Can You Build a Garage Without Footings?

Footings are the lowest points of foundation for any structure and are highly necessary for most modern building construction. However, not all garages (garages that are not attached to the home, that is) need to have footings and there are several factors that lean one way or to the other on the question.

Whether or not you can build a garage without footings is dependent on the underlying, natural foundation, the size and scope of the garage being built, and whether or not you will be constructing this garage on a slope or a flat, even surface.

Footings are there just for support purposes. Since there are a number of smaller factors that can go into building a garage, with or without footings, you should always double check with the local building codes to ensure that you are good to go to proceed with your plans.

What is the Purpose of Having a Footing?

The entire purpose of having a footing is entirely for structural support. The natural earth beneath your garage has a lot to do with that decision, because some soil is just not a very good support structure on its own, even when compacted.

Even with a footing, the foundation will settle on poor soil and it will settle less so on well-compacted soil. The advantage of having a footing underneath is that it will allow the garage to settle evenly, rather than settling unevenly, which will undermine the structural support.

Footings also contribute in a number of unique ways, especially if they are done right (which usually requires a concrete slab that is 4” thick and contains light rebar).

Prevents the garage from settling unevenly
Footings are the best answer for soil that doesn’t compact well
Necessary in areas that experience extreme cold
Provides support to the walls

The cold is another factor. It’s less of a problem in southern states, especially places like Florida, South Alabama, Southern Louisiana, South Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, and South Texas.

States like Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and even some southern states that have areas of high elevation, experience extreme cold spells and that kind of cooling and warming has a larger effect on the settling of a garage.

Check Your Local Building Codes

This is going to be your best resource to go with before you make the decision to break ground on a new garage. Not only will it keep your construction project from operating outside of the law, but it will also give you some ideas of your own, along with letting you know exactly how you should construct your foundation.

Your local building codes will also let you know whether or not you can bother going forward with constructing a garage without a footing. The last thing that you want to do is get halfway through the job only to discover that you are violating the local building codes.

If you are about to put together a detached garage, there is a little more breathing room in terms of what you can get away with and what you can’t. Attached garages are typically going to follow the same codes that the house does, with a few exceptions.

It’s also good to check with the local building codes because you will be able to determine what permits you need before you get started.

What Affects the Need for a Footing?

There are a few factors that go into this and to know for sure, you will have to check your local building codes. We have mentioned local building codes several times now but it’s worth repeating because of how important it is.

What kind of soil do you have as a foundation?
Are you planning on using a concrete slab?
Is the garage a prefab?
How large is the garage?
Can you use aggregate rather than concrete?
What kind of soil are you going to build e

All of these things matter, significantly. For instance, a small, one-story garage that is just large enough to park your car in probably isn’t going to raise any red flags, without a footing, in terms of local building codes.

A two-story garage that is capable of handling two cars parked side by side is a different story altogether.

Different soil types are something worth considering as well. If the area that you want to build on is predominately clay, that would be fine in the south. In the north, where the freezing temperatures can drop significantly in the winter, clay isn’t the best foundation.

Sand will hold better in the winter and provide you with excellent drainage, however, the drainage will also work to wash away the sand, undermining the foundational support. A standard concrete slab or even drilling your own piers may be enough to solve the problem and they may not, depending on the soil.

As a side note, laying a concrete slab is not necessarily the same thing as having a footing. A footing is specifically defined by your local building codes. A simple concrete slab may not be enough to meet those definitions.

Potential Foundations for a Garage

Depending on what you have in mind for your garage, there are a number of foundations that will be more than enough to handle the situation.

Concrete Slabs: Probably the most common form of foundation. It can be a floating concrete slab or a monolithic concrete slab, depending on your needs and the local building specs.
Aggregate trenches: Digging trenches and filling them with aggregate, along the structural lines of the future garage, is a good way to design a foundation but is only applicable when you have a strong soil foundation.
Piers: These are technically footings. All you are doing is drilling large diameter holes in the ground, consistent with structural support lines, and filling them with concrete. You can leave rebar sticking up and out to directly attach to the floor or wall frame as you construct your garage.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not your garage project is going to require footings is based on a lot of factors and the best guide that you can turn to is always going to be your local building codes. You should be able to do most of what you want to do, but it’s important to check either way.

Can You Build a Garage Without Footings?