Footing rebar diagram

Making concrete footings for any structure can be intimidating to the average DIYer. After all, mixing and pouring concrete is a big, messy job and if you mess it up, it’s pretty hard to just clean up and redo.

Rebar footing detail

One of the big questions folks have before they pour is how to put rebar in concrete footings.

Using rebar in concrete footings will make it stronger and less resistant to shifting due to temperature and humidity. Concrete is the construction material of choice for footings because of its compression strength.

However, it is not strong when subjected to forces that pull – such as shifting earth. Rebar-reinforced concrete helps negate the effects of those forces.

There are some projects you’ll use concrete for that simply don’t require rebar, such as setting a fence post or filling a form for a basketball net.

Footings are an instance where you want rebar since footings will be supporting a structure that you want to make sure remains as stable as possible for the lifetime of that structure.

In this article, we’ll go over everything you need to know a

how do you put rebar in footings

how to add rebar to concrete footings