The Pros And Cons Of Having A Basement Excavated Under Your Home

If your home does not have a basement and you would very much like one, you may be considering having an excavation company come dig you a basement. This may seem far-fetched, but it is possible-- and people have basements dug beneath their homes every year. That does not necessarily mean, however, that having one dug is the right choice for you. Here's a look at the pros and cons of having a basement dug beneath your home.

Pro: You will add square footage to your home without increasing your task rate.

One reason why some people opt to have a basement dug rather than building an addition is that basement space, in most municipalities, is not taken into account when calculating your real estate tax bill. So, a 1,200 square foot home with a 1,200 square foot basement is taxed at a lower rate than a 2,400 square foot home with no basement. With your added basement, you will have a lot more living space in your home -- and you won't have to pay taxes on that space. (Do check with your local building inspector to verify that this is the case in your area. It is true in most places, but there are exceptions.)

Pro: You can finish the basement easily.

Finishing a newly dug basement is a lot easier than finishing an existing one. The contractors who excavate the basement can usually finish the space for you as a part of the process. You can design the basement with finishing in mind -- as opposed to trying to finish a basement that was never intended to hold drywall and other finishing materials.

Con: Excavating a basement is expensive.

There is a lot of planning that needs to be done before the contractors can dig underneath your home. They have to be very careful about where and how they dig in order to preserve your home's structure. Because so much planning is involved, the project can get pretty costly. Prepare to pay $10,000 or more for the digging alone -- plus several more thousand for finishing the basement space.

Con: Excavating a basement is not always possible.

Before you have your basement excavated, a structural engineer will need to look at your home and make sure adding a basement is even feasible. Some home structures are not compatible with this type of renovation, and some soil is not suitable for basement building, either. If you find out this is the case, you may want to build an addition on your home instead.

Contact a company, like Tri County Construction, for more help.