Digging a basement with a 955L

[MikeVincoli]

Hello all. I just bought 10 ac of land here in Central NC and will be looking to have a house built with in the next few years. The lot is some what flat with a gradual slope. We really want to build a 1600 to 1800 sq ft house with a basement, but after speaking with a builder about it, they claim that a basement will add 35K to the cost of the house. I have a CAT 955L that I can use to dig the hole with, but what I don't have is experience digging basements. I do have a lot of time in the seat digging stumps and clearing land and I feel very comfortable doing this, but I would consider a basement to be a more precision job. Is it as simple as digging an oversize hole to a correct depth or is it a lot more involved? Do y'all think that I will be able to save my self some money by using my machine and time to do this or leave it to the contractor? Thanks, Mike

 

[clintm]

just start on the low side dig your way in get a level spot and start nibbling at it you will have a hole before you know it . where in NC are you

 

[DIRTHAWK]

So I'm gonna guess $25,000 for concrete.$1500-$2000 for the digging? Maybe another $800 for backfill? Prices may be different down south. Are you going to hit rock? If its wet where you are I wouldn't dig it with your loader. You'll have the floor pumped up and have a mess.. Otherwise go for it. I would have a contractor help you paint it out and help you with the elevations though, just to make sure you don't get too low or too high. Your going to need a laser or transit.. Concrete guys and you're check book like it within a tenth.

 

[Nige]

Someone on here dug a basement with a track loader and posted basically a load of photos and a "How to .... for Dummies" guide. It probably has all the answers you need. Don't ask me how to find the thread though.

Actually I didn't have to search too far. Here it is..... https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?45480-Track-Loaders-digging-basements

 

[wosama931b]

Just go for it, and find some old carpenters that know how to use plywood forms, i help build a lot of basements years ago, we used ties with cat heads. Also there are forms made to do basements, and a lot of people use cinder block, stucoed and tar on the outside, you may have better luck finding a crew in virginia to do the concerte forms. sam.

 

[Shimmy1]

What everybody else said. The actual digging of the basement is probably the least cost of the project, and if your ground is wet, probably the most important. If you're pretty good on the loader, digging it shouldn't to too hard, you will need a laser and someone to run stick for you.

 

[honest outlaw]

If the local building codes are like here in upstate sc you probably will have to pour the walls which is pretty expensive most of the concrete basement installers dig the hole for the basement themselves so they don't have to rely on someone else's digging just my experience............:beatsme

 

[td25c]

35 K for a poured concrete basement that size sounds in the ballpark to me . I would encourage you to go with the basement as it's the most cost effective square footage you can buy on a new home .

No doubt in my mind that MikeVincoli could dig & backfill the job and save a little cash with the 955 .

On the other hand there is merit allowing the contractor to do the complete job start to finish . They take care of grade work , concrete , drainage & backfill . If problems arise you can address them with the contractor .

If you help with the job and problems arise the contractor will more than likely lay blame on the helper .

(home owner/ helper) " Hey contractor ! "..... My new wall has a crack in it and water is leaking in the basement . ( contractor ) " Well.......It cracked because you did not drain & backfill the basement properly ".

I'm all for doing for yourself what you can , just be alert to surroundings and problems that may show up later .

Best of luck on the new home .

 

[DMiller]

We poured a 9' pour, 10" wall with heavy footer and walkout for $27k, I dug the hole but had to have the foundation contractor finish for footers. Concrete here is right at $110/yard, rebar steel is just at $600/ton on bad days

 

[gwhammy]

I'm guessing you are digging a walkout since you have a gentle slope? If you have 8 foot walls you can figure on digging around 5 foot deep and using the overburden around the front to build the slope. The ones I've done around here they want it dug to the bottom of the footings and fill the inside and out with clean rock to put the drain tile lower than the floor slab.

Soil conditions are different everywhere but a couple that we dug this spring had to be overdug 2 foot to put rock under the footings and isolate the whole house from the high plastic soil we have. Prices seem to vary a lot on concrete work here also. Quality also.

 

[DMiller]

Neighbors home is on that very plastic soil, gray grainy clay that shrinks and swells with varied moisture levels, never gets dry and never gets stable so they overdug the hole by 4-6 feet and filled back with 1" clean rock. The footers were poured on the rock and that house never sits still, siding warps and wrinkles differently over time, the owner speaks of cracked drywall opening and closing over days, just awful how it moves around. Needed to be pier set to set it right when built.