Slab foundation building in Lafayette LA - a floor set at the right height for your lot
Planning a new house and unsure how high or how strong the slab should be? We plan it around your lot before the pour.
What goes into building a slab foundation in Lafayette?
Slab foundation building in Lafayette gives a new house a concrete foundation that rests on the ground. The plumbing, the electrical lines and a sealed vapor retarder, a moisture barrier under the floor, all go in beneath the slab before it's poured.
If you're building a house, the slab is the first thing that goes in, and once the walls are up you won't see it again, so most of the decisions about it have to be made early. The price moves with the size of the house, how high the slab has to sit on your lot, the kind of slab and steel the ground calls for, and how much work the ground needs before the pour. The schedule turns on the permit, the soil information and getting the plumber and electrician in ahead of us. I write all of that into your estimate so you can see what's included before you decide. A house foundation is structural work, and Louisiana's contractor licensing board says residential projects that need any structural work must be bid and done by a licensed Residential Building Contractor, so ask any builder you're considering about that license. We're fully licensed and insured.
What happens after you call us about a slab foundation?
Call and set a visit
When you call or send the form, we set a time for me to come out to your lot. If you have house plans already, please have them on hand, because they answer a lot of questions early.
I walk the lot with you
I look at the spot, ask how the house will sit and be used, and look at where water goes on the lot. You then get a written estimate that lists what's included and what isn't, so you know what you're paying for before anything is decided.
We check the permit first
Before anything is scheduled, we check with the permit office for your address. That way the height, the soil questions and the permit are settled before the crew is booked.
Our crew lead runs the work
On the work days our crew lead runs the job with our finishers, and I come by to check the work and answer your questions. When the slab is finished, we clean up and walk it with you.
How we build a slab foundation, and the work around it
Before any dirt moves, I like to settle the slab height, the soil information and the schedule for the under-slab plumbing and electrical, so the other trades and the design line up before the pour. From there our crew digs out and packs the subgrade, the ground the slab sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt and takes the slab with it. We check where water runs so the finished grade carries it away from the house, then set the forms and let the plumber and electrician run their lines before we finish the base. The sealed vapor retarder goes down next, then the steel, either rebar or post-tensioning cables depending on the design, which holds the concrete together as the ground moves under it. We pour early in the day, since concrete placed in midday heat can end up with a weak, dusty top, and after finishing, the slab cures, a waiting period while it gains strength, before anyone builds on it. If the budget gets tight, the base is the last place I'd cut, because a nice surface can't make up for ground that moves, and once the house is framed nobody can get back to it.
Not every house sits on a slab on the ground, and when the plans or the lot call for something else, our foundation installation work covers it. Small business owners putting up a building usually need somewhere for customers to park as well, so we also handle concrete parking lot building with the same care for the base and the drainage.
Request a written estimate for your slab foundation
We reply to every message within one business day to set a time for me to come out and see your lot, and the on-site estimate is free and comes with no obligation. Thank you for considering us.
Slab foundation questions from Lafayette owners
How do I find out how high my slab needs to be in Lafayette?
If your lot is in the flood fringe, part of the mapped floodplain, the city requires the lowest floor of a new home, including its mechanical and electrical equipment, to sit 1 foot above the base flood elevation, the flood level set for that area. You can search your address on Lafayette's flood zone map to see which zone you're in, and we settle the slab height with you before the design is final. If the slab is raised with fill in the floodplain, the city's rule is that the flood storage it takes up gets replaced with an equal amount, so that plan has to come with the height.
Do I need an elevation certificate to build a new house in Lafayette?
Yes, if the lot is in a Special Flood Hazard Area, which includes Zones A, AE and AH, new construction must have a FEMA Elevation Certificate during permitting. The certificate shows the home meets the required flood height plus the freeboard, the extra height above it, which is one more reason the slab height gets settled early.
Who issues the permit for a slab foundation in Lafayette?
The Development & Planning Department issues permits for all development in Lafayette and in unincorporated Lafayette Parish. Its permit list names residential building and land disturbance rather than slab foundations by name, so that's the office we check with for your address, and when a permit is needed we take care of the application and keep you informed.
What is the best type of slab for shrink-swell clay in Louisiana?
On clay that swells and shrinks, a post-tensioned slab, one reinforced with steel cables that are pulled tight, is the type worth asking a builder about, because the Post-Tensioning Institute, a trade group, calls it a cost-efficient, high-performance answer to foundation problems on those soils. A statewide study found coastal Louisiana faces the highest risk from expansive soils, though every developed part of the state carries some. If you ever need to drill or cut a post-tensioned slab later, those cables have to be located first.
Should the soil be tested before building a slab foundation?
Yes. One engineering group says every foundation design should rest on soil data, which usually comes from soil borings, lab testing of the samples, a site visit and long-term weather records. Asking about soil borings early helps the slab design fit the ground under your house, so it's one of the first things I bring up at the visit.
How much does a slab foundation cost in Lafayette?
The cost comes down to the house's footprint, how high the slab has to sit, the slab type and steel the design calls for, and how much work the ground needs before the pour, so I can only give you a number after seeing your lot and plans. Your written estimate spells out what's included and what isn't, and you can call (337) 216-1997 or use the form to set up the visit.
Other foundation and site work we do
Foundation installation
When your plans call for a different foundation than a slab on the ground, or an addition needs its own, this is where we start the conversation.
Concrete parking lot building
If you're putting up a shop or office, the lot out front takes cars every day and needs the same packed base and planned drainage underneath.
Book your slab foundation visit today
Have your house plans and flood zone ready when you call (337) 216-1997 or send the form, so we can talk through height and soil on the first visit, with your satisfaction, guaranteed.