
A concrete footing should be 100mm deep by 300mm wide if the footing is for a free standing wall. The footing should be increased to 150mm deep and 450mm wide if the wall being built is a retaining wall. For larger retaining walls an engineer may need to be approached for advice.
How deep and wide do footings need to be?
Width: Footings should have a minimum width of 12 inches. Secondly, how deep should a column footing be? A guideline for the depth is 12 inches, plus one additional inch for every three inches of the column. For example, the footing for a six-inch column should be at least 14 inches deep.
How deep should you dig your footings?
To start laying the building foundations, you'll need:
- mesh reinforcement in the foundation concrete
- compressible material for lining the trenches
- a polythene slip membrane
- cut metal pins to use as markers ready on site
- several rakes and pairs of wellies (you’ll be surprised how many people turn up for work in trainers)
How thick does my footing need to be?
- Trees. Trees will draw moisture from the ground around them and beyond through their root system. ...
- Drains and sewers. As the weight (load) from the foundation of a building is transferred to the soil it spreads downwards outside the footprint of the foundation at a typical ...
- Size and construction of new building. ...
- Ground condition. ...
- Landfill sites. ...
How to calculate depth of footing?
The processes executed in the foundation works are given below:
- Excavation of earthwork in trenches for foundation.
- Layout cement concrete.
- Lay the footing in case of raft or column construction.
- Lay Anti termite treatment.
- Lay Brickwork up to the plinth level.
- Lay damp proof course on the walls.
- Refilling of earth around the walls

What is the standard footing size?
You can look up the recommended footing size, based on the size and type of house and the bearing capacity of the soil. As you can see, heavy houses on weak soil need footings 2 feet wide or more. But the lightest buildings on the strongest soil require footings as narrow as 7 or 8 inches.
What is the minimum width of a footing?
12 inchesThe minimum width of footings shall be 12 inches (305 mm).
How thick does a concrete footing need to be?
Wall Footing Thickness. The minimum reinforced concrete footing thickness will be 6 inches or 1-1/2 times the length of the footing projection from the foundation wall, whichever is greater.
How do I know what size footing I need?
To determine the size of the footing, a simple formula is used: Structural Load (lbs) / Soil Capacity (psf) = Footing Surface Area Required (sq. ft.)
Should you put gravel under footing?
You do need gravel under a concrete slab, footing, or patio. Gravel provides a solid foundation for your concrete as it can be compacted. It also improves drainage, preventing water from pooling beneath the concrete.
How deep should a wall footing be?
All footings should be a minimum of 150mm (6") in depth, with the bottom 350 - 400mm (14-16") below ground level on most soils. For clay soil however, thicker and deeper footings should be used.
Do footings require rebar?
Do You Need Rebar in Concrete Footings? Including rebar in a concrete footing means that you can reduce the risk of the concrete being pushed and pulled apart – cracking – from ground force pressures. Knowing this, it is generally a good idea to use rebar in footings for any structure.
How deep should footings be for a garage?
8 inches deepIn most areas of the United States, garage footers are usually dug 36 inches below the final grade. The footer size is typically 20 inches wide and 8 inches deep.
How do you calculate depth of a footing?
Minimum Depth of Foundation by Rankine's FormulaDf = P/ γ (1-SinႴ/1+SinႴ)2Df – Minimum depth of foundation in meters.P – the Bearing capacity of the soil in KN/m2γ – Density of soil or the unit weight of the soil in KN/m3Ⴔ – The angle of repose soil.
How wide should foundations be?
Width of foundation concrete (W) should be a minimum 600mm. This can be reduced to 450mm if ground conditions permit. 5. Depth of foundation concrete (D) for the traditional strip should be not less than projection (P) or 150mm whichever is the greater.
How far apart should foundation footings be?
8 to 10 feet apartWhile 8 to 10 feet apart is a sufficient distance for foundation piers to support most structures that would sit atop a post and pier foundation, if the building is particularly tall or made of heavier materials such as brick or metal, it's not uncommon to place the foundation piers even closer together.
How wide should a house footing be?
As you can see, heavy houses on weak soil need footings 2 feet wide or more. But the lightest buildings on the strongest soil require footings as narrow as 7 or 8 inches.
How much does a 12 inch footing weigh?
A 12-inch footing is 1 square foot of area per lineal foot, so the code is saying that the portion of a two-story wood house that bears on the outside walls weighs about 2,500 pounds maybe a little conservative, but reasonable.
How does a footing work?
The footing transmits the load into the soil. The lower the bearing capacity of the soil, the wider the footing needs to be. If the soil is very strong, the footing isn't even strictly necessary just the soil under the wall would be enough to hold the building up.
Do masons need footings?
Regardless of bearing requirements, masons and poured-wall contractors want footings for their block or their forms to sit on. But the lesson to take is that when soils are very strong, (4,000-psf capacity or better), the footings may not be strictly necessary from the standpoint of bearing.
Is rebar required in footings?
Footers must be twice as wide as wall minimum with 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch rebar in footing with 2 runs, placed in the bottom half of the footing, at least 6 inches apart and not less than 3 inches from the bottom and the sides of the footing supported on chairs. Rebars are required in dwellings.
What is the minimum depth of footing?
minimum depth of foundation :– minimum depth of foundation is around 5 feet for a small residential building from ground level or at least 1.50 times the width of footing. In cold climates the depth of footing is Kept at a minimum of 1.50m below surface because of possible frost action.
How deep should footings be for a 6 foot wall?
All footings should be a minimum of 150mm ( 6 “) in depth, with the bottom 350 – 400mm (14-16″) below ground level on most soils. For clay soil however, thicker and deeper footings should be used.
What is the standard footing size?
Under every house is a foundation, and under most foundations are footings. Most of the time we take footings for granted, and usually we can: For typical soils, a common 16- or 20-inch-wide footing can more than handle the relatively light weight of an ordinary house.
Do you need a footer for a concrete slab?
All three types of slabs will need a footer and a slab of at least 4″ thick. The footer’s depth needs to be the frost line’s depth or as per local code, but no less than 12″ deep.
Do you need rebar for 4 inch slab?
No, you do not need rebar for a 4 – inch slab of concrete on grade. A 4 – inch -thick slab cast on the ground and in permanent contact with it will float and rebar is not required. Rebar is recommended on concrete measuring 5 – 6 inches thick.
How deep is the foundation of a 3 story building?
Footing depth for 3 storey (G+2) building :- for 3 storey (G+2) house or in simple 3 floor building, general thumb rule, using standard 9″ thick walls, we recommended to use depth of footing minimum 5′ (1.5m) beneath the ground level for isolated footing shallow foundation in gravel and sand soil with higher bearing
