Shawn knows our valley’s soils aren’t one-size-fits-all:

  • Glacial till & river rock: Found along old drainage paths and riverbeds. These drain fairly well, but in compacted pockets, they can trap enough water to freeze deep.

  • Rocky loam with clay pockets: This is the real frost heave culprit. Clay holds water like a sponge, which makes it prone to freezing and expanding.

  • Mixed fill from past construction: If you’re building on land that’s been filled or leveled in the past, different soil layers can freeze at different rates, amplifying movement.

Add in altitude, wind patterns, and snow load differences (Alta’s deep drifts insulate the ground more than Victor’s wind-scoured lots), and frost depth can vary dramatically from one build site to another. That’s why guessing based on your neighbor’s soil report is a gamble Shawn will never take.

The Science-Backed Ways Shawn Prevents Frost Heave

Shawn doesn’t do “hope it works” foundations. He does tested, measured, engineered prevention:

  1. Accurate Frost Depth & Soil Testing
    ParkFab can drill test piers or perform deep test digs to find true bearing depth for your site — not just what’s written on a generic report. That means your foundation sits below the active frost line.

  2. Engineered Drainage Solutions
    Water is frost heave’s fuel. Shawn installs perimeter drains, French drains, and properly sloped backfill to get water away from the foundation before it freezes.

  3. Insulation at the Right Depth & R-Value
    He’s a big believer in high-R rigid foam insulation on the exterior foundation walls and sometimes under slabs, depending on the build. Done right, this moderates ground temperature and slows frost penetration.

  4. Helical Piers for Unstable or Moist Soils
    For certain builds — especially high-end homes on challenging lots — Shawn recommends helical piers to transfer the load to stable strata well below the frost line. These are tested during installation so there’s zero guesswork.

Why This Matters for High-End Mountain Builds

When you’re investing in a legacy home in Teton Valley or Alta, you’re not looking for “good enough.” Frost damage isn’t just ugly — it can be catastrophic and expensive to fix. And it doesn’t happen overnight. Small seasonal shifts compound over years, until you’ve got warped floors, cracked drywall, and failing retaining walls.

Shawn’s approach is to engineer those problems out of the equation before the first bucket of dirt is moved. He coordinates with architects, engineers, and concrete crews so every step — from excavation depth to backfill compaction — is tuned for our climate.

Work With Someone Who Knows the Ground Here

There’s no YouTube tutorial for Teton Valley soil. There’s no shortcut that works at -40°F. If you want a foundation that lasts through decades of freeze-thaw cycles, you need someone who speaks soil, water, and cold fluently.

That’s what you get with Shawn at ParkFab — excavation, foundation prep, and frost heave prevention done right the first time.

Call Shawn at ParkFab
📞 208-360-2411
📧 shawn@parkfab.com