Introduce myself....and foundation questions

[Outlander]

Hi!  My name is Sherri and I live in Colorado.  I just received the universal 2 story plans and can't wait to get started!   

I'm building up in the mountains west of Denver, which is very frustrating and expensive   I've received bids for the foundation work.  We have a frost line of 40", which is going to make this harder and more expansive anyway.  The bid I've received is 11,500 plus 2,200 for escevation work.  Luckily, the land is pretty flat, or the costs would be even higher.  They might have to blast for the septic system, and they could run 8-12k as well.

I'm doing a slab on grade foundation.  Is there anyway to decrease these costs? 

I saw a show last night on the DIY network, where a couple was building a garage, and the expert told them to use a block foundation to save on cement costs.  Has anyone done this before? Is it something I could do myself to save costs? 

Please let me know your experiences! 

Thanks so much!

[John Raabe]

Greetings Sherri

A block wall is usually less expensive and easier for a new builder to do than a poured concrete foundation. You will want to have reinforcing (check with the building inspector or foundation contractor for local specs). There is more information on this site (search for concrete or block wall). Here is one link I found: http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=2546.0. I also found this video on a concrete block crawlspace foundation: http://www.ownerbuilderonline.com/crawlspace-foundation.html

Another less expensive option is the pier and beam foundation. Here is a Universal Cottage that uses a sturdy P&B foundation: http://www.countryplans.com/gritter.html

The Nash book (#2 in our list) has a very good Chapter (3) on foundations of all types. It will help you decide what you want to do yourself and where you might need help.

Wait, I just reread you question. You mentioned a slab on grade foundation. You could do the block wall that I have shown in your plans (Sht. 11) then backfill and pour an insulated slab inside this. However, you might also consider a grade beam foundation (not shown in the plans). That might be less expensive than a perimeter concrete block foundation.

Lots of options. Pier and beam with a wooden floor will likely be the least expensive with a 40" frost line.