Cost of Converting Your Crawl Space to a Basement

All have veriable costs depending on depth and the structural needs. Some contractors can complete a 1' digout for as little as $50 per square foot.

Converting your crawl space to a basement is easier than ever. Professional contractors have specialized equipment and full work crews that can get the job done quickly, and, fairly economically. When you consider how labor intensive a conversion is and how much they used to cost versus the return on your investment, the whole project is actually quite a bargain.
When a contractor converts your crawl space, they are literally digging it out, replacing it with the space for a full basement.
The greastest and most cost efficient use of the space under your home is a basement. You are improving space inside your existing footprint which saves tons of money on the front end of the project. No Zoning issues, land development issues or architectural needs. Lack of all these professionals really lowers cost of this kind of project.
Waterproofing the new structure, including installing sump pumps, window wells, bilco doors, bathroom, sewage pumps, new laundry tubs all can be added without huge professional costs.
The biggest problem is knowing what you want to use the space for. In most cases, the crawl space is unusable for even dry storage.
The area of the new basement is generally 1/2 of the square footage of the house and really provides great new space. With the crawlspace dig out only minor structural issues have to be addressed.
The work is very tedious and hard labor must be done to ensure the stability of your existing home. The old footers need to be undermined carefully and in small sections on opposite sides of the property at a time. This process is completed over rotating sections which eventually complete the new wall structure.
It's a big job, but most home owners get a 125% return on investment, especially if they are planning to sell the home at some point or use a home equity loan.
The 5 major areas of work involved in a conversion are:
1. Dirt removal
2. Structural support & engineering
3. New Footers
4. New Walls
5. New Floor
In most cases, the ultimate cost of a 2' to 3' digout to be $50-$100 per square foot. This covers the digging, dirt removal, fixing of structural issues (if any), adding new footers and new concrete walls and a new cement floor (which form the new basement).
If you want a rough estimate, take the square footage of your home, divide it by.5, then multiply that number by 50 and 100 dollars. This is just a guide, your home may cost more or less depending on your individual situation.