Footings and stem walls
Continuous footings below frost with poured stem walls, the standard for homes with a crawlspace and for additions tied into an existing house. Anchor bolts and hold-downs are set to the plans.
Footings · Stem walls · Basements · Slabs · Flatwork
Concrete Foundation Contractor in Missoula, Montana
Handy's Construction digs, forms and pours concrete foundations across Missoula and western Montana: footings and stem walls, full basements, shop and garage slabs, and flatwork. The same crew does the excavation and the backfill, and estimates are free and written after a site visit.
Last updated: November 2026
Handy's Construction is a licensed and insured Montana general contractor based in Missoula, owner-operated by Tyler Handy and serving Missoula, Ravalli, Mineral and Lake Counties.
What does a foundation from Handy’s Construction include?
Short answer
A Handy's Construction foundation job covers the site visit and layout, excavation to the required depth, footing and wall forms, reinforcing steel, the pour, cold-weather protection when needed, stripping, damp-proofing or waterproofing, drain tile where specified, and backfill. One crew runs all of it, so there is no hand-off between an excavator and a concrete company.
If you are looking for foundation contractors in Montana who can take a lot from raw ground to a finished foundation, the question to ask is who is digging and who is pouring. On many jobs those are two or three different companies, and every gap between them is a week on the calendar. At Handy's Construction the same owner-run crew does both, with its own excavators and trucks, and it can go on to build the house, shop or garage that sits on top.
That matters more in western Montana than in most places. Foundations here have to get below frost, bear on soils that change from silty clay to river cobble to bedrock within a few miles, handle spring groundwater, and sometimes cure in weather that would freeze fresh concrete. The crew that dug the hole has already seen the soil the footing will sit on, which is the best time to catch a soft spot or a wet corner.
Handy's Construction pours foundations for custom homes, additions, cabins, shops, pole buildings and commercial buildings, plus the slabs and flatwork around them. Whether you need a full foundation construction company for a new home or a single slab for a garage, the process starts the same way: Tyler walks the site and writes up the job.
What we pour
Which foundations and concrete work does Handy’s Construction do?
Handy's Construction handles residential and commercial concrete from the footing up. The right foundation type depends on the building, the lot and what you want underneath it.
Full basements
Full-depth excavation, poured walls, damp-proofing or waterproofing and drain tile. On lots with a high water table or rock close to the surface, the site visit decides whether a basement makes sense.
Shop, garage and barn slabs
Slab-on-grade with thickened edges for shops, garages, pole buildings and equipment storage, on a compacted base prepared by the same crew.
Driveways, patios and flatwork
Driveways, patios, sidewalks and shop aprons, formed and sloped so meltwater drains away from the building instead of toward it.
Retaining walls
Concrete retaining walls for cut-and-fill sites, driveways on slopes and hillside foundations, designed around drainage behind the wall.
Built for Montana ground
Why do foundations in western Montana need extra care?
Western Montana foundations work against frost, water and unpredictable soil. These are the four conditions Handy's Construction plans for on every pour in the Missoula area.
Frost depth is set by the building department that issues your permit. It is confirmed for your lot before the first bucket of dirt comes out.
- Frost heave
Water in the soil freezes and expands every winter. A footing that is not below frost gets lifted and dropped again, which cracks walls and racks doors and windows out of square.
- Changing soils
Parts of the Missoula Valley sit on fine silt and clay left by Glacial Lake Missoula; river bottoms are sand and cobble; hillside lots can hit fractured rock. Each needs a different footing and a different dig.
- Groundwater and runoff
Lots near the Clark Fork, the Bitterroot and their creeks can see high groundwater in spring. Drain tile, waterproofing and final grading are planned around it rather than added after a wet basement.
- Cold-weather pours
Concrete that freezes before it gains strength is damaged for good. When a pour has to happen in cold weather, it is protected with heated water, blankets or enclosures until it is safe.
The process
How does Handy’s Construction build a foundation, step by step?
Every foundation job follows the same five steps, run by one crew on one schedule from the site visit to the backfill.
Site visit and layout
Tyler walks the lot, checks access, slope, soil and drainage, confirms the footprint and setbacks, and gives you a written estimate.
Excavation
The foundation is dug to the required depth with Handy's own equipment, and the bearing soil is checked and compacted before forms go in.
Forms and rebar
Footing and wall forms are set to the plans, reinforcing steel and anchor bolts are placed, and everything is checked for level and square.
Pour and finish
Concrete is placed, consolidated and finished to the specified surface, with cold-weather protection when the season calls for it.
Cure, waterproof and backfill
Forms are stripped after the cure, walls are damp-proofed or waterproofed, drain tile goes in where specified, and the site is backfilled and graded.
What sets the price of a foundation in the Missoula area?
Foundation prices move with a handful of things you can see on the site: the size of the footprint, whether it is a slab, crawlspace or basement, how deep frost requires the footings to go, the soil and any rock, water and drainage, how close a truck and pump can get, and the time of year. A written estimate after a site visit is the only honest number.
The Montana foundation cost guide walks through each factor, and site preparation covers the dirt work that comes first.
Recent work
What does Handy’s concrete work look like?
FAQ
What do people ask about foundations in western Montana?
Have a lot and a plan? Call (406) 491-6141 and talk it through with Tyler.
How much does a concrete foundation cost in Montana?
The price of a foundation in western Montana is set by the footprint, the foundation type (slab, crawlspace stem wall or full basement), how deep the footings must go for frost, the soil and any rock, drainage and waterproofing, equipment access and the season. Handy's Construction gives a free written estimate after walking the site. Our foundation cost guide explains each factor.
How deep do footings need to be in western Montana?
Footings have to sit below the frost depth set by the building department that issues your permit, and that depth differs between jurisdictions and sites. Handy's Construction confirms the required depth with the city or county for your lot before digging, and our article on frost depth and footings in Montana explains why it matters.
Can Handy's Construction do the excavation and the concrete?
Yes. Handy's Construction digs the foundation with its own excavators, then forms, pours, waterproofs and backfills it with the same crew. You do not wait for a separate excavation company to finish before the concrete work can start. See excavation and site prep.
Can you pour concrete in a Montana winter?
Yes, with cold-weather precautions. Fresh concrete must not freeze while it gains strength, so winter pours use measures such as heated mix water, insulated blankets and enclosures. They add cost, so when a schedule allows it, spring through fall is the easier season to pour.
Do you pour slabs for shops, garages and pole barns?
Yes. Handy's Construction prepares the pad and pours slabs for shops, garages, pole buildings and agricultural buildings, and can build the structure on top. See pole buildings and shops.
Does Handy's Construction pour driveways and patios?
Yes. Along with foundations, the crew forms and pours flatwork: driveways, patios, sidewalks and shop aprons, graded so water runs away from the building.
More from Handy’s
Other Services You May Need
Excavation & Site Prep
Clearing, grading, basement digs, trenching and driveways for build sites.
- Land clearing and grading
- Basement and footing digs
- Utility trenching
Custom Home Building
Custom homes and cabins built from the foundation up in western Montana.
- Excavation and foundation in-house
- Built for snow load and cold
- Additions and ADUs too
Pole Buildings & Shops
Pole barns, shops, garages and accessory buildings on rural lots.
- Pad, slab and building
- Shops, barns and garages
- Sized for snow load
Free estimates
Ready to price a foundation?
Tell Handy's Construction what you are building and where. Tyler looks at the site, the access and the ground, then gives you a written estimate with no pressure and no obligation.
or call (406) 491-6141