Certified Helical Pile Installer: How to Vet One in Colorado
A manufacturer certificate is a start. Here is what the code and the evaluation reports actually require of a helical pile installer, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Read More »Codes, Costs & Planning guides
Plain answers on helical piles and new foundations in Colorado, from frost depth and swelling clay to codes, costs and what an engineer puts on the drawings. Looking for our earlier posts? They are on Our Articles.
Cost of Helical Piles for a Deck: What Drives the Number
Published prices for deck helical piles run a few hundred dollars per pile installed. The total depends on how many piles your framing needs, how deep they go and how hard the site is to reach. Here is how to build the number yourself.
Read More »Denver Building Code for Foundations: What Builders Need to Know
Denver now enforces the 2025 Denver Building Code, based on the 2024 I-codes. Here is what it says about foundations: frost depth, soils reports, expansive clay, helical piles, special inspection and the footing inspection.
Read More »Helical Pile Specification: What Engineers and Architects Should Include
The IBC leaves helical pile depth and torque criteria to the design professional. Here is what a complete helical pile specification covers, section by section, and where specs most often leave gaps.
Read More »Pouring Concrete in Winter vs Installing Helical Piles: Keeping a Colorado Job Moving
You can pour footings in a Colorado winter, but only with thawed ground, warm concrete and days of protection. Here is what ACI 306 asks for, and when steel helical piles let you skip winter footings altogether.
Read More »Frost Line in Colorado: Footing Depths by City and County
Colorado doesn't have one frost line. Denver and Jefferson County use 36 inches, Boulder, Larimer and El Paso counties use 30, and Summit County uses 40. Here is the table, what the code actually requires, and how deep foundations meet it.
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