Building My Dream Shop Ep - 4: Excavation and Concrete Foundation

Find the plans for my NEW Shop HERE
rrplans.bigcar...
Building my new Dream shop starts at the bottom with the excavation and concrete foundation work! Many will ask why I went with a concrete foundation over a concrete pier system, and the simple answer is I wanted the best.
If you pick up a set of plans, you can help support my build and follow along with the project. Also, the plans contain a lot of the details that will help you in your own project
Stabila LA180 IS NOW AVAILABLE
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[@ltanthrax8435]

Funny to watch a perfectionist contractor build his own place and have to work with others that don't share the same level of perfection. The face of Kyle was flush with anguish.

[@greglawrence742]

Remember Kyle, you are the client. It always costs more when the client wants to help!😂

[@tylernorton6682]

yea and like all his vids but man he sure is bitching about all of it.i figured he would have done it all himself.

[@ZeppinEUW]

​@@tylernorton6682Does him being a pro and the client, make it wrong to complain about people messing up their work😅?

[@tylernorton6682]

@ZeppinEUW if you hover over them bitching then do it yourself. Let them do there job and go from there.if I'm a pro I'd do it myself,I paint cars would I let someone paint on for me? No

[@MagWaster]

@@tylernorton6682someone is bent outta shape over nothing 😂

[@rickgalos5567]

You should use woven fabric as a base. Road base fabric keeps mud out of the rock and significantly increases the load capacity of the road. If you add more gravel on top of the existing stone you can place fabric on the existing stone before adding more stone.

[@m0nk3yl0v3r]

Shoulda watched some Camarata vids first...(!)

[@Alexcustominstall]

Hi from Scotland Kyle. This episode hit home, I’m building my own extension/garage and re-structuring the original home (80 year old property in Glasgow), I’m not a builder/but I’m all about doing it perfect. So I’m now a builder 😊 I made the same mistake with my footing (foundations in Scotland) Next time I would mark out the external dimensions but add 300mm (11.811) so that I always had a reference. And like you I was in there with a spade finessing things while the concrete guy laughed at me. Love your videos, love your attention to detail and I ‘Always’ learn something each episode. Your videos are class, well done mate

[@davidj9709]

I feel like I'm going crazy not seeing a single mention of that transition at 3:17 in the comments. That was sick!

[@tylerbarrett6652]

You know... the dream shop build is my favorite build... like my #1 search on YT. So... you might want to consider putting it in the title of the upload because I know I'm not alone in this. You might reach a few more people.

[@peterdement]

Any toilets , sinks, showers, sewer or water? Any footer drain pipe or downspout drain lines at the footers? Any sleeves in foundation wall for electrical conduit or other penetrations?

[@RRBuildings]

Yes

[@damstr8345]

This one means more to me than the others.. because this one is yours. Eyes opened to every step

[@barbararichards6066]

Love all your videos, Just want to say good luck with the new shop!! and the new house you and your family deserve it. You are a phenomenal builder and your attention to detail and striving to make everything perfect for your clients is amazing. It's just too bad that other contractors don't do the same. Hopefully being closer to where your Wife's job has been a blessing. Again good luck, can't wait to see the new shop being built.

[@A..n..d..y]

Did they drive the rebar into the ground? Will rust not start in the ground and work it’s way up? When I do footings I use rebar the long way 3” off the bottom with cross connects for the whole form. Then vertical rebar is tied at the bottom to the crossbar and the supported at the top of the form.

[@johnholm8175]

I had a house build 24 years ago. They didn’t use 2 to 3 inch rock, just gravel. it kept disappearing into the ground for the 20 years I lived there

[@Mike-nn3tf]

You got graboids under your house.

[@skFriberg]

This got me FIRED UP! Can't wait to see more!

[@bert7046]

Would love to hear you go a little deeper with translating from the prints to real. Not a lot of training out there on getting better with plans. Love your content, as a newer builder it has helped me tremendously.

[@RCMServices]

It is amazing in the requirements from site to site. Just did the plans for a patio roof, single story, in So Cal. It had more rebar in it than you had in the entire footing and stem walls. 43' long with 2 #6 top and bottom with #3 stirrups 18" o.c. grade to hold up 4 5x5x.25 steel posts.

[@RRBuildings]

Suppose the fact is we have no seismic

[@Mike-nn3tf]

Cali has the most seismic requirements and inspections for residential construction, you don’t see that level across the country until you get into hospital or infrastructure.

[@RCMServices]

@@Mike-nn3tfThat is for sure. Depending on the AHJ and complexity, there are between 7-10 inspections from start to CO.

[@jonasgranlund4427]

I feel you regarding the extra cost, I had a 8x8m garage built during May in northern Sweden just after the frost went out of the ground and instead of removing around 40cm of dirt under the garage they ended up removing around 1m due to wet clay:ish dirt. It was a good extra cost both in digging and removing of dirt and the extra needed single to fill up with. But now I'm really happy about it. I will build a shop and timber saw house at around 10x20m next summer and really look forward to get inspiration from this series. :)

[@robertlaird6746]

I would have used ICF blocks for the foundation walls.

[@falgosh5956]

Kyle You sing well because of your wonderful tone and voice! Take singing lessons, and you may discover a simpler career path filled with wealth and recognition. 💯🤞🌹🌹🌹

[@rhinners3407]

That girder truss point will definitely require engineered columns and really good lateral bracing. Love it!😮

[@cantgoslow]

That concrete contractor must be about 70yo and hes killing it. Im 59yo and i wouldn't dream of doing my upcomming 410sqm concrete pour. Hell, it keeps me awake at night just thinking about it.

[@RRBuildings]

He is

[@brentnelljohnson1483]

I've been wanting to see the process of clearing the land to layout to excavation to footer to foundation...right up to the point the sight is ready to build on. I REALLY appreciate that it is your own build because you are super conscious about all of your work but now you are super duper conscious. THAT, my friend, is why I wish I could have you build my barndo when I am ready to build.

[@ramonmartinez4760]

I’m glad things are on thier way!

[@ermajaku]

heey, i just finished watching your previous video and boom, the next one. building a dream is always exciting.

[@chrisswoboda6732]

Kyle, i believe you have elevated your skilss and abilities to the top, like This Old House, Mike Holmes. Keep ip the great videos and teaching skills

[@NiklasNorlen]

yeah, road looks to be lower than the surrounding, when raining its not a road anymore! Building pad. nice job!

[@daveklein2826]

Road is perfect

[@aserta]

This is kind of why i always use my guys when i have personal projects. I pay extra, on account of it being a personal project and thus the work standard goes over and beyond, but it's worth it to avoid the "headaches".

[@justatim8143]

If you have a good base for rock I like what you did with the 1" to dust but your base looks different to ours in Pa. as ours in all Limestone and packs like concrete where yours looks sandy and may move a little more. I would add the dirt you took out between the porch footer and wall to barn and use a tamper in 6" lifts and it also a good way of getting rid of and big rocks by packing them with the dirt. You would be surprised how many contractors would want to get rid of their debris of stone and concrete block pieces.

[@GTL77]

I’ve done a lot of footers in my day and we always did a 24” footer! The rule of thumb is that if you have a 8” wall you want 8 inches on either side of the wall with two rows of rebar! That’s how it was done in upstate NY

[@daveklein2826]

I'm very sure that he knows exactly what he is doing and doing correctly

[@hobbyguy79]

Water tables, frost levels, soil conditions all very from one area to the next as do codes and requirements.

[@boobacockaa]

@@daveklein2826- I bet he doesn’t. Bet he was just doing whatever.

[@GTL77]

@@hobbyguy79 yup it does I worked with mostly clay

[@daveklein2826]

Booba that would be you and nobody is that stupid

[@shabo857]

How exciting for you and your company! Love watching the channel and you grow! Keep it up!

[@danielrosow8772]

Stoked for you trying to make some time between jobs to frame my place out. Hop in that excavator you'd probably pick it up fast what with the skidsteer and telehandler experience. Thanks for the videos using the Titen bolts thanks to watching you guys

[@Z-Bart]

The new HQ is going to be awesome!

[@flimmaytinstone8980]

Put fabric under mine and only had to put down 3 inches of crushed concrete. Will cover that with asphalt milling when house is done. 900 ft driveway.

[@DachsAutos]

This is going to be a sweet building! Like the use of the full wall foundation. We did this in our shop, with 1' above grade. So happy we did this as we had massive rain in the spring of 2022, plugging out grate drain and overrunning the creek bank. we had water 5" up one side of the building, but 100% dry inside!

[@fredericrike5974]

As an apprentice to the plumbing trade, one of my early journeymen told me that if I had the chance to do it and didn't, it wasn't the other contractor's fault. Things like having a knowledgeable watch for concrete pours around our plumbing, working with the other contractors trying to get through the same parts of the job. And it starts with the GC, btw; two of the toughest jobs I ever worked had the sorriest, laziest GCs on the job site. Fortunately, Kyle, you just aren't that guy; if it looks wrong maybe, you don't rest till you at least understand the how of it- sometimes the "look" doesn't always agree with the hard facts- the tape and the stick. It all looks sharp, Kyle!

[@conraddewey1709]

I love it you are such a perfectionist but hey that’s what gets you jobs! Love it!!

[@ericmiller3435]

Happy to see you get started on this project! Greg giving you grief about just about everything is great. We need Greg mic’d up!!! Get back to work fellers.

[@freddien7]

You putting in a French drain around the walls before you fill in?, Love the drive.!! Its good that you make it easier for the contractors to access the plot, and not have to work in mud. It makes them happy too to work in a flatter enviroment as you well know. Want to follow complete build. Good luck from UK. @ 20 mins to 6 in the evening UK time.

[@cuttheknot4781]

I am SOOOO excited for you, Kyle. You reap what you sow and you are an exemplary young man...Congratulations!!!

[@mattsmith9216]

Congratulations I know how you feel building your own shop!

[@TheStevedie]

I couldn't imagine digging in such pristine dirt....Try digging in New England. lol Great video as usual!

[@LTNYstudio]

That transition when dumping the dirty to being back at the driveway was smooooooth. I used to edit. Gotta give creds where it’s due haha

[@steveanderson4768]

Hey Kyle, if you read this before you get the slab poured if you’re going to have shop air below the surface put about 300 feet of 1” PEX water pipe and have the discharge of your air compressor. Go into that have it come out wherever you want it that acts as in chiller which will remove all the moisture from the compressed air and it works amazing and chances are you’ll never run that thing enough. You’d have to run the compressor 24 seven Texley heat up the ground underneath that because it’ll never be in the sun once you get the Building done.

[@RRBuildings]

interesting I have never heard of that

[@therealdojj]

Used to love using my bobcat, so much fun 😁

[@duanethieme4186]

Congratulations Kyle on the great start!

[@WreckDiver99]

They started using Aluminum forms near me about 10 years after I built my house. The homes with those forms have basement walls 1000 times better than mine. doesn't need to have the big threaded rod put in to hold them together either. I spent WEEKS filling every single tie hole with cement after they finished the walls, because all they do is skim coat those stupid tie holes and they fail 100% of the time. Every neighbor in my neighborhood has had water come through those...except me. I told them how to fix it...they were not happy. Wish they had those forms when I built that's for sure.

[@nicholaspowell9813]

Looking forward to seeing this shop come together and learning more tips and tricks for my own, smaller projects around my boarding stable.

[@tonynewton7902]

Great job as always Kyle. 👍👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@joopterwijn]

Fun to see you now in clients perspective, normally you show up after this face and “build”. Keep this in mind for future jobs, for the (most) of your clients it is a big deal, nerve wracking time. 😂 concrete: always amazing how little rebar is used in the USA, ok it mite have been fire reinforced mix. Just did something similar here for a 550 sq ft house extension and the ground section had a double mat 4” 5/16. For the electrical ground earth wire side rolled out a 1 awg tinned copper wire under where the concrete slab. And put in some tubes for electric, water, waste water, data/phone etc cables and pipes (etc.)

[@Overpar73]

Love everything about your new shop! Yes, it's so hard to not get involved with all aspects of the build. I've been told to leave the construction guys alone and stay out of their way. My severe OCD is in overdrive during my build!!

[@YesSir34]

Hell yeah! Can’t wait for this series!

[@migueltor6434]

It's good to know how to check behind someone.

[@gregoryhutchins8421]

should have used geotextile under the gravel. That gravel will migrate into the subsoils and produce rutting.

[@doritleis2773]

You have the new Shop Perfect Planing, and the Basis with Concrete grand make. Gladden my of the next Videos from this Shop building. 👍👌

[@ltmedic3]

If you do radiant heat floors you should check out Creatherm floor panels. I used them on my barn and it made PEX installation a breeze.

[@SRG-Learn-Makers]

This playlist is going to be great.

[@royreynolds108]

The tree off the corner at 20:25 is a Bois Darc, Osage Orange, or called a Horse Apple because of the green balls on the ground.

[@benjamincodybabcock2672]

The video angles and quality of some of the shots are really nice. It's got that NatGeo documentary quality to it!

[@tedsheldon11]

Wild hearing you actually frustrated.

[@MrMurph111]

If your going to foam the concrete walls, why not go with a Fox Block type wall? Something you could have installed, squared, rebarred and then just hire a concrete crew to pour?

[@troyrebeccaamburgey4498]

Run the string 1-1/2" off of the wall then you can just run down through with a scrap 2x and check for straightness.

[@Bigdogfindley]

Can't wait to see this build! And FYI - You are still a young guy....It's never too late to learn how to excavate. Might be another good income stream for you...Just putting it out there.

[@Everythingisgoingtobealright]

Sure are a lot of concrete experts in this comment section.

[@daveshepherd7582]

It’s gonna bebe a great build and I can’t wait to see it progress!

[@vandalorian8777]

I wish you would do a video on everything you don’t see. All of the steps in order such as developing a plan, who does the plan and architect or an engineer? Do you need soil samples and who are the professionals who do all these things before you ever put a shovel in the ground?

[@hobbyguy79]

Would be very informative for sure however incredibly specific to the area you are building in and things will be different from state to state and even county to county

[@jwristen24]

Architect goes first, lay down ascetic and dimensions. Engineer takes those plans and designs details for the tolerances that will be needed. Architect takes those details and works them into the final plans.

[@vandalorian8777]

@@hobbyguy79 I disagree. Permitting may be different but the steps from A-Z would generally have the same steps with consideration given to climate etc. Yes some foundations may need to be 36 inches deep and others 24 inches but it’s still a foundation.

[@mikeboone4425]

I can say one thing that placement of rebar would never pace in california . Could be I'm full of it, but how does floating rebar add any strength at all.

[@jerryminyard7460]

Thanks for sharing

[@daveklein2826]

I'm very sure that he knows exactly what he is doing and doing correctly

[@mikeboone4425]

that he does for sure it's just that things and codes are so different here in california where it tends to shake now and then it would be a no no. I have not a word to say about his abilities I have watched him for years it's about the different building codes not him.@@daveklein2826

[@Joshgilly94]

Yeah same down here in texas. Foundational construction is so different by region so who knows. I was shocked when i saw it though🤣 We have all ours set and tied before its poured. We add weld plates before hand too and weld them to the rebar

[@mikeboone4425]

yep.@@Joshgilly94

[@Scubasteve22]

24" wide fooings with 3 1/2" bar on 3" chairs. If it's really sandy go 30-36" wide. Upright rebar every 2'

[@abradbury7290]

Congrats man... gonna be a killer shop

[@Cranker-ng6pv]

OCD for sure with all the passive aggressive digs at the excavator. 😂

[@normandowell3474]

I would be so mad not sure what you can do but keep moving forward

[@networkingdude]

Man, I just don't trust any of the trades where I live so I end up learning and doing everything myself. That way I only have me to blame lol

[@rabby-u]

Easy ground to work with.

[@sputn1k2k3]

In Germany we say, the only one wearing white boots on the whole construction site is the guy driving the excavator...

[@maximusheronimus23980]

are you building a storm shelter too? looks like that could fit !

[@machickman4041]

This looks great!

[@victorfisher284]

This episode Like PBS in 98 i like it

[@mattdehnert67]

Any videos of how the floor gets poured if you were going with tubes vs the walls?

[@markwhite8497]

thx for the video

[@jimdickerson1401]

Where is the horizontal rebar in the footing

[@jamieplumber]

I think I would like it more if it was a scalene triangle. Very nice tho! You do excellent work

[@Lmb1848]

Is there a reason you wait to pour the floor until the building is completed? With all steel buildings we do I’ve always had the slab poured first

[@srchubz]

a lot of folks get the exterior and roof done first so (a) no one worries about marring a nice concrete slab finish, and (b) folks can get the rough ins and say like radiant heating systems done nice and technical whilst being protected from the elements

[@kpk1014]

Would the rebar being driven through the footer and into the ground rust, and would the rust travel up into the concrete, making the concrete crack?

[@nicpedia2432]

I'm surprised you didn't do more of the footings yourself! Also shocked they didn't di it square...lol

[@shaneseeley9641]

Kyle I can't even imagine your excitement level. Are you still going to be north of Lee Center or are you moving somewhere else?

[@jmert_5859]

What is the freeze line in your part of the country? Thought it would be more than 48"+/-.

[@RRBuildings]

42

[@ALPAmultiservice]

Hi Kyle, it's strange to me to see how little reinforcing iron is inserted into the foundation walls... in Italy in my area, being classified as a seismic zone, the engineers design actual iron cages to be inserted into the concrete and into the earth foundations than in the walls. I really like the aesthetics of the project.

[@arwogue]

Reo cages are also used in Australia. The actual footing slab/beam is deeper than it is wide to act as a beam, size depends on the type of soil, reactive or non-reactive - clay or sand.

[@tysleight]

Digging footing this next week and going through the site with the engineer and excavator we were talking footings, the house sits on rock and the out building sits on soft. The house doesn't require anything but vertical hold down rebar, while the out building that is half the size is more rebar than concrete. These buildings are 80 feet apart. We are in a minor seismic zone.

[@conraddewey1709]

Right plus let’s be real concrete guys like to party more than the guys like you. Saturday night and I’m watching your video lol

[@wallacewoodworks9582]

Boom pumps ftw!

[@alexrogers1239]

I didn’t happen to see it, but did they vibrate the concrete? If not why didn’t they ?

[@RRBuildings]

They said they never ever vibrate

[@dougpeak7591]

Normally we don’t vibrate footings unless there deep

[@JB-ej2qy]

Driveway fabric is nice, any concerns of high tension wires? GC work is harder then what people think. It’s all about planning.

[@abelmunozusa]

Excellent video

[@roderickmarruffo7600]

Looking good...

[@rossbecksfort3645]

I’m assuming your house is in this subdivision? Why else would you build in the back of this subdivision.

[@marclangevin9152]

I've been watching your videos for quite a long time now . I am looking at the ground in your video. And I see what looks likes 6"s to a foot of . Unsuitable material. (Wood and grass etc . I spent 30years in construction. And I would never pour a slab on ground that looks like that.Especially in an area where the ground is subject to freezing ! But then again maybe you know something I don't ?

[@bwillan]

I think Kyle is thinking of a Stone Slinger truck.

[@scottnidell4262]

so brining the concrete guys out are really expensive. Is it possible. to pour what you did here and the pad at the same time ? The idea is to get the concrete guys out once and done than multiple times. I see the insulation between pad/wall i know this is for expansion in your cold weather. would that be necessary in warmer climates like Texas

[@MarcMayrand]

How do you get away with no rebar in the footing and also just drive straight vertical rebar down into the dirt through the footing with not L's on the bottom? Do you have building inspections in your area?

[@jimw3799]

is this type of footing and stem wall a requirement for this type of building? Seems like a concrete block wall filled with concrete would have been easier and cheaper???

[@BushPilotB]

Bro in this day and age you can be a trans-excavator ;)

[@petetoemmes6673]

Any dinosaur bones? Lost treasure? Or just dirt. At least you don't have to deal with (coral) rocks like is SE Florida. Be thankful for that especially hand digging.

[@JesseHires]

Do you keep the roles of business owner and customer separate? As in would someone be able to look at the paperwork and recognize that this building was done for your customer "RR Buildings"? Or is this just done as a business expense and considered part of the operating costs of running a business?

[@smiffy5467]

It still makes me wonder why in the USA you use forms in your footings, in the UK for most buildings we dig a narrower trench 3’ -4’ deep and just fill it up with concrete / rebar etc job done, no form work used.. You should have got your fellow KZbinr Letsdig18 to have done your groundwork as hes a perfectionist same as you.. 🇬🇧👍