Why build houses on slabs?

Question

How did the idea of building houses on concrete slabs with the pipes underneath ever come into actual practice? Why would anyone think this is a good idea? I MUST BE MISSING some vital piece of information? Why do people continue to do this?

Answer 1

Some of the answers have some of the right reasons. The practice does have some inherent weaknesses as you have obviously encountered.

The biggest reason is cost; slab is the cheapest approach because it takes less material, labor and time. Many buyers use price as their first parameter in deciding what to buy, and builders will build what buyers will buy. Buyers create the market- not builders.

Slab houses can be built with all water and electrical above the slab, or by using conduit enclosures so that lines can be replaced. This costs more, of course. Only a small percentage of residential slab projects are built that way, but it's fairly common in commercial construction.

Other reasons-
High water table can be a deterrent to basements, but if it endangers a crawl foundation, either you do not have a viable building site or you have an incompetent builder.

Hard ground is a normal reason. In areas like Las Vegas for example, the usual soil is "caliche", which is like a sand-filled clay that has hardness near that of rock. Digging a basement is not actually a digging operation, it's a blasting operation.

As a buyer, you have to educate yourself, and ask questions before you buy.

Custom design/builder

Answer 2

if there is no specific reason to have a slab, for sure, build on a foundation. try to dig the hole deep enough to make a basement, too. the foundation is a very descriptive word, just think about it. with a cracked or weak foundation, your house will begin to lean, doors and floors will not be straight and centered, and you will forever regret it that you could have spent a little more money for a foundation rather than a slab, again, because of all the elements that would go under the slab.

Answer 3

1. High water tables 2. Easy for older people 3. wheel chair accessible I personally do ICF foundations in Minnesota they are really nice when the house is finished. I would never do a slab on grade house its really easy to double the living space for little cost. And everything is accessible from below for the most part. But some older people might not need the space, and they are a lot quicker to build. Most town homes in Minnesota around where I live are slab on grade houses.

Answer 4

Because it is cheaper than digging a basement.. And it not a good idea to do this as plumbing problems do happen.. leaky pipes.. Sewage problems... Did you know that if a water pipe under your house will cost you more money in the future if it broke?

Beside.. a basement is another cool added room in your house.. Just to add a few reasons... A room for a pool table, Kids play room.. A place to store junk.. A work shop.. Storing garden veggies.. A place to go during a tornado... Sounds to me I'd rather have a basement after all..

Answer 5

For areas like Houston, Texas, the water table is high, & there is no bed rock. basemants don't work here. in the old days there was a lot of block & beam / pier & beam, but mostly the blocks were layed on the surface, or just below & soon required releveling, also easy access to termite ( very active here )!
this & cheap concrete gave rise to the slab house!

Answer 6

Building houses on slabs is mostly done for one of at least three reasons.

1. It is cheaper than building a basement or installing a foundation.

2. It is faster than building a basement or installing a foundation.

3. The presence of ground water or other soil conditions make it impractical to build a basement or to install a foundation

Answer 7

Slabs are stupid. Screws up repairs and additions. I'd NEVER have a slab house. Crawl space if not a basement.