# What is more expensive? Pier and beam construction or concrete slab?



## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

I might look at building a small house (1,500 sf) on a lot I have found in the near future and I'm looking at all the options. In my area, I would guess the majority of slabs will need repairing at some point and that isn't cheap, so keep that in mind. I know the pros and cons of each method, just haven't got far enough in my quest to get quotes.

Thanks


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

Build a concrete home and you don't need to buy insurance. At home our family had a four story concrete home (building) and never had any insurance on it. It could stand a rocket shell. Hurricane couldn't move it. Never had to worry about fire, termite, or flood.


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## therealspeckcatcher (Mar 7, 2006)

Use a concrete slab with piers shouldn't need repairs in your lifetime. Don't skimp on your foundation.


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## RRfisher (Mar 5, 2007)

Foundations shouldn't need repairing assuming the builder received a foundation recommendation from an engineer. They test the soil where the slab will be poured and design the foundation so it will not have to be repaired.


Concrete slab is more cost effective in the long run.


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## DSL_PWR (Jul 22, 2009)

I would talk to Pete Belknap.

http://www.belknapcontractors.com/


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

RRfisher said:


> Foundations shouldn't need repairing assuming the builder received a foundation recommendation from an engineer. They test the soil where the slab will be poured and design the foundation so it will not have to be repaired.
> 
> Concrete slab is more cost effective in the long run.


I hear what you are saying, but I also see D Square foundation trucks rolling down the road every day. Of course, this summer was killer on driveways and foundations. This gumbo we have in parts of southern Brazoria county has to be seen to be understood. My old driveway could literally move up an inch in less than a week following a good rain after a long dry spell.


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## jewfish (Feb 16, 2005)

concrete = more $
concrete also = best foundation
pier and beam = more settling over time and moister between it and the structure


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## therealspeckcatcher (Mar 7, 2006)

I'm in Manvel on the same gumbo and built my house in 2007 it's 2500 sqft with 21 piers under it and this past summer the ground had 2" gaps where it meets the slab and i had no problems.


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## custombuilder (Jul 1, 2010)

*foundation*



BullyARed said:


> Build a concrete home and you don't need to buy insurance. At home our family had a four story concrete home (building) and never had any insurance on it. It could stand a rocket shell. Hurricane couldn't move it. Never had to worry about fire, termite, or flood.


Foundations : pier & beam is a little cheaper depending on the engineering for windstorm
1 1/4 sub floor plywood cost a little more than 3/4 plywood sub floor .
The best for the money is a concrete foundation with 12 '' shafts with a 3 ft. belbottoms 
engineered for the beams to float on the drilled piers. 1500 sq/ft slab with piers would add about 20 piers at $125.00 each , plus the drilled 20 ft. soil samples (3) at about $600.00 
fee. approxmantly $ 10,000 plus the selsct fill for the building pad .
Pier and beam installed with labor & material & engineering (1500sq/ft ) approxmantly 
10% less .
Pete Belknap www.belknapcontractors.com any more info,building plans , estimate to build complete with engineering plans, and all windstorm inspections , certificates , building pad , drive way & flatwork . 281-382-4144 Pete


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

My opinion is that it depends on what you want to do with the house. Are you going to live in it, rent it, or resell it? You should save a good bit building on blocks if you want to build cheap to rent or re-sell. Done right it should be good for a long time. Get the sills and floor joists high enough off the gound to allow for good air flow and access to plumbing. I don't think having a "stamped" engineered slab is any guarantee that it will not ever fail. You may consider a perimeter beam foundation. Basically a trench with rebar and concrete, then cinder blocks on top of that, and then the floor joists sitting on the blocks. 
Just me, but if there are no neighborhood restrictions, I would do blocks or perimeter beam.


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## Spirit (Nov 19, 2008)

BullyARed said:


> Build a concrete home and you don't need to buy insurance. At home our family had a four story concrete home (building) and never had any insurance on it. It could stand a rocket shell. Hurricane couldn't move it. Never had to worry about fire, termite, or flood.


The structure may not get termites, but termites still get in and eat any wood (cellulose) in the house. So even though the house itself won't get termites they can still make entry and be destructive. People in concrete houses are always shocked when they find out they have termites. 

I have no idea bout construction stuff but if you go with p&b make sure its high enough that you can easily make repairs and have work done under the home when that time comes down the road. Some houses are so low you can barely work under them and that increases the costs of labor on contractor charges down the road.


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## Low Tide (Jun 26, 2010)

I live in brazoria county (Manvel) and built back in 2004. We checked out both options and went with a floating concrete slab with bell bottom piers. Slab is 4000sqft and has 76 piers that are 9.5ft deep and 2ft beams throughout. Even thru the dry spell we haven't seen any indicators of movement. Its a whole lot easier and cheaper to add the piers in the beginning that to have to try and add them after the problems show up.


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## Stuart (May 21, 2004)

Thanks for all the replies. My thought is to build an "old school looking house with wrap around porches" but with modern materials such as hardi-plank etc. I have found a lot in a neighborhood with some 100 year old houses (no slabs ) in it and a few newer houses as well. I just think it would be closer to the effect I am looking for if it was pier and beam construction. Plus, I just don't go with something because "that is the way everyone else does it" 

I'm looking at putting real, working storm shutters on it, (you know like our ancestors did before we got smart and starting nailing plastic shutters to the side of the house that don't even match the size of the window, much less close) I'm also looking at alternatives to central air such as a ductless system. Looking at saving wall space with the use of pocket doors etc. Of course when I get the price tag for all of this, I might change my mind and buy a cookie cutter house in a cookie cutter neighborhood.


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## jck (Sep 7, 2009)

Low Tide said:


> I live in brazoria county (Manvel) and built back in 2004. We checked out both options and went with a floating concrete slab with bell bottom piers. Slab is 4000sqft and has 76 piers that are 9.5ft deep and 2ft beams throughout. Even thru the dry spell we haven't seen any indicators of movement. Its a whole lot easier and cheaper to add the piers in the beginning that to have to try and add them after the problems show up.


I just built in 2009 in lake jackson and have the exact same setup. Foundation did not move any this summer and I had no soaker hoses or anything around the slab. It cost an extra $5500 for 55 piers.


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Stuart that sounds like a great project. Here is a thought. I know a small town builder that built his office building on blocks. Instead of using plywood sub-floors and then carpet or tile on top of that, he used full dimension 2X6 centermatch sub flooring. He picked through the boards to reject the few with loose knots. Then he just stained them and that is his floor. Very solid. Put some tile in the kitchen and bathrooms and some area rugs and it has that old time look. 
If you do go with a slab, don't let a builder tell you he does all his piers to 5ft or 6ft or whatever just because that is the way he does it. Get the soil core sampled first. You set the piers at 5ft and the load bearing soil was at 4ft, or is at 6ft, and you just wasted a lot of money.
I have wondered, but haven't pursued the thought of setting foundation blocks on concrete air condtioner pads. I'm thinking that would spread the load and might prevent sinking/tilting. Maybe not all of the supports, just the corners and maybe some in the center. Just a thought........


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

and....... the builders trim/cornice contractor should be able to build some functional shutters out of "D" grade treated pine. Vertical 1x4 with horizontal cross braces. Be sure the hinges are screwed into a stud. May want to do some measuring when you frame the walls. The internet is full of shutter hardware...hinges and ties/keepers.


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## mkk (May 7, 2009)

In our case the cost for P/B was more expensive than a slab. The cost of the doubled 2x12s and 1 1/4 sub floor really brought the cost up plus we put in a lot of piers. We live in a "X" flood zone so we wanted the house up anyway. We like the fact that all the plumbing is under the house and accessible. Sorry for the old pic, but isn't that snow cool. Kids had a blast


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

spirit said:


> The structure may not get termites, but termites still get in and eat any wood (cellulose) in the house. So even though the house itself won't get termites they can still make entry and be destructive. People in concrete houses are always shocked when they find out they have termites.
> 
> I have no idea bout construction stuff but if you go with p&b make sure its high enough that you can easily make repairs and have work done under the home when that time comes down the road. Some houses are so low you can barely work under them and that increases the costs of labor on contractor charges down the road.


Yes, termites can work their way through those little cracks in concrete or gaps in bricks. If you just know the way my parent's house was built. All concrete, bricks, and stones including beams and floors. The only things termite may be able to eat is the widows or doors but have never seen that happens! Termites would not have any teeth left! They would just prefer to go to the houses next door and have their buffet ! It's more than a life time house! The next house we plan to build it that way and don't need to buy insurance and nver have to worry about fire, termite, hails, or high wind. A pressure washer is good enough to clean the house. Come by to see the Rose seafood building or the new seafood buildings next to it in Kemah. If you can recal a fire in southern CA several years ago. The only house still stood was a nice concrete house. 
==


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## sharksurfer66 (Sep 17, 2005)

MKK- That's a GREAT looking house!!


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## nate56 (Dec 11, 2010)

just did two house's on 10x10's and it is cheaper.. One in Leakey, one in Dayton.. Both turned out built like a rock.. Soil sample is a must though.. Did another right down the road on concrete piers about 5' off ground.. that cost more and had to do more shimming than most.. Concrete migh be best for you for the area your in but for these other people they wanted the look you want and to be different.. You might be able to do it off the ground but again soil test it first you might have to dig deeper... All around these types of houses are quite a bit cheaper not going to lie about that.. concrete is more expensive...


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## nate56 (Dec 11, 2010)

By the way that pic is cool mkk... Awesome pic..


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## Sow Trout (Jun 28, 2004)

Ogden Dow designed the "Dow" houses in Freeport in the 1400-1500 blocks of 2nd-4th streets on floating slabs. I quess those were built in the '40s and have few if any slab problems today.


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## CHARLIE (Jun 2, 2004)

Another way rather than drilling and pouring concrete sub piles is to drive 8" sub pilings 20 feet deep under the slab every so many feet and allow them to come up in to the bottom of the beams. The entire ground can go away and the slab will stay.I think a little cheaper than drilling and pouring concrete bell bottoms and works better..


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## redexpress (Apr 5, 2010)

Obviously several ways to do the foundation. That is one cool pic of the house. Are they round concrete piers into the ground?
Nate when you say you built one on 10x10, do you mean 10x10 concrete blocks on the ground?


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## nate56 (Dec 11, 2010)

redexpress said:


> Obviously several ways to do the foundation. That is one cool pic of the house. Are they round concrete piers into the ground?
> Nate when you say you built one on 10x10, do you mean 10x10 concrete blocks on the ground?


Im sorry, they were treated 10"x10"x10'.... exact same as beach houses but just 4-5' above ground...


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