Slab foundation building in Wichita Falls TX - a slab planned for our clay soil
Building on clay that swells and shrinks? We prepare the ground, reinforce the slab and plan drainage so your house sits on a sound base.
- Fully licensed and insured.
- Free in-person estimates.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Slab foundation types we build
Rebar or wire mesh slab
Rebar, the steel bars inside the concrete, or welded wire holds the slab together if it cracks. It's a standard choice for many homes and additions.
Post-tensioned slab
Steel cables run through the slab and are pulled tight after the pour, which keeps the whole slab squeezed together as clay underneath swells and shrinks.
What goes into building a slab foundation in Wichita Falls?
Slab foundation building in Wichita Falls means pouring a reinforced concrete slab that rests directly on prepared ground and carries your house, and the work runs from digging out the site through the pour and the cure.
You're most likely planning a new home or an addition, and you want the foundation done right the first time. The price turns mostly on the size of the slab, whether it's post-tensioned or reinforced with rebar, and how much work the ground needs before we pour. The schedule turns on the permit, the weather and how long that ground work takes. When I come out, the estimate I write lists what the job includes, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
Slab foundations, from ground work to handover
I start with how you'll use the building and what the ground looks like, as we do for foundation installation and concrete parking lot building, because concrete is hard to undo once it's poured.
Digging out the subgrade
We dig out and pack the subgrade, the soil the slab sits on, because a slab on loose dirt settles right along with it.
Forms and reinforcement
We set the forms and place the steel, and I'm glad to price a post-tensioned slab next to a standard reinforced one so you can compare.
Pouring and curing
We pour before the afternoon heat so the concrete cures, or slowly hardens, into a strong top instead of a weak, dusty one.
Drainage talk at handover
When we hand the slab over, we go over how to keep water draining away from its edges, since that's what protects it for years.
Why Wichita Falls homeowners choose Ironset
I sold ready-mix and wrote quotes before I started Ironset in Wichita Falls in 2013, and homeowners kept asking me what they were really paying for. I learned the work on a finishing crew so I could answer that question on the job myself.
You meet the person writing your price
I come out to look at every job and write the estimate myself, and while our crew forms, pours and finishes, I check in along the way.
Your budget goes into the ground first
The base is hidden on day one, so it's often the first thing people want to trim. It's the last place I'd cut, because everything else rests on it.
Licensed, insured and guaranteed
We're fully licensed and insured, and our promise is the same on a house slab as on a sidewalk. Satisfaction guaranteed on every job.
What happens after you call about a slab foundation?
I plan each slab around how you'll use the building and what your lot needs, and I'd rather take extra time on that plan than hurry a pour.
or call (940) 298-1219
Call or send a message
Call (940) 298-1219 or use the form, and let us know where the lot is and roughly how large the home will be.
I visit the lot
I come out to look at the ground and how water moves across it, ask how you'll use the slab and talk through which reinforcement suits it.
Your written estimate
The estimate lists what the job includes. When you're ready, we check on permits, set the ground and forms, pour, finish and walk the slab with you.
Get a written price for your slab and the ground work under it
Send the lot address and the size of the home you're planning, and we'll reply within one business day to set up a visit. I'll write your estimate on site, free and with no obligation.
Questions about slab foundations
How much does a slab foundation cost in Wichita Falls?
Reinforced concrete slabs in Wichita Falls usually cost about $6 to $11 per square foot, which is the going rate in the area for the slab itself, not our price. Where your job lands depends on the slab's size, the reinforcement and the ground work it needs, and the estimate I write lists each of those for your lot.
Is a post-tensioned slab better on clay soil?
The trade group for post-tensioning says these slabs resist the stress of moving soil better than slabs without that built-in squeeze, and calls them a cost-efficient choice for homes on shrink-swell clay. It also says they can often go in faster, with fewer pieces to handle and less concrete to place. That's why we offer to price both kinds side by side.
How long does a new slab foundation take to cure?
A new slab should be walkable within about 48 hours, and full curing takes about a month. You may want to wait a week before heavier loads go on it, since the concrete is still gaining strength.
How do I keep a slab foundation from failing on clay soil?
Start with the ground and the water, because a slab on poorly prepared ground is far more likely to perform poorly and fail, no matter what steel is in it. On clay, keeping drainage working around the edges matters just as much for as long as the house stands.
What does a vapor barrier under a slab do?
A vapor barrier is a sheet laid under the concrete to keep ground moisture from coming up through the slab. One maker's white paper says a properly installed one reduces or eliminates indoor moisture problems, such as damaged floor coverings and mold or mildew that lowers indoor air quality.
Should I ask for a maintenance plan for a post-tensioned slab?
Yes, a construction and maintenance manual for post-tensioned slabs says the builder should develop a maintenance program and pass it on to the owner. Ask for it at handover and keep it with your house records.
Other work around your foundation
Foundation installation
If your build calls for a different kind of foundation than a slab on the ground, we can plan that with you from the soil up.
Explore Foundation installationConcrete parking lot building
A business lot carries cars and trucks every day, and it needs the same packed base and drainage planning that a house slab does.
Explore Concrete parking lot buildingConcrete footings
Additions, porches and detached garages often rest on footings, the thick concrete strips that spread a wall's weight into the soil below.
Explore Concrete footings
Slab foundation building on Wichita Falls clay
Wichita Falls Building Inspections issues building permits and licenses and registers contractors, and the city requires the correct permits and licenses for construction work. We check with the city before we start and handle the application and paperwork when a permit is needed. If an engineer designs your slab, the Texas engineering board requires those plans to be signed and sealed by a professional engineer at a registered firm.
Inside the city limits, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on about 30% of mapped land, and 54% of Wichita County's mapped soil is rated high for shrink-swell. That's not a reason to worry, but it is the reason I spend time on the ground and the drainage plan before we talk about anything else. We meet the same kind of clay on slab jobs in Burkburnett and Iowa Park, and we prepare the ground the same careful way there.