How much does it cost to build a basement?
Basements are essential in any house and especially because of storage purposes. Here is the place you can take all your extra clothes that will not be needed till the next season and old furniture.
One can also use it to store things that are often not used and which would otherwise crowd the house and take up needed space.
People also convert basements to studios where they can do their work such as painting and drawing, music recording and so on. One can also make a drive in under garage from a basement.
Let’s have a look at the factors that determines the cost to build a basement –
The area
The total area in square feet that you want the basement to occupy will determine the cost. You can make the basement run the entire house floor area or just a portion of it.
One can even demolish stairs and make more room for the basement under their house. A big area basement will help you in many ways as it can serve as underground parking and also a garage. There will also be ample space for storage.
A contractor will normally estimate the cost per square foot of the basement and give you the details.
Purpose
The function of the basement area will determine its size and therefore its cost. This is because it will also determine the design of the basement.
Basements that are to be used as drive in garages and parking lots will definitely need more space and many other processes like line marking will need to be done in order for it to be fully functional.
However, a typical basement that is to be used as a storage room or a studio will not need much. The design will vary according to the style of the house and the purpose.
Materials
Basements take up lots of materials. There will definitely be a lot of concrete poured to make the basement strong and also a lot of steel reinforcement.
In order to ensure that the basement is well built, it is essential for the owner to have the exact estimates of materials to be used on the basement. Some materials will normally function better than others in a particular situation.
For example, a basement to be used as a parking lot will function better if some tar is poured instead of concrete. This will probably also cost much less and be more durable.
Laborers
Building a new basement is a sensitive matter like building a new house. This is because you will need a lot of workers who will pour concrete continuously to ensure there are no cold joints or weak points in the floor or the wall.
A poorly built basement may cause the collapse of the whole house. Proper reinforcement is not only essential but cannot be ignored when building a basement and especially if the house that lies on it is storied.
The cost of a finished basement may be substantial because of the numerous touches that need to be done to finish it up. One also needs to determine the height of the wall that is to be built and the thickness.