Extending a finite-strain theory of ground subsidence due to water pumping in a soil stratum, we study the joint effects of pumping and surface loads on ground subsidence. The soil system consists of a hard aquifer sandwiched by two soft and semipervious layers. Pumping is highly localized and is represented by a single well. On the uncovered part of the ground surface, the pore pressure is assumed to be maintained at a constant value. Beneath a building foundation, two types of boundary conditions are considered: one for a monolithic large foundation and one for numerous small and unconnected foundations. The total are covered by the building foundation is assumed to be large in horizontal dimensions compared with the soil thickness. In terms of the small permeability ratio, a perturbation analysis is performed to yield the leading order asymptotic equations. A numerical scheme based on finite differences is developed to sole the quasi-three-dimensional initial boundary value problem which is nonlinear in the soil behavior and the finite settlement. Numerical results are obtained for circular foundations. Space and time variations of the ground settlement are examined for unsealed or sealed foundations. It is found that a rigid and well-sealed foundation can settle much faster than its surrounding soil. With pumping, the contact stress between the soil and the rigid foundation will be redistributed with time, resulting in increased stress near the outer edge of the foundation and diminished stress at the center. The physical mechanism is explained by examining the pore pressure and void ratio directly beneath the foundation. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1995