Caissons, Piles & Shoring
We drill caissons and build temporary shoring for hillside homes, pools and tight lots around Los Angeles, using our own compact drill rig. Where augers stop in rock, we have a field-proven coring and man-entry method. The Engineer of Record designs the foundation and the shoring, and we build it as the contractor's means and methods.
Who it's for
- General contractors and builders on hillside homes
- Pool builders who need caissons drilled before the shell
- Owners on a lot too tight for a full-size rig
- Projects where the geologist's minimum depth could change in the field
How the work goes
- We review the structural plans and the soils report: depths, diameters and the geologist's minimum embedment.
- Budgets come in depth scenarios keyed to those minimums, because neither party should price what it cannot control.
- Our compact rig drills each shaft. In caving ground we drill, set the cage and pour the same day.
- The geologist signs off each pile before concrete goes in.
- Shoring is soldier piles and lagging built to the stamped shoring plan, or hydraulic trench shoring used to the manufacturer's tabulated data and reviewed by a competent person.
What drives the cost
- Depth and diameter of each shaft
- Rock, which drills far slower than soil
- Caving ground that needs casing or a same-day pour
- Rig access and spoil haul-off
- Over-depth the geologist calls for in the field
What we do differently
Own compact drill rig; field-proven coring and man-entry method where augers stop.
Common questions
Can you give preliminary pricing at the schematic stage?
Yes. We start with a meeting and a site walk, then give you a budget with every assumption written down and the site risks flagged. As the design develops, the budget is updated, so the owner and the designer can make decisions before the plans are final.
Why is your bid higher than another one I received?
Often the bids don't cover the same work. Our proposals list what the price includes, such as saw cutting, demolition, haul-off, base, shoring and restoration, and what it excludes. Line the bids up item by item, and ask the other bidder whether those pieces are in their number.
Can you design or stamp shoring, foundations or drainage?
No. JFPEC is the contractor. Design and stamped drawings come from the Engineer of Record or a shoring engineer. We build to the stamped design as the contractor's means and methods, and we prepare the submittals, sequence of work and Cal/OSHA trench permit records the inspector needs.
From the field
Ready to talk about your project?
Send us the details and we will follow up with next steps, or call us directly.