The calculation of setting is the main criterion while designing shallow foundations as the complete setting. Methods of defining deformation in soil body show the calculation value of the final settlement which is several times different from the real. It is stated that the deformability of the ground coat is defined to a great extent by the degree of the horizontal intensity caused by natural pressure and by exterior additional loading. Here is offered a specified method of calculation of shallow foundations settlement based on the method of layer-by-layer summing. This method takes into account the separation of the exterior additional loading diagram into component parts which cause elastic and elastic-plastic deformations as well as changing the module of the general deformation of the layers of the earth foundation depending on the state of stress. To test the method there was conducted a comparative analysis with field testing of the ground coat of natural consistency by rigid stamps with its static loading. The calculation of setting by the method offered by the authors has a high convergence with the results of the experiments and reflects the general picture of deformations of the soil body while loading as well as unloading.