Stormwater grading permit
New one- and two-family houses in Prattville must apply for a stormwater grading permit, and the city's site measures must be in place to pass inspection, so we plan around them.
Slab foundation building in Prattville AL - a firm base under your whole house
Planning a new house or addition on your lot? We prep the ground right and pour a slab built to carry the whole home.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
What a house slab job involves
Slab foundation building in Prattville means pouring the concrete slab your house sits on, and since the whole home rides on it, how well it's built decides whether the floors and walls above stay where they belong.
The price mostly comes down to the size of the slab, how much dirt we dig out and pack to reach firm ground, and how easily a concrete truck can get to the spot. The schedule turns on the permit, the inspection, the weather on pour day and the curing time, the days concrete needs to harden before it carries weight.
We find out which office covers your address and what it wants before we set a date, and when a permit is needed we handle the application or walk you through it before any work starts. I'll come out, measure and give you a figure for your own slab.
Ground work comes before looks
Nobody sees the base under a house slab after the first day, so it's the first place people want to save money. I won't cut it, because everything above it settles with it.
Straight talk about cracks
Concrete cracks. I'd rather show you where yours likely will and cut control joints there, grooves that make it crack along a line we chose, than promise it won't.
Full time since 2013
I learned on the job beside older hands and went full time in 2013. I run the work on site with my crew, so you aren't handed off. Your satisfaction, guaranteed.
How we build a slab that carries a house
A house slab carries the whole home, so the work starts below it. We dig out to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the dirt and base the slab sits on, in layers instead of raking it level, because loose fill settles and takes the concrete down with it. We also look at where water runs on your lot, so it drains away from the slab instead of collecting under it.
Before the truck shows up, we check the vapor barrier, the plastic sheet under the slab that keeps ground moisture out, and patch any tears while there's still time. When the concrete comes, we don't let it get watered down to make it easier to spread, because extra water makes a weaker slab that shrinks more as it dries. We'd rather start early than pour in the midday heat, which can leave a weak, dusty top.
This page covers slabs that sit right on the ground. If your plans call for another kind of foundation, that's our foundation installation work, and business owners who need room for cars can look at concrete parking lot building, which starts with the same dig, pack and drain.
Building a house slab in Prattville
What the ground here does
Most mapped soil in Autauga County rates low for shrink-swell, the swelling and shrinking that comes with wet and dry spells. Slabs still settle from poor drainage, plumbing leaks, tree roots or loose fill.
Slab inspection before the pour
The city does footing, slab and plumbing foundation inspections the same day when they're requested before 10 a.m. We line ours up ahead of time, so the pour isn't held up waiting on it.
Same work across nearby cities
We're based in Prattville and build in Montgomery, Millbrook, Wetumpka, Pike Road, Clanton, Holtville and plenty of other cities around them, with the same ground work wherever your lot is.
Get a free estimate for your slab
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out to your lot, and the estimate is free with no obligation.
Have the address and size handy
Send the lot address and the planned slab size in square feet if you know it, because that's where the price starts and it lets me come out ready.
I come out and measure
I walk the lot myself, look at where the water runs and how a truck gets in, and measure, so the figure fits your ground and not a guess.
Show me your plans
If you have house plans or a site plan, have them out when I visit, because they show the slab's outline and where the plumbing comes up through it.
Examples of concrete slabs and foundations
These photos show slab edges, surface finishes and site prep you can point to when we talk about what your house needs.
Questions about slab foundations in Prattville
Here's what people planning a house or addition in Prattville usually ask about cost, permits, licenses and when they can use the slab.
What does a concrete slab foundation cost near Prattville?
A reinforced concrete slab in the Montgomery area usually costs about $6 to $11 per square foot, going by one cost guide for that market. That's what the work typically runs in the area, not our price. Your own figure comes from the estimate after I measure your lot and look at the ground.
Do I need a city permit for a slab foundation in Prattville?
The City of Prattville requires permits for all construction its building codes cover, and its list names new houses, additions, outbuildings and manufactured homes without naming slab foundations on their own. Ask the city's building department what your job needs. Initial review of a residential application usually takes 3 to 5 days, so we get it in early.
Does my foundation contractor need a state license in Alabama?
Yes, if they contract directly with you and the job costs more than $10,000, a state Home Builders Licensure Board rule says a foundation contractor needs a residential home builder's license without limitation. Under that rule, the license is about who you're signing with and how big the job is. We're licensed and insured.
Can I act as my own contractor on a house slab in Alabama?
You can, but you're trading some protections for the savings. Homeowners who claim the state's homeowner exemption put their rights at risk, including filing a consumer complaint and getting paid from the Homeowners' Recovery Fund. Subcontractors you hire still need a license when their part tops $10,000.00, and if you pay someone to supervise, you're not acting as your own contractor.
How soon can we walk on a new concrete slab foundation?
You can usually walk on a new slab within 48 hours, but concrete takes a month to fully cure. To be safe, you may want to wait a week before putting heavier loads on it, so it's worth building that week into your schedule.
Other foundation and concrete work
Call about your house slab
We're open 6 AM to 11 PM every day, so call (334) 788-0315 or use the form whenever your plans are ready.