# Deck Footings



## ricpacer69 (Mar 4, 2006)

I'm hoping you guys/gals could give me some ideas. I need to dig 10 - 48" deep footings for a double decker porch. The problem is getting to the site. It is in the city and the house and the yard are seven feet higher than the street, with a concrete wall holding the yard back. The only access to the house is a 36" wide concrete stairway. Normally, I would just use a two man auger for this but, the plans call for those Big Foot footings so the hole has to be much bigger than 12". Any ideas you could give would be a great help. The only other thing that I have thought of was to use a crane to lift the machine up to the area. Thanks.


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## Bone Saw (Feb 13, 2006)

ricpacer69 said:


> I'm hoping you guys/gals could give me some ideas. I need to dig 10 - 48" deep footings for a double decker porch. The problem is getting to the site. It is in the city and the house and the yard are seven feet higher than the street, with a concrete wall holding the yard back. The only access to the house is a 36" wide concrete stairway. Normally, I would just use a two man auger for this but, the plans call for those Big Foot footings so the hole has to be much bigger than 12". Any ideas you could give would be a great help. The only other thing that I have thought of was to use a crane to lift the machine up to the area. Thanks.


Ric, I have never been in that scenario, but if it were me and assuming you are talking about getting a mini skid w/auger up the banked yard I would would just do a little shuffeling around with your logistics; get your delivery in 2 stages. . Assuming your getting your supplies delivered either by moffett truck or boom lift truck, just have your skidder on site and ready to go when taking delivery of stage 1 and have the driver pick your machine and place it up there for you. When finnished, take delivery of stage 2 and have driver pick machine and place it back down for you:thumbsup:


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## ricpacer69 (Mar 4, 2006)

Now the HO has thrown a monkey wrench into the scenario. All along the top of the seven foot wall there is a row of six foot hedges. He wants me to give him a quote on working around them. This means that I will have to lift everything up at least fourteen feet and then into the yard.


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## MinConst (Oct 16, 2004)

There is allways the option of a couple youngins and a shovel.


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## RobertCDF (Aug 18, 2005)

I hope you charged a lot for this work...


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## denick (Feb 13, 2006)

Ric,

Pictures would inspire thought! If possible.

How are you going to get the concrete and materials up there?

Do you know what the digging is like?

Are you going to be near the wall and hedge?

What is the area like when you get into the yard?


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## rino1494 (Jan 31, 2006)

That is why I like being able to pick and choose our jobs.


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## ricpacer69 (Mar 4, 2006)

I will take pictures tomorrow and post them. I have not given this guy a proposal yet. When I first met with him he asked me a ballpark figure and I said maybe $ 25k but I told him I would have to see what the architect was using for materials. Plus I'll have to get a parking permit for a dumpster etc.. It is a first floor wrap around porch about 300 sq. ft. The second floor porch wood be about 120 sq. ft..


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## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

Yep send some pics, but I think from the sound of it, hand labor may be the best way on this one. 
Easier to dig than to place the concrete but maybe hand mixing by the bag would not be too bad. 
Do you have someone that you could put on site to watch over a couple laborers?


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## jmic (Dec 10, 2005)

Ricpacer,
Ron Schenker is a digging fool with a shovel:blink: , I'd make him an offer that he can't refuse, put em up in a motel some place with a couple of wild woman:w00t: , he'll get them footings dug in nothing flat:thumbsup: .:laughing: :laughing:


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## MC Excavating (Jan 26, 2006)

Maybe you can use a Bobcat 316 mini excavator and an augor. The 316 can retract its tracks inward for a width of only 27.6 inches and when you gain access you extend them back out for stability to a width of 35.6 inches. It has a dozer blade that doubles as a stabalizer to level your self on uneven ground. To get the machine up the stairs you can build a temporary ramp out of 2x4s and plywood. This machine only weighs 1676 lbs. The only thing is im not sure how big of an auger it will take or maybe no auger at all. 

Well it looks like they may only have an auger attachment for the 323 but maybe you can squeeze this on in.

Good luck!


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