Foundation

The purpose of your home’s foundation is to transfer and disperse the weight load of the house into the ground. Specifically, the building foundation consists of a **foundation wall** which rests on an underground **footing**.
 * Foundation Overview**

Usually, foundation walls are about 8-10 inches thick, depending on the height of the wall and its structural load (structural load = the weight and forces that the wall bears). The foundation's depth depends on many factors, including local codes, the climate, and the size of the crawl space.
 * Foundation Wall Dimensions**

The required width of the underground footing is usually in the range of 12-15" for a 2-story house, depending on the Load bearing value of the soil (this may require a soil LBV test). The depth of the underground footing should be at least 12" below any undisturbed soil. Also, the top of the footing must be below the frost line, but not below the water table, (to avoid freeze-thaw cracking and moisture problems, respectively).
 * Footing Dimensions**



The foundation will need to be at least 6" off the ground. The height off the ground is determined by a number of factors, including precipitation and the height of neighboring buildings.
 * Foundation Height**

Introductory sources http://www.inhouseplans.com/consultant.php?page=10Building%20a%20House http://www.diynetwork.com/remodeling/basic-steps-of-building-a-foundation/index.html http://www.doityourself.com/stry/building-a-solid-house-foundation

Vermont building codes can be found here