runoff aimed at one spot can make the soil swell a lot. That's why I ask where your downspouts and sprinklers point, and why a little regrading or a drain line is often money well spent.
How long does it take to get footings approved and poured in Aliso Viejo?
Getting the design and approvals in place usually takes longer than the digging and the pour, because the engineering, Planning approval and plan check all come first. The city sets the pace of its reviews, so once I've seen your plans I'll tell you where things stand and when we can book the pour.
Related concrete work that often goes with footings
Foundation raising
If your house has already sunk at one corner and doors stick or cracks keep spreading, lifting it back toward level comes before anything new gets built on it.
Concrete cutting
When a new footing has to pass under an existing driveway, patio or garage floor, a clean saw cut saves the rest of that slab from being broken out.
Service areas for footing work around Aliso Viejo
All Star Aliso Viejo Concrete is based in Aliso Viejo, CA, and we work across the cities around it in Orange County, including Laguna Hills and Lake Forest. The 12 cities listed here each have their own page, though they aren't the only places we work.
Get your footings priced and scheduled
Footings are the first concrete on most builds, so getting them on the calendar early keeps your framer and the rest of the job from waiting on us.
Aliso Viejo, CA