Estimating Footings

Footings & Grade Beams

The BidMagic construction estimating software includes a section for estimating concrete footings and grade beams.

Turn on this choice if you'll be pouring any kind of continuous support structure around the perimeter of the building. This might consist of any of the following foundation items:

• Formed footings underneath a basement wall or stem wall (Example 1).
• Unformed footings under a slab-on-grade. In this case, the footing will consist of just the 'extra' concrete under the regular slab (Example 2).
• Grade Beams supported on top of piers or a stem wall, or simply earth-supported (Example 3).

NOTE: For more about specific types of foundations, see pages 356-365.

Enter the total length of the footing or grade beam into the Length field. If you lock this field, the larger of the basement perimeter or first floor perimeter will be used.

HINT: Watch out for any interior support walls, and be sure to add them to the length of exterior walls.

Enter the width and thickness of the footing or grade beam, as measured in inches. If you are using more than one size of footing or grade beam, either enter a weighted average size, or enter the most common size, and handle items of different sizes in Specifications.

NOTE: If you lock the footing thickness, the stem/basement wall thickness will be used (with a minimum of six inches). If you lock the footing width, a 'suggestion' of two inches width for every foot of stem/basement wall height will be used (with a minimum of twelve inches).