Foundation installation in Tuscaloosa AL - a house built on ground that's been tested

Yes, the city requires permits for all new construction, and its Building and Inspection Division handles residential ones. A lot in the Lake Tuscaloosa, Harris Lake or Lake Nicol watersheds can need extra approvals, and the Office of the City Engineer answers questions about them. We pull the permits our part needs and work from the plans those offices approve.

Ask the county's Floodplain Manager before the foundation is planned, since the Black Warrior River, local creeks and overloaded drains can all flood parts of the city. On a floodplain lot, the city's foundation-only permit becomes a full one after it approves an Elevation Certificate, which a licensed surveyor, engineer or architect completes once the minimum floor height is set.

If the work on the home costs more than $10,000, labor and materials counted together, Alabama's Home Builders Licensure Board treats whoever does it as a residential home builder. Work outside the board's jurisdiction is the one exception. It's worth asking any builder about before you sign.

Yes, and we want one before we plan anything. The Tuscaloosa County soil survey says its information isn't site specific and doesn't replace looking at the soil on the lot itself, so testing by people experienced in design and construction comes first. If it finds clay that swells, that changes the timing and drainage choices above.

A new-construction foundation pour for a typical 2,000 sq ft house in Alabama usually costs about $8,500 to $21,500 per job. That's the usual statewide price, not our quote. Your figure comes from the estimate, once I've seen the lot and we know what the soil test found.