Foundation Wall

The foundation wall of a building may be a cast-in-place concrete retaining or basement wall or a structural wall complete with load-bearing pilasters. Materials used may be concrete or reinforced masonry. The foundation wall system may include an earth retention system of soldier piles and wood lagging or shotcreted rock requiring consideration of waterproofing applied to the earth retention system. For most portions of the foundation wall, water removal and control is of prime importance. However, water removal measures around foundation walls below the water table may be impractical and expensive over the long-term and the waterproofing strategy becomes critical. In the upper areas of the foundation wall thermal loading considerations must be addressed.

The cost ranges between $6,500 and $15,000, depending on a number of factors. How much you spend depends on where you live, how much contractors near you charge, the size of the foundation, and the grade or slope of the land where the foundation will be laid.

The plans and drawings needed to get the permit must be in compliance with the local building codes. To acquire permits an added fee to cover their time in addition to the permit fees.

The depth of the foundation is another key pricing factor. Foundations are described as:

• Deep: those that need to be more than three feet into the earth
• Shallow: as in standard slab-on-grade foundations, which consist of a single layer of concrete poured on a flat surface over a layer of gravel for drainage.

In general, the deeper the foundation, the more it will cost to lay, since you will need more concrete and it will take longer. For example, you will pay more to pour the foundation for a crawlspace than you would for a full-height basement.