ᐅ House extends above ground level – how much soil can be backfilled (with shallow basement)?
Created on: 15 Oct 2022 19:11
M
Machu Picchu
Hello everyone,
we are now in the final phase of our house construction.
Because the sewage system on our property is not far below ground level and we did not install a sewage lift system, our basement was only excavated to a shallow depth.
The ceiling height of the basement rooms is 2.50m (8 feet 2 inches), as these areas are intended to be living spaces, unlike the neighboring houses, whose basement heights are lower.
As a result, our front door and the two patio doors are positioned much higher than those of the neighboring houses. In the next few days, soil will be filled up to the level of the terrace and front doors.
I do not want this to turn into a discussion about different construction methods; instead, I am looking for advice on how to best handle this somewhat unusual situation.
First, some photos:
Marked in red are the two patio doors. Soil will be filled up to just below these patio doors, except, of course, at light wells and shafts. The terrace will be paved around the corner, following the two indicated patio doors (because we wanted two sunny sides on the terrace for different times of the day). To the left of the single-leaf patio door (where the exterior plaster ends), a retaining wall will be built from the terrace level down to the ground.
This is a front view. On the left, the construction staircase leads up to the entrance door. The front door is at the same level as the two patio doors.
Here is the view from the back.
This is the view from the back toward the front door.
And here is another rear view including the neighboring houses.
As planned, as mentioned, soil will be filled up to the level of the house and terrace doors, and at this level the garden will be designed on the side of the large double patio door as well as behind the house, with steep slopes created just before the property boundary.
On the front door side, soil will also be filled up to front door level.
Toward the "front" (the side with the single patio door), the street level will be reached by terrace-like steps with 2-3 slope terraces supported by walls/granite.
Our concern now is: if we fill soil all around the house at door level on the side with the double patio door, at the back, and on the front door side, our garden height will be so high that, compared to the neighbors, our house will stand out significantly due to the very elevated ground level.
We are now considering ways to soften this.
One idea is to fill soil to door level only at the terrace wrapping the corner and directly at the front door, and to fill soil, for example, 50cm (20 inches) below door level everywhere else.
This way, the garden level would not be so dramatically higher than the neighbors’.
The problem with this is that we would partially expose the "basement" and areas without exterior plaster would become visible. We would likely need to hire a plasterer on our own to plaster additional areas and paint them with gray base paint. Time is tight because the soil will be delivered for filling within the next days/weeks. How long would such plastering take and what would it approximately cost?
Question to the forum: What do you think about this? Do you have other solutions? Or are our concerns unfounded?
Thank you very much in advance for any advice.
we are now in the final phase of our house construction.
Because the sewage system on our property is not far below ground level and we did not install a sewage lift system, our basement was only excavated to a shallow depth.
The ceiling height of the basement rooms is 2.50m (8 feet 2 inches), as these areas are intended to be living spaces, unlike the neighboring houses, whose basement heights are lower.
As a result, our front door and the two patio doors are positioned much higher than those of the neighboring houses. In the next few days, soil will be filled up to the level of the terrace and front doors.
I do not want this to turn into a discussion about different construction methods; instead, I am looking for advice on how to best handle this somewhat unusual situation.
First, some photos:
Marked in red are the two patio doors. Soil will be filled up to just below these patio doors, except, of course, at light wells and shafts. The terrace will be paved around the corner, following the two indicated patio doors (because we wanted two sunny sides on the terrace for different times of the day). To the left of the single-leaf patio door (where the exterior plaster ends), a retaining wall will be built from the terrace level down to the ground.
This is a front view. On the left, the construction staircase leads up to the entrance door. The front door is at the same level as the two patio doors.
Here is the view from the back.
This is the view from the back toward the front door.
And here is another rear view including the neighboring houses.
As planned, as mentioned, soil will be filled up to the level of the house and terrace doors, and at this level the garden will be designed on the side of the large double patio door as well as behind the house, with steep slopes created just before the property boundary.
On the front door side, soil will also be filled up to front door level.
Toward the "front" (the side with the single patio door), the street level will be reached by terrace-like steps with 2-3 slope terraces supported by walls/granite.
Our concern now is: if we fill soil all around the house at door level on the side with the double patio door, at the back, and on the front door side, our garden height will be so high that, compared to the neighbors, our house will stand out significantly due to the very elevated ground level.
We are now considering ways to soften this.
One idea is to fill soil to door level only at the terrace wrapping the corner and directly at the front door, and to fill soil, for example, 50cm (20 inches) below door level everywhere else.
This way, the garden level would not be so dramatically higher than the neighbors’.
The problem with this is that we would partially expose the "basement" and areas without exterior plaster would become visible. We would likely need to hire a plasterer on our own to plaster additional areas and paint them with gray base paint. Time is tight because the soil will be delivered for filling within the next days/weeks. How long would such plastering take and what would it approximately cost?
Question to the forum: What do you think about this? Do you have other solutions? Or are our concerns unfounded?
Thank you very much in advance for any advice.
Many good points and helpful tips have already been shared. Perhaps what’s missing is the option of "demolition and new construction." 😉
Just as a completely different idea (without knowledge of the floor plan, etc.): How about a solution that doesn’t involve raising the ground level but instead accepts the existing situation at ground level? For example, consider the basement more like a kind of garden-level apartment and the ground floor as a raised ground floor. Maybe the entrance to the basement could be relocated? A balcony with stairs in front of the former entrance or patio door? Plaster everything in yellow and create something at the basement level connected to the garden?
Just as a completely different idea (without knowledge of the floor plan, etc.): How about a solution that doesn’t involve raising the ground level but instead accepts the existing situation at ground level? For example, consider the basement more like a kind of garden-level apartment and the ground floor as a raised ground floor. Maybe the entrance to the basement could be relocated? A balcony with stairs in front of the former entrance or patio door? Plaster everything in yellow and create something at the basement level connected to the garden?
According to Labo, you are allowed to fill up to 2 meters (6.5 feet).
Your budget does not cover the filling and retaining work. Besides, as a neighbor, I would consider legal action. I would "murder" for the trellis.
Entrance
Move the stairs either here or down to the “basement.”
The stairs should not be too steep, but easy to walk on.
Bicycles and trash bins can be stored neatly there.
Small door at the front
Balcony connected to the terrace.
Plaster the lower part.
Plan the parking spaces for cars in that area. With some luck, the balcony can be connected to the carport.
In the area of the double door, fill up the 2 meters (6.5 feet) with a retaining wall. Step down toward the neighbor in several plantable/usable terraces,
and slope back to the original ground level.
After the plasterer returns, everything should be finished in a uniform yellow. Finally, not white with “smoky eyes.”
I also thought at first it was April Fools’ Day. Why a basement on a plot like this?
A building inspector won’t help much; the original poster always agreed to that nonsense. What the general contractor was thinking, I don’t know. At least he could have pointed out realistic costs. The plot could have been built on simply and cheaply. No one warned you against the basement, which isn’t even really one yet.
What are the plans for the building permit / planning permission?
Your budget does not cover the filling and retaining work. Besides, as a neighbor, I would consider legal action. I would "murder" for the trellis.
Entrance
Move the stairs either here or down to the “basement.”
The stairs should not be too steep, but easy to walk on.
Bicycles and trash bins can be stored neatly there.
Small door at the front
Balcony connected to the terrace.
Plaster the lower part.
Plan the parking spaces for cars in that area. With some luck, the balcony can be connected to the carport.
In the area of the double door, fill up the 2 meters (6.5 feet) with a retaining wall. Step down toward the neighbor in several plantable/usable terraces,
and slope back to the original ground level.
After the plasterer returns, everything should be finished in a uniform yellow. Finally, not white with “smoky eyes.”
I also thought at first it was April Fools’ Day. Why a basement on a plot like this?
A building inspector won’t help much; the original poster always agreed to that nonsense. What the general contractor was thinking, I don’t know. At least he could have pointed out realistic costs. The plot could have been built on simply and cheaply. No one warned you against the basement, which isn’t even really one yet.
What are the plans for the building permit / planning permission?
H
Hausbautraum2016 Oct 2022 08:48We didn’t plan the exterior plastering perfectly in the basement either. Now there is a slightly larger exposed area than originally planned. It wasn’t a problem to have it plastered later on.
The small patio door can easily be fitted with a fall protection system.
I also know of large balconies and have even seen one that wraps around a corner, so it is definitely possible.
In our neighborhood, someone on the south side completely built up a hill for the terrace, and right next to it on the west side, the basement is fully exposed and used as living space. So that works as well.
I would also recommend a good landscaping contractor, as there are solutions available. However, the exterior landscaping for our neighbors on a steep slope was more in the six-figure range. That’s obviously quite crazy, especially since the goal was to avoid spending 1000€ on a lifting system...
The small patio door can easily be fitted with a fall protection system.
I also know of large balconies and have even seen one that wraps around a corner, so it is definitely possible.
In our neighborhood, someone on the south side completely built up a hill for the terrace, and right next to it on the west side, the basement is fully exposed and used as living space. So that works as well.
I would also recommend a good landscaping contractor, as there are solutions available. However, the exterior landscaping for our neighbors on a steep slope was more in the six-figure range. That’s obviously quite crazy, especially since the goal was to avoid spending 1000€ on a lifting system...
N
NatureSys16 Oct 2022 08:51What is the natural ground level exactly (in other words, how much soil did you remove to build the basement)?
NatureSys schrieb:
How high is the natural ground actually (in other words, how much soil did you remove to build the basement)? I was just wondering about that myself. To me, the trees in the background of the first picture look like they are standing noticeably higher. If there is still about a meter difference and you want to level it anyway, maybe we are only talking about about a meter above the terrain and not two anymore? In the photo from the side looking towards the front door, the neighboring beds are also higher (although nowhere near as high as the door). For me, it doesn’t seem far off to pile some soil up and manage some parts with steps. I also get the feeling that "this wouldn’t have had to be," and that actually a level entrance could have been done without much fuss, but well. The situation is what it is.
I also think there are several options for the terrace. I’m running through in my mind what I’ve seen with hillside houses before... Something like: terrace designed as a deck or balcony-like structure with stairs leading down to the garden. Or planning the terrace over multiple levels. Or initially having a set of stairs leading down to the terrace, which would be more or less at garden level (or just slightly above). Or placing the terrace a bit away from the house with a pathway leading there (possibly with some steps here and there). Or other variations... How realistic any of these options are for your specific conditions, I can’t really assess.
Anyway, you’ll probably need a good landscape gardener. Going back over the existing designs can’t hurt, but detaching a bit from them is probably better.
And as already mentioned: if you don’t include the side door in the terrace planning, you will probably need some kind of fall protection there. But I believe that is the smaller issue 🙂
M
Machu Picchu16 Oct 2022 09:34haydee schrieb:
According to the lab, you are allowed to fill up to 2 m (6.5 ft).
Your budget does not cover the filling and retaining work. Besides, as a neighbor, I would take legal action. I would go to extremes over the trellis.
It would not exceed a fill height of more than 2 m (6.5 ft). We would get the fill material for free from other construction sites. What would be the basis for the neighbor’s legal action?
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