I'm a PE considering moonlighting. Thought it wise to form an LLC and obtain Professional Liability Insurance (PLI). Estimate I would bill out $10K to $15K/ year. I'm in CA and received prelim estimates of $2K to $7K/ year for PLI. With the expensive cost, I find it hard to imagine most...
In lieu of stepping down footings due to proximity of adjacent footings, you could consider excavating and pouring a lean conc mix, say f'c=1500 psi & unreinforced...bott of lean conc fill to comply with the 2:1 and then place your footings at the higher elevation on top of the lean concrete...