The problem of optimal design and construction of foundations have always had a special relevance not only technologically, but also in economic terms. This is due to the special interest of all divisions of the construction industry to reduce the cost of construction. Reduced operation costs while ensuring reliability, optimization of effort and time for the construction of underground structures are crucial to improve the efficiency of capital investments and improving the quality of construction. The need to address these issues is an important task of the modern foundation engineering. This article analyzes the current experience of designing the foundations of buildings and structures for various applications in different conditions of their construction. The recommendations to determine the optimal type of foundation depending on the construction and the type of object are given in this item.