Foundation reference
Foundation systems, posts, and footing overrides
Configure concrete, helical, American Ground Screw, or Diamond Pier foundations; review posts and schedules; and control individual footing exceptions.
Use this reference to
- Choose the project foundation system and understand its visible controls
- Distinguish bay-level structure controls from individual support overrides
- Review Foundation Plan, schedules, concrete or pier quantities, and details together
Reference scope
- Project control
- Current Job Settings > Framing Specs
- Review view
- Foundation Plan
- One footing
- Three-dot button beside its marker
- Sizing status
- Drafting/review output—not engineering approval
Choose the foundation system at project level
Footing Type establishes the normal foundation workflow for deck beams, stair supports, and applicable roof-support posts. The system is independent from Primary Framing System, so a wood, Owens Corning, New Castle, or Fortress deck may use the supported project foundation choice where the actual design permits it.
| Foundation type | Project controls | Foundation Plan and output |
|---|---|---|
| Concrete | Allowable soil bearing, footing shape, sizing mode, normal and ancillary sizes, depth, thickness, frost/deep-footing behavior, and post connector | Round/square footing symbols and labels, tributary review, concrete volume, footing detail, takeoff, and export |
| Helical | Helical-specific defaults including minimum install depth and applicable load inputs | Pier labels/schedule, minimum depth in details and PDF output, takeoff, and pass/review information |
| American Ground Screw | Auto-size each footing or force one listed Model 3 size; capacity basis, soil/load inputs, and frost/embedment criteria | Collapsed job status with expandable schedule, per-support selected size, pass/review state, details, and takeoff |
| Diamond Pier | Diamond Pier project selection and applicable supported defaults | Pier-specific symbols, labels, applicable schedule/detail information, and takeoff without concrete soil-bearing controls |
Understand project sizing versus automatic sizing
Concrete footing sizing can retain the project default size or use the implemented automatic tributary-load workflow. The selected bay shows the effective source so a reviewer can tell whether the footing is inherited, automatically sized, or overridden.
American Ground Screw has a separate sizing workflow. Auto selects a listed diameter and length for each support from the modeled load and embedment inputs; Fixed forces the selected project size but does not suppress a failed load or embedment result.
| State | Meaning | Reviewer action |
|---|---|---|
| Project default | The support inherits the current job’s normal foundation size or selection | Confirm the default is appropriate for the controlling site and load assumptions |
| Automatic | DeckDraft selects from the implemented sizing logic using modeled tributary/load inputs | Review every pass/review result; do not treat automatic selection as engineering approval |
| Individual override | One support intentionally differs from the job setting | Confirm the field reason, load path, label, schedule, detail, and takeoff remain coordinated |
| Forced proprietary size | A listed pier/screw size is held even when checks change | Keep failed capacity/embedment warnings visible and obtain the required project approval |
Edit one footing beside the drawing
The right inspector remains organized around the parent deck bay. A normal click on a footing marker does not open a dedicated right-side footing inspector. Use the small three-dot button beside the marker for that support’s Design, Overrides, and Summary controls; drag the marker when the support location itself must move.
Available per-support controls depend on the current foundation and beam state. They may include inherited or forced size, footing visibility, post visibility or size, deep-footing status, supported proprietary size, and reset actions.
| Action | Correct surface | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Change project footing method or normal size | Current Job Settings or the job-footing settings shortcut | Updates the inherited foundation workflow across applicable supports |
| Add or remove supports on one beam | Beam Settings > Supports or the beam context menu | Changes the beam’s post/footing chain and related span review |
| Move one support | Drag its post/footing marker | Preserves the manual position through normal framing regeneration |
| Change one support | Three-dot footing menu | Creates or resets the supported per-footing override without changing the bay-level inspector context |
Trace foundation changes through the job
Foundation Plan is the focused review surface for post and footing locations, labels, sizing status, helical or ground-screw schedules, and pier-related output. Beam layout, attachment, and many load-path decisions still begin in Framing.
| Output | What to inspect |
|---|---|
| Framing | Beam/post relationship, support centers, manual positions, roof/deck shared posts, and structural warnings |
| Foundation Plan | Footing symbols, sizes, depths, labels, hidden supports, tributary areas, schedules, and pass/review status |
| 3D and elevations | Visible post continuity, stair supports, roof-support posts, and relationship to grade or slab |
| Details | Applicable footing/pier and post-connection reference for the selected framing/foundation system |
| Takeoff | Concrete volume, proprietary pier/screw counts, support posts, connectors, and supported schedule quantities |
| PDF export | Foundation drawing, labels, applicable schedule, notes, and Typical Details coordination |
Professional foundation review
- Confirm field soil, frost depth, drainage, utilities, access, and inspection requirements
- Verify the selected foundation system is permitted and available for the project
- Review every manual post location and individual footing override
- Confirm tributary/load inputs and all failed or review states
- Coordinate post bases, corrosion protection, anchorage, bracing, and beam bearing
- Review stair, landing, roof-support, and shared continuous-post foundations
- Compare Foundation Plan, schedules, Details, Takeoff, and exported notes
- Obtain manufacturer, permit, or engineering approval where required
Still unclear?
Ask Docs AI about this page, or open DeckDraft when you need AI Help to read the active job.