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The Concrete Deck Pier Video is an Ask the Builder page featuring host Tim Carter explaining a Form-Footer concrete-pier form. It shows an 18-inch-diameter flared base, a reducer to a 12-inch upper section, snap-together tower sections and reinforcing steel supplied with the system. Those measurements describe the product shown in the video—not a universal deck-pier design.
The installation idea is straightforward: prepare and level a hole, set the form plumb, brace it with soil, install the supplied steel and fill the form with concrete. Pier depth, reinforcement, footing size and connection details still depend on soil, frost conditions, loads and the building requirements that apply to your site.
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The page is a transcripted construction video from Ask the Builder. The page says the video appeared in the June 19, 2016 newsletter, although the original publication date of this exact page is not established. Tim Carter presents a particular molded-form system intended to create a concrete deck pier with a wider base and a narrower upper shaft.
That distinction matters. A video demonstrating one commercial form cannot establish the correct dimensions for every deck. The transcript is useful for understanding the form’s components and the sequence Carter describes, while design decisions must be checked against current local requirements and the project’s engineering needs.
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What does the Form-Footer system shown in the video include?
Carter describes a system that combines a flared base with a modular tower. The transcript identifies the following dimensions and parts:
| Part | What the video describes | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Base | 18 inches in diameter | A product dimension for the featured form, not a universal footing size. |
| Reducer collar | Transitions from 18 inches to 12 inches | Creates the narrower upper section shown in the system. |
| Upper tower | 12-inch-diameter section assembled from snap-together tower sections | Additional sections can be added when the base must be set deeper. |
| Retaining ring | Holds the form sections together | Use the manufacturer’s current instructions for assembly and locking. |
| Reinforcing steel | Steel arrives cut and bent for the system; the transcript shows steel in the base and two vertical bars held in alignment | Reinforcement layout belongs to this kit and its instructions; do not substitute it for an engineered reinforcing schedule. |
Carter summarizes the key transition in the transcript: “The base is 18 inches in diameter, then there is a reducer collar from 18 to 12 inches.” Read the complete description on the Concrete Deck Pier Video page before treating any part of the demonstration as a purchasing or construction specification.
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How does the installation sequence work?
The video describes a form-in-place approach rather than pouring a separate pad and later fitting a cardboard tube. The following sequence reflects the presenter’s description; it is not a substitute for the product manual, a site assessment or approval from the authority having jurisdiction.
- Prepare the hole. Excavate to the depth and diameter required for the project. The video does not prescribe a universal depth. Confirm the required bearing soil, frost protection and setbacks before digging.
- Level the base. Carter says the form can be placed in a leveled hole. A level working surface helps the flared base sit evenly, but level placement does not by itself prove that the hole has adequate bearing capacity.
- Set the form and hold it plumb. Position the base in the hole and check the tower in both directions. The transcript says soil around the base can hold the form plumb while the concrete is placed. Use temporary bracing if the excavation or weather makes the form unstable.
- Add tower sections when needed. Snap-together sections extend the upper shaft when the base must be deeper. The number of sections is governed by the required elevation and the form system’s limits, not by a fixed rule in the video.
- Install the reinforcing steel. The featured kit includes steel cut and bent for its form, with steel arranged in the base and two vertical bars kept in alignment. Keep steel positioned as the current instructions specify; do not let it rest directly on soil or shift during the pour.
- Check alignment and elevation. Before concrete arrives, recheck plumb, top elevation, spacing from neighboring piers and the planned connection to the beam or post. Correcting a form is much easier before it is filled.
- Fill with concrete. Carter describes filling the assembled form with concrete. Follow the concrete supplier’s placement, consolidation and curing instructions, and protect the excavation and fresh concrete from collapse, contamination or freezing conditions.
- Document the work. Photograph the reinforcement and form position before the pour, record the concrete information and keep the product instructions with the project file. Those records help if an inspector or engineer needs to verify what was installed.
The presenter characterizes this form approach as saving time compared with separately pouring a pad and later fitting a cardboard tube. That is Carter’s description of the featured system, not an independently verified performance result, so treat it as a claimed workflow advantage rather than a guaranteed labor saving.
Why does the pier have a wider base?
A flared base places more concrete and bearing area at the bottom than a uniform narrow shaft. The related Concrete Pier Design article discusses reinforcing steel, stable compacted soil and the anchoring effect of a wide-base pier. Those are useful design concepts, but the article does not establish a current code value, allowable soil pressure or universal base diameter.
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Do not assume that a wider base automatically makes a pier suitable. Loose fill, organic soil, groundwater, erosion, nearby excavation and an inadequate connection at the top can still undermine a deck. A qualified designer or building official may require a different geometry, additional piers, deeper bearing or a continuous footing.
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There is no depth that can be taken from this video and applied to every property. Required depth can depend on local frost protection, soil conditions, deck loads, slope, drainage, uplift, lateral forces and the adopted building code. Confirm the current requirements in your jurisdiction before excavating or ordering a form.
The related precast-pier material provides a useful historical example, not a rule. In a New Hampshire project, Carter describes a particular pier that was nearly five feet tall where the stated local frost level was four feet. That example’s pier weighed about 2,000 pounds and would require a crane or backhoe to place, according to the Precast Concrete Deck Pier Video. The figures belong to that one project and its era; they are not current specifications for your site.
Before choosing a depth, ask the building department what frost depth and footing provisions apply, identify whether the soil is native and compacted, and determine how the deck will resist uplift and lateral movement. If those answers are unknown, stop at planning rather than guessing from a video dimension.
What is the difference between a cast-in-place form and a precast pier?
A cast-in-place form is assembled in the excavation and filled where the pier will remain. A precast pier is manufactured or poured elsewhere, cured, transported and set into position. The first method avoids moving a very heavy finished unit but requires accurate excavation, reinforcement and concrete placement on site; the second can move faster at the hole but may demand lifting equipment and carefully prepared bearing.
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Ask the Builder’s archive lists both a Building A Deck Pier Video and the precast video. The precast example demonstrates the logistics issue clearly: a unit weighing roughly 2,000 pounds is not a hand-placement task. Equipment access, overhead hazards, transport and the bearing surface must be planned before selecting that approach.
What should you verify before using the system?
Use this checklist to separate what the video shows from what your project still has to establish:
- Current requirements: Confirm the governing building code, permit and inspection steps with the local authority.
- Frost and drainage: Determine the site’s applicable frost depth and whether water could collect around the pier.
- Soil: Verify that the base bears on suitable, stable soil rather than topsoil, uncompacted fill or mud.
- Loads: Establish the deck’s beam reactions, post spacing, dead load, live load, snow load where applicable, uplift and lateral demands.
- Geometry: Treat the 18-inch base and 12-inch upper section as the featured product’s dimensions only. Obtain the current manufacturer’s limits and any engineer-specified alternatives.
- Reinforcement: Confirm bar size, placement, lap or splice details and concrete cover from current instructions or project documents.
- Top connection: Plan the post base, anchor bolt or embedded hardware before the concrete pour so the finished pier transfers loads as intended.
- Access and safety: Locate utilities, protect open excavations, provide safe access and plan for concrete delivery and bracing.
- Availability: Verify that the exact form, tower sections and reinforcing package are currently sold and supported; the sources do not establish present availability.
What common mistakes can this video help you avoid?
Copying the dimensions without checking the site. The most important warning is that product dimensions are not design values. A deck in deep frost, weak soil or a high-wind location may need a different solution.
Pouring before the form is truly plumb. Soil around the base can hold the form as Carter describes, but disturbed soil, vibration and wet conditions can move it. Recheck alignment immediately before placement.
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Letting reinforcement drift. The kit’s included steel is arranged for its form. If bars are displaced, bent in the field or left without the specified cover, the installed pier may not match the intended detail.
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Ignoring the top connection. A sound concrete shaft still needs a properly designed connection to the post or beam. Decide the hardware and elevation before the pour.
Treating a historical example as current advice. The New Hampshire precast dimensions, four-foot frost reference and 2,000-pound weight describe one older example. They should not be used to order equipment or set a new project’s depth.
Assuming a claimed time saving is guaranteed. The video contrasts the system with a cardboard-tube workflow, but no independent labor comparison is provided. Make the decision on code compliance, soil and handling requirements first.
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The primary page is Ask the Builder’s Concrete Deck Pier Video. Its archive also groups other deck-construction videos, including a general building-a-deck-pier entry. For the alternative method, see the Precast Concrete Deck Pier Video. Use the Concrete Pier Design article for the related discussion of reinforcement, compacted soil and wide-base anchoring.
Because the video and related pages are older sources, check every product instruction, code provision and availability detail against current documents before construction. The sources reviewed here do not establish a jurisdiction-specific design or a current purchasing recommendation.
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Bottom line: what should a reader take from the video?
The Concrete Deck Pier Video is most useful as a visual explanation of a modular, flared-base form: an 18-inch base, a reducer to a 12-inch shaft, add-on tower sections and supplied reinforcing steel. It shows how the form is positioned in a prepared hole and filled with concrete. It does not tell you how deep your pier must be or prove that the same dimensions suit your soil, loads or code. Use the video to understand the construction concept, then obtain current requirements and project-specific design guidance before building.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 18-inch base required for every deck pier?
No. Eighteen inches is the base diameter Carter gives for the Form-Footer system shown in the video. Pier diameter and depth must be selected for the site, loads, soil and applicable requirements.
Can I install a precast deck pier without heavy equipment?
The related example describes one precast pier weighing about 2,000 pounds, heavy enough to require a crane or backhoe. Actual handling depends on the unit and site, but lifting access should be planned before choosing precast construction.
Does the video provide the reinforcing-bar schedule for my deck?
It describes steel supplied with the featured kit, including steel in the base and two aligned vertical bars. That is not a project-specific engineering schedule; use current product instructions and any plans approved for your deck.
Where do I find the correct frost depth for my property?
Ask your local building department or permitting authority, because frost requirements vary by jurisdiction and site conditions. The four-foot figure in the related New Hampshire example should not be treated as a general value.
