Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 10/23/2010

Question
We would like to extend our kitchen by 10 feet.  Is a foundation necessary or can it be done with cement footings?  

Answer
Hi Anita, cement footings or foundation, they both are the same thing.  A footing is a foundation.  If your question is: do we need a stem wall foundation with a crawl space underneath or can we build on top of a monolithic concrete slab?  Then the answer is, whatever your existing house foundation consists of is probably the best bet for your addition due to the elevations involved.  If your house sits on a concrete slab then yes you can build your addition similarly on a slab with integral footings.  If your house sits up a couple of feet off the ground then you will need to build up your addition foundation to the proper elevation somehow and doing a stemwall foundation to match the house's existing foundation will probably be required.  I hope this information helps, please feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com