Foundation installation in Orem UT - drainage planned before the first pour
Building on a new lot and worried about water, soil or cracking walls? We plan the drainage and bracing first, so the walls hold up.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
What goes into building a new foundation in Orem?
Foundation installation in Orem, UT means building the concrete footings, walls and slab your house stands on. The walls are built to hold back the soil around them, and the drainage is planned so water doesn't add to that load.
You've usually got plans, a lot and maybe a soils report, with a lot of decisions coming fast. The price mostly moves with the size of the building, how deep we dig, how tall the walls run, what the soil and water are doing, and how much drainage and water protection the site needs. The schedule depends on the city, the weather and the wait before we can put dirt back against the walls. Your own figure comes from the estimate I give after I've seen the lot. We're Professional Orem Concrete Construction, based in Orem and working across the cities around it in Utah County.
Is foundation installation the right call for your project?
Plans in hand, no crew
Your house design is done and you need someone to build the footings, walls and drains to it.
A lot that holds water
If puddles sit after a storm, the foundation plan needs to start with where that water goes.
Running the build yourself
If you're acting as your own builder, we'll handle the concrete and talk you through the water side.
Tight lot, close neighbors
Squeezing a foundation between fences and an existing house is the kind of fitting work I enjoy.
How we handle foundation installation
I start by walking the lot to see where water comes from and where it can go, because a foundation is the one part of the house you can't easily reach again. Then we dig out, pour the footings, form and pour the walls, and put on the water protection and drains while the walls are still open. I spend a lot of time on how those walls will stay dry. We don't backfill, which means putting soil back against the walls, until they're braced or tied in at the top and bottom, because the foundation standards call for that support before any dirt goes in. That holds even if the dirt pile has to sit a while.
Every wall sits on concrete footings, so we usually pour them as part of the same job. If the ground around the new house steps down, concrete retaining walls can hold it back. Small property owners and builders putting up a shop or office can also have us do the concrete parking lot building once the building is up.
New house on a cleared lot
This suits homeowners and builders starting from bare dirt, because the drainage, water protection and walls can all be planned together before anything is covered up.
Foundation for an addition
This suits families adding on to a house they live in. The new walls have to meet the old ones, and we work around your household while we do it.
Garage, shop or outbuilding
This suits smaller buildings and small property owners. A detached garage or shop still needs water thought through, so the floor and walls stay where they were poured.
What happens after you call about a new foundation?
Call or send the form
Tell us where the lot is and what you're building, and we'll set a time to meet you there.
I walk the lot myself
I look at the site and what's around it, watch for where water runs and ask what you plan to do with the space. Your estimate is built on what I saw at your lot, not a guess over the phone.
We check with the city
Next we check with the city that has the say on your job. Then we set a date that suits the weather and your household.
We build, then walk it together
I work on site with our crew through the job. Before we leave, we walk the finished work with you so you can see what was done and ask anything.
Where to spend on foundation installation
Below ground, where you can't go back later.
The drains, the water protection on the walls and a well-packed base all disappear under backfill, so they're the first things people want to trim when the budget gets tight. I'd trim somewhere else. Water that gets into a basement is hard and costly to fix once the house is finished.
You can upgrade finishes later, and you can finish a basement later. Nobody wants to dig out a foundation wall to redo the drainage. If something has to give, I'd rather we keep the hidden work and simplify the parts you can change down the road.
Examples of concrete work
Look through these examples of concrete work, from foundations and footings to driveways and patios, to picture what could work on your own property.
Get a foundation estimate for your Orem lot
Send us the lot address, the planned building size and any soils report you have, and we reply within 1 business day. Then I come out to give you a free estimate at your property, with no obligation.
Why Orem homeowners call Professional Orem Concrete Construction for foundations
The owner does every estimate
I come out to look at your lot and give the estimate myself, and I work on site with our crew when we build it. The person who sized up your water problem is the one standing in the excavation.
Started on footings and foundations
I spent my first years pouring footings, foundations and flatwork on new construction, where every job started on bare dirt. We've been in business since 2023, and that background shapes how we plan every foundation.
Licensed and insured for your build
We're licensed and insured. That matters when a crew and heavy equipment are working on your property.
Based in Orem, working Utah County
We're based in Orem and work across the cities around it in Utah County, and if yours isn't listed, just ask. Call (385) 476-8003 or send us the form to get started.
Foundation questions we hear often
How much does foundation installation cost in Orem?
There's no single price for a foundation, because every lot and building plan is different, so I don't post one. Beyond size and depth, the cost moves with how easily an excavator and concrete truck can reach the hole, how much the lot slopes and whether we're tying into an existing house. I'll give you a figure once I've seen the lot and your plans.
How do I keep water away from a new foundation?
Plan the drainage into the foundation before the walls are poured, because extra water in the soil adds pressure on the walls. Foundation walls are built for an expected soil pressure. Changes in soil water from weather, from changes to the building's systems or from a rising water table can greatly increase that pressure, and good drainage keeps it close to what the walls were built for.
Are cracks in a new concrete foundation normal?
Yes, cracks in concrete walls and slabs are common, and most of them aren't a cause for alarm. You can reduce and control cracking with control joints, which are grooves that give the concrete a planned place to crack, but you can't prevent it completely. I'd rather you hear that from me before we pour than find out afterward.
Can I pull my own building permit for a new foundation in Orem?
If no general contractor is being hired, Orem's city forms include an Owner-Builder Certification for that, but it isn't allowed on commercial projects. If you hire us, we take care of the permit side, as covered in the Orem section below.
How do I find out if my Orem lot has soil problems?
Start with a soils report for the lot if one exists, and have me look it over with you. The Utah Geological Survey's hazard map can help, but most hazards are mapped only within specific study areas, so a lot with no mapped data may still have geologic hazards.
How long does foundation installation take?
It depends mostly on the size of the building, the weather and the city's timing, so there's no single answer. One wait that surprises people is the backfill, which holds until the walls are supported or braced, as we covered above. Concrete also needs time to cure, which is the wait while it gains strength, before it carries more load.
Planning a foundation in Orem?
Ask for an estimate and I'll come out to your lot, look at the water and soil, and price your foundation.
Other concrete work for your build
Foundation installation in Orem and the cities nearby
In Orem, the City of Orem issues building permits, and applications go in fully online through an account in the city's submittal system. Once you're registered, the city's Building Permit Portal lets you check on the application and schedule or view inspections. Whether your foundation needs a permit is the city's call, so we check with them before we schedule. When a permit is needed, we take care of the paperwork and the inspections.
Across Utah, the Survey says problem soils, including expansive, compressible and collapsible soils, can cause extensive damage to foundations. Collapsible soil is strong when dry but can settle a lot once water reaches it. An older Survey article also names a rising shallow water table as the major flooding hazard to homes, because it can flood low areas and basements. High stream and lake levels, heavy rain or snow, and too much irrigation can all raise it. That's why water comes first on the foundations we build here and on jobs in Provo and Lindon.