merc08 t1_jabf6in wrote on February 28, 2023 at 5:24 AM

Reply to comment by thecarpenter in Digging out basement? by MRMAGOOONTHE5

I have a crawlspace under my house instead of a basement. Is it theoretically possible to get it reengineered and dug out to a full height basement or is that just a recipe for collapsing the house?

1955photo t1_jabflj0 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 5:28 AM

Maybe.

merc08 t1_jabfs57 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 5:30 AM

I like those odds

AttorneyAdvice t1_jabvql5 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 8:50 AM

yes, just make sure to watch some YouTube videos before you do

ClassBShareHolder t1_jacdwgl wrote on February 28, 2023 at 12:46 PM

They move houses all the time. You can absolutely lift the house, put a full basement, and set it back. The question is, is it worth the cost?

Lord_Quail t1_jacisk8 wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:30 PM

Underpinning is generally the best option for that. But connect with an experienced contractor in your area.

Megas3300 t1_jae851h wrote on February 28, 2023 at 8:17 PM

It can be done, basically lifting the house off the foundation, and rebuilding it(or just making the foundation taller).

On a smaller scale It’s been done to homes around me to get 1-2 more cinderblock layers in the basement to make it more habitable. I know of at least one case where somebody did this by themselves with a whole bunch of harbor freight bottle jacks.

I’ve also seen where an entirely new basement/foundation was installed adjacent to the home, the house moved on to the new foundation, and the old foundation then demolished.

Direct_Big_5436 t1_jacgvps wrote on February 28, 2023 at 1:14 PM

You can back pour cement walls using a “shutter box” and have a full basement. It will take some engineering and I would hire a contractor that specializes in doing such.