Concrete footings in Dickinson ND - a solid base built with frost in mind

Concrete footing work across the US usually costs about $5 to $18 per linear foot, which is the going rate nationally and not our price. Where yours lands depends on size, depth and site conditions, and a deeper footing or a harder site pushes it toward the top of that range. I'll measure it out at the estimate so you get a figure for your own job.

Yes, as long as there's a plan to protect the concrete. A concrete trade association's cold weather guide counts it as cold weather when the air falls to or below 40°F in the protection period after the pour, because cold slows the set and fresh concrete can freeze before it gains strength. The same guide calls for pouring only on ground that isn't frozen and is at least 40°F, so frozen ground gets thawed first with heaters or blankets, and we keep blankets or heat on hand if it turns cold.

That guide calls for covering fresh concrete right away with insulated blankets or a heated enclosure and holding it at 50°F or above for at least 3 days. That's why a winter pour takes longer on the calendar, and we work that wait into the plan before anyone starts framing.

Building permits go through the City of Dickinson, and if the work touches city right-of-way or city property, the city's Engineering Department issues the concrete and excavation permits. We check with the city on permits for every job before we start, take care of the ones that fall to us as the contractor and help you with any that fall to you. The city checks that construction follows the building code it has adopted, which starts from the state code and can include local changes, so we go by what the city tells us.

Frost heave happens when ice layers form in the soil and lift it, which can damage a foundation and the building on it. It's more likely where the water table is high and the soil is clay or silt rather than well-drained gravel, so on a wet lot the soil and drainage weigh more heavily in the footing plan. A national builder's guide calls a frost protected shallow foundation a practical alternative to a deeper, more costly foundation in cold regions, and that's the option I mentioned above.

Yes, in North Dakota the person doing a job that costs more than $4,000 has to be licensed as a contractor. You can search the state's registered contractors to see whether a license is in good standing, and we're licensed and insured.