What's new

Concrete Foundation, talk me in or out

Baconator

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 1, 2020
Member Number
1740
Messages
314
I am building a 50x80 steel building, I have the steel and had a foundation designed. I dont know any concrete foundation contractors so I bid a few guys who were recommended to me, and they all came back around $30k-$40K, I had budgeted $20k based upon the shop I build 5 years ago. I know concrete has gone up quite a bit, but this seems steep.

I am wondering if it is something I could tackle myself, my concrete experience is pouring small pads and cassions, and grinding cocks out of small pads, so I am not very experienced.

This is a snipped from the drawing so you can see what I am needing to do. The wall is only 3.5' tall, and 8" wide unless its where a beam attaches.
Here is a corner of the drawing and the detail that goes with it. Curious if I should be saying F-it and happily paying, or saving 20k and doing it myself. Im not 2BigBronco determined, so factor that into your advice.
Foundy.jpg

Foundy-2.jpg
 
How thick is the floor, and what reinforcement? If it's not too late, setting your building up on a 3' knee wall makes a much better building. Never worry about damaging the building and keeps it away from the dirt/moisture.

I did a 40x60, 24"x12" footing 12" wide wall 8' tall on one side 4' on the other, 8" floor with lots of rebar and total materials ran about 20k. Your material cost depending on floor specs should be a bit less, 15k maybe?
 
This is a big project. I would not be afraid to tackle it but I own heavy equipment, concrete forms, Telebelt conveyor truck and compactors.

your gonna want to rent aluminum forms for the wall. We charge $4/foot to rent the forms. Is there front discharge trucks in your area? Can you get a truck to drive around the whole thing to spout the walls and footings? If not you’ll need a pump or Telebelt, we charge $650 a trip for that. Do you have a strong back and a transit to level everything up? With a ton of will power you could do it, question is do you want too?

me I own everything to do the job, I would dig the hole and hire the concrete work out lol.
 
How thick is the floor, and what reinforcement? If it's not too late, setting your building up on a 3' knee wall makes a much better building. Never worry about damaging the building and keeps it away from the dirt/moisture.

I did a 40x60, 24"x12" footing 12" wide wall 8' tall on one side 4' on the other, 8" floor with lots of rebar and total materials ran about 20k. Your material cost depending on floor specs should be a bit less, 15k maybe?

This is what the engineer is requiring, my last shop was as you described which was much easier, I did 90% of the work on that.
Floor will be 5" thick, and 6" in certain places, floor will be poured after the building is up, I am doing infloor heat so everyone has recommended waiting until the building is up to get that in.
 
This is a big project. I would not be afraid to tackle it but I own heavy equipment, concrete forms, Telebelt conveyor truck and compactors.

your gonna want to rent aluminum forms for the wall. We charge $4/foot to rent the forms. Is there front discharge trucks in your area? Can you get a truck to drive around the whole thing to spout the walls and footings? If not you’ll need a pump or Telebelt, we charge $650 a trip for that. Do you have a strong back and a transit to level everything up? With a ton of will power you could do it, question is do you want too?

me I own everything to do the job, I would dig the hole and hire the concrete work out lol.

I own lots of equipment, but no forms. I have a line on the forms to rent, but honestly dont know jack about setting them.
No front loads around here, I can get to 3/4 sides, and maybe the 4th side if I did some grading to make it easier. All of my quotes have a pump truck in them so far.
My summer schedule is going to slow down in July, Id rather pay someone to do it, but it will take longer to make that much then it would for me to do the work, I think...
 
How thick is the floor, and what reinforcement? If it's not too late, setting your building up on a 3' knee wall makes a much better building. Never worry about damaging the building and keeps it away from the dirt/moisture.

I did a 40x60, 24"x12" footing 12" wide wall 8' tall on one side 4' on the other, 8" floor with lots of rebar and total materials ran about 20k. Your material cost depending on floor specs should be a bit less, 15k maybe?

I should add these quotes dont have any floor in them, walls only. Floor is going to be another ~$20k
 
Top Back Refresh