stupid question? do houses in AZ have basements? (Chandler: tornadoes, work)

[azloafer]

I was in a custom house basement that is located in Sahuarita, Arizona (25 miles South of Tucson) and it was cool and dry. It was drier than our former basement house in Wisconsin where we needed a sump pump. There is no reason that a basement cannot be built in Arizona, from what I have seen.

[Monster Daddy]

Basement technology in Arizona seems to be improving vastly. Basements are being built larger, cheaper and faster than ever before.

Fulton Homes at Fulton Ranch now offers a 1700ish sf 3BR/2BA basement home that is as cheap or cheaper per sf than their 2 story models. It's about $76/sq for the basement add. Their high end models can come with a 2,100 sf basement! I think most Fulton communities now offer basement options.

Scott Communities at Agitopia and another also offers a massive full basement (same footprint as the 1st floor.)

I know TW Lewis, Shea also offer 1100-1500 sf 2BR/1BA basements. I'm sure there are more.

I wanted a basement to stick all my kids down in

[and the]

I have always wondered why Wisconsin homes automatically come with a basement and Arizona homes are built on a slab?

I'd guess it's a lot easier to dig through Midwestern dirt than AZ dirt and rock. Plus, AZ has "expansive soil" which can be a problem, plus, there are huge drainage issues. It's a lot more difficult for an AZ house to handle the water during and after a storm than a house in MI or Wisconsin, even with a sump pump.

I could never live without a basement. Where do you play your drums without pissing off the neighbors? Where do you put all your junk and still have room in your garage for a car? I plan on building on a slight hill in AZ so I can have a walk-out or at least a day light basement.

[Monster Daddy]

Homes in most of the country automatically come with a basement because the foundation needs to be dug below the frost line and the cost difference between a crawl space and a full basement usually isn't very much.

[azloafer]

Originally Posted by Monster Daddy

Homes in most of the country automatically come with a basement because the foundation needs to be dug below the frost line and the cost difference between a crawl space and a full basement usually isn't very much.

That's true, we used to live in Wisconsin. BUT...why do they want $80 to $100,000 for a basement here? Isn't that a little out-of-line?

[Monster Daddy]

Originally Posted by azloafer

That's true, we used to live in Wisconsin. BUT...why do they want $80 to $100,000 for a basement here? Isn't that a little out-of-line?

Almost all basements in Arizona must come finished unlike other parts of the country. So you are paying about $76/sf to get carpeting, fixtures, outlets, walls, bathrooms, bedrooms and closets put in. Plus the window wells are deep to look like regular window placements. I hear a few places will allow unfinished basements but I don't know of any.

[vpo3]

Are you thinking of "dust devils"? i used to live in arizona.

[sfw1979]

I can understand why most houses in AZ don't have them but it's to bad. Compared to the midweast most of the houses in AZ seem small to begin with , seems like the average is 1500-180o sg ft.

[Stephan_K]

Originally Posted by Monster Daddy

Almost all basements in Arizona must come finished unlike other parts of the country. So you are paying about $76/sf to get carpeting, fixtures, outlets, walls, bathrooms, bedrooms and closets put in. Plus the window wells are deep to look like regular window placements. I hear a few places will allow unfinished basements but I don't know of any.

"Almost all basements in Arizona must come finished"......who decided this and is this a law of some sort? And if so, why?

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Power Surge

To my knowledge, very few do, and I know that because Ive been in some of them.
But the reason might be because we dont get tornadoes, hurricanes or other disasters that might utilize the need for one. But we do have dust storms and those 'mini twister' things, at this hour and before my coffee I forget what theyre called but they do a lot of damage. The word will hit me later and I'll come back with it, lol.

There is just no need for them. Many homes in the Midwest do-for obvious-reasons as do homes in New England. Aside from offering protection from tornadoes, most basements serve as storage, which is why you'll find many homes without a garage and very little closet space.