Drawings and pictures please.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC See pics above. The builder said, well maybe they trenched the pea gravel and poured it thicker there with the floor, but being that they poured the rest of the footings and post pads a different time, I can't see that happening. Also, the pea gravel was flat there last I saw.

I suspect you are going to have to call an engineer. If the problem is discovered the solution is going to have to come from an engineer anyway and an engineering report is not that expensive. If there is no problem you will know for sure and will have to eat the cost of the engineering report. If there is a problem pass that cost along to the G.C.

There are a number of techniques for non-destructive testing of concrete which can be used to infer thickness. I recommend you contact an engineering firm that offers that service. They can test a variety of locations versus what's shown on the foundation plan. Alternatively, they can drill a bunch of holes and measure the thickness directly.

A simple test, although slightly destructive, would be to take a hammer drill with a long bit and drill where the footing should be. When the bit exits the bottom side of the concrete, you'll know the concrete thickness there. Easy to patch a small hole in concrete, and would have the answer on whether the contractor missed the footing in about 1 minute and at minimal cost.

It is more likely that the concrete contractor forget his pants in the morning than to forget to place a footing. Sorry, but since the picture is different than the plan drawings, I can't tell where the alleged missing footing should be.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC The picture is from the back corner by bedroom 4, so about a 180 degree spin from the plan. The missing footing should go roughly from that 1 stack of forms(?) to the other stack.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC,

Can you find the sink in the plans?

@GN Builders L.L.C Correct.

Update: After talking to the concrete company, he said he poured it with the floor. Whether he did or didn't I guess we won't know. He said they ran short on concrete when pouring the footings so never poured the 2 sections of that footing under the storage room...the thing was I watched them pour the footings and I know they never even formed up (or trenched out) where that one was to go so I feel like they definitely forgot about it then...but hopefully they or the inspector caught it and they really did dig it out before the floor was poured. Thanks.

Unless they dug it out before the pour and poured everything together when they did the floor, no way of knowing that at this point unless like you assume inspector picked it up.

Do you have by any chance a snap of the 1st floor and 2nd floor over that area?

An inspection is a "sampling" not a comprehensive check of everything that needs to be done as per the approved plans and specifications.

If you are in doubt, either utilize non-destructive test methods to determine if the footing or thickened slab was constructed according to the plans or drill a bunch of holes and measure the thickness directly. If the footing is missing you should be able to pass on the cost of the inspection to your builder who should be full responsible for the cost to remedy the problem.

You could drill a small hole in the concrete where the footing is supposed to be. Pretty easy to find the thickness. Obviously you won't know if the footing is wide enough, but at least you'd know if they were completely full of it.

Unless you have in-floor heat! Don't drill it if you do....

In NJ you must have a drawing on-job-site for footing, slab, and rough framing inspections and some want to see the drawings for backfill inspection, without drawings they will not do an inspection. If a footing was missing inspectors would pick that right out and red tag it, and most inspectors are very good and thats a good thing.

To see or not to see? That is the question....

Since you can't see the footing, you either need an unwaivering faith that the inspector picked it up, the contractor subsequently excavated for it and did it properly or you use can an appropriate technology to verify the footing is in fact where it's supposed to be. So, seeing is believing, I guess.

Where I live if you have a toothpick in your mouth then you passed inspection.

Oh wait, most of the time we don't get inspected. Honestly wish we had SOME oversight for the crooks out there skimping on non-essentials like footings.

So, depends on the location as far as inspection.

@GN Builders L.L.C

Can you speak directly with the inspector? He may or may not remember it, but may be worth a shot.

Interesting. I am in the county, in NC, and my inspectors have been VERY thorough. Granted - we have engineered drawings for "everything" and they are 1000% sure that we're not tying to skirt any rules, so.... they are more helpful than confrontational. But - according to my contractor - they are quite tough. Usually that's reserved for the city inspectors!

were those other fittings supposed to have had rebar? did your floor have rebar? If your floor didn't have rebar, and the footings were supposed to - my gut would tell me that that didn't happen when they toured the floor..... someone would have had to remember to bring the rebar, lay it, cut it, tie it, etc.

Update: After talking to the concrete company, he said he poured it with the floor. Whether he did or didn't I guess we won't know. He said they ran short on concrete when pouring the footings so never poured the 2 sections of that footing under the storage room

Here's why I smell a rat: if it was just a matter of running short on concrete, then the forms for the footings would have been in place, and empty. No forms = he forgot. He didn't mention that he forgot and the inspector caught it, he claimed he intended to pour them but ran out of concrete. So my money's on BS.

Drill a hole and set your mind at ease.

The other footings had rebar. I'm not sure about the floor because I wasn't there. My GC said the inspector is quite thorough here so maybe I can get a hold of him. I'm 50/50 on whether I want to bring it to his attention or not though. Some have told me that the ground here is so solid that even if it is missing it's going to be worse to rip up the floor and it should be fine without the footing. But if it does crack...then down the line I'm suing the concrete company? I dunno about that plan. I tried to post the first floor above but the pic isn't coming through. Also our contract doesn't have all fixed prices there are lots of allowances so if I have any extra inspecting done I'm sure I'm eating the cost. And lumber is already killing me.

How’s the contractor?

Whos

It would be very typical to pour missed footings with the slab. The forms for interior footings may be used for the first stage as they were, not for the second. The building inspector usually inspects at each stage. This happens when the concrete trucks stop coming.

If in doubt, drill. Its cheap.

My 2 cents...

You should drill and check.

Given the tenor of your posts, not being assured is likely going to color your interactions with your Contractor from here on out. It is much better to insist on this unnecessary step than to begin this build with trust issues. In the long run, it is likely to cost you less to drill and check than it would to acquiesce and start doubting your contractor.

I would explain that to your contractor, tell him I know it is an unnecessary step, but it is really bothering me and I am afraid without confirmation it will continue to grow and change until it ruins everything.

However, if it turns out that the footer is there, you are going to need to trust your contractor a bit more.

Good luck

@bry911 The GC and I have a pretty close relationship...knew each other from years back so I'm not all that bothered...more I'm doubting the concrete company. But meeting with the GC today and will discuss drilling. Thanks!