Four weeks ago, the excavation contractor came over to clear the new home building site for the house foundation. Ensure to clear the home site of the trees, brush, rocks, roots, and debris from where the house will sit. Don’t forget to remove them from at least 10 feet or more around the foundation. This way, you will allow space for tractors, forklifts, and trucks working at the site. Understand that the more area to be cleared, the more it will cost.
The excavation subcontractor came over and prepared the land for the concrete slab foundation – you may have a crawl space or a basement foundation – we won’t as we are in San Antonio, and a basement is not a requirement on the lot we are building the house. Removing big trees is time-consuming and expensive. We did not use our excavator for this job; we used a less expensive tree removal service.
We had a few trees to cut, but if you do have too many trees, cut the manageable-sized logs down to 10 to 12 feet in length and pile them at the side of the lot for you to cut up at your leisure if you enjoy doing that, or want to save some money. I have no time for that. They came, cleared the trees, and took all the debris with them. Since we didn’t need a basement, the building site only required to be cleared and leveled, so we got a price for this type of work only.
Utilities Hookup
When you purchase a lot, part of the homework is to find out where the utilities are, if they are available, and how much they will cost – before you purchase the lot. Once you know all that information, it’s time to make a few phone calls to each utility company. Fill and complete any necessary forms and pay all fees. Do not forget to arrange for temporary electric service for your subs. Your electrician is responsible for obtaining electrical permits, installing the temporary electrical panel box, and having it inspected. Still, as the owner-builder, you will be responsible for applying for the service from the utility company. Usually, you can apply online.
If your lot needs either a well or a septic system, if used, it can be installed at this stage, and trust me when I say that it is best to get this work done at this stage. Check with your City or County first to determine if their health inspectors are required by code to determine the location of the well or septic system. Or if your planners can determine that themselves. It is essential to let them know any plans you have for gardens, driveways, and which trees you hope to save to guide them in their decisions. If no temporary water source is available, such as a house next door, you will have to dig the well and have it temporarily wired for your brick masons, who will be needed it shortly, or they will have to truck in their own water.
Do not forget to rent a portable toilet for the job site. You can find sources to rent them online.
The footing
The base of a structure it’s called footing. It is a mass of concrete supporting the foundation of the house. It is poured into trenches or wooden forms. It has to be below the frost line, or it will heave when the ground freezes and thaws. In the northern states and higher elevations of any area, this line maybe four or more feet below grade level. It is one reason that there are more basements in a northern climate. If you have to be several feet below grade level for your footing, you may need several feet of foundation to get back to grade level. Excavation and a concrete slab are needed for a basement. Check the local codes; they may clearly state the requirements for footings in your area. When you choose a subcontractor to do that work, make sure he knows the code.
I have a footing subcontractor that stakes, clears, excavates, digs, and pours footings. Find one who does the same. I want you to know that the footing is probably the most crucial part of your house. If it settles or moves, so will your home. If it is not done according to the dimensions of your plans, you will have to change the plans to accommodate the footing or do the footing over. If the situation arises, choose the former unless the deviation is too severe.
Once your foundation walls are up, put in a footing drain. Your code may require this. The drain can be connected to a storm sewer, a dry well, or any other approved means of getting rid of the water. When I used to renovate houses in California, the City I was working in required that the water drained into the yard. Check with your City to see if their residential code requires the same.
I am going to set your mind at ease by saying, as a rule, footings are better today than they were 100 years ago. Houses today are well built and will probably last longer than those houses of yesteryear. Also, technology has improved materials such as concrete, and our knowledge of how to use them has increased exponentially.
Building inspectors usually check the locations of footings before they are poured into, making sure they are deep enough and resting on undisturbed earth. Don’t complain about this inspection – it could save you thousands of dollars if it means that you will avoid some future problem. One last thing to note: get your structural engineer to see the pre-pour before the City inspector arrives.
