Foundation Footings Visible Above the Existing Slab

In older NJ homes, the original foundation footing is sometimes poured just below the existing basement slab, leaving it exposed as a concrete ledge around the basement perimeter. Homeowners see it as a step or curb intruding into the floor area.

This condition signals that any future floor lowering must include underpinning, because excavating below the existing footing without reinforcement would undermine the structure. A combined digout and underpinning project addresses both the visible obstruction and the hidden structural limit.