Pier Vs Full Foundation Cost

[John W]

Anybody want to take a stab at an 'it depends' question?

What would be a wag at a percentage increase in cost between building on piers vs digging out for a full height basement/foundation?

Are we talking about a $1,200 vs a $12,000 pricetag?

You sure do gain a lot by going the full basement route. Equipment you can put down there and STORAGE! Let alone a killer woodshop.

So has anybody done the math on their build and decided one way or the other based on that?

Thanks guys (and girls).

[blane]

I did piers on my build and the cost was 2500 including trenching the footers, forms, rebar, concrete and a pump truck. I have heard ranges in price on a full poured foundation from 10,000 up to 20,000. This also depends on what you go with "lots of options to consider". If ever build another one I would like to be able to have a walkout basement. I liked the piers though as far as construction ease, not really fond of how it looks though but there are ways to cover up the ugly. I think hanging floor joists off the ledger board would be way easier that attaching a rim joist to the first course log as well.
On the other hand, if you just need a small workshop you could build a detached garage and forgo the basement.

[FishingAddict]

I cannot address the cost question but as far as longevity I wonder how much it matters, if at all.
We have lots of 100-140 year old log homes up in the northern part of MN tucked away in the woods. If they were maintained - mainly someone kept them in use with a roof that worked !! - that are in use or could be today with some TLC. They all sit on rocks it seems along the the corners. So a form of rock pier - cheap no doubt
Of course what they called a house back then in size people would frown at today mostly and call it a cabin but that's America today .... bigger is better or whatever.

My post was more directed to Blane as I truly love the old log look where they motared local rock up around the lower logs and created that old world charm using that as the foundation look. I still hope someday to create one with this look as it is what I have dreamed about for better than 50 years since I first played in one up on the shores of Rainy Lake. It had a wood access door off one side that also lead to a cold cellar - I can see it and smell it even today! Sadly the area was devasted by fire many years ago so all I have are some old B&W Brownie camera photos and my memory - which is not as faded as those pics at that!
If the time comes I'll duplicate that look.
Anyhoots - curious Balane as to why you don't like the look???

[blane]

Well, as far as aesthetics I really like what you are describing in the old cabins tucked away back in the woods, "they are everywhere here where I live" but code will not allow stacked rocks so you have concrete piers visible with a pt 2x8 sandwiched between the pier and first course log. Like I said though, I am kicking around how I can cover that up and make it look more like dry stacked rock where the piers are or will be showing. And I will probably be doing a wrap around porch that will mostly cover them from a distance any how. As far as structure for the weight of a house like this I think piers are by far the most superior foundation. It is what Skip did his huge 7000 square foot home with and it has survived some pretty good earth quake's with no structural damage at all.

[FishingAddict]

So you cannot have on piers and then fill in between with stone per code? Has the evil man signed off yet on all? Wait and then the mice hauled it in and .... ;O
I sometimes this gubbermint is about as dysfunctional as it gets in anything and everything they get their mitts in.
I dig your place and no doubt even battling the code issue there you'll get it perfect.

[ChainsawGrandpa]

Piers will allow ventilation which keeps away rot & mold. That will give you a longer life.
The difference in cost depends on many factors (pour yourself, hire the work, extra steel,
etc.) but at my longitude and elevation I'm required to have piers that go down very deep.
The difference in cost between a full basement and piers was minimal. A few more feet for
the walls, a floor, electrical, and drywall to meet code.... I prefer piers, but deep piers might
mean they would need to be designed by an engineer, and the problem with round vs. square
is exacerbated with the increased depth (a pyramid won't tip over, a pole will. Poles fall over
in earthquakes (liquifaction), pyramids are stable.

An equal factor in long life is overhangs. I have a carport that is 12' wide. Sometimes the
snow and rain are accompanied by wind. Recently I had (YET ANOTHER!!) snow storm.
Despite the twelve foot width of the carport the house wall was wet several feet up from the
floor. Skip advocated 6' eaves. My recommendation is also for 6' eaves... if you are only
going up one story. Two floors might require a parapet, but don't extend too far away from
the building if you have a steep pitch. The view out your windows could be of the underside
of the eaves!

-G'pa

[ChainsawGrandpa]

I guess I didn't answer the question...

About $8,000 difference between a full basement, and piers.
You might expect a similar amount depending on inflation,
how much work you hire out, the depth of your frostline, will
a fireplace foundation need to go all the way into the basement
floor for your second floor fireplace, blah, blah, blah.... Many
factory to consider. YMMV.

-G'pa

[blane]

Oh no, you can do that, I am talking about how the old cabins that have been built around here on foundations of just stacked rocks, I actually like the openness under the house for ventilation and no place for moisture to settle and rot the house, I am considering making my piers look like stacked rock to cover them up but I really don't want to "underpin" the house. Probably more than anything what I don't like is seeing all the mess right now from construction up under the house but it will all clean up and I will be happy happy again. A basement is really not imo the best space but it is cheap space all things considered.

So you cannot have on piers and then fill in between with stone per code? Has the evil man signed off yet on all? Wait and then the mice hauled it in and .... ;O
I sometimes this gubbermint is about as dysfunctional as it gets in anything and everything they get their mitts in.
I dig your place and no doubt even battling the code issue there you'll get it perfect.

[Timberwolf]

So you cannot have on piers and then fill in between with stone per code? Has the evil man signed off yet on all? Wait and then the mice hauled it in and .... ;O
I sometimes this gubbermint is about as dysfunctional as it gets in anything and everything they get their mitts in.
I dig your place and no doubt even battling the code issue there you'll get it perfect.

If your frost depth is shallow, I think there's a very valid argument for a crawl space (aka, the short basement) which you could easily face with, slipform, or dry stack stone on the footer.

[LogHomeFeverDan]

Ok I'll be the one...... "it depends". I'm in the class in March so take that into account when considering my answer. Based on what Blane said of his cost for piers, I believe we can get our full below grade basement in for right about 10K. Understand this is with me doing the icf work and as much as possible of the "labor". My prelim cost estimates are also based on 40' X 40' basement. The costs go down of course if we build smaller. So, the "it depends" , would come into play with how much you are doing versus hiring a crew. If we hallucinate together, let's just say we built the same structure. Figure the difference in cost is ball park 7500 to 9000. How much is a full basement worth? We plan, eventually on finishing out the basement into livable space. Thus, we'd have another roughly 1600 square feet, to us it's worth it. Plus I'm just fascinated with ICF's. My two cents.