The Foundation

Mason Vance is a master at mapping other people's property, but when he risks his life savings to build his own 1,260-square-foot Class-II Gabled Cottage in Emberwood Ridge, his analytical precision faces its ultimate trial. Armed with a hard cap budget of M$ 220,000 and zero practical construction experience, Mason quickly learns that the earth does not respect blueprints.

From clearing heavy glacial rock and fighting a failing septic percolation test to battling the corrupt local bureaucrats of the Emberwood Building Directorate, The Foundation tracks the grueling, technical reality of converting raw, dense clay soil into a structurally sound bedrock. When an unseasonable autumn frost threatens to ruin the massive concrete pour, Mason must work through the night to anchor his future at the exact coordinates of Point Zero.