New Home Slab vs Basement Foundation Cost Difference

Hi everyone Michael, with an open book, many of you asked for a breakdown of the

cost

difference

between a

slab

foundation

and a

basement

and after doing a detailed analysis of the numbers, I was very surprised to see how much cheaper it is . The

slab

is over a

basement

with today's high construction

cost

s. Let me first say that a basement is a great way to add living space; In fact, a properly constructed basement can be finished in the future to expand the living area for fifty dollars per square foot or even less. for owner builders, but to do it right, we must first build the

foundation

with proper insulation, drainage, waterproofing, foundation wall height nine feet high for headroom, plumbing installation for a future bathroom and escape windows so we can legally add bedrooms.

Now these items add to the cost of the basement, but are necessary to make this lower level a real living space instead of a moldy basement with carpet and paint. We've all walked into those finished basements that are dark and damp and scream finished after the fact, so in this video we'll discuss the cost

difference

s between this ready to finish basement and slab foundation, so to compare appropriately cost we will use an example of 2200 square feet. two story house, so in essence the foundation footprint will be 1100 square feet for this cost analysis, so let's start our comparison with excavation, there is obviously a lot more dirt that needs to be removed for a basement compared with a slab of approximately 500 cubic yards.

In fact, in any case, we need our excavation contractor to mobilize their excavator and, in many cases, obtain permits to move the machine to the new

home

location. Now a foundation this size will take a full day to remove the dirt from the basement. versus a partial day for the slab, the cost difference here is about 600 more for the basement. Ok, now let's compare the concrete and workmanship for the foundation walls. Here we are looking at a difference in cost of forty eight hundred and fifty dollars, it is important. To keep in mind that here we are comparing a cold climate foundation with foundations placed below the frost line, this photo is a slab foundation in a cold climate climate where there is an eight-by-eight-inch by 16-inch foundation with a four-foot wall on top that extends below the frost line, so we are seeing the difference in cost going from a foundation with a four-foot tall wall poured on top in the foundation slab condition versus a foundation with a nine foot tall poured concrete wall with In the basement condition, we have also included three horizontal bands of rebar in the basement foundation wall for added strength, so again the cost difference of labor and materials to form and pour the foundation and walls is forty eight hundred and fifty dollars plus for the basement. foundation, so let's add that to the six hundred more dollars for basement excavation costs, we also need to apply waterproofing to the outside of the basement foundation to keep water out and install insulation the full height of the basement wall so that foundation keep the basement warm, this lab condition still requires insulation but only about half as much material so the difference in cost of these two budget items is 2250 more for the basement and let's add that to the total cost so far when we fill the slab foundation.

We need to use stone or gravel to fill the areas next to the foundation wall so the slab doesn't settle and crack. This is called excessive excavation area. We also need to use stone around the drainage slab in the basement foundation. The difference. The cost between these two is about a thousand dollars more for the slab foundation, so we subtracted that from our total additional cost for the basement so far. The basement also requires proper drainage around the entire perimeter of the foundation to collect water and carry it to the sump basin now we took into account the stone around the drain slab earlier but the basin and drain pipe cost about a thousand one hundred dollars for the material and labor for the installation.

Let's add that to the running total for the basement condition. The basement also requires a sump pump in most situations. That will add another four hundred dollars for labor and materials for the pump and plumbing, which is why we mentioned at the beginning of the video that it's a good idea to add egress windows so that the future finished basement can have bedrooms. Now these windows allow the occupants to sleep. another exit in case of fire, unfortunately these exit windows with energy efficient glass are quite expensive: two thousand dollars a piece and in most cases we use two, so now for four thousand dollars they not only require one window placed in The foundation wall that meets the exit criteria means that someone can pass through them, but they also require a pit with steps so that they can exit now.

These egress windows also let a lot of light into the basement, so keep that in mind now let's add these costs to the running total. for the additional cost of the basement, that is enough for the underground costs. Now let's look at the frame. Remember when we added the basement, we now have the additional cost to frame the first floor deck with floor joists and tongue and groove subfloor. Remember there is no slab on level, now we have to build a floor for the first floor and to support the floor frame, we normally have beams and columns underneath and then we add the stairs for the basement and the labor materials for the carpentry and raw wood.

The materials cost an additional twelve thousand six hundred dollars, so let's add the cost of the first floor deck structure to our running total for the additional cost of the basement. A final major cost item for the basement is electricity. For a basement this size, we need about six roofs. Turn on an outlet for the sump pump and a light on the stairs with one switch at the top and one at the bottom. This will add another five hundred dollars to the cost of the basement. Another important note for those thinking about converting their Basement House Plan to a slab.

Remember that if you decide to change your

home

's layout from a basement to a slab, you need to create space in the first-floor living room for a mechanical room that houses the boiler, water heater, and water meter. Now, sometimes, people. forget to consider this when comparing basement to a slab, so the total cost to upgrade this sample 2200 sq ft two story home from a slab to a ready to finish basement is a whopping 25,300, I don't know . about you guys, but that's a lot more than I had estimated in my head before going through this detailed analysis, so that's it for today, thanks for watching.