Looking to dig out basement - any recommendations?

Yeah not trying to do it illegally, saying if we can dig down a little bit without being required to underpin (havent done test holes yet) thats the preferred option. if underpinning is required we wont be doing it. Any suggestions for structural engineers/contractors that will dig out the basement would be appreciated. thx

majorhints

in About Brooklyn 10 years and 3 months ago

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majorhints | 10 years and 4 months ago

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Bstoners, Can anyone recommend companies they have used to dig out the basement of their townhouse? I will be looking to avoid underpinning so any reference to costs would be appreciated as well. Thanks!

resident2 | 10 years and 4 months ago

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Whenever you are digging out your basement of a typical Brownstone, you have got to consider under pinning. The foundations and footings of most Brownstones are not that deep. Depending on your local geology, rock, sand, clay who knows what the costs will be without seeing it. And anyone that tells you a square foot number without even knowing where you are is a Cowboy.

majorhints | 10 years and 4 months ago

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thanks Resident, any recommendations on who can come take a look regarding digging it out?

no-permits | 10 years and 4 months ago

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digging out a cellar is a terrible idea. not many reputable contractors will take the job. i don’t have any recommendations for it but i wish you luck because you’ll need it once neighbors figure out you are compromising their structure and trying to take shortcuts.

anotherposter | 10 years and 4 months ago

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You can avoid underpinning by leaving a cement ledge. It’s much cheaper and faster, but you don’t get the ground level square footage you get with underpinning. Be prepared to find huge boulders under there, that might add significant costs or change what you can do in a spot, i.e. if a boulder is found supporting the party wall, you might have to work around it. If it’s not supporting you can have it buried elsewhere since the big ones tend to be too heavy and large to get through doors. We did this all to code with engineers, etc. and the only neighbor who had any problems with it is the one who was trying to do the same thing illegally (and poorly). I think the inspectors checking out our work caught them. I won’t bore you with all they went through, but I do not suggest doing something like this without doing it by the books because it cost them so much more ($, time, and comfort) trying to skimp.

classon | 10 years and 4 months ago

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I’ve wondered if you could dig out the center of the basement floor rather than the whole thing to avoid structural problems but does anyone know how much of a cement ledge should be left in order to consider the dig “safe”?