Guesses on construction $$$

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I'm wondering if anyone can throw out rough guesses on what it would cost to do a 30'x30' basement. I know it's next to impossible without seeing the site, but I want to kind of figure out whether I can even consider it. It would be limestone mixed with dirt, top of a hill so drainage shouldn't be too much of a problem, and I was thinking cinder block courses as opposed to poured walls. Thanks for any guesses!

-- Doreen (animalwaitress@yahoo.com), August 07, 2001

Answers

Well Doreen a good place to start is to figure out how many blocks you will need. Concrete blocks run about $1 a piece. Come up with an estimate of how much the walls will cost you......then a pretty safe way to estimate the concrete work is to double the cost of the walls and add a smidge. Now this is assuming you will be doing the work yourself.....if you are hiring it done I have no clue :o).

-- Amanda in Mo (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), August 08, 2001.

Did one of those on my new(ish) house. Subbed the whole thing. 3000 blocks, $12,000 total. Lots of steel inside blocks, also included bucks for doors and windows (it's a "daylight" basement). blocks are filled with concrete.

It's probably less whereEVER you live. Things are expensive here.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@ecoweb.net), August 08, 2001.


By the way, I usually do almost all my own work, but in this case, I decided I 'd rather be able to walk afterwards. My back is not getting any younger.

I'm glad I subbed it out. It took six pro's six weeks. In the HEAT.

JOJ

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), August 08, 2001.


Yeah, my back isn't getting any younger either....nor is the rest of me. Thanks for the figure to kind of toss around. My folks had one done in MO but it was all poured walls, and with a cement ceiling on half of it so it would be a storm cellar as well. A bit more extravagant than I was considering! One thing I have actually learned is that there is a time to call the pros in. Thanks!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), August 08, 2001.

Hey Doreen:

Some other factors might include:

Were you intending on building a structure on TOP of this basement? Or is this sort of a root cellar? A steel reinfocing issue.

How far off the road (or out of town) the site is; contractors hate working far out of building supply shops and really charge through the nose for ANY structure. I'll bet that excavating the hole itself would be cheaper if a local person with a backhoe did it.

A soil test on the proposed site to be done by a testing lab would probably be a good idea. Many building codes might require this to be sure that your basement is built in soil that will not shift on you. This test would also probably make sure that sanitary sewer lines (if you are going to install them) would pass the perculation (sp?) test.

What type of roof did you want on it? Metal roofing panels on bar joists might be economical, especially is you decide to put a sod type roof on it. Steel is expensive initially but all that natural insulation would keep your heating / cooling bills low, working with the natural insulative properties of building underground. I know that pre-fab trusses are pretty cheap, but there might be some conflicts with the fire codes; check with fire marshal if that has to be a consideration.

I think that block would work fine; it would need quite a lot of steel reinforcing within the cavities, with good poly sealant applied to the exterior to prevent leaks.

To get a ball park figure, why not ask a swimming pool company how much it would cost to do one that size? Your basement is basically a swimming pool in reverse; keeping water OUT of the structure is the priority. They build with reinforced cement, about the same labor cost as laying up reinforced block underground. Would be some help.

I hope I didn't muddle the waters more; I know from personal experience that buildings can cause REAL frustration, with all the codes you have to comply with. Good luck and if you do build, please let us know how it came out.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), August 10, 2001.



Excellent points JR. I was considering doing a basement and putting a shed roof on it that I could then knck the angle out of and turn into a floor for a bale house on top at a later date....these are the musings of a maniac?..or not??? I am lucky in that as of now there are no building codes per se. I DO want it to be structurally sound and safe and would follow UBC codes as a guide. I just want a super insulated structure at as low of a price as possible yet with good internal light and air exchange. Not asking much, am I?

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), August 10, 2001.

Guys, guys!!!! I talked to my folks and they said, get this...their basement was $2600!!!!! It's 26' 24'. That doesn't include doors etal, but this might be just the ticket....now I am thinking earth berm all the way. Man, I might be able to affor to live after all. How cool is that?

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), August 12, 2001.

Yep you have discovered one of the truely great things about southern Missouri.....stuff is generally dirt cheap compared to other places :o)

-- Amanda in Mo (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), August 13, 2001.

Yes! I am really excited over the idea of being able to pay for this thing. WOW. I don't mind working really hard, but concrete work is rough and there is only one of me, so it really needs to be done by pros. Now I need to get some good books on earth berm/underground houses. Yippeee!

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), August 13, 2001.

Doreen: some books on underground home construction.

The classic $50 Dollars and Under Underground Home by Mike Oehler (I think)has lots of good ideas for building on hillsides like you described.

A book by two architects who specialize in underground homes, David Wells and Malcolm ?, who wrote a book named Building your Underground Home? who list a lot of good ideas on construction techniques, low tech methods to get good, energy efficient construction in an underground home. Sorry I couldn't remember the exact author names and name of book, but I recently saw it at Hastings for about $12.00, well worth the price. Maybe you can find these books in the library?

Hope this helps some.

-- j. r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), August 14, 2001.



Hi Doreen. I think your mom must be mistaken. You can not get a basement put in for $2600. I do not know what it would cost but I would guess around 10k. Good luck and I hope I an wrong.

-- ed (edfrhes@aol.com), August 14, 2001.

I hope you are wrong too, Ed. Thanks for the book recomendations, jr. I have seen Oehler's book somewhere, but I was thinking it was a bit too good to be true. I will have a look for it. Do you guys know about ABE books?

-- Dreen (bisquit@here.com), August 14, 2001.

Doreen, I suppose this suggestion depends on how bad you want it and how poor you are but here goes...

You can form your own cinder blocks if you build a form to pour them in and it takes a while to do it but it is cheaper.

You basically dig a footer, set in stone or gravel and then your rebar, fill it with concrete and then lay your first layer of blocks.

There are books out there that will give you math equations on how to get your corners square. Got any friends that would be willing to lend a hand?

-- Stephanie Nosacek (possumliving@go.com), October 12, 2001.


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