Scott Martin Homes

Scott Martin Homes Custom home builder in western PA

07/09/2026

PT.2 Footer & Foundation

After excavation is complete, we use our Topcon Construction total station to transfer the building layout into the excavation. This allows us to establish the exact footing locations, offsets, and elevations before the footer crew begins forming. Precision at this stage is critical because every phase that follows depends on the accuracy of the layout.

With the layout established, Precision Footings, LLC installs the Form-A-Drain system and begins forming the footers. Footers are designed to transfer the structural loads of the home into the supporting soil, making proper placement and bearing conditions essential from the start.

Before the foundation walls were poured, we built a temporary access ramp into the excavation so we could utilize our Cat skid loader to place stone backfill around the forms. Planning ahead allows us to complete this work while access is available, rather than trying to move material into a confined excavation after the walls are in place.

Once the main house footers are formed, we excavated the remaining footers for the front porch and garage step-down, maintaining the proper sequence and elevations throughout the project.

After the footers were poured, Keystone Country Concrete Foundations, Inc. formed and poured the concrete foundation walls.

We backfill every foundation with 100% clean stone. Clean stone provides superior drainage, reduces hydrostatic pressure against the foundation walls, and creates a free-draining backfill that minimizes long-term settlement compared to native soils.

To complete this phase, we excavate the outlet for the Form-A-Drain system, providing groundwater with a controlled path away from the foundation. Proper drainage is a critical part of a foundation system designed to perform for decades.

07/08/2026

PT.1 Excavation

At Scott Martin Homes, we perform all of our own excavation and site work because we believe how your home sits on the property is just as important as the home itself.

By controlling the very first phase of construction, we’re able to influence every phase that follows, from foundation layout and drainage to grading and final elevations.

This lot started with a noticeable cross slope, with the right side of the future home sitting lower than the left. To establish the proper building pad, we used a cut-and-fill approach to bring the low side up to design grade while creating a stable, uniform subgrade across the entire footprint of the house.

The first step was stripping all organic topsoil and unsuitable material. Organic soils contain roots and other decomposable material that have no place beneath a structure, as they can lead to settlement over time.

Once we reached competent subgrade, we began constructing the fill using suitable material generated from the excavation itself. Rather than placing large amounts of fill at once, we built the pad in controlled 6-inch lifts, compacting each lift before placing the next. Skipping that process can leave loose material buried beneath future loads.

As we excavated deeper, we transitioned into a dense red clay layer before reaching a finer, sand-like material. Every soil behaves differently, so understanding soil composition, moisture content, and compaction characteristics is just as important as knowing how to run the machine. Reading the ground is part of the job.

A lot of people think excavation is simply digging a hole. In reality, the goal is to create a properly prepared building pad with uniform support beneath the entire foundation. That’s what helps minimize differential settlement and provides the foundation with the consistent bearing it was designed for.

Most people will never see the work beneath their home, but it’s the work that supports everything above it.

That’s why Scott Martin Homes does it.

June 19, 2026 at 9:27 PM - Backfilling Foundation
06/26/2026

June 19, 2026 at 9:27 PM - Backfilling Foundation

Address

551 Pittsburgh Road
Butler, PA
16002

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Scott Martin Homes posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category