Drilled Caissons vs. Spread Footers: What Every Colorado Builder Should Know
We get this question all the time: “Why not just use spread footers?” Here’s the truth — in most of Colorado, the soil moves. That shifting soil pushes up and down with every season, and shallow footers just can’t handle it long-term.
That’s where caissons come in. They go deep into solid ground, below the problem zones, giving your home or building the support it actually needs to stay level and safe for decades.
3 reasons caissons are worth it:
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They don’t shift when the soil moves.
According to the Colorado State Forest Service , expansive clay soils are common across the Front Range and can swell significantly with moisture, causing shallow footers to crack or heave. -
They prevent costly foundation repairs.
The International Building Code (IBC) specifies the need for deeper foundation systems like caissons in unstable soil conditions or low bearing capacity zones. -
They’re recommended by engineers and cities.
Cities like Arvada, CO require soils reports and often mandate caisson foundations when expansive or variable soils are identified during plan review.
Learn more at the American Piledriving Association – Caisson Foundations .
📞 Call or Text:
(720) 209-0755
Available 7 Days a Week
📧 Email: nate@perezdrilling.com
📍 Based in Colorado — Serving the Front Range, Boulder, Vail & Beyond
🚧 Denver’s Premier Caisson Drill Masters!
Rock Drilling vs. Standard Soils – Why It Matters
✅ Hard Rock Requires Specialized Tools – Standard soil augers can’t penetrate bedrock or dense geological formations. We use core barrels, down-the-hole hammers, and heavy-duty bits designed specifically for Colorado’s mountain rock conditions.
✅ It’s Not Just Tougher — It’s Slower and Costlier – Drilling through rock increases wear, fuel use, and time on site. We provide transparent change orders when rock is encountered and always communicate before shifting tooling or pricing.
✅ We Don’t Walk Off When It Gets Hard – Some outfits quit when they hit rock. We don’t. Our rigs and our operators are built for it. From core sampling to structural caissons, we know how to break through and get it done.
Perez Drilling Co. – Built on Backbone, Drivin’ Steel Deep
Out here in Colorado, we don’t cut corners—we drill ‘em square and solid. At Perez Drilling, we stake our name on honest work, tough rigs, and the kind of foundation drilling that holds strong for generations.
With over 50 years of hands-on, boots-in-the-dirt experience, we’ve drilled everything from mountain rock to city clay.
Our crew’s the kind that shows up early, stays late, and don’t flinch when the job gets ugly. Caissons, residential and commercial piers, tight access spots, or steep hillsides—whatever it is, we’ve drilled it, and we’ve done it right.
We don’t make excuses. We make holes that hold.
Elias Perez Sr. is back — Training the next generation and redefining excellence in foundation drilling.
50+ years of expertise. Same precision. New era.
At Perez Drilling Co, we train Drillers, not just operators!
