Footer digging in Knoxville and East Tennessee

What footer digging is

A footer is the trench at the base of a foundation wall. It spreads the weight of the house into the ground. Before anyone forms or pours it, someone has to dig it to the right width, depth and layout. That is the part we do.

We dig to the lines your builder or surveyor has set and to the depth on your plans. We do not form or pour concrete. We hand you a clean trench that is ready for the next trade.

When you need it

You need footers dug for a new house, an addition, a garage, a retaining wall or a block foundation for a shed or outbuilding. If the lot needs clearing or leveling first, we can do that as site prep before we dig.

How we do it

• We walk the site with you and look at the plans, the stakes and the ground.
• You get a straight number in writing before any work starts.
• Our crew digs with our own Caterpillar 305 mini excavator and keeps the spoil where it will not get in the way.
• We check depth as we go and clean out loose dirt at the bottom.

What affects the price

Footer digging jobs around Knoxville vary. The length of the footer, how deep it goes, how easy the site is to reach and what is under the topsoil all change the time it takes. Rock is the big one. Machine time starts at $135 an hour for the mini excavator, and your final number comes from the site visit.

East Tennessee ground

A lot of ground around here is red clay. It digs well but holds water, so a heavy rain can fill a fresh footer and soften the bottom. We plan the dig around the weather and the pour date when we can. In some spots limestone sits close to the surface. If we hit rock, we stop and talk with you before going further. On sloped lots, the footer often steps down the hill, and we follow the steps on your plans.