As the old saying goes, there's no accounting for taste.
And it cuts both ways.
And it cuts both ways.
Trend of making "pole barns" into single family homes
- Thread starter GON
- Start date
Plenty of Slab on Grade homes in this area. The difference is they are built on frost footings, and they work just fine.
Yes there is an expense to excavating the footings. However, it is still cheaper than a full basement. You only have to excavate to frost depth required by code, and only where the footings go. You do not need to excavate the rest out. There are reasons to do so besides cost - usually shallow groundwater.
Yes there is an expense to excavating the footings. However, it is still cheaper than a full basement. You only have to excavate to frost depth required by code, and only where the footings go. You do not need to excavate the rest out. There are reasons to do so besides cost - usually shallow groundwater.
My trilevels lowest floor is all a slab and we have no issues.
Your slab is below the frost line.
Part of it is, the north side is totally exposed but there is a hill that slopes up as you go south. It’s possible it goes super deep (relatively speaking) into the ground though.
@Skippy722 - it has to be, or your house would’ve heaved and cracked.
The footers go down below the slab as well, making it stable in winter.
You can’t do a simple slab on grade up North like they do in the South.
It doesn’t work.
The footers go down below the slab as well, making it stable in winter.
You can’t do a simple slab on grade up North like they do in the South.
It doesn’t work.
Good to know! I’ll stick to machining, not engineering
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
That’s how lots of them started out around here - contractor builds the “barn” and then the tax base is established …
Folks would build minimum inside and move in - continue working it.
Tax man is pretty much on to them.
One couple built a huge one - later closed in more of the inside as a “party area” - from the HVAC work that unexpectedly became taxable living space …
They built a new house and are turning it back into a barn …
Hmm... if it wasn't mother-in-law bait, one could consider parking a tiny single wide out front as camouflage. I think I'd rather risk the taxes.That’s how lots of them started out around here - contractor builds the “barn” and then the tax base is established …
Folks would build minimum inside and move in - continue working it.
Tax man is pretty much on to them.
One couple built a huge one - later closed in more of the inside as a “party area” - from the HVAC work that unexpectedly became taxable living space …
They built a new house and are turning it back into a barn …
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
I’m sure they hooked up with a real estate lawyer - the new house is large/nice and both structures are on 15 acres inside the city limits. With a Ford Platinum pickup, Lincoln SUV, and C8 Vette parked there - plenty grownup toys - doubt they are in a bind - just got really PO’d that a seldom used area increased taxes by 40% etc …
I thought the whole idea of pole barns was to give a property tax break to farmers, ranchers, and industrial users. Putting houses inside them defeats the purpose of them and naturally residential taxes would be due I expect.
A potential issue is if the property is what's called mixed-use (residence w/business) so the homeowners can't get residential financing.That’s how lots of them started out around here - contractor builds the “barn” and then the tax base is established …
Folks would build minimum inside and move in - continue working it.
Tax man is pretty much on to them.
One couple built a huge one - later closed in more of the inside as a “party area” - from the HVAC work that unexpectedly became taxable living space …
They built a new house and are turning it back into a barn …
Makes me wonder how IL's residential building code is. My townhouse is built on a slab but I don't know how deep it goes - I just know that some complexes' foundations are cracking (built ~15 years ago.)
But then again my specific complex was hastily and cheaply built. The original owner of my townhouse, 2 owners ago, said he didn't find any insulation in the exterior walls plus you can hear your neighbor do the funky-funk if they're loud enough.
You can pour footers below the frost line, and stabilize the slab that way. But if you’re doing all that, building a basement isn’t much more…
In case you're interested there are 2 versions of slab-on-grade.Good to know! I’ll stick to machining, not engineering
Monolithic (includes post-tension) and stem (T-shape) https://foundationhandbook.ornl.gov/handbook/section4-1.shtml
Monolithic is the most common in warmer climates which don't have expansive soils (i.e. clay).
Expansive soil slab are a hybrid https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/pds/docs/pds065.pdf
My buddy finished this one this year. Wouldn't take much to make that porch end into an apartment. On slab, southwest PA.
It is a commercial building. And $950K will get you something better than that.
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