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Serving Portland, ME and surrounding areas. (207) 245-9716
A deck that heaves every spring or walls that crack after a hard winter usually trace back to footings that were too shallow. We install footings to Maine code depth so frost cannot touch them, and we handle permits and city inspections from start to finish.
Concrete footings in Portland, ME are dug to at least 48 inches below grade - Maine code requires that depth to keep them below the frost line - then poured with concrete and steel reinforcement before the next phase of your project can begin. Most residential footing jobs take one to two days to excavate and pour, followed by a three-to-seven day curing wait before any load is placed on them.
Portland homeowners need footings for decks, additions, garages, and porch columns. The challenge here is that the city sits on granite bedrock that can surface surprisingly close to grade, especially in the peninsula neighborhoods. Hitting ledge mid-dig changes the project scope and cost, which is why a thorough site assessment before digging is not optional - it is the only way to give you a number that holds.
If you are adding a deck or structure that also needs a slab beneath it, we coordinate footing work with slab foundation building so both phases are planned together from the start.
If your deck has shifted, posts are no longer plumb, or boards have buckled or separated at the seams after a hard Maine winter, frost heave is a likely cause. This happens when posts or piers were not set deep enough to sit below the frost line, so freezing ground pushes them upward each year. The fix is not cosmetic - it requires properly installed footings at the correct depth to stop the cycle.
Hairline cracks in concrete are normal, but cracks wider than about the thickness of a dime, running diagonally from corners, or growing noticeably over a season often point to a footing that has settled unevenly or was undersized for the load above it. A concrete contractor can assess whether the footing is the source of the problem before any repair work begins.
Any new structure attached to or near your home needs properly installed footings before framing can begin - this is not optional in Portland, and the city requires a permit and inspection. If you are in the planning stages of a project like this, getting a footing contractor involved early helps you understand the full scope and cost before committing to a design.
Home inspectors in Maine frequently note footing or foundation issues in pre-1950 homes, where original construction standards were far less stringent than today. If your inspection report mentions settlement, inadequate bearing, or cracked footings, getting a concrete contractor to walk the site before closing gives you a clearer picture of what repair or reinforcement might cost.
We install footings for decks, porches, home additions, garages, accessory structures, and any project that needs a sound structural base before framing begins. Every footing is excavated to Maine code depth - 48 inches minimum - sized correctly for the load above it, and reinforced with steel bar where required. We pull the permit, schedule the city inspection, and wait for sign-off before the pour so there is a formal record of compliance.
For projects that move beyond footings into full foundation work, we also handle slab foundation building and full foundation raising for homes that need their existing foundation lifted or replaced. All of that work starts with footings done right the first time.
Drilled or excavated to 48 inches, properly sized for your deck load, with steel reinforcement where framing connections are required.
Continuous or spread footings for home additions and garages, coordinated with your builder's framing schedule and inspected before the pour.
Footings for sheds, workshops, pergolas, and other outbuildings where the structure needs to stay level and stationary through Maine winters.
Individual spread footings for porch columns, carport posts, or pergola supports, designed to carry the point load without settling or tilting.
Maine requires footings to be placed at least 48 inches below the finished ground surface - among the deepest requirements in the continental United States. That depth is not arbitrary. Portland winters push frost deep into the ground, and a footing above that depth will heave upward each season as the soil freezes and expands around it. The extra excavation means more labor, more concrete, and more soil to haul away than in warmer states. It also means that a low bid from a contractor who quotes a shallower depth is not an apples-to-apples comparison - it is a recipe for a project that moves every spring.
Portland also sits on a granite bedrock shelf that can be surprisingly close to the surface, particularly on the peninsula and in the East End. Hitting ledge during excavation is common enough that any local contractor should discuss it before digging starts. We serve homeowners across the Portland area, including South Portland and Brunswick. The Maine Residential Building Code sets the minimum depth requirements that apply to every footing in the state, and Portland's Building Division enforces them through required pre-pour inspections.
We respond within one business day. We visit your property to assess the excavation depth, soil conditions, equipment access, and ledge risk before providing a written estimate. None of these variables can be priced over the phone.
We pull the building permit from Portland's Building Division. The permit triggers a required pre-pour inspection. Permit review takes a few business days and we factor that into your timeline so the project stays on schedule.
We dig to the required 48-inch minimum depth and place any steel reinforcement. Before a drop of concrete is poured, the city inspector verifies depth and size. That sign-off is your independent confirmation that the work meets code.
Concrete is poured, leveled, and finished in a single visit. We wait the appropriate curing period - typically three to seven days before any framing load - then backfill and clean up. Your next phase of work can begin on schedule.
We handle permits, city inspections, and ledge conditions. Free written estimate, no obligation.
(207) 245-9716Maine code requires footings at 48 inches below grade, and we dig to that depth on every project. Some contractors bid lower by quoting shallower footings. That saves money upfront and costs far more when the structure starts moving after the first hard winter.
Portland requires a city inspection before footings can be poured - an independent check that the depth and size meet code. We handle the permit application and schedule the inspection as part of every job. You get a formal record of compliance that protects you if you ever sell.
Portland sits on granite bedrock that can be close to the surface in many neighborhoods. We discuss ledge risk with every client before a shovel goes in the ground, and we have a clear plan and price for how unexpected rock gets handled - not a change order you see for the first time mid-project.
Many Portland homes were built in the 1880s and 1890s with footings that do not meet modern standards. We have assessed and reinforced footing systems throughout the peninsula's historic neighborhoods, where underground conditions are rarely what they appear on the surface.
Footings are the part of any project that no one sees once the job is done - which is exactly why getting them right matters. The Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation maintains contractor licensing records you can verify before hiring anyone for structural work like footings.
Lifting and resetting existing foundations that have settled or shifted - work that starts with footings properly placed to code depth.
Learn moreFull slab foundations for additions and garages, built on footings that meet Maine's 48-inch frost depth requirement.
Learn morePortland's construction season is short and contractor schedules fill fast in spring. Reach out now for a written estimate and a reserved start date.