Formula: V = Length × Width × Depth
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Concrete Footing Calculator
Undersized footings fail inspections. Oversized ones waste thousands in materials. Use our free concrete footing calculator to get exact cubic yards, bag counts, and cost estimates before you pour a single inch. Works for strip footings, pad footings, and poured concrete walls, all in one place.
Three Tools. Every Foundation Type Covered.
Concrete Footing Cost Calculator
The core tool for any footing project. Enter your footing length, width, and depth, get cubic feet, cubic yards, and total material estimate instantly. Works as a full concrete calculator for footings on residential and commercial builds. Best for strip footings, spread footings, continuous wall footings, and garage foundations across the USA and Australia.
Concrete Foundation Cost Calculator
Same inputs as the footing calculator, with cost layered on top. Enter your local ready-mix price per cubic yard and get a full material cost estimate in seconds. Works as a footer concrete calculator and footing concrete calculator for any project size. Best for budgeting new construction, additions, retaining walls, and permitted foundation work.
Poured Concrete Wall Cost Calculator
Built specifically for foundation walls. Enter your wall height, thickness, and total linear footage, get volume and cost for the entire poured wall system. Works as a concrete foundation cost calculator and foundation concrete calculator for full-perimeter basement and crawl space walls. Best for new home foundations, garage stem walls, and below-grade retaining structures.
Footing Depth Requirements by Region
Footing depth is not optional in its code. In the USA, footings must sit below the local frost line to prevent heaving and structural movement. Frost depth varies significantly by region. In the South and Southwest, 12 inches is often sufficient. The Midwest and Mid-Atlantic typically require 36 to 42 inches. Northern states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota require footings as deep as 48 to 60 inches. In Australia, footing depth follows AS 2870 soil classification standards, which vary by site reactivity class.
Always check your local building department for the required frost depth before you calculate footing dimensions. An undersized footing depth voids your permit and fails inspection every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to calculate concrete footing?
Multiply footing length × width × depth in feet to get cubic feet. Divide by 27 for cubic yards. Add 10% overage before ordering. For bagged mix, divide cubic feet by 0.60 for 80 lb bags. Use our concrete footing calculator above to run this instantly for any footing size or shape.
How to calculate a concrete foundation?
Break the full perimeter into individual footing sections. Calculate each section separately using length × width × depth, then sum all sections. Divide the total cubic feet by 27 to get cubic yards. Add wall volume separately using our poured concrete wall cost calculator. Always get a cost estimate using your local ready-mix price before ordering.
What is the minimum footing size for a residential foundation?
In the USA, the IRC requires a minimum footing width of 12 inches for one-story structures and 15 inches for two-story structures on standard soil. Footing thickness must be at least 6 inches. However, local amendments often require wider or deeper footings, always verify with your local building department before finalizing your footing dimensions.
How thick should a concrete footing be?
Most residential footings run 8 to 12 inches thick. The general rule is that footing thickness should equal the footing projection beyond the foundation wall on each side. So if your wall is 8 inches wide and your footing is 16 inches wide, the projection is 4 inches on each side — meaning your footing should be at least 4 inches thick. Most engineers specify 8 to 10 inches as a practical minimum for load transfer.
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