Helical Pile Foundation Design for a Custom Home in Mt. Enterprise, TX
Mt. Enterprise · Rusk County · Texas
Structural Engineering
A deep foundation system for soil that will not carry a slab
JRH Engineering provided structural foundation design for a new custom home in Mt. Enterprise, Rusk County, Texas, where soil conditions required a helical pile foundation system rather than a conventional spread-footing or slab approach. JRH scope was specifically the foundation and beam dimension design, coordinated with the project other engineering consultant on items outside JRH design scope, such as waterproofing.
AT A GLANCE
Project facts
Project type: custom single-family home, foundation engineering
Location: Mt. Enterprise, Rusk County, TX
Scale: single-family residence
Services: structural engineering, helical pile foundation design
Permitting agency: City of Mt. Enterprise
Client: confidential, private homeowner
Completion: Q4 2025
Construction value: confidential
Structural engineering
Helical pile foundation designed with a 25-kip design capacity per pile at a 20-foot pile length
Foundation plan and beam dimension plan coordinated to the architectural drawings
Design scope defined and coordinated alongside another engineering consultant separate scope of work on the project — waterproofing design specifically excluded from JRH scope and clearly documented as such
Design completed per the 2021 International Residential Code with City of Mt. Enterprise amendments
Permitting and agency coordination
PE-sealed foundation plans prepared for City of Mt. Enterprise building permit submission
Design scope boundaries clearly documented on the drawings to avoid overlap or gaps with the other consultant scope of work
The Challenge — not every lot supports a conventional footing
When soil conditions require a deep foundation system, the engineer has to size a system capable of carrying the home full load safely to depth — and, on a project with more than one engineering consultant involved, be explicit about exactly where one firm design scope ends and another begins.
JRH’s Approach — size the piles, then draw the boundary
JRH designed a helical pile foundation system sized to a 25-kip capacity per pile at 20 feet in length, verified in the field by the helical pile installer, and produced a coordinated foundation and beam dimension plan set. The drawings explicitly noted which elements — such as waterproofing — fell outside JRH scope of work, keeping responsibility boundaries clear across the project engineering team.
The Results
01
Helical pile foundation system engineered to a 25-kip capacity per pile at 20-foot length
02
Foundation and beam dimension plans coordinated with the project architectural drawings
03
Design scope explicitly documented to maintain clear responsibility boundaries with the project other engineering consultant
04
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the main engineering challenge on this Mt. Enterprise, TX foundation project?
Soil conditions at the site required a helical pile foundation system rather than a conventional spread footing or slab, and the project involved a separate engineering consultant handling other scope items on the same home.
How did JRH Engineering approach the helical pile foundation design?
JRH designed a helical pile system sized to a 25-kip capacity per pile at a 20-foot pile length, and clearly documented the boundaries of JRH's design scope to avoid overlap with the project's other engineering consultant.
What were the results of this helical pile foundation project?
JRH delivered an engineered helical pile foundation system with a coordinated foundation and beam dimension plan, and PE-sealed plans prepared for City of Mt. Enterprise permit submission.