GoliathTech Helical Piers

Woodcraft Design & Build is an authorized GoliathTech franchisee, offering the helical pier foundation system as an alternative to traditional concrete footings for decks, screen rooms, three-season rooms, and outdoor structures across Southeast Michigan. For homeowners who want a faster, cleaner, year-round-installable foundation that protects existing landscaping, helical piers are often the better answer.

What Are Helical Piers?

A helical pier is a steel shaft with welded helical plates that is hydraulically driven into the ground, similar to a giant screw. Each pier is rated for a specific load capacity, and the installation crew torques each one to the engineered specification – meaning load capacity is verified in real-time at every pier location, not assumed.

The piers reach load-bearing soil below the frost line, providing a stable foundation that won’t shift with Michigan’s freeze-thaw cycles. Once installed, brackets attach the deck or structure framing directly to the pier heads.

Why Choose Helical Piers Over Concrete Footings?

No Excavation

Traditional concrete footings require digging holes – sometimes deep, sometimes wide, almost always disruptive. Helical piers go straight into the ground with hydraulic equipment that leaves the surrounding soil and landscaping intact. If you have established gardens, mature trees, or hardscape near your deck location, helical piers protect what’s already there.

Year-Round Installation, Including Winter

Concrete footings can’t be poured when the ground is frozen or when temperatures are too low for proper curing. That eliminates roughly four months of the Michigan calendar from your build window. Helical piers can be installed year-round, including in winter, because the installation process doesn’t depend on temperature or ground conditions in the same way.

For homeowners who want to be enjoying a new deck by Memorial Day, winter installation lets us start construction earlier in the season. The cost savings during slower months can also be meaningful.

Verified Load Capacity at Every Pier

Concrete footings rely on assumed soil-bearing capacity and inspector approval based on visual assessment. Helical piers verify load capacity in real-time during installation – the hydraulic torque required to drive each pier directly correlates to the soil’s bearing strength at that exact location. Every pier is tested as it goes in.

No Cure Time, Faster Build Start

Concrete footings typically require 7 to 28 days to cure before deck framing can begin. Helical piers are ready immediately. The deck framing crew can start the same day or the next morning, compressing the overall project timeline significantly.

Lifetime Warranty

GoliathTech piers carry a lifetime warranty on the steel and a 25-year warranty on the galvanization. The system is engineered, tested, and rated to specifications that exceed traditional concrete in most residential applications.

When Are Helical Piers the Right Choice?

Helical piers are an excellent fit for most deck and outdoor structure projects, but they’re particularly compelling when:

– Your project site has established landscaping you don’t want disturbed
– You’re building near mature trees with root systems that excavation would damage
– You want a winter or early-spring build start that concrete footings would prevent
– Your soil conditions are inconsistent and verified load capacity at every footing location is valuable
– You’re working around existing utilities or hardscape that excavation would complicate
– You want the fastest possible timeline from contract to completed deck

How GoliathTech Installation Works

The installation process is fast and minimally invasive:

1. Site assessment and pier layout based on the engineered deck plan
2. Hydraulic installation equipment positioned at each pier location
3. Piers driven to engineered torque specification, with capacity verified during installation
4. Brackets installed on pier heads
5. Deck framing begins immediately – no cure wait

Most residential deck installations require between 8 and 20 piers depending on size, design, and load specifications. A typical pier installation takes 15 to 30 minutes per pier.

GoliathTech in Combination with Trex Composite Decking

Because Woodcraft Design & Build is both TrexPro Platinum certified and an authorized GoliathTech franchisee, we’re uniquely positioned to deliver a complete top-to-bottom premium deck system. The foundation, framing, decking, and railings can all be specified, sourced, and installed by our crews with the appropriate manufacturer warranties on each component.

For homeowners building a long-term outdoor investment, this combination – helical pier foundations under Trex composite decking – represents the most durable and lowest-maintenance approach available in the residential deck market today.

Get a Quote with Helical Pier Foundation

GoliathTech helical pier foundations are available as a foundation option on any custom deck, screened room, or three-season room project. We’ll discuss whether helical piers are the right fit for your specific site conditions and project goals during your free estimate, and the foundation choice is factored into the overall project quote.

We respond to all quote requests by the next business day.