B1 · area 03 · subtopic 0301
Footings
5 percent of the B1 Residential Building Inspector exam. At 60 questions, that is roughly 3 questions, each with about 120 seconds of budget including the lookup.
- Exam
- B1
- Area
- Footings and Foundations
- Weight
- 5%
- Questions
- ~3
What this subtopic covers
Soil load-bearing capacity against approved plans or reports; footing layout with correct depth, size and setbacks; footings below the frost line; footing drains for basements and crawl spaces; footing and foundation materials compliance.
How to drill it
- Find the chapter of the International Residential Code that carries this subject and read it once for structure, not retention: what lives here, what gets sent elsewhere, which tables exist.
- Write your own plain-language phrases for what this subtopic covers, then note the code's terms beside them. Mismatches between the two columns are exactly where exam questions cost you time.
- Run timed lookups: pick a requirement named in the descriptor above, start a stopwatch, find the governing text in your book, stop. Log the seconds. Past two minutes is a miss even when the answer is right.
- Weight your reps to the number above. Roughly 3 questions means this subtopic deserves a dedicated drill session of its own.
2024 IRC Fast-TabsPre-printed tabs for the 2024 edition. Place them yourself; the placement is the study.Check priceTranslation trap on this subtopic
how deep does the footing go: the code files this as footings. Straightforward, and worth 5 percent on its own. Footings and foundations together are 16 percent.
The rest of area 03: Footings and Foundations (16%)
| Subtopic | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| 0302 | Stepped Footings and Special Foundations | 3% |
| 0303 | Columns and Piers | 3% |
| 0304 | Site Preparations, Foundation, and Basement Walls | 5% |
The kit that goes on the table
2024 IRCThe book itself
2021 IRCIf you register on 20212024 Fast-TabsPlace them yourself
Construction Master ProFeet-inch math, no errorsMatch the book and tabs to the edition you register for.Confirm which, first.
The 120-second study sheet
One page: every topic weight on all four residential exams, the plain-language to code-language glossary, and the two-week study sequence. Free, straight to your inbox.
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