Concrete footings in Forest Lake MN - dug deep enough for Minnesota winters
Planning a deck, porch or addition and wondering how deep the posts need to go? We dig and pour footings that carry the load.
Do I need concrete footings for my deck or addition in Forest Lake?
Concrete footings are the concrete base under a deck, porch or small addition that carries the weight of everything built on top, and in Forest Lake they go deep because the ground freezes every winter.
Most footing calls start with a new deck, a porch or a small addition, and some start with a post that's sunk or lifted, usually because what was under it didn't go deep enough. The price turns on how many footings you need, how deep they go and what your site is like, since a hole in open lawn digs faster than one tight against the house or next to a tree. The schedule mostly turns on the season and on lining up any permit before we pour. If your addition needs full walls under it and not just footings, that's foundation installation, and I'll tell you which one your plan calls for. The estimate puts in writing what your price covers, so you can see where the money goes.
How we dig and pour concrete footings
Footings carry everything above them, so the dig is the part we take slowest. I start from your plan or your deck builder's drawings, we mark where each footing goes, and then we dig every hole to the depth the plan calls for instead of stopping where the digging gets hard. We clear loose dirt from the bottom so the concrete sits on firm ground, set the form or tube, place any steel rebar the plan calls for to help hold the concrete together, and pour. If the weather turns cold, we cover the fresh concrete so it doesn't freeze while it cures, which is the stretch when it gains its strength. On a deck job, we sort out with your deck builder who pours the footings, so nobody assumes the other one has it covered. Does your builder already have someone lined up? It's worth asking before anyone books a date. If your budget is tight, this is the last place I'd trim, because you can replace deck boards later but you can't easily redo what's holding them up.
Sometimes the call isn't for new footings at all. If a porch, step or slab has already settled, foundation raising may bring it back up without tearing it out, and if a new footing has to land where an old patio or slab sits, concrete cutting lets us open just that spot.
Why Forest Lake homeowners call Forest Lake Concrete for footings
The owner walks it and pours it
I come out to look at where your footings go and write the estimate myself, then I work on the crew that digs and pours them. That way the person who heard your questions at the estimate is the one standing at the hole on pour day.
In business since 2023
I came to concrete later than most, learned the trade on a local crew and started this business in 2023, so I still remember not knowing the words. I'd rather spend an extra half hour on your questions than leave you guessing about what's under your deck after we're gone.
Fully licensed and insured
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry counts poured footings as concrete work, and a contractor you hire directly for more than one kind of work needs a residential license, while a one-skill contractor registers instead. We're fully licensed and insured, and it's fair to ask any contractor which of those they hold.
Based here in Forest Lake
We're based in Forest Lake and work across the cities around it, from Hugo and Lino Lakes to Wyoming, Chisago City and others nearby. Most of our calls come from homeowners close to home, so getting out to walk your job is a short drive.
The two things that matter most on a footing job are how deep it goes and how the fresh concrete is treated, so ask any contractor how they handle both. If you'd like me to come look at yours, send us your project details or call (612) 448-0764.
Get a free on-site estimate for your footings
We reply within one business day to set a time that works for you. I come out, walk the spot with you and write down what the price covers, and there's no obligation to book.
Footings, forms and fresh pours
Questions before you pour concrete footings
How deep do concrete footings need to be in Forest Lake, MN?
In Washington, Anoka and Chisago counties, the state's minimum depth for footings is 3-1/2 feet, set because the ground freezes in winter. The rule allows shallower footings only when an engineer who knows soil mechanics presents evidence to support them, so most digs here are planned to the full depth. To confirm what applies on your lot, call Forest Lake's Building Department at (651) 464-4349.
How much do concrete footings cost per linear foot?
Across the US, concrete footings usually cost about $5 to $20 per linear foot, and that's a national range, not a Forest Lake price or ours. Where your job falls in it comes down to the project size, the depth and the site, which is why we price it in person. Call (612) 448-0764 and I'll come take a look.
How do I decide whether to pour footings in cold weather or wait?
Weigh what cold-weather protection adds against how long you'd wait, because pouring in the cold costs more for slower work, insulating blankets, tarps and heaters, but it can keep the project on schedule. Industry guidance warns that concrete left unprotected from early freezing can be ruined or permanently weakened, and in fall or spring it calls for shielding new concrete from a surprise freeze for at least the first 24 hours. If a builder is waiting on your footings, protecting the pour usually makes sense, and if nothing's waiting, mild weather is the cheaper choice.
Do I need a permit for deck footings in Forest Lake?
If your deck is attached to the house and sits on footings dug to frost depth, state guidance says it needs a building permit, and the city's building inspections staff handle residential construction in Forest Lake. Before we set a date, we check with the city and any other office the job touches, and if you need a permit we help you sort it out and tell you who we've talked to. If an inspection is part of the job, the city wants at least 24 hours' notice and books inspections by phone only, not by email.
Can I use something other than concrete footings under a deck in Minnesota?
Maybe, but it needs approval, because state deck guidance says decks rest on concrete footings or another approved structural system. Any alternative footing goes to the local building safety department for review, so that's the place to start if you have something else in mind. Concrete footings are what we pour, so that's the part we can help with.
How do I get ready for a concrete footing estimate?
Have three things in mind when you call or fill out the form: what you're building, how high the deck will sit, and when you'd like to pour. It also helps to know where your septic tank, drain field and meters are, since one deck guide says to keep footings clear of septic systems, leach fields, utility lines and enclosed meters, and to call 811 before digging.
Other work that comes up around footings
- Foundation raising
When a corner of the house, a porch or a slab has settled and the doors stick or the floor tilts, raising it can bring it back toward level.
- Concrete cutting
When a damaged section of driveway needs to come out, or a floor needs a trench for a new drain line, saw cuts keep the rest of the slab whole.