Foundation installation in Bellingham WA - slab, crawl space or basement chosen with you
You're planning a new house or an addition and aren't sure what should go under it. We help you choose, then build it.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free quotes on site.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Which foundation should go under my new house?
Foundation installation in Bellingham is building the slab, crawl space or concrete basement your house will stand on, with anchors set into the concrete to help hold the frame down against uplift, the force that tries to lift a house off its base.
Most people reach us with drawings for a new house or an addition and one open question, which is what should go under it. At Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company, I like to settle that before anyone digs, because the foundation type decides where your pipes run and how much ground comes out. The price moves with that choice, with the size of the footprint, how deep we dig, whether a basement needs drainage around it and how easily our equipment can reach the spot. The schedule turns on the permit side, the weather and what we find once the ground is open, and your written estimate spells out the scope so you can see what's included. If the house will sit on a single pour at ground level, our page on slab foundation building covers that job in more detail.
How do you know what your building site needs?
Water standing after rain
If water sits on the spot where the house will go, the ground there probably drains slowly or holds water near the surface. That points toward careful drainage or away from a basement, and finding it after the dig usually means changing plans with the crew already on site.
Soft or sloping ground
If your boot sinks in, or the lot falls away to one side, the job will usually take more digging, packed fill or taller forms than a flat, firm lot would. I'd rather see that at the estimate than price around it later, because surprises in the ground are what stretch a schedule.
Plans with no foundation chosen
If your drawings show the house but the foundation is still open, that's the first thing to settle, since it decides where the plumbing runs. Leaving it late can mean redrawing pipe runs and pushing back the dig.
How we handle foundation installation
A slab, a crawl space and a basement each trade something off, from how easily you can reach repairs to how much moisture you'll manage, so I go over those choices with you before anything is dug. Once you've chosen, we lay out the footprint, dig down to firm ground and pack the subgrade, the base the concrete sits on, because a base that's only raked level settles with the dirt. We form the footings and walls, set the rebar, the steel inside that helps the concrete carry weight and keeps cracks tight, and place the anchors that tie the frame to the foundation. If you want a basement, we plan the drainage around the walls in from the start. If a budget has to give somewhere, I'd rather it not be the ground work, since nobody sees it once the concrete is down and it's the hardest part to fix later.
Most foundations bear on concrete footings, the wide strip of concrete under the walls that spreads the weight into the ground, and we pour those as part of the job or on their own for a builder. Small businesses putting up a shop or a commercial building often need the ground around it done as well, and we handle concrete parking lot building so the lot drains away from the new foundation instead of toward it.
Slab
A slab suits a flat lot and a house you want close to the ground, with few steps at the door. It's the simplest of the three to build, and the main question is what you'll want to reach underneath it later.
Crawl space
A crawl space suits owners who expect to repair, rewire or remodel over the years, because there's room to get under the floor. It asks a little more of you in return, since that space has to be kept dry.
Basement
A basement suits a sloped lot or a family that wants the extra room, and it's the most digging of the three. It also needs the most planning around water, which we work out with you at the estimate.
Get a written estimate for your new foundation
We reply within one business day to set a time for me to come out. The estimate is free, given on site and in writing with the scope spelled out, and there's no pressure to book.
Call (360) 312-3799- Based in
- Bellingham, WA 98225
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–9 PM
What happens after you call us about a foundation?
Here's how a foundation job runs from your first call to the day we pack up, and who you'll be dealing with at each step.
Call or send the form
Thank you for getting in touch. We set a time for me to come out and ask a few questions about what you're planning to build.
I visit and measure the site
I look at the ground, measure, and ask how you'll use the house, including whether a basement is on your list. You then get a written estimate with the scope spelled out, so you can see what the price covers before you commit.
We prepare, form and pour
Once you're ready, we sort out the permit side with the right office, then prepare the ground, set the forms and steel, and pour. The concrete then needs time to cure, the wait while it gains strength, before the framing goes on.
I walk you through care
Before we leave, I walk you through looking after the new concrete while it cures. We clean up as we go, and the site is left as tidy as we found it.
Why Bellingham owners call Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company for foundations
The owner at every estimate
I come out to look at each job and give the estimate myself, and I work the job alongside our crew. The person who measured your lot is the one at the forms on pour day.
Building in Bellingham since 2020
I started out pouring walks and patios for neighbors on weekends and made it a full business here in 2020. Six years in, the ground work under the concrete is still what we're known for.
Licensed and insured for your build
We're licensed and insured. That matters on a foundation, where heavy digging and a large pour happen right beside your lot lines and utilities.
Estimates that list what's included
Your written estimate spells out the scope of the work, so you know what you're paying for before you decide. Every line is there so you can compare it fairly with another bid.
The decisions under the ground come first, and they start with a look at your lot. Request your estimate or call (360) 312-3799 and we'll set a time.
Building a foundation in Bellingham and Whatcom County
Before anything else, I'll check with you whether your lot is inside Bellingham city limits, because many addresses with a Bellingham mailing address are actually in unincorporated county, and that decides which office the work goes through. For properties in the city, the city's Permit Center takes permit questions at permits@cob.org. Whether your particular foundation needs a permit is something we confirm with the right office rather than assume. We handle the permit paperwork when a job calls for it, and if you'd rather apply yourself, we'll give you what you need from our side.
Whatcom County requires every structure to be designed for earthquake loads, and the west and east halves of the county sit in different zones, so where your lot is changes the design. On a lot in a flood zone or floodway, the county requires a special foundation design or flood vents, openings that let floodwater pass through, and we'll check that for you before pricing the job. We're based in Bellingham and work across Whatcom and Skagit counties, and we run the same checks on jobs in Ferndale and Sudden Valley.
Questions about foundation installation in Bellingham
Call (360) 312-3799How much does foundation installation cost in Bellingham?
The cost depends mostly on which foundation you choose, how big the footprint is and how much digging the lot needs, so I give you a figure only after seeing the site. A slab is usually the least digging and a basement the most, and a lot that needs a soils report, flood design or extra drainage adds steps. Your written estimate lists each part so you can see where the money goes.
Is a slab or a crawl space better for my home?
Neither is better for every home, because a slab gives up easy repair access and a crawl space asks you to keep moisture in check. With a slab, plumbing and some utilities may sit under or inside the concrete, so a leak later can mean cutting into it. A crawl space keeps pipes, wiring, ducts, insulation and framing within reach, but if it stays damp it can damage the wood, the ducts and the floor framing, so we'll talk through which risk suits how you'll use the house.
What is the best way to keep a concrete basement dry?
A concrete basement stays dry mainly by draining groundwater away from its walls, through sand, gravel or drainage boards against the foundation. That layer has to go in before the dig is backfilled, which is why it's on your estimate from the first visit.
Will I need a soils report to build a foundation in Whatcom County?
Most houses won't, because the county sets an allowable soil bearing capacity, the load the ground is allowed to carry, that suits most residential projects. A structure that needs more, or a lot in one of the small, uncommon areas with questionable soils such as expansive soil or high groundwater, needs an engineer's soils report, which adds a step and a cost. You'll hear at permit submittal whether the building official will require one, and we'll look at your lot with that in mind.
Does a foundation need anchors if my house isn't in a high-wind area?
Yes, according to one trade field guide, which says code requires foundation anchors even when a home isn't in a high-wind zone or earthquake country. The anchors tie the frame to the concrete, and we set them as part of the pour.
How do I know if my lot needs extra attention for earthquakes?
Your lot deserves a closer look if it sits on soft soil, such as a river valley or the shoreline of a bay or lake, because earthquake shaking is strongest on ground like that. On those sites it's worth asking how the foundation design handles shaking, and I'll look at where your lot sits and check that for you at the estimate.
Related concrete work around a new foundation
Concrete footings
If you're adding a porch, a garage wall or a post that has to carry real weight, footings give it a firm, wide base in the ground.
Concrete parking lot building
When a new shop or office needs paved parking beside it, we can plan the lot's grade and drainage alongside the building so water moves away from both.
Service areas around Bellingham for foundation work
Craftsman Bellingham Concrete Company is based in Bellingham, WA, and builds foundations across the cities around it. The nine areas below each have their own page, including Lynden and Burlington, and we work in other cities nearby as well.
Bellingham, WA
Book your foundation estimate with the owner
Have the property address and the foundation type you're leaning toward ready, so I can check before the visit which office your lot falls under.