Why are there no basements in houses in Southern California?

Question

I have no idea why I cannot find a place with a basement!

I don't want to hear answers that use earthquakes as an excuse. There are PLENTY of high rises in So Cal and I wouldn't want to be on the 24th floor when one hits. Yet there are plenty of high rises.

Answer 1

We don't need them. We don't need a place to house bulky oil-burning furnaces. We don't need a place to keep water pipes from freezing during harsh winters. And, we don't need a place to hide from tornadoes.

BTW - lots of homes in California that are built on the slopes of hills have what you might consider a basement, except that the downhill side is usually open. I live on a hill overlooking Mission Bay and my garage is actually underground, beneath the house and at street level. The houses behind me all have a lower floor below the main house level that is partially underground, too. I guess it depends on what you define a basement to be.

Answer 2

There isn t any basement that I know of here in Southern California. There just is no basement or cellar here.
As people have said, freezing pipes hardly exist in Southern California.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

Hi, there are a few. But would you want to be in a basement when an earthquake hits? I sure wouldn't! That's the last place I want to be. The rescue squads couldn't find you! Bye

Answer 5

I have lived in California most of my life and the obvious reason for a lack of basements is the high water table in southern california. Dig down six feet and you will hit mud in most areas

Answer 6

I grew up in the Chicago area but live on the Central Coast of California and miss having one, too.

Basements are made because in the East and Midwest, it FREEZES and so do the pipes, so keeping them inside helps the pipes stay warm.

It's also from a bygone era of having a place to store canned goods for the winter.

Answer 7

Keep living there for a while longer and you will possibly have the Pacific Ocean as your basement.