If you are looking to add a basement to your existing house, your first question may be, what is the cost for a basement excavation? This home improvement project is a big undertaking but can have major benefits if you are looking to add square footage to your home.
When Is Basement Excavation a Good Option?
Many people are looking for bigger homes to live in as their family spends a lot more time at home during the pandemic. Unfortunately, the current housing market doesn’t make it easy to sell your home and size up without entering a bidding war and paying way above the asking price. There are no guarantees that you will even find a house with the low inventory and high demand that we are experiencing now.
If selling your home is not an option, then expanding the area of your current home is your next best step to take. Some reasons why you would find out what is the cost for a basement excavation are:
- Building Out Is Not an Option: If you are on a lot with limited space for adding to the back of your house, then building out isn’t a viable option. Or, if your backyard is already being adequately used and you don’t want to impinge on that area, you may choose basement excavation.
- Adding a Second Story is Not Possible: Maybe you already have a 2nd floor that gets great use, and you still have a need for a home office, game room, extra bathroom, and more. The basement can fit all of these rooms with a basement excavation project.
- You Have an Existing Crawl Space or Cellar: The crawl space under your home can be expanded into a full basement with the help of an expert contracting team. Consult the team to find out the logistics of excavating a basement underneath your home.
- Basements Are Common in Your Area: It’s important to note that basement excavation is possible in areas that commonly have basements. Some areas of the country have layers of rock under the topsoil that can shift. These areas are not suitable for building underground.
If you have determined that a basement excavation is a suitable option for your home, then it’s time to determine what is the cost for a basement excavation? Continue reading to find out the factors that affect the excavation costs.
Basic Residential Basement Excavation Costs
The average cost of a basement excavation is $47 per square foot. Of course, many factors go into calculating the basement cost.
- Cubic Yards of Dirt: What is the cost for a basement excavation? It depends on the size of the area. The number of cubic yards of dirt that has to be removed will calculate the cost to dig. Most basements are 8 feet deep. Each cubic yard of land has to be removed and transported away.
- Geographic Location: The price per square foot for a basement excavation depends on the location. Materials, labor, and hourly wages vary throughout the country. Your estimate will be consistent with New Jersey construction costs.
- Dig Accessibility: If there is rock underneath your home or a tight squeeze between buildings, that will determine the cost for basement excavation. If the equipment and loading trucks can get close to the house, the project will not have accessibility setbacks.
Take these factors into account as you are planning your basement excavation. Then, when you meet with an expert team like Mikula Contracting, they will be able to give you an accurate estimation of your project.
Additional Costs
When you hire a team to dig a basement, there are other costs to take into account. If you are digging out a basement, you’ll want to finish the basement as a living space. Finishing a basement requires several aspects:
- Dry Wall
- Electrical Wiring
- Plumbing
- Flooring
- Painting
- Appliances
- Furnishings
- Interior Design
Once you add your finishing touches, then you’ll have the expansion of your home that you imagined. How wonderful it will be to escape to the basement for a movie night, have a place to keep your guests with their own private bathroom, or set up a home office tucked away in the quiet.
Other Factors to Consider
The final step to calculating what is the cost for a basement excavation is the return on investment. A basement excavation project can be costly, but it can be cost-effective when you consider the resell value.
Imagine filling out the listing for your home with extra bedrooms, a gathering room, and an additional bathroom added to your home stats. The extra square footage will also be added to the desirability of your home. A basement excavation can be an excellent investment.
Prep Work
As with all excavation projects, you will need to obtain the proper permits. Historically, permits are the reason for many construction delays. Hire a team that is on top of obtaining permits so that your project can get on without a hitch.
Other prep work can include safety protocols, COVID guidelines, and drawing up the plans for your final vision. These preparatory steps can reveal how experienced your contractors are. It is never too late to back out of a contract if you don’t feel confident in their expertise.
Other Residential Excavation Areas
Mikula Contracting has many years of experience in residential excavation. While you are asking, what is the cost for basement excavation, consider what other projects are needed in your home:
- Pool Excavation: Is your pool old and filled with cracks? If your pool costs more money to maintain than is worth your money, you can get the pool removed. Make your backyard the oasis of your dreams.
- Garage Excavation: Let Mikula Contracting take care of your old, rusty garage in the backyard. Mikula can dig out the concrete slab or set it up for reuse into a basketball court or firepit.
- Driveway Excavation: If your fixer-upper has a crumbled driveway filled with weeds and uneven chunks of concrete, you can rely on our team to uproot the concrete. You can have the new driveway poured and increase your home’s curb appeal instantly.
Work with our experienced team to complete your residential excavation projects. Stop putting off your home improvement projects and make your home a place that you long to be. Many people update their homes right before selling them. Make the changes to your home now so you can enjoy living in luxury rather than providing amenities for potential buyers.
Basement Excavation Contractor in NJ
Our team at Mikula Contracting wants to help you find out what is the cost for a basement excavation? When you choose Mikula, you can be confident in knowing that we use safe and responsible practices for basement excavation. A project like a basement excavation requires expertise in keeping the foundation and quality of the existing house up to par. Our family-owned company has over 70 years of experience in residential and commercial excavation.
So before you ask, what is the cost for basement excavation? Remember that quality of work is just as important, if not more important, than the cost associated with the project. You will find top-quality work with Mikula Contracting.
