Is it possible to have a house with a basement or cellar in austin, tx?

Question

Just curious. I haven't seen or heard of any in the area, but if I ever build a house here i'd want one.

Answer 1

Of course it is. If the topsoil in the area is thin and rests on rock, digging a basement will be very expensive, but not impossible. In my part of the country, builders routinely go to great lengths to dig (and sometimes blast) through limestone formations in order to build homes with basements.

Good luck with your home.

Answer 2

It depends on the area in which you build. There are a lot of springs in the general area of Austin and you would need to avoid something like that. Some of the springs run all of the time and others only at times when the water table is high.

Answer 3

Austin is a rough area to build. Lots of Stone to dig up to get a basement. My observation is that typically homes built in cooler climates have basements because they have to dig below the freeze line for the plumbing. If you want to build a house with a basement, you should be able to do it, I dont think that there are any local building codes against a basement. You may want to check with the Building permit department at your local government though.

Answer 4

Basements are usually found in the northeast, because of frost heave. In short when the weather gets cold and freezing the water in the ground swells up and could crack a slab foundation, since that is not a big problem in TX it is less likely that you will find basements. You can have a basement anywhere, but it is difficult if not impossible to find one in a warmer climate.

Answer 5

yes but they r very rare u can build one but b cause of the depth it is a little more expensive. I don't live N Austin but East TEXAS and I had 1 built with a basement.

Good Luck

Answer 6

depends on what kind of land you are building on. some types of land can't support a basement. consult a construction company.