Why aren't houses in the South built with basements?

Answer 1

Many reasons. Depends on where in the south. Rocky soil, high water table, cave country? Ask a local builder.

Answer 2

It depends on what part of the south you're in and the surrounding topography.

Some areas won't support basements because the water table is too high to dig very deep. Florida is a great example. There are very few homes in Florida that have basements because of that state's very high water table and unstable soil (sand).

Other states like Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Kentucky all have lots of homes with basements especially on sloping lots where it makes great sense to include a basement.

Topography and water levels are why some homes in the south do not have basements. There are plenty of areas in the south that do offer homes with basements.

Answer 3

the other bit, of course, is that a basement costs extra money and builders over the past 20 years or so discovered that houses with basements don't sell much better than houses without them.

selling a new house is all about the size of the payment -- if, for the same payment, a buyer can get an extra 150 square feet of A/C floor space or a basement, the larger house without basement will sell faster every time.

:-)

Answer 4

What I am told is that in some very cold areas you have to build your foundation well below the freeze line to protect your foundation. When you do that-you get a basement.

Here in Texas our freeze line is non existent. We rarely stay below freezing for more than a day. We don't need to spend that extra money on basements.

In Arlington, Texas where I live about twenty years ago a few builders built basements because buyers kept saying they wanted them. It turned out very few buyers were actually willing to pay the extra money. The houses that were built have stood well- no additional shifting problems, no real seepage problems. Just no market.

Answer 5

In Florida, it's because Florida's a sand bar and water would come in. I have heard it is actually possible to put a basement in a house in Florida, but it's very costly because it has to be reinforced more than a regular basement in another area of the country would be. I have lived in Florida for 13 years and never known anyone who had a basement here.

Answer 6

Because the builders unite and build as cheap and easy as they can. Basements require excavation, more work, and most builders sub-contract everything to the cheapest builders who don't have that kind of equipment. Yes, those in the south get raked over the coals on homs

Answer 7

A friend of ours just built a new house in TX and the builder told him that there is a lot of soft soil so they don't like to do basements, or something to that effect.

Answer 8

2 primary reason:

1. A high water table - as in Florida. If you dig a hole it will quickly fill with water.

2. Shifting ground -- as in Texas. The surface in many parts of Texas moves by contracting and expanding. Homeowners need to water around the foundation year round.

Answer 9

I live in Florida. Come dig a hole in my yard and see how long it takes to hit water! That's the Florida answer for the most part. Also sand, sand, sand. And more sand. Not many rocks here....just SAND and water!

Answer 10

Some are, but it is the fact that we are closer to sea level than house up North. In certain places, if you dig into the ground, water would seep up into it.