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Serving Fond du Lac, WI and surrounding areas. (920) 375-8490
A deck that tilts or a porch that pulls away from the house is almost always a footing problem. We dig to Wisconsin's required depth, pass inspection, and pour before you build anything on top.
Concrete footings in Fond du Lac are wide, flat pads of concrete buried underground that hold up deck posts, foundation walls, garage structures, and porch columns - dug at least 48 inches below the surface to sit below the Wisconsin frost line, poured with rebar reinforcement, and inspected by the city before backfilling.
If you are adding a deck, finishing a garage, or putting up an addition in Fond du Lac, footings are the first thing that has to go right. A footing that is too shallow will heave when the ground freezes and thaws - you will see it in a tilting deck or a structure pulling away from the house wall. A footing that is properly sized and placed at the right depth stays put through decades of Wisconsin winters. For larger projects that combine footings with a full concrete slab, we coordinate that work with our foundation installation service so every step happens in the right sequence.
Every footing project we take on is permitted through the City of Fond du Lac. The permit inspection happens before the concrete is poured - it is the only chance anyone has to verify the footing depth and size before it is buried. That inspection is your protection.
If your deck surface is no longer level, or if there is a growing gap between your deck and your home's exterior wall, the posts may be sitting on footings that have shifted or heaved. In Fond du Lac, this is especially common after a winter with deep freeze-thaw cycles, which push shallow footings upward. A tilting deck is not just cosmetic - it becomes a safety hazard.
Horizontal or stair-step cracks in a concrete or block foundation wall are a sign that footings beneath it may be moving or settling unevenly. Fond du Lac's clay-influenced soils shrink and swell with moisture changes, putting stress on footings over time. Small hairline cracks may be normal, but cracks you can fit a finger into - or cracks that are growing - deserve a professional assessment.
Any new structure that will carry significant weight or attach to your home needs proper footings before anything else is built. If you are planning a deck, a garage, a sunroom, or a shed with a concrete floor, footings are the first step. Undersized or missing footings are the most common reason these structures fail within a few years of being built.
A slab that is dropping in one corner often means the footing or base beneath it has shifted or eroded. In neighborhoods near Fond du Lac's lower-lying areas, soil saturation from snowmelt or heavy rain can wash out material under a slab over time. If a corner of your garage floor is lower than it used to be, or if water pools there after rain, the footing situation is worth having assessed.
We install concrete footings for residential decks, home additions, detached garages, accessory structures, and foundation repairs throughout the Fond du Lac area. Every project starts with a site visit to assess soil conditions, drainage, and the load the footing needs to carry. Before any digging begins, we contact Digger's Hotline to have underground utilities marked - a step required by Wisconsin law and one that protects your property and everyone on the job. For projects that also need a full poured foundation rather than individual footings, our foundation installation service covers that scope.
Homes built before modern building standards were in place - a significant portion of Fond du Lac's housing stock near downtown and along the lake - often have footings that are shallower or narrower than what is required today. If you are adding to an older home, we assess what is already there before we plan anything new. Projects that involve full-lot paving adjacent to footing work can also be paired with our foundation raising service when the scope calls for it. If you are not sure which path fits your project, a site visit will answer that question.
Ideal for homeowners adding a new deck or replacing footings under an existing structure that has started to heave or tilt after Wisconsin winters.
Suited for attached or detached additions where the new footings must be sized and placed to carry the load of framing, roofing, and finished space above.
For sheds, workshops, and small outbuildings where a permanent permitted base is required under Fond du Lac building codes.
For homeowners who want to know what they are working with before adding to a home built before modern footing depth standards were established.
Wisconsin requires footings to be placed at least 48 inches below the surface - four feet down. In Fond du Lac, that requirement is not just a formality. The ground here can freeze deeply in a hard winter, and soil that freezes and thaws pushes shallow footings upward. That movement shows up every spring in decks and porches that were built on inadequate footings. The clay-influenced glacial soils common throughout Fond du Lac also expand when wet and contract when dry, which puts additional stress on footings that are too narrow or placed in disturbed fill rather than undisturbed soil. You can review footing standards and best practices from the American Concrete Institute.
Fond du Lac also sits at the southern tip of Lake Winnebago, and many neighborhoods - particularly those closer to the lake or in lower-lying areas - have a higher water table than you might expect. That means groundwater can be closer to the surface during excavation, which affects how the job is planned and staged. Contractors who work regularly in this area know which neighborhoods tend to run wet and account for that upfront. We serve homeowners and property owners across Fond du Lac and regularly complete footing work in nearby communities like Oshkosh and Beaver Dam where the same frost depth and soil conditions apply.
Tell us what you are building and roughly where on your property it needs to go. We reply within one business day. If you are not sure what you need yet, that is fine - describing what you are planning gives us enough to start the conversation.
We visit to check soil conditions, drainage, and site access. This is when we identify the footing depth, size, and number needed for your project. You receive a written estimate that covers excavation, materials, labor, and permit fees before you commit to anything.
We apply for the building permit with the City of Fond du Lac on your behalf and contact Digger's Hotline to have underground utilities marked before any digging begins. This step typically takes a few days to a week. Work does not start until both are in order.
Before concrete goes in, a city inspector visits to verify footing depth and dimensions. Once approved, we pour the concrete and let you know the wait time before building on top - usually three to seven days for most of the strength, with full curing over the following weeks.
We handle the permit, coordinate the inspection, and dig to the required depth - tell us what you are building and we will give you a clear written estimate.
(920) 375-8490Wisconsin's frost depth requirement is 48 inches, and Fond du Lac's climate makes that number matter. We do not cut depth to save digging time. Every footing we install goes to the required depth and is verified by a city inspector before the concrete is poured. That inspection is the only independent check that happens before the footing is buried and invisible.
Fond du Lac's clay-influenced glacial soils and the higher water table in neighborhoods near Lake Winnebago affect how footing jobs are planned and staged. We have worked throughout the area and know which sites tend to run wet, which soil types require wider footings, and where drainage has to be managed before digging starts. That local knowledge prevents mid-project surprises.
The City of Fond du Lac requires a permit for most structural footing work, and the inspection must happen before concrete is poured. We handle the application, coordinate the inspector's visit, and make sure everything is signed off before we backfill. You receive documentation that the work passed - a clean paper trail that matters if you ever sell the home or add to it later.
Fond du Lac has a large share of homes built before modern footing standards - many near downtown and along the lakefront. If you are adding to an older home, we assess what the existing footings can carry before we design anything new. Finding undersized or shallow footings before you start saves significantly more than discovering them mid-project.
Footings are invisible once the job is done - which is exactly why it matters who pours them. Do it right and the structure above stays level and safe for decades. Do it wrong and you are watching it shift a little more every spring.
Correcting a foundation that has settled or shifted - a different scope than new footings, but the same attention to what is underground and how it affects everything above.
Learn MoreFull foundation systems for new construction and additions where individual footings are part of a larger poured or block foundation scope.
Learn MoreSpring and summer scheduling fills fast - contact us now so your project is ready to go when the ground thaws.