Guides
Written from real residential footing plans and real month-end billing — not recycled content. Every guide is something an estimator can use today.
How to do a concrete footing takeoff from a residential foundation plan, step by step: measure linear feet, count pads, handle dimension strings, and avoid the errors that cost footing subs money.
Read guide →Interior support pads and pier pads explained: what they carry, sizes and depths, hand-digging workflow, pad vs pier vs pile cap, and why pads are counted, never measured in feet.
Read guide →How estimators build a footing takeoff in Excel: segment rows, feet-inch to decimal formulas, subtotals by wall type, pad counts, and the failure modes.
Read guide →Installed footing cost per linear foot vs. labor-only sub rates vs. raw concrete cost, with 2026 figures and cross-section math for 18-24 inch footings.
Read guide →Strip, spread, pad, and trench footings compared: what each is, residential dimensions, verified code minimums, and how each one is measured in a takeoff.
Read guide →Pricing models for footing subs: dollars per linear foot vs per cubic yard vs lump sum, rebar upcharges, pad flat rates, and dispute-proof invoicing.
Read guide →Read a residential footing plan like an estimator: find the foundation page, decode dimension strings, wall schedules, section details, and margin notes that are ground truth.
Read guide →What linear feet, square feet, and cubic yards measure in concrete work, why footings bill in LF but slabs in sqft, and the conversion mistakes to avoid.
Read guide →When footing rebar is required vs optional under the IRC and OBC, typical bar sizes and placement, why residential plans omit it, and the per-linear-foot upcharge.
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