Basement vs outbuilding

Hi All,

My wife and I are working on plans to extend and remodel our home in eastern Long Island, NY. As part of the remodel I am hoping to have a dedicated carpentry workshop - currently I'm using half our small basement and it's too tiny to really be a good place to work in.

I'm considering two alternate plans - a pre-made outbuilding that would cost me at least $15k with the concrete pad plus require an electrical feed and separate heating / cooling. The other is to add a full basement under a 10' x 25' extension that we are going to have built.

Now, the extension is already drawn out and will definitely be built, so going with a full basement underneath and maybe doing a walkout stairway or some deep trough windows might be a cheaper and easier route, since it likely will not raise our taxes as much, will obviously be easier to heat, cool and electrify, and will sort of bring the whole workshop within scope of the rest of the project, rather than being a separate building / project on its own. 10' may be a little thin but should be workable.

My question is this: does anyone have a rough idea of the cost difference in an area like Long Island of doing a full basement with a cut out into the existing basement versus a crawlspace under an addition? I'm only looking for a rough number, $10 versus $5000 versus $100,000. I'm trying to gauge whether it is *likely* to be cheaper, more expensive or around the same cost to do one versus the other. The cost on the outbuilding is pretty firm as I've got a quote in hand for the building itself and a pretty good idea of what the pad would cost. I've seen costs around the net of 3,500 - 5,000 difference between a crawlspace and basement but I've not been able to figure out if they are accurate.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Rob

I would do the full basement. Personally I don't see the point of crawl space when a basement is an option. It can't be that much more expensive. The walls are taller and you dig a deeper hole.

The question is what you are exactly working on.
I would for example recommend a little storage like this to you:

pic:http://www.r-zs.com/en/space-solutions/storage/storage-tents/

They can also be heated and maybe isolated against the weather. I think they are not too expensive.
Just a little idea.

Welcome to the site.
If the city will allow the change.
Added costs depending on code in NY
More dirt removal
Maybe double the concrete for the foundation??
Maybe a retaining wall for the staircase as part of the foundation job, 42" wide to allow for moving lumber in to shop.
Waterproof foundation and perimeter drain maybe part of original plan
Cut access into basement and install support header over opening
Basement floor 10ft sqaure is a meter or just more than a yard of concrete and cost of slab placement.
Build out exterior walls with 2x4 studs, insulation and drywall 1 inch from foundation.
Material for window wells and the windows.
Concrete stairs and handrail on top of retaining wall.
Exterior door and lockset.
A few $100 for electrical.

Word of warning from someone who has done this. Sawdust in the hiouse. I would not cut the hole into the basement and would not use the same HVAC as the sawdust will get into the system no matter what you think you can do about it. Unless you are using hot water heat from the house and deep basement will be cooler in the summer by up to 20*

It would just be a guess on the cost of all this and depends a lot on how much you will do your self but I think a couple thousand.

Neal makes a great point about dust, it will find its way into the living space.

My take on it, though I have no input on costs, is that it's always easier to put the basement in with the addition. Frankly, who doesn't like nice, dry basement space. It's one of those areas you can never have too much of, it adds value, and it's generally maintenance free.
Hard to add after the addition is built but you can always add a shed or garage after the fact.
If for some reason in the future you decide to slow or stop the carpentry work, you can turn the basement shop into a home theater or bar. The out building...not so much.

Thanks for the input. As far as dust, yup, have that problem now when I work in the existing basement. The worst of it is actually what gets carried up on my feet. Also have to be careful, found when we cleaned out my Dad's shop after 12 or 13 years of disuse that all the sawdust that had accumulated on everything in the basement had become moldy. I thought about not having a door into the rest of the basement, just seems like it would make sense to have one though.

The storage building looks cool. My original plan was to have a 14 x 20 outbuilding with a loft above it to use for my computer side work. Then I found that I couldn't have a building above 14', which would be too low for a loft. Was going to go with a 1 story but I'm just wondering since the basement would be only 4' thinner but 5' longer and would require much less in the way of permits and extra hassle for utilities should I just do that instead.

I'm thinking I'll do it and if it turns out to be inadequate I can still add the outbuilding at some future point.

Thanks for all the input guys!

I'm thinking I'll do it and if it turns out to be inadequate I can still add the outbuilding at some future point.

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Sounds like a very good plan to me.

just a commment sounds like your decision is made

as far as the height restriction goes.

you can sink your out building 3', to avoid the height restriction. they do that in colorado

your windows will be at ground level, door way is steps

frodo said:

just a commment sounds like your decision is made

as far as the height restriction goes.

you can sink your out building 3', to avoid the height restriction. they do that in colorado

your windows will be at ground level, door way is steps

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I thought about that but the ground kind of slopes toward the area where the building would be located so I'm worried about drainage in that case. If it's ground level I'm sure it wouldn't be an issue but if I actually had a few feet below ground I'd be worried about flooding in case of a heavy rain.

We see a few c-cans used for storage and small shops.
http://www.ccanstore.com/

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a couple of random thoughts......
swinging an 8 ft board in a ten foot wide room can be...awkward (twice as awkward if it's plywood sheets).
Whether you will be happy with an outbuilding depends a lot on the size and shape of your property. You may get tired of looking at it if it's the only thing you can see when outdoors.

slownsteady said:

a couple of random thoughts......
swinging an 8 ft board in a ten foot wide room can be...awkward (twice as awkward if it's plywood sheets).
Whether you will be happy with an outbuilding depends a lot on the size and shape of your property. You may get tired of looking at it if it's the only thing you can see when outdoors.

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That's not a problem that can't be delt with. I had a radial arm saw set up in the center of a 18 ft garage and had 3 employees working on the other side of the garage. 5x10 sheets of plywood were a bit hairy but not impossible.