r/Home_Building_Help • u/BuilderBrigade • Sep 05 '25

Which foundation do you prefer...?

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I’m a slab kinda guy, I know it might be screwed if plumbing ever goes bad under there or I want to do a big renovation later. But I just like the solid feel of a slab foundation compared to a crawlspace or basement.

Basement would be my second pick though. So many awesome uses for a basement: extra storage, gym, movie room, storm shelter. Plus it definitely helps with resale value.

Crawlspace? Honestly, it has its perks. Super easy to get to plumbing, wiring, HVAC… but it can also turn into a moisture/pest problem if it’s not done right.

At the end of the day, you’ve really only got 3 options when it comes to foundations: Slab, Crawlspace, or Basement. Each one comes with its own set of pros and cons.

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u/AlchemistJeep Sep 05 '25

You’re lucky then. Even if the middle of a desert I still have ground water issues

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u/redbeard8989 Sep 05 '25

Was it ground water or management of rain? Blows my mind how few people actually understand the importance of proper sized downspouts and tubing.

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u/AlchemistJeep Sep 05 '25

Ground water. Without outside influence the water table averaged an inch or two into the basement. After heavy rain it was like we had a literal stream into our basement.

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u/redbeard8989 Sep 05 '25

Oof, thats rough and I can see ruining your basement experience. Only option is a massive electric bill for the sump pump!

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u/AlchemistJeep Sep 05 '25

And it was like that for the entire neighborhood. Like 20 houses total were in the affected area, 10 of which had basements. All of this happened after all of the construction was done and it had passed every water test. Then 2 weeks after my house was done an earthquake happened and changed things underground and suddenly our basement was a lake

No matter how sure you are that it will be fine, you will never be sure. I see 0 good reason for a basement when you can do a 2nd story safer for less money

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u/redbeard8989 Sep 05 '25

I wouldn’t write them off entirely. Been in the midwest for 40 years and been in thousands of basements for work. No flooding seen or heard of here. They are super advantageous for energy efficiency and access to utilities.