diggin out the basement

How much does it cost all in, on average?

Posted by: Anonymous at January 16, 2007 5:04 PM

Also not an engineer, here, but I'd like to qualify Victor's statement for posterity:

I believe that you do not need to underpin if you dig below the bottom of your foundation at any time during the job. This approach is less expensive, particularly since you may not need an engineer present while the work is being done. From the estimates that we got for our townhouse cellar, I think that job should be in the ballpark of $15K (plus or minus a few thousand). But you don't get as much depth.

However -- unless your foundation is unusually deep -- it sounds like you may need the underpinning, in which case you would want an engineer supervising the job (all as Victor noted). That job is more complicated and involves greater risks to the structural integrity of your house. And it costs a pretty penny, I hear. I think that the quote we got was something like $35/40K -- but I do not claim that my memory is overly reliable.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 16, 2007 5:44 PM

Here's an article that was in the Times about liens.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9903E6DF1E38F933A15752C0A9649C8B63

Of note is this comment: In New Jersey, mechanic's liens are called construction liens. Another difference, he said, is that while New York law allows a contractor to file a lien based upon an oral contract, New Jersey law requires a written contract. ''The contract can be written on the back of a napkin, but it must be in writing,'' Mr. Tesser said.

So an oral contract is sufficient, however, your oral contract was that they could do the work if it was $300 or less. If they try to file a lien you take them to court and get it thrown out. Also, if you don't plan on selling for a few years the lien will expire unless they try to foreclose which they won't do.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 16, 2007 10:15 PM

Digging out a basement 12 inches by hand, removing the debris, and pooring a new slab costs $10-12/Square Foot. So a 1000 square foot basement (say 20x50) should cost $10,000-12,000. Every additional 12" down should be approximately $5/Foot. If you have to underpin the existing foundations, we always figure $200/Linear Foot. So the same 20x50 building has 140 linear feet of foundations. That's $28,000. So digging down two feet, which will net 1.5 feet after the slab is poured, and underpinning a 20x50 building can easily cost $45,000. I hope this helps and it is not just a math lesson. I see a lot of questions related to this topic and thought i would chime in.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 8:26 PM

Digging out a basement 12 inches by hand, removing the debris, and pooring a new slab costs $10-12/Square Foot. So a 1000 square foot basement (say 20x50) should cost $10,000-12,000. Every additional 12" down should be approximately $5/Foot. If you have to underpin the existing foundations, we always figure $200/Linear Foot. So the same 20x50 building has 140 linear feet of foundations. That's $28,000. So digging down two feet, which will net 1.5 feet after the slab is poured, and underpinning a 20x50 building can easily cost $45,000. I hope this helps and it is not just a math lesson. I see a lot of questions related to this topic and thought i would chime in.

Posted by: Anonymous at January 23, 2007 8:28 PM