Foundation installation in Saint Charles MO - built to suit your lot and your plans
Planning a house or addition and not sure if it needs a slab, crawl space or basement? We'll help you pick and build it right.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free on-site estimates.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Should my new house sit on a slab, a crawl space or a basement?
Foundation installation in Saint Charles means building the slab, crawl space or basement your house sits on, and the most important part happens before anyone digs, when we pick the type that suits your lot and the way you'll use the house.
Most people who call me about a foundation are building a new house or an addition and have plans drawn, but haven't settled what goes under it. The price turns mostly on the type you pick, because a crawl space takes more material and labor than a slab and a basement means far more digging, and then on the size of the footprint and how much the lot slopes. The schedule turns on permits, any flood or groundwater checks your address needs and the weather on pour day. If you already know you want a slab, our slab foundation building page covers that work in more detail, and either way your written estimate lists each part of the job separately so you can see where the money goes.
How we handle foundation installation
Picking a slab, a crawl space or a basement is a big decision, so I lay out the trade-offs for your lot before we price anything. Once you've chosen, our crew digs out the footprint and packs the subgrade, the ground the foundation actually rests on, then sets forms and rebar, the steel inside that holds the concrete together, and pours. After that the concrete needs time to cure, which means hardening slowly before it carries a house, so nobody should rush the framing onto it. If the budget gets tight, the base is the last place I'll cut, because nobody sees it once the concrete is down and it's what I spent years repairing when someone else skimped.
Most foundations sit on concrete footings, wide strips of concrete under the walls that spread the weight into the ground, and we pour them as part of the same job. Small business owners putting up a new building can have us handle the concrete parking lot building too, so one crew plans how water drains from the building to the street.
Slab for a simple, lower-cost build
A slab is one layer of concrete poured right onto packed ground, so it's the simplest, most economical and quickest of the three to build. The catch is that pipes under it end up buried, so a repair down there may mean breaking through the floor.
Crawl space for easy access underneath
A crawl space lifts the house off the ground and leaves a short open space under it, so you can reach the plumbing and wiring later. It's the one I'd point you toward if you'd rather crawl under to fix a leak than cut into concrete.
Basement for room below
A basement puts a full level below ground, which suits owners who want extra living or storage space under the house. They're common where winters are cold, and because the floor sits lowest, your lot and its flood map matter most with this type.
Foundation installation permits and flood rules in Saint Charles
Before we start, we check which office covers your address, because a foundation here can fall under the city or the county and each has its own rules. The City of St. Charles Building Division generally requires permits for all new residential construction, and St. Charles County's residential building permit covers footing or foundation only work. When a permit is needed, we handle the filing and keep you posted, and we'll tell you if another office has to sign off too. If your lot sits in a mapped floodway or floodway fringe, the county requires a floodplain development permit for practically any building or earthmoving there, even where no building permit is needed. The county's residential code also calls for an evaluation of the soil for groundwater before the job goes ahead, based on a soil investigation or on nearby data plus an inspection of the dug-out hole before the pour, so we build that inspection into the plan.
We're based in Saint Charles and work in cities across St. Charles County and nearby St. Louis County. On jobs in St. Peters and O'Fallon we run the same check of which office, flood map and groundwater rule applies, since all three follow the exact spot your house sits on. If you don't see your city on our list, call and ask.
Why Saint Charles homeowners call K&L Saint Charles Concrete for foundations
I come to every estimate
I come out to every estimate myself, and our crew lead runs the work on site. You hear the plan from the person who made it, and the crew on your job already knows what we agreed.
Concrete work since 2013
We've been in business since 2013, and before that I spent years fixing cracked walks, sunken steps and broken driveways for a property management company. That's where I learned what fails underneath, so I'd rather explain the base and drainage up front than have you surprised later.
Licensed and insured on every job
We're licensed and insured. That matters on a foundation job, where heavy equipment and deep digging are part of the work.
Flood maps checked before pricing
Some lots around Saint Charles sit in mapped flood areas, which can change how high the floor goes and what has to be filed, so I go over the flood map with you before we price anything. It's a lot easier to plan a higher floor on paper than to redraw it at permit time.
If you're still deciding between a slab, a crawl space and a basement, that's a good time to bring me in. Send us your project details or call (636) 277-0973 to set up a visit.
Request a quoteGet a free on-site foundation estimate for your lot
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, the estimate is free and there's no pressure to book. After you send the form, I come out to your lot, talk through the slab, crawl space and basement options with you and then send a written estimate with each part of the job listed separately.
What happens after you call about a new foundation
Call or send the form
Call (636) 277-0973 or send the form, and we'll set up a visit to your lot. If you have house plans, have them on hand.
Walk the lot with me
I come out, look at the site with you and ask how you'll use the house before I explain your options. Then I send a written estimate with each part of the job listed separately, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
Check permits, then build
Once you say yes, we check what your address needs from the city or county and file what's required. Our crew lead runs the job from the dig through the pour, including any inspection that has to happen before the concrete goes in.
Walk the finished foundation
At the end I walk it with you and go over how to care for it. On a crawl space, that includes how to keep it dry.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best foundation for a damp or sloped lot?
A crawl space is often the preferred choice on a damp or sloped lot, because it keeps the house up off the ground instead of sitting right on it. A crawl space can last many decades, but only with proper ventilation and moisture control, since without them it can be prone to mold, mildew and structural damage. I'll walk your lot with you and tell you which way I'd lean.
How long does a concrete slab foundation last?
A slab can last 50 to 100 years, depending on the soil under it and the climate it sits in. That's a long life, so the choice you make now is one your house will live with for generations.
How much does foundation installation cost in Saint Charles, MO?
Across the US, a foundation usually costs about $6 to $50 per square foot, and where yours lands in that range comes down mostly to the type and the size. That's the general market range, not our price, so your own figure comes from the written estimate after I see the lot. Every job is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Do flood maps change my foundation plan in Saint Charles?
Yes, if your lot is in a mapped flood area, because the floor has to sit higher. St. Charles County's current floodplain page requires the lowest floor of new construction to be at least 1.0 feet above the base flood elevation, the level the mapped flood is expected to reach, and an undated city permit form sets the lowest floor, basement floor included, at or above the base 100 year flood elevation. In flood-prone spots a slab also gives less protection from water damage than a raised foundation, which is worth weighing before you settle on one.
What causes a concrete slab foundation to crack?
Slabs usually crack when the ground moves under them, which happens most with soils that swell and shrink and in places with frequent freeze-thaw cycles. Tree roots can crack a slab too, so it's worth asking how the trees near your house affect the plan, and we'll look at what's growing close to the footprint during the estimate.
Do I need a soil test before building a foundation in Saint Charles?
One engineering guide says yes, since it says foundation design always begins with a soil study using borings or test pits and lab testing of the samples. Where the county's rules apply, the groundwater evaluation covered above also has to happen before the work goes ahead. If you already have a soil report, we'll go over it with you early on.
Other concrete work that goes with a new foundation
Concrete footings
If you're adding a porch, deck or room, footings are the concrete pads that carry the weight into firm ground, and sizing them right helps keep the walls above from settling.
Concrete parking lot building
Putting up a shop or small commercial building means customers need somewhere to park, and a concrete lot built on the right base with planned drainage handles daily traffic without pooling water.
St Charles, MO
Tell us about your new foundation
Send the address, the foundation type you're leaning toward and the home's square footage, and I can look up your lot's flood map before I even come out.