Home Designer 2026 Foundation Types

[David76225]

In our area of expansive soil it is ommon to create a slab with thick deep  perimeter footing as well as what they call "grade beams" (thick concrete ribs entrenched beneath the slab), as well as 12" concrete piers drilled to 15 feet.  

I'm confused whether Home Designer can be configured to create those grade beams and piers uniformly beneath a slab.  Ai seems to think that the "grade beam on piers" setting is just to create a crawl space with a wood framed floor.

[y-g-m-n]

That is how a slab house is made.

4" thick slab w/concrete footings under load bearing walls.

 

All exterior walls and where the engineer decides they are needed.

Then the plumber will make some to run H&C water lines and drain DWV pipes under or within slab beams

Occasionally the electrician will dig to run conduit for floor outlets

 

in HD when you make a slab foundation it will create the exterior edge footings based on the dimensions you set in foundation default page.

 

NOw HD is not the best at making these foundations specially if you have brick veneer as it will make brickledges and the beams and ledge can get messed up at intersections of interior and exterior as well as lowering porches and patios. so it takes practice and sometimes you have to manually edit what it comes up with.

 

Always have an engineer design the slab foundation unless you want it to crack in the future and cause all kinds of shifting issues.

 

Note all above void if you do a post tension concrete slab

[David76225]

Thank you!