Foundations: Full basement or crawl space

When you start to think about purchasing a modular home, one of the first things to consider is the type of foundation that you will be creating. The two main options are a full basement or a crawl space.

A crawl space foundation gives you a few feet under the home to allow for the hook-up of the plumbing, electrical and other utilities under the house. You might also use it for storage purposes. A full basement extends the total living space of your home allowing you to almost double your total footprint.

When considering which option to go with, the price for the foundation of a full basement may be higher than a crawl space but in most cases, the price of the modular home will actually be less if it is being placed on a full basement support. This is because the crawl space model will have extra insulation added to the floor and the furnace is designed differently. It should also be noted that the utility items (furnace, hot water, HRV), will be on the main floor when using a crawl space foundation and in the basement for the other. There is less noise from these utilities if they are in a basement environment. If they are on the main floor, you will hear them when they kick on. The main floor version of the furnace is designed differently due to how it has to force the air through the vents compared to one that is pushing the air up from below.

The dimensions for the foundation will be supplied to you from our engineered drawings. These are available well in advance of the home delivery.

There is also an option of setting your new home on helical piles. Helical piles are long posts that are screwed into the ground providing stable supports for many projects including modular homes. This would be similar to setting the home on a crawl space foundation as far as connecting the utilities is concerned. This is definitely a great option for modular homes, providing strong, level and cost-efficient support done in a very quick time-frame.