Foundation installation in Kingston NY - a solid base built with drainage in mind

Across the US, a foundation usually costs about $6 to $50 per square foot, and the type you choose moves it more than anything else. That's a national range, not our price, so your own figure comes in the written estimate I put together after seeing your lot. Satisfaction guaranteed.

In the City of Kingston, Building Safety & Zoning Enforcement handles building permits and inspections, and in the Town of Kingston the Code Enforcement Officer issues them. Both enforce the New York State building code, and the Town adds its own requirements, so which office you deal with comes down to your address.

For most houses I lean toward poured walls, because block walls have many seams between the blocks that can be more prone to leaks. Block may cost less up front, but it can take more skilled labor to lay and more care to keep water out. I'll walk you through what each asks of you down the road.

Done well, a foundation can last for decades or longer, and how long yours goes depends on the soil, the climate, drainage, routine upkeep and prompt repairs. We can't change the soil or the winters, so we put our effort into drainage, and catching small problems early does the rest.

Once the site is leveled and the footings are poured, a slab pour typically takes a full 8 hours with a 3-person crew, according to one national cost guide. The whole job runs longer than pour day, and I'll lay out the steps around it once I've seen your lot.

It's worth a look, because the EPA says adding radon-reducing features to a new home is cost-effective, and some builders put in complete fan-powered systems, especially where radon potential is high. New York's health department recommends fixing radon when the lowest lived-in level tests at or above 4 pCi/L, which is guidance, not a Kingston rule.