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Concrete Foundation Cost
How much does it cost to build a house foundation?
A structurally sound home starts with a strong foundation holding its weight and consequently, it can be considered the most important part of the house.
For this example, we'll consider the cost of a new 1000 square foot foundation. The average installed cost is $5-$8 per square foot, or $5000-$8000.
Cost breakdown
- Materials:
- Poured slab concrete typically costs $3-$5 per square foot.
- Footings 1 can add an additional $1-$2 per square foot.
- A crawl space foundation can be a better option, but it also requires more materials and labor time and can double the overall cost of the project.
- Labor: labor costs from contractors or concrete specialists typically adds another $2-$3 per square foot, for a total of $2000-$3000 for this project. On average, it takes three to four days from start to finish to dig out and pour the concrete.
Enhancement and improvement costs
- Pouring the foundation is a good time to add radiant flooring 2. Radiant flooring heating 1 costs in a typical house $6,000-$14,000, but you may be able to get a discount if you do it with the foundation.
- This is also a good time to install a foundation drain 3, which tends to add an additional $3000 to your total but can help prevent future, expensive issues.
- Adding a sealant to the concrete can add another $0.50 per square foot but can help prevent expensive water damage issues later on.
- Adding footings 1 for more complicated architectural details, such as stairs, can add $150 per footing 1 to your cost.
Additional considerations and costs
- Foundation that is poured as an attached addition to an existing home might take longer and be slightly more expensive because of the need to work around existing buildings.
- In most areas, permits are required for pouring new foundation. Talk to your contractor for details about regulations in your local area.
- If the area needs to be leveled 4 significantly before the foundation can be poured, plan to add another $1000-$2000 and a few days to your total costs.
Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet
Definitions in laymen's terms, cost considerations, pictures and things you need to know.See full cheat sheet.
1 Footings: A support for the foundation of a house that also helps prevent settling. It is typically made of concrete reinforced with rebar, but can also be made of masonry or brick. It is usually built under a heavier part of the house like a wall or column, to distribute the weight of the house over a larger area.
2 Radiant flooring: A heating system using tubes or electric wires installed underneath the flooring
3 Foundation drain: A method of protection against water entering the basement. It runs along the footer - the structure below the basement's floor that supports a house's foundation, collecting excess water and running it through pipe into a sump or away from the house.
4 Leveled: The process of evening out the ground's surface, making it either flat or sloped.
How much does it cost to build a house foundation in my city?
Cost to build a house foundation varies greatly by region (and even by zip code). To get free estimates from local contractors, please indicate yours.
Labor cost by city and zip code
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