ᐅ Price difference between slab foundation and basement. Is it possible to estimate that?
Created on: 30 Jan 2018 11:06
K
koopie
Hello everyone,
is it possible to roughly estimate the price difference between a slab-on-grade foundation and a full basement?
Assumption: house footprint 10.5 x 10.5 m (34.5 x 34.5 ft), excluding excavation work
When requesting quotes from home builders, the prices seem relatively high to me. The cost of the slab-on-grade foundation should basically be deducted since it is already included in prices without a basement.
Thanks
koopie
is it possible to roughly estimate the price difference between a slab-on-grade foundation and a full basement?
Assumption: house footprint 10.5 x 10.5 m (34.5 x 34.5 ft), excluding excavation work
When requesting quotes from home builders, the prices seem relatively high to me. The cost of the slab-on-grade foundation should basically be deducted since it is already included in prices without a basement.
Thanks
koopie
Hello!
I’m jumping in here with a question and hope it’s okay!
We are currently planning a single-family house (110-120sqm (1184-1292 sq ft)) with a separate apartment (40-50sqm (430-538 sq ft)) and are waiting for a quote.
We were told that having the separate apartment in the basement is always the cheapest option. Is that really true? On a flat plot of land? Even when taking into account additional costs like light wells, exterior stairs, excavation (removal), etc.?
Without the separate apartment, the basement wouldn’t be an issue for us. Even now, with our 70sqm (753 sq ft) apartment, the basement is almost empty. The garden will be large enough either way.
Best regards
I’m jumping in here with a question and hope it’s okay!
We are currently planning a single-family house (110-120sqm (1184-1292 sq ft)) with a separate apartment (40-50sqm (430-538 sq ft)) and are waiting for a quote.
We were told that having the separate apartment in the basement is always the cheapest option. Is that really true? On a flat plot of land? Even when taking into account additional costs like light wells, exterior stairs, excavation (removal), etc.?
Without the separate apartment, the basement wouldn’t be an issue for us. Even now, with our 70sqm (753 sq ft) apartment, the basement is almost empty. The garden will be large enough either way.
Best regards
R
readytorumble27 Feb 2018 13:53Living space in the basement is more expensive than “regular” living space. Therefore, it is the same for a granny flat or accessory dwelling unit. It is more cost-effective to build somewhat larger or taller rather than deeper.
Thank you for your reply! I also find it hard to believe that a basement granny flat with everything included is the cheaper option...
Do you have any suggestions on how to integrate a granny flat in the most cost-effective way?
I just can’t figure it out :-(
120 m² (1292 sq ft) main house and 45 m² (484 sq ft) granny flat. I can imagine distributing the space over three levels, but not at all over two.
-Main house on the ground floor and granny flat on the upper floor:
then the main house becomes much smaller than 120 m² (1292 sq ft) and the granny flat upstairs larger than 45 m² (484 sq ft).
-Ground floor split into granny flat and main house, and main house on the upper floor:
this only works if the ground floor part of the main house is very small, but I would want the "normal" rooms there (living room, kitchen, bathroom, utility room?)
or the total area ends up well above 165 m² (1776 sq ft) with a huge upper floor (which we don’t need) and high extra costs due to the additional square meters.
-I can well imagine taking some space from the ground floor of the main house to add a single-story extension for the granny flat, but our builder says it is significantly more expensive than building a basement granny flat.
He says the single-story extension costs almost as much per m² (or per sq ft) as a two-story (or 1.5-story) build because of the additional roof and foundation slab costs.
Another idea would be a granny flat with an external staircase above the garage. But I’m sure that won’t be economical either, especially since we are not even sure if we want a garage; a double carport would be enough for us.
Do you have any suggestions on how to integrate a granny flat in the most cost-effective way?
I just can’t figure it out :-(
120 m² (1292 sq ft) main house and 45 m² (484 sq ft) granny flat. I can imagine distributing the space over three levels, but not at all over two.
-Main house on the ground floor and granny flat on the upper floor:
then the main house becomes much smaller than 120 m² (1292 sq ft) and the granny flat upstairs larger than 45 m² (484 sq ft).
-Ground floor split into granny flat and main house, and main house on the upper floor:
this only works if the ground floor part of the main house is very small, but I would want the "normal" rooms there (living room, kitchen, bathroom, utility room?)
or the total area ends up well above 165 m² (1776 sq ft) with a huge upper floor (which we don’t need) and high extra costs due to the additional square meters.
-I can well imagine taking some space from the ground floor of the main house to add a single-story extension for the granny flat, but our builder says it is significantly more expensive than building a basement granny flat.
He says the single-story extension costs almost as much per m² (or per sq ft) as a two-story (or 1.5-story) build because of the additional roof and foundation slab costs.
Another idea would be a granny flat with an external staircase above the garage. But I’m sure that won’t be economical either, especially since we are not even sure if we want a garage; a double carport would be enough for us.
The granny flat is intended for the mother/mother-in-law. It is foreseeable that she will not be able to live alone far away from us for much longer. We want to spare her from going into a nursing home.
120 sqm (1300 sq ft) because we are planning for a maximum of one child, or maybe none at all.
I think it’s normal to consider how to do this as cost-effectively (but of course also sensibly) as possible. We are not trying to save every last cent on building the house (that’s not necessary), but I question every expense to see if it makes sense. Every hundred dollars not spent unnecessarily on the house can be used for something nice.
120 sqm (1300 sq ft) because we are planning for a maximum of one child, or maybe none at all.
I think it’s normal to consider how to do this as cost-effectively (but of course also sensibly) as possible. We are not trying to save every last cent on building the house (that’s not necessary), but I question every expense to see if it makes sense. Every hundred dollars not spent unnecessarily on the house can be used for something nice.
montessalet27 Feb 2018 17:23Assuming a flat plot of land, I consider a basement with a granny flat to be less than ideal.
A concrete slab foundation with two floors is definitely more practical. The ground floor and part of the upper floor as the main apartment, with the second part of the upper floor as a granny flat. This does have the drawback that space for two staircases might be necessary, but I would still prefer this layout.
As an option – as you mentioned: the ground floor with a granny flat and part of the main apartment, and the upper floor as the main apartment. Another question is how you plan to handle the laundry room and kitchen (whether the kitchen is open or closed depends on the adjacent dining area and living room).
It is also possible to have a smaller area on the upper floor (for example, a granny flat on the upper floor with a small terrace).
Additionally, the shape of the roof (sloping roof?) is an important factor to consider.
A concrete slab foundation with two floors is definitely more practical. The ground floor and part of the upper floor as the main apartment, with the second part of the upper floor as a granny flat. This does have the drawback that space for two staircases might be necessary, but I would still prefer this layout.
As an option – as you mentioned: the ground floor with a granny flat and part of the main apartment, and the upper floor as the main apartment. Another question is how you plan to handle the laundry room and kitchen (whether the kitchen is open or closed depends on the adjacent dining area and living room).
It is also possible to have a smaller area on the upper floor (for example, a granny flat on the upper floor with a small terrace).
Additionally, the shape of the roof (sloping roof?) is an important factor to consider.
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