Thirty-three days at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit is what Midland recorded in 2022, and the record is 65 days, set in 2011. A footing crew works inside that calendar. The strip of concrete that carries a wall is small, but it is placed in a hurry, in dry heat, and it has to be right because everything above it depends on it.
We form, reinforce and place footings and stem walls for commercial buildings, equipment shelters, tilt-up structures and light industrial facilities in Midland and the surrounding Basin communities. We coordinate the footing excavation and crossing utilities with the concrete specialists’ placement and finishing work, keeping those handoffs ahead of each pour.
A footing job looks simple on paper, yet a surprising number of problems begin here: a layout string pulled a foot off, a trench left open over a rainy weekend, a stem wall poured before the embeds arrived. We manage the sequence so none of those become your problem.
Owners who build on footings and stem walls
Footings and stem walls carry the buildings commercial developers put up along the loop, the compressor and pump houses oil, gas and midstream companies set on pad sites, and the classrooms and clinics that schools and healthcare owners schedule around fixed opening dates.
Each of those buyers cares about different things. Developers care about speed from permit to slab. Operators care about tolerances where equipment bolts down. Public and institutional owners care about inspection records. We adjust paperwork and sequencing to suit.
Remote pad sites add one more consideration. We mobilize crews to the site, bring forms and steel on a planned day, and fix the batch plant and haul time in the calendar before the footing trench is opened. That keeps a rural or lease-road location from turning a short pour into a long day.
Highways, interchanges and access to the job
Midland's highway work shapes truck access for footing pours. SH 349 shares pavement with I-20 for about 10.2 miles on its route around the west side of Midland, and TxDOT's I-20 at Midkiff Road project rebuilds the overpass so I-20 crosses over Midkiff Road, with new signals at the service road intersections, sidewalks, rebuilt service roads and ramp improvements.
When a site sits near construction like that, we ask the owner's rep about lane closures before we book trucks. Footings are small pours, but they need steady delivery, and a load stuck in traffic is a load that has to be rejected. We choose batch plant and route together.
The same discipline applies to the daily start time. A footing crew that arrives before the trucks can strip final dirt from the trench, check string lines and confirm steel clearances. By the time the first load arrives, the only thing left is placing and finishing.
What the footing scope includes
A typical scope covers layout from the survey, trenching or excavation by a coordinated partner, formwork where earth cannot hold a clean edge, reinforcing steel and dowels, embed plates, concrete placement and finishing, curing, and stripping. For stem walls we add wall forms, ties, bracing and a second placement.
We also handle the small details that cause delay if missed: anchor bolts set to template, sleeves for plumbing passing through the footing, and keyed or doweled joints where a stem wall meets a slab. We check each against the drawings before the inspector arrives.
Footing elevations deserve their own attention. We shoot the tops of forms, compare them against the benchmarks on the plan, and mark each step in the footing so the stem wall crew inherits clear lines. A footing that is a half inch off at one end can mean a thick or thin first course of masonry, which gets noticed.
Pour windows and mix timing in a hot, dry climate
Footings can often be placed in a single morning, which is an advantage in summer. We order mix with temperature control, place before the day heats up, and start curing immediately. If wind rises, we use windbreaks or shift the pour to a calmer day.
Stem walls need a little more patience. Forms must stay plumb and braced while the mix gains strength, and we strip them on the schedule the engineer allows. We put the placement and strip dates on the same calendar as the framing start, so the next trade is not waiting.
Work that connects to footings
Footings sit between the earth and the structure, so they connect to several other scopes. Concrete foundations describe the overall system, while slab on grade floors floors tie into the stem walls we build. Grade beams come into play where soil or loads call for a beam rather than a continuous footing.
We quote these together when the drawings allow, which saves repeat mobilization and keeps the same crew responsible for a connected set of details.
What changes a footing price
The largest swings come from excavation conditions, reinforcing density, the number of elevation changes in the footing and the amount of formwork needed. A long straight footing with a clean trench is inexpensive per foot. A footing with steps, pits, thickened sections and piers costs more.
Mobilization matters too. A site that needs three separate visits costs more than one that allows a continuous run. We tell owners which layout changes would help, and we price allowances for unknown conditions openly so nobody is surprised.
We also suggest value choices when they exist, such as combining a footing step with a nearby utility trench or choosing a form-free edge where the soil holds a clean cut. Those suggestions go to the owner's rep in writing, with the price effect shown, so the decision belongs to the owner.
Send footing drawings for a firm number
Share the plans, the survey and your target start. We will return a scope, a pour calendar and a price. If the building also needs concrete paving around it, we can include that in the same proposal.
Common Questions
How do you keep a footing trench from collapsing in sandy soil?
We coordinate sloped sides, shoring or a wider excavation where the soil needs it, and we place the footing soon after the excavation is approved. The longer a trench stays open, the greater the chance of sloughing or rain damage.
Do footings and stem walls get poured separately?
Often yes. The footing is placed and cured, then the stem wall is formed on top and poured later. On some jobs a monolithic pour is allowed, which saves time but needs the engineer's approval and tighter coordination.
What does the inspector check before we pour?
Typically excavation depth and bearing, reinforcing size, spacing and cover, dowels and embeds, and formwork where used. We keep the trench clean and the steel supported so the inspector can see everything.
Can you build footings for equipment pads?
Yes. We coordinate with your engineer on anchor bolt templates, tolerances and curing, and we keep the pour record. Heavy foundations for compressors often use equipment pads and machine foundations details that go beyond a standard footing.
How do you handle the heat on footing pours?
We place early, use a mix suited to hot weather and cure right away. We also schedule around the afternoon peak and delay a placement when wind and temperature would dry the surface too quickly.