Core terms

Footing

Core terms · definition

The widened concrete base below a foundation wall or post that spreads the structure's load over enough soil to prevent settling. New structural posts require their own footings.

Source: InterNACHI — Inspection Glossary: Footing

Where this comes up

  • Concrete

    A mix of cement, aggregate, and water that cures into a hard structural material used for footings, slabs, and foundations. Curing time a…

  • Foundation

    The structure (slab, crawl space, or basement) that transfers the building's load to the ground. Foundation condition underlies the feasi…

  • Foreman

    The lead worker who directs a specific crew or trade on site, working alongside the team while ensuring the work meets plan and schedule.

  • Floor Plan

    A scaled overhead view of a level showing walls, rooms, openings, and fixture locations. The primary drawing for understanding layout and…

  • Framing

    The skeleton of wood or steel members — studs, joists, rafters, beams — that gives a structure its shape and carries its loads before fin…

  • Flashing

    Thin water-resistant material installed at joints and transitions (roof-to-wall, around windows and penetrations) to direct water away an…

  • Furring

    Thin strips fastened to a wall or ceiling to create a level, plumb nailing surface or an air gap before finish material is applied — comm…

  • Finish Schedule

    A table in the drawings specifying the exact finish for every surface in every room — flooring, wall, ceiling, trim — so selections are d…

Where this term fits in a remodel

The pillar guides set terms like this one in context — what the work involves, what drives its cost, and where it sits in the sequence of a project. Pricing a specific house takes a defined scope and an on-site assessment.

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