Bigger or unusual job? Compare bids from local pros and you pick who does the work.
The service
What new foundation & slab-on-grade construction is, what a visit covers and where the line is.
The short answer
A new foundation or slab-on-grade is the base that carries a building. New Foundation & Slab-on-Grade Construction in Berkeley is booked through pros who cover its 11 ZIP codes, in neighborhoods such as Elmwood, North Berkeley, and Berkeley Hills. Berkeley Hills fire season prep (vent screening, ember protection) is a major fall service. You describe the building and site, licensed pros send bids, and you pick who builds it.
What a new foundation & slab-on-grade construction visit includes
What is included depends on the jobs you pick and on how each pro sets up their visit and timing. You see the exact scope with each pro's price before you book.
- Site survey and soils review
- Excavation, footing forms and rebar
- Concrete placement and finishing
- Vapor barrier, drainage and waterproofing
- Anchor bolts and utility sleeves
- Inspections and engineered documentation
Pick what is on your new foundation & slab-on-grade construction list
Tick what you want done, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, and you can describe anything else when you book.
Site and soil
Tick what you want done. One visit can cover several.
Tick jobs above, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, so they see exactly what you need before they arrive.
What shapes a new foundation & slab-on-grade construction job
These are the things that make one job different from another. Mention them in your notes so each pro can scope your job properly.
Foundation type
The right foundation depends on soil, climate, slope and the building above. An engineer should confirm the choice. Tap an option to compare, then add your pick to your job notes.
What is not part of new foundation & slab-on-grade construction
Knowing where the line is keeps the visit on track and keeps you safe. When a job belongs to a specialist, NorTech tells you before you book.
- Any job where labor and materials together reach $1,000 or more is done by a licensed contractor. Foundation bids come from licensed general contractors.
- Foundation design and soils testing. An engineer or testing lab provides these unless the bid says it coordinates them.
- Framing, roofing and the building above the foundation. These are separate scopes unless the project is bid as a complete build.
- Plumbing, electrical and gas lines under the slab are done by licensed trades, even when scheduled by the general contractor.
- Repair of an existing failing foundation. That is a separate service on NorTech with its own approach.
- Hauling away large amounts of excavated soil or rock may be a separate item. Ask whether it is in the bid.
License and permits for new foundation & slab-on-grade construction
Foundation bids come from licensed general contractors. Foundations are structural work, and any job that reaches $1,000 in labor and materials is done by pros who hold the right license, visible on the pro's profile. Under-slab plumbing and electrical are done by licensed trades.
New foundations and slabs commonly need a building permit with approved drawings, and inspections before concrete is placed. Grading, drainage and utility connections can need their own permits in general terms. Ask each bidder who pulls permits and schedules inspections.
Check the license and insurance details on the pro's profile, ask to see approved plans and the inspection record, and keep concrete delivery tickets and test results. Ask for photos of steel and forms before the pour.
Plan your visit
How booking works, how to get ready, and what to expect where you live.
How booking new foundation & slab-on-grade construction works
Say what needs doing
Add your ZIP and a few words about the job.
Compare pros near you
Each pro sets their own price and warranty. NorTech does not pick for you.
Book the pro you pick
Add photos and details on their page. Your card is held and only charged after the work and the photos.
Photos and a warranty
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free.
Before you book new foundation & slab-on-grade construction
Quick things that save a trip. Tick them off as you go; none of it is required to book.
Gather your site documents
Pull together any survey, plot plan, soils report, utility maps and drawings. Bidders price a foundation from facts about the site, and missing documents leave gaps that become change orders.
Share the building plan
Tell bidders the size, number of stories, garage or basement and any special loads like a workshop or vehicle lift. Heavier loads change footing and slab design.
Mark access and clear the area
Show where trucks will drive, where concrete can be placed and what must be removed such as trees, fences or old pavement. Clear access makes pumping and hauling simpler to plan.
Ask what the bid assumes about soil
A bid should state what it assumes about the ground, and what happens if rock, fill or water turns up. Ask for it in writing before you sign.
Plan the pour date around weather
Ask bidders how rain, cold or heat will affect the schedule, and how they protect and cure the concrete. Flexibility on dates helps avoid poor conditions.
Ask who coordinates inspections
Foundation inspections must happen before concrete covers the work. Ask each bidder who schedules them, and what happens to the schedule if one fails.
Say where in Berkeley you are
Add your neighborhood, for example Elmwood, North Berkeley, and Berkeley Hills, or your ZIP code to your notes. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, and it tells them how far they have to travel.
How where you live changes new foundation & slab-on-grade construction
Together
Book new foundation & slab-on-grade construction with your neighbors
Every home on the street gets the pro’s neighbor rate, and each one books and pays on its own.
Start a Street Day- Start one
Pick the job, your street, a day and a pro who offers a neighbor rate.
- Share the link
Send it to neighbors. Only the city is ever shown publicly, never your street.
- Neighbors join
Neighbors on your street book the same pro on the same day.
- Everyone saves
Each home gets the pro’s neighbor rate, a percent off the pro’s own price, and books and pays on its own.
Often booked together with new foundation & slab-on-grade construction
Book several services with one pro. Pros set their own bundle discounts.
Cracks and surface damage in existing concrete nearby are often repaired as part of the same site work.
Good drainage around a new foundation protects it from water and settling.
Waterproofing below grade is easier to plan alongside a new foundation than to add later.
A new garage slab can receive an epoxy coating once it has fully cured.
Around Berkeley
Where in Berkeley the work happens, and the cities close by.
New Foundation & Slab-on-Grade Construction across Berkeley
Pick your neighborhood to see what homes there tend to need. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, so enter your ZIP code to see who covers yours.
Cities near Berkeley
Pros often cover more than one city. The rings show 5 and 10 miles from the center of town.
Other services in Berkeley
Each one has its own page for this city.
Berkeley Hills homes sit in a designated WUI fire zone, so ember-resistant vent screening and defensible-space prep are essential ahead of fall fire season.
See pros in BerkeleyHillside lots shaded by oak, bay, and eucalyptus drop heavy debris, and clear gutters are critical for managing winter runoff and preventing slope erosion above the flats.
See pros in BerkeleyThe plaster and lath in Berkeley's older brown-shingle and Craftsman homes is prone to cracking from settling and seasonal moisture, making patch-and-match repairs a common request.
See pros in BerkeleyElevated hillside decks above the Claremont and North Berkeley canyons take a beating from fog and winter rain, so regular sealing protects the structure and the hillside below.
See pros in BerkeleyFrom compact Elmwood bungalows to faculty homes near campus, refreshing interior paint revives the character of Berkeley's vintage rooms while letting you choose low-VOC, eco-conscious finishes.
See pros in BerkeleyDesign-ready construction of an accessory dwelling unit by a licensed general contractor: detached, attached or garage conversion, with permits, utilities and inspections.
See pros in BerkeleyTrust and answers
What backs the work, who is licensed and insured, what customers say, and your questions.
Backed by your provider’s warranty. If covered work fails, your provider makes it right, free.
Berkeley homeowners
New Foundation & Slab-on-Grade Construction reviews in Berkeley
Verified new foundation & slab-on-grade construction reviews from Berkeley homeowners will appear here.
Be the first new foundation & slab-on-grade construction review in Berkeley
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free. Book with confidence and tell Berkeley how your pro did.
Book New Foundation & Slab-on-Grade Construction in BerkeleyFrequently asked