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And one of those regulations requires the contractor to ascertain the property’s foundation is below the frost line. The frost line, sometimes referred to as the freezing depth or the frost depth, is that whole section of the soil that’s expected to freeze during the winter season. If you look at the case of Houston and Austin, for example, we’re told that developers always strike the water table at just 7 feet. That’s a huge problem for anyone looking to build a basement because they’ll be putting the property at risk of flooding during the hurricane season. The water table, going by the geological and geographical definition, is that layer of the soil that’s always covered with water. Ordinarily, it’s supposed to be 50 to 300 feet below the surface.
It can be done, and some new upscale homes in the Austin area do have basements, but I suspect they're out of the price range of most Texans. In many parts of Texas, there's only a thin layer of dirt above the limestone. In fact, in the state of Texas, the average cost per square foot when building a finished basement is around $30-$100 per square foot.
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We’re hoping today’s post will answer all these questions, and much more. As you can see, there are many reasons why Texas does not typically have a basement and now you know the rest of the story. Which is to say he did all of those things outdoors, which is really how it ought to be. Walls are made of wood or concrete and are supported by the floor joists.
Architects tend to send all the heavy lifting for a basement to a structural engineer which is why you don’t see many drawings by them. In Louisiana we also do not have basements, our water table is very high. You can dig a hole two feet deep and it just might fill with water overnight. Limestone is softer than many kinds of rock, but it's still a rock. So it costs more to excavate a basement in limestone than ordinary soil.
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And then you put in a concrete slab, and you fill it up with soil. It’s a very simple process, but it takes a long time and it’s very labor-intensive. In areas such as austin and houston, you can find water within 7 to 10 feet. Building an underground well that is more likely to flood during a heavy rain event is similar to building a basement that is close to the water table in Texas. There are many reasons why you might find a basement to be beneficial in Texas.
Recent droughts have pushed the water table lower, but homebuilding construction has to account for ordinary and wet years, not just drought. While several new construction projects in Austin’s upscale areas boast of basements, the cost of blasting, drilling, and excavating rock is very expensive for the average Texan with a limited income. Historically, most of Texas was initially under the Gulf of Mexico, but as the water receded, the eastern parts of the state were left with expansive clay soil. While it is possible to build a basement on clay soil up north, the type of clay soil in the Texas area is easily susceptible to shifting and flexing during the rainy season.
Limestone Bedrock Is Difficult to Dig
The basements, if not waterproofed, would be severely prone to flooding and dampness, which would ultimately turn into a much bigger flood catastrophe for the entire house. Another factor is the presence of bedrock on the soil surface of the state. The construction of basements calls for extensive digging through the said bedrock, which is not only a hefty process but also an expensive one. This augments the cost for the construction of a basement to a great extent. But, your real estate professional is correct, the square footage of your basement cannot be included in the size of your home for listing purposes. The RMS size of a property is, essentially, the sum of its above grade levels.
According to the Dallas Morning News, there are a few very good reasons for this particular real estate quirk. First, in some parts of the state, the water table is too near the surface of the ground to build a water-tight basement, and no basement may be better than a leaky, flood-prone one. Homes in Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama also do not have basements because of this. In other areas of Texas, there’s damp clay soil that can push into basement walls, causing them to crack if not built correctly with the help of an engineer. There’s also bedrock that looms near the surface in much of Texas that requires digging through it for a basement, which makes the whole process just too darn expensive.
Houses With Basements In Texas
Aside from the fact that it provides extra storage space or perhaps an area for your workshop, it can also protect you from tornadoes that are sometimes a problem. Because of the terrain in Texas, however, having something more than a crawlspace under the home is not always possible or practical. The same low elevations that allow hurricanes to push far inland also means the water table is close to the surface, making basements vulnerable to flooding. If the basement will stay dry with gutters, well-placed downspouts, or grading, it’s not a deal breaker—it’s something you can negotiate with the seller.
That makes it very difficult and expensive to engineer basements for Texas houses. Building regulations in most states in the US require that home foundations are built below the frost line. The frost line is the section of the soil that does not freeze during the winter season. This home boasts a basement and main living space is actually on the second floor according to the listing.
According to topographers, the water table in Texas is unusually close to the soil’s surface. I think most of these reasons can be accommodated using modern house-building know-how. I've often wondered if Kevlar fabric could also be used to line outer foundation walls for both reinforcement for ants and water in case of cracked walls? I'd like to build a home with a basement in the Dallas area or slightly north of there. I'd definitely be looking into creating a basement for a long list of reasons.
Too bad there are original Texans all over the country spreading some actual brain power In the gene pool. The combination of the flexibility of the clay and its increased pressure during times of rain make it quite risky for building a basement in. But don't worry The Texanist assures you that you aren't missing much. When one reader pondered the loss of growing up without a basement, this was part of the answer.
Researches have shown that in certain areas such as Houston and Austin, the water table is extremely close to the surface, and one can find water within 7 to 10 feet down the surface. There are currently 9567 homes with basements for sale in Houston at a median listing price of $355K. Some of these homes are “Hot Homes,” meaning they’re likely to sell quickly. Most homes for sale in Houston stay on the market for 65 days and receive 1 offers.
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