I would like to know how much footing requirements are needed for a support beam?

I am currently residing in a single floor with basement @ 8feet and 6 feet basement small bungalow with 700square feet each floor roof is 2 beam supported @8feet apart and the roof is @5feet high at center.Now the supports are not properly aligned from the roof down ,so upon some consultation with a structural commercial engineer i came to the conclusion that the three sections of support shoild be double size at each supportgoing down .Which leaves me at a basement wooden support of 8x8 is this realistic and what would be the savings if this would be steel (what thickness) and what size of footing depth and width from high strength concrete,is my question.