New Construction Foundations for Omaha Homes
Every new home in the Omaha metro sits on ground that works against it. Eastern Nebraska's loess soil is fine, wind-deposited, and prone to shifting when it gets wet, and combined with hard freeze-thaw winters, a foundation poured wrong the first time shows it within a few seasons. Cracked slabs, settling footings, and walls that bow are the result. Getting a new construction foundation right for your Omaha property is about building for this specific ground and this specific climate.
Barrett Contracting has been pouring foundations, footings, and slabs in the Omaha area since 1966, when the company started as Barrett Masonry. We're still family-owned, and we're a BBB Accredited foundation contractor. Below is what goes into a new construction foundation pour, how our Omaha team approaches it, and where we work.
60 Years in Omaha Concrete
We opened in 1966 as Barrett Masonry. As new home construction increased across the area, we expanded into poured foundations, footings, and concrete walls and became Barrett Contracting. Even 60 years later, we're still family-owned, and our crews still complete projects according to the scope agreed on at the outset.
How We Pour a New Construction Foundation
Skipping steps or rushing cure times is where most foundation problems begin. Here's the general sequence our Omaha concrete slab contractors follow:
- Footings first. Footings sit at the deepest point of the foundation, so they're poured before anything else and given time to cure before we build on top of them. Footing depth is set by local building department requirements, which vary by jurisdiction across the Omaha metro. We confirm the applicable frost depth and load requirements before pouring, rather than assuming a single number applies everywhere we work.
- Forms go up. Once new construction footings have cured, our Omaha team builds the forms (casts) that will shape the foundation walls.
- Walls are poured. Concrete is poured into the forms to create the foundation or basement walls, whether that's a full poured basement, a crawl space foundation, or a slab-on-grade.
- Forms come down. After the walls have cured sufficiently, we strip the forms, and the foundation is ready for the next phase of construction.
Coordinating timing with other trades is often as demanding as the pour itself. A foundation contractor is typically one of several trades working within a tight construction schedule, so we coordinate directly with builders and homeowners to keep the concrete work on schedule and on budget.
Foundation & Footing Services for New Construction
We handle the concrete scope of new home construction from footings through finished slab:
- New Construction Footings: Poured first, sized and placed to code for the load and soil conditions on your lot
- Poured Concrete Foundation Walls: For full basements and crawl spaces
- Slab-On-Grade Foundations: For homes built without a basement
- Garage and Addition Foundations: Footings and slabs for attached or detached structures
- Concrete Pumping: For pours that need reach or volume standard chute access can't handle
We work directly with builders managing new construction and with homeowners working alongside their own general contractor, and we scope each project to the applicable plans and local code.
Built for Omaha-Area Soil and Weather
Sandy, silty soil and a harsh freeze-thaw winter are the two factors most likely to compromise a foundation that wasn't built to account for them. We plan footing depth, cure time, and drainage around both rather than applying the same approach to every project. This regional experience is one of the main reasons builders and homeowners return to us for their next project.
Where We Work
Barrett Contracting pours new construction foundations throughout the Omaha metro, including Bellevue, Bennington, Council Bluffs, Fremont, Gretna, La Vista, Lincoln, Papillion, South Omaha, West Omaha, and surrounding Nebraska and southwest Iowa communities.
Frequently Asked Questions
The footing is the base that sits below the foundation wall or slab, spreading the structure's weight into the soil. The foundation (wall or slab) is built on top of the footing. Both have to be sized and placed correctly for the soil and load conditions on your specific lot.
It depends on the scope. A basement foundation with footings, walls, and full cure time takes longer than a slab-on-grade. Footings and walls each need adequate curing time before the next step, so rushing the schedule is one of the most common causes of foundation problems.
Yes. Contact us, and we'll schedule a visit to review your plans and provide an estimate.
Both. We regularly work with residential general contractors and builders on new construction foundations in Omaha, as well as individual homeowners building on their own lot.
Get In Touch
For a new construction foundation or footings in the Omaha area, contact Barrett Contracting at (402) 253-2363 or online to schedule a free estimate.