ORIGINAL REDDIT POST
Adding a basment
I really want a basment in the house me and my wife just bought. And im wondering how much it would cost. I would like it to be a finished basment and roughly 500 sqf and half would be under our garage that isnt paved and has a gravel floor. And the other…
I really want a basment in the house me and my wife just bought. And im wondering how much it would cost. I would like it to be a finished basment and roughly 500 sqf and half would be under our garage that isnt paved and has a gravel floor. And the other half under the foundation of the house. Idk know if it matters but we live in oklahoma.
Collected discussion
Damn id just build another house
Probably should've bought a house with a basement.
Unfortunately the only houses with basments where I live are near if not more than a million. They aren't very common here
I might have to people are saying it's gonna be Hella expensive
Thank you ill call a few people this week
Sounds like a good plan ill call a couple people when they open up tomorrow
Thanks.i didn't think about all of that
Unfortunately we dont have much yard space. And yeah also looking for tornado protection.
Might be a reason they aren’t common
Major work like that is only really done for two reasons; money is no object or something like the foundation had to be replaced because it failed so while we're at it, add a basement since the house was already lifted. I guess there's a 3rd reason; you saved up for it. But seriously, just sell and buy a house with a basement is what I'd do
Probably going to be cheaper to build a small addition off the side with a basement. Do like a 14x14 room or something with a basement of the existing structure.
Perhaps you need to look into WHY basements arent that common there first.
I’ve done this it involves house lifters and digging under or just moving the house and resetting it 150-175k unfinished also will have to disconnect the garage if you want it under garage as well you would demo and rebuild the garage another 75k
Idk know if it matters but we live in oklahoma. Actually matters a lot. Lots of geological challenges with a basement there between the red clay soil common in the state, frost lines, and the high water table that would put pressure on the foundation walls and you'd likely be dealing with moisture issues for the rest of your life. You could, in theory, have a basement but the cost is likely going to be so prohibitive it won't be worth it. As for cost, you'd need to get quotes. Just by the issues of it, you'd probably be better off building a second building entirely or adding a second floor.
Easily over 100k even more if the current foundation is only as deep as it needs to be. If it's too the froast line and that's it; you'll need to lift the house dig a foundation wall down at least 9ft plus depth for the footing.
Finish the garage and build a new garage next to it. It will be vastly cheaper. Unless you’re looking for tornado protection?
Here’s a list of things that would be cheaper than adding a basement to a home built on a slab: Moving and eating the closing costs Building an addition to the house Adding an underground storm shelter to the side of the house But go ahead and start calling GCs. They’ll either laugh at you or give you a price so insanely high they can’t turn it down.
Ouch my poor wallet
If you want a basement move and buy another house. To add a basement when a house is already built depending what you pay for the house it might even cost the same amount. It's never worthwhile to dig out a basement with the house that doesn't have any
Best way to get a price for adding a basement would be to contact a builder who specializes in underpinning and basement excavation, show them a plan for the finished structure, and request a bid. Be prepared to pay for the bid since this is specialty work and their time is valuable.
Grab a shovel and get started. Make sure you support the house. You’ll be done in like 15 years.
It would a lot less expensive if you built it away from the house. I’m sure there are lots of contractors that build storm shelters. But if you have the space on the lot for that, you may be better off, cost-wise, building above ground.
Hate to say it, but if you really wanted a house with a basement, then you shouldn't have bought a house without a basement.
To dig a basement under an existing house is not cost effective. You would have to jack up the foundation which might cause lasting damage and the price would be way more than 500 per square foot which is the going rate for an addition around the country.
Whatever you do, get numerous quotes. We looked into this and the range of detail and pricing was incredible. The more detailed someone could be with their concerns, the more I trusted them. Some just tossed a number at me from pics. I think one didn't ever look in person. The most thorough (and I think trustworthy) actually took the time to look in my crawl space and commented on the fact that our house is from the late 1800s, has been added on to many times, and the joists run different directions between rooms/sections. Therefore, to support it would have been a nightmare versus the typical approach of running one beam down the whole length. They would have had to do way more digging out ahead of time in order to support the joists under each section. Also, don't sleep on the utilities. My understanding is that adds a tremendous amount of cost, as you have to rewire and replumb everything afterward. Make sure you are considering the full cost, not just lifting and giving you a foundation. You might have up move your sewer line and water main, too. (You mentioned preferring finished, so it's likely on your mind.) For reference, in MN we bought for around $200k circa 2010, and just to lift and give me a foundation from the most detailed guy was ~$175k. No finishing, no utilities. I would have loved it... but unfortunately just couldn't handle that cost. Good luck as you navigate. Man, the extra space and a wood shop in my basement would have been a dream but it is what it is. Hope you can come to a decision you feel solid about, even if it's not adding the basement.