New Foundations & New Framing

For Additions, Major Rebuilds, and “Take It Down to the Studs” Projects

For Bay Area owners planning serious work on their home – big additions, major remodels, or rebuilds – who want the new parts sitting on foundations and framing that will actually last and perform in earthquakes.

If you’re:

• Adding a story or a big rear/side addition
• Rebuilding large portions of an older house
• Taking a “tear-down” down to the foundation and going back up

…you don’t need patchwork. You need new foundations and new framing designed and built as a system.

That’s what this service is for.

When You Need New Foundations & New Framing

Typical situations:

• Major additions off the back or side of an older home
• Second-story additions over existing or new footprint
• Down-to-studs remodels where old framing and foundations can’t support the new plan
• Partial or full rebuilds after major damage or long-term neglect

If your architect or engineer is drawing new foundation plans and framing layouts, this page is for you.

What This Service Covers

We handle the structural build-out under your remodel or addition:

• Demolition of old foundations and structural framing where needed
• Excavation and new footings, stem walls, grade beams, and slabs
• Installation of new structural framing: posts, beams, joists, shear walls
• Integration of seismic details: hold-downs, anchors, straps, blocking
• Coordination with your architect, engineer, and GC so the structure and design match

We’re not doing your kitchen cabinets. We’re building the skeleton they sit on.

Step 1: Plan & Site Review

We start by:

• Reviewing engineering and architectural plans
• Walking the site to understand access, slopes, soils, and existing structure
• Identifying staging areas, shoring needs, and any phasing constraints (occupancy, neighbors, etc.)

If something on paper clearly fights reality on the lot, we flag it early so your team can adjust before steel and lumber show up.

Step 2: Demolition & Prep

For the structural scope, we:

• Remove existing foundations and framing where replacement is specified
• Shore and support any remaining structure that will stay in place
• Prepare subgrades and access for new foundation work

This is where clean sequencing matters: what you remove, what you hold up, and what you leave alone – in the right order – is how you avoid “surprises” mid-build.

Step 3: New Foundation System

Per your engineer’s design, we:

• Excavate and form footings, stem walls, grade beams, and slabs
• Place reinforcing steel to spec and coordinate inspections
• Install anchor bolts, hold-downs, and embed plates in the right locations

Whether it’s a standard perimeter foundation, a complex stepped system, or a mix of basement and crawl areas, the point is the same: a clean, code-compliant base for the new structure.

Step 4: New Structural Framing

Above the new foundation, we:

• Install sill plates, floor joists, beams, and girders
• Frame shear walls and bearing walls per plan
• Integrate LVL/LSL/PSL beams, steel posts, and frames where required
• Add all specified connectors, straps, and blocks that complete the seismic load path

We’re obsessive about executing the engineer’s details – the stuff that disappears behind drywall but determines how your house behaves in a quake.

Step 5: Integration With Existing Structure

Most projects are a blend of:

• New foundation + framing
• Existing foundation + framing you’re keeping

We:

• Tie new structure into old at clearly defined, engineered interfaces
• Address any deficiencies in the existing that would weaken the new work
• Coordinate with your GC so mechanical, plumbing, and electrical can be routed without compromising structure

The result: one coherent structural system, not a Franken-house.

How We Fit Into Your Project

We typically work:

• Directly for the owner on the structural scope, or
• As a specialty structural subcontractor to your general contractor

Either way, our focus is the same: get the foundation and framing right so everything built on top of it has a solid, code-correct, earthquake-ready backbone.

If you’re planning a major addition, rebuild, or down-to-studs remodel, the next step is to let us look at your plans and your lot together. We’ll show you what it will really take to build the new foundations and framing your future house deserves.