Slab foundation building in Springdale AR - a solid base planned before the pour

Reinforced concrete slabs in the Fayetteville area usually cost about $7 to $11 per square foot, and that's the general market price, not our quote. Where your slab lands depends on its size, the dirt work, the reinforcement and the plumbing layout, so the estimate I leave after seeing your lot is the number to go by. Our work is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.

Yes, the University of Arkansas Extension Service advises pretreating the soil with termiticide, the chemical termite treatment, before the pour, because slab homes are so prone to termite attack. A treatment done right protects the house for many years and costs much less than treating later, which matters here since termites do heavy damage to Arkansas buildings every year and the repairs are often costly. The Extension also says a treated site that isn't poured the same day should be covered with plastic sheeting so rain and evaporation don't wear the treatment down.

The Extension's termite manual says a monolithic slab, where the floor and footing are poured in one continuous go, gives the best protection against termites. That's because it leaves no joints where termites can sneak in out of sight, so if termites worry you, it's a fair type of slab to ask your builder about.

The City of Springdale Buildings Department handles inspections, and its list includes a footing inspection, a plumbing rough-in under the slab and a slab inspection before the pour. At the slab inspection the city wants the termite slip, the paper showing the soil was treated, and the insulation in place, plus a finished floor elevation beforehand when one's required, and the building permit has to be posted with trash containment on site before anyone calls for an inspection. We check what the city office wants, take care of the paperwork and book the inspections while keeping you posted, and the department answers inspection questions at 479 750-8154.

It can be, since the Post-Tensioning Institute, the trade group for the method, calls post-tensioned slabs a cost-efficient, high-performance choice for homes on soil that shrinks and swells. Steel cables are tightened after the pour to squeeze the slab, and the group says that built-in squeeze resists soil movement better than a slab without it, and it can often go in faster with fewer pieces and less concrete. A post-tensioning foundation manual also stresses good drainage around the edge of the slab on swelling soil, and says the builder puts together a maintenance program to pass on to you, so it's worth asking for one.

The usual guidance is that a slab should be walkable within 48 hours, though concrete takes a month to fully cure, which is the slow hardening it does as it gains strength. Waiting a week before putting heavier loads on it is the safe course, so it pays to set the framing date with that in mind.