Which foundation type should your new home plan have? Every great floor plan begins with a firm foundation, so build yours on the best option for your conditions! It’s important to choose the right foundation type for your home – get a little guidance here, and we know you’ll make the right choice! Let’s dive deep and learn more about each type of foundation.
2,397 Square Foot, 4 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom Home
Slab – The Most Popular Foundation Type
About half of all new homes built in the U.S. are built on a slab foundations. Because a slab is by far the most cost-effective choice, customers flock to this budget-friendly option. It’s quick and easy, as far as foundations go – a slab can often be poured directly on the ground or on a bed of gravel. Your builder may need to do just a bit of excavating beforehand to create a usable surface.
2,080 Square Foot, 3 Bedroom, 2.1 Bedroom Home
A slab foundation is a great option for warm and dry climates where frost depth won’t be an issue. They also work perfectly for areas where water tables keep basements from being feasible. However, a slab likely won’t be an option if you’re building on a sloped lot (a crawlspace or basement may be your best bet here, depending on your conditions).
1,636 Square Foot, 3 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom Home
Crawlspace – The Best of Both Worlds
A crawlspace combines aspects of both basement and slab foundations. A crawlspace’s fairly inexpensive design assists those who hope to remain conscious of budget. Meanwhile, the 2-3 feet of space (or more) it provides below the home will give its owner much-needed access to mechanical and plumbing fixtures. This will help save time and money on repairs for years to come!
1,988 Square Foot, 3 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom Home
A crawlspace is also a wonderful option for customers building on a sloped lot. Footings are used to create a level base to build your home on. Crawlspaces are also chosen in most flood zone areas, because the space between the ground and first floor acts as a barrier that protects from flooding.
2,735 Square Foot, 3 Bedroom, 2.1 Bathroom Home
Basement – Additional Square Footage
Basement foundations are the most expensive to build, but come with incredible benefits! You create an abundance of additional square footage when you choose to build with this foundation type – not to mention access to utilities becomes a non-issue! Build a gaming area, family room, or guest space. The only limit is your imagination!
2,743 Square Foot, 4 Bedroom, 4.1 Bathroom Home
Those building in colder climates often choose to build with basement foundations. This is the case because of frost levels. Footings for a home must be dug and poured below the local frost level, so it makes the choice to go a bit further and do a full basement much easier.
2,343 Square Foot, 3 Bedroom, 3.1 Bathroom Home
Before you go, let’s take a quick look at the different types of basements.
In-Ground Basement:
An in-ground basement is either completely or mostly underground. The only access to an in-ground basement is through the main level of a home. Some start at ground level, while others start just above to allow space for small windows for light. Customers typically choose an in-ground basement when building on a level lot, as excavation costs for a walkout basement can be costly.
Daylight or Walkout Basement:
A daylight or walkout basement offers one or more full-sized windows on its exterior walls. The term walkout basement is often used when there is also a door leading outside. Our customers often prefer a daylight or walkout basement, because it lacks the “basement feel” they aren’t fans of. This is thanks to the natural light its windows and doors provide. This is a great choice when building on a sloped lot!
Check out our home plans with basements, or for more basement info, check out our blog – Benefits of a Daylight Basement!
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Christine Cooney
Christine has over a decade of experience as a house plan and floor plan expert. Outside of providing her expertise to customers to help them find and build their dream homes, her passion and knowledge of the home building industry allows Christine to guide families and builders through all of the important steps from finding plans to building custom homes that meet the expectations of today’s new home owner. Christine’s years of knowledge of the diverse trends and needs of the modern homeowner has made her into an authoritative and trusted voice in the online house plan community.