Seeking Local Builder Mentorship — Foundation Process (Alabama)

[James Jackson]

Hey everyone,

I’m currently in the final stages of completing my Alabama Home Builders License and looking to shadow an experienced builder through a few key parts of the construction process — primarily foundation work (slab prep, plumbing rough-in, form setting, and pour day).

My goal is to gain a deeper hands-on understanding of the process from the field side before fully launching my own builds. I’ve been studying the 2021 IRC and NASCLA guides in detail and would love to complement that with real-world experience from a seasoned pro. I already flips homes and just looking to expand and create my own inventory. 

If you’re a residential builder or project manager in Central Alabama (Birmingham / Leeds / Pell City area) who’d be open to letting me observe a few site visits or walk through a current project, I’d greatly appreciate it.

I’m happy to volunteer time on-site, help document progress, or assist however needed in exchange for the learning experience.

Feel free to DM me here or comment below if you’d be open to connecting — or if you know someone in your network who might be a good fit.

Thanks in advance!
– James Jackson
📍 Birmingham, AL
📚 Future Licensed Home Builder | BIX Homes

[Juan Cristales]

Quote from @James Jackson:

Quote from @Juan Cristales:

Hey James! 

I would try and get a hold of a local Builder's Association. I've met plenty of awesome guys at some of the ones local to me in Houston. 

One of my biggest pain-points starting out in New Construction that I sought up people to teach me the process... and like you, I was willing to volunteer my time. No one was willing to teach me and so I had to teach myself. I don't recommend that but it's how I ended up getting started. The guys at the local Builder Association were not doing enough volume that I could catch them at the right time for a slab pour. 

As a former, "Fix-and-Flipper" myself, the foundation part was the portion I was the most fuzzy on when I started out. You're doing a great job by asking to shadow someone. 

Let me know if I can help you out in any way. 

Juan-

Juan,

Thanks for that advise. I will look into when the next meeting is locally and attend. Same here when it comes to pouring the slab, how has your process been? 

 So, the foundation engineer designs the slab and on the annotations, he provides for the amount of concrete in Cubic Yards, including a schedule for the cables (we're doing post tension slabs) and the minimum PSI threshold for the quality of the concrete. We are required to do a SOILS TEST before the engineer will design a slab. We have a guy that only does residential. We pay between $1K - $1200 for the testing.

1.We do the forms

2. Order the form survey (if the lot is "tight" this is must do! and now the city requires it.)

3. Form survey confirms the location of the slab, sent to the city for approval

4. Plumbing ground is put in and inspected / Cables and material for the slab are delivered around the same time

5. Foundation company comes out and digs the footings, installs the cables, preps everything for inspection

6. I get TWO inspections: A pre-pour inspection by the city and a pre-pour inspection by the engineering company who designed the slab. The reason, I want to minimize my own risk.

7. Once the inspections are scheduled, I'm calling the concrete company. Each truck holds around 10 CY of concrete. Where we are in Texas, 2500 PSI minimum is normally needed for these small 2400 sf duplexes I'm building. I order the 3000 PSI. 

8. Coordinate with the concrete company and the foundation laborers.

9. Slab gets poured. Coordinate with the cable company as we do a 25% partial-stress of the cables within 24-48 hours. The forms need to be removed before the partial stress so coordinate with the foundation guy. We do the other 75% stress 7-10 days after. 

10. Send the engineer firm out again to double check that the FULL tension is within the standards they require. Get this documented. 

Slab complete bro.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Juan-