Texas Basements?? (Houston, Dallas, Austin: construction, costs, move)

[cdelena]

Originally Posted by jimithing78

I think taxes are based on the number of air conditioned/heated square feet. I have a storage shed with a slab and don't have to pay taxes on it. Nor do I pay taxes on my attached garage because it's not air conditioned/heated.

Taxes are assessed on the appraised value... it makes no difference if it is underground, in a tree, attached, hot, cold, etc. It is just the estimated fair market value that counts.

[galore]

Originally Posted by lh_newbie

When you start, please let me know. I'd love to know what it costs. I miss my basement from Michigan, also, and I would seriously consider atleast a partial basement if I were to ever build - and your owner-built thought is exactly what I'd love to do. I'd happily toss in my time to learn from your experience.

I started with this project.

About cost:
Geotechnical soil test: $1500
Structural engineering: $3000
Excavation approx. 42x42x12 ft was ~$5000
Footings cost $4500 (concrete, labor, pump, rebar)
Joists for first floor: $3000
Drainage: $200

Next cost to complete basement:
Walls: $6000
Slab: $2500
Ceiling: $2500
Dampproofing: $1000
Backfill: $2000

This is with lots of DIY.

[buffettjr]

Awesome...thanks so much for updating. Have you made any progress since May? If I add up your costs, I get just north of $30,000. Is that about right for the cost to build a finished out basement or are their additional costs?

Thanks!

[galore]

Originally Posted by buffettjr

Awesome...thanks so much for updating. Have you made any progress since May? If I add up your costs, I get just north of $30,000. Is that about right for the cost to build a finished out basement or are their additional costs?

Thanks!

I made progress since May and poured the basement concrete. The cost is for an unfinished basement.

[expatChicagoan]

Originally Posted by galore

They don't do basements because of many different reasons. I think the main reason is that they simply aren't necessary. One of the top requirements of a foundation is that it has to extend beyond the frost line. Which is a few inches in most of TX .

The implication being that every house in a colder climate *would* have a basement?

Before moving to Texas, I owned 2 houses in NW Indiana; neither had a basement. One had a concrete foundation crawl space, and the other had a regular dirt crawl space...

I've never owned a home with a basement. I rented one, once, and it was awful when there was heavy rain...

[mitotex]

My soon to be ex house in michigan has an awesome, AWESOME basement. Walkout with daylight windows, fully finished with a bar, rec area, bathroom, exercise room & movie area. 2000 sqft for anything you want. Nice & cool in the summer - I'll really miss that in TX. Counting the basement we had upwards of 6000 sqft. I challenge you to find that in the Dallas area for near the price.

[galore]

Originally Posted by expatChicagoan

The implication being that every house in a colder climate *would* have a basement?

Before moving to Texas, I owned 2 houses in NW Indiana; neither had a basement. One had a concrete foundation crawl space, and the other had a regular dirt crawl space...

I've never owned a home with a basement. I rented one, once, and it was awful when there was heavy rain...

No but it is less of a cost difference in climates that require a deeper footing than in Dallas.

Yeah, I'd rather not have a low-quality basement with moisture problems.......

[Loveshiscountry]

Originally Posted by galore

Backhoe rental (+operator) can be had for $90/hour for equipment that can dig some 12ft deep.

Pricing (http://excavationservices.net/pricing.aspx - broken link)

$100k at this price is 555 hours. I doubt that digging a 42x42x12 hole with power equipment takes seventy 8-hour working days. $100k is a LOT of money.

I plan on getting a basement for my new home that I'll owner-build in LH. If such a hole costs $100k to dig, I plan on digging by hand and utilize a jackhammer, if I hit lime stone. Don't care if I dig for 2 years for that amount of money. No joke. (my uncle actually did exactly that.......).

I don't know where people get the figures from. Digging a 20 x 24 hole and hauling off the dirt costs just 5 k. That's what I paid when I added on. I paid ~750 for a soil sample. Having a house built with a basement is an inexpensive way to add square footage to your house.

[MurphyPl1]

If you build it yourself it could be. But the vast majority of homes in this area are built by builders and most are not "custom." So it is highly unlikely the average person seeking a basement would be able to even get a quote for a basement. And if they were, I guarantee the builder would make it so high that it would discourage most from moving ahead with it.

Builders are used to minor changes, some don't even mind the occasional wall move, or bay window addition but a basement changes the entire foundation of a home so that will not go over lightly with them.

[buffettjr]

Originally Posted by Loveshiscountry

I don't know where people get the figures from. Digging a 20 x 24 hole and hauling off the dirt costs just 5 k. That's what I paid when I added on. I paid ~750 for a soil sample. Having a house built with a basement is an inexpensive way to add square footage to your house.

Hi LHC,

Is your house in the Dallas area? I'm going to be adding on 2,000 sq ft to my small house (probably a 1,000 sq ft footprint with two stories) and am seriously mulling over a basement. I'm in Austin, but I think we face similar soil conditions. Are you saying it costs just $5,000 to put in an unfinished basement while you were doing your add on?