Slab vs. Crawl vs. Basement

I remember as a kid going to a house without a basement for the first time. I was like “how do you even survive?”

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In Colorado, we have it all. Crawls, full basement, Monolithic SOG, drilled pier/grade beam, spread footings, stone, but not too much in the way of CMU foundations.

I see this quite often on new construction. Cheaper for the builder to only do a partial basement. Next time I get to visit one I will snap a few pics and post them on this thread.

I’m catching on though… I moved to Maui and am starting to inspect here and it is nice!! Lots of condos and I get the same $$ as for a nice house back in Oregon. As of yet my coveralls are still clean and new!

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We see all of the above here in Maryland - slabs, basements, crawls (both full foundation walls and pier/post), and combinations of any of the above. Our Eastern shore has a high water table and is very flat, so crawls and slabs are prominent there and we see very few basements there. Western shore and panhandle you can see any combination of all the types.

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Thank you for this!

Can you see the cracking/bowing from the pictures?

Yeah, I have family that live in Charlotte and they have a crawlspaces. Outside of Nashville, TN mostly crawls also. That is pretty common in the South till you reach the coasts. I didn’t come across too many homes that have basements either. Of course, like you said, you start to see basements when you move more into the Appalachia.

Ah, I miss the south. And proper Sweet Tea! Good thing I know how to bbq.

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Sure, I’ll post them when I get a sec

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Been on 18 different inspections now from 7000sf mansions to tiny 400sf condos. And I’ll tell ya, the guy I’m shadowing, I don’t think he even owns coveralls here! I had to have coveralls in Utah just to feed and water the chickens during the winter! Stark difference

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So you can have foundation walls for crawls? A fully enclosed crawlspace, like a tiny “basement”?

Yes, but now you are moving into deeper waters. The crawl must be properly ventilated or conditioned. If a dirt floor, a proper vapor barrier is also applied atop the soil. Other considerations such as insulation come into view.

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Here ya go… original built in 1912. Addition unknown/guessing 20 years. Nobody knew the crawlspace existed until I discovered it during the inspection!


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Today’s crawl.

Left side had a structural knee wall between piers which had been modified in 2014 from its original 1910 foundation.

Rear side had filler material between piers.

Right side had bowing walls and damaged pier

Yet another change in materials.

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And for those with a penchant for adventure… (100% Crawl)


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That first photo is fantastic! Hall of Shame winner.

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If you clear your mind and focus for a spell…
That last pic has a sump pump in a hand dug and shored up pit… and another hydraulic jack at the upper left!

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I missed the jack because I was so captivated by this wall and bracing.

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The fun part was entering the closet and starting down the steps to the basement…
the steps turn to the right… and they end in mid-air with about a three foot drop to the crawl that was supposed to be a dug-out basement!
Last year was full of surprises!!
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That looks more than dangerous. You earned your money that day!

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That was only the tip of the iceberg in that house.
Definitely the worst I was ever in, (not counting the other house that was collapsing, wet as all hell, and the crawlspace had me looking for pigs in all the mud… and full of mold!
Yep… that was last year also!!

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